The Daily Audio Bible

Divisions of the Priests

24 The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abi′hu, Elea′zar, and Ith′amar. ² But Nadab and Abi′hu died before their father, and had no children, so Elea′zar and Ith′amar became the priests. ³ With the help of Zadok of the sons of Elea′zar, and Ahim′elech of the sons of Ith′amar,^[a] David organized them according to the appointed duties in their service. ⁴ Since more chief men were found among the sons of Elea′zar than among the sons of Ith′amar, they organized them under sixteen heads of fathers’ houses of the sons of Elea′zar, and eight of the sons of Ith′amar. ⁵ They organized them by lot, all alike, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both the sons of Elea′zar and the sons of Ith′amar. ⁶ And the scribe Shemai′ah the son of Nethan′el, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahim′elech the son of Abi′athar, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the priests and of the Levites; one father’s house being chosen for Elea′zar and one chosen for Ith′amar.

⁷ The first lot fell to Jehoi′arib, the second to Jeda′iah, ⁸ the third to Harim, the fourth to Se-o′rim, ⁹ the fifth to Malchi′jah, the sixth to Mij′amin, ¹⁰ the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abi′jah, ¹¹ the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecani′ah, ¹² the eleventh to Eli′ashib, the twelfth to Jakim, ¹³ the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jesheb′e-ab, ¹⁴ the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, ¹⁵ the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Hap′pizzez, ¹⁶ the nineteenth to Pethahi′ah, the twentieth to Jehez′kel, ¹⁷ the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, ¹⁸ the twenty-third to Delai′ah, the twenty-fourth to Ma-azi′ah. ¹⁹ These had as their appointed duty in their service to come into the house of the Lord according to the procedure established for them by Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

Other Levites

²⁰ And of the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, Shu′ba-el; of the sons of Shu′ba-el, Jehde′iah. ²¹ Of Rehabi′ah: of the sons of Rehabi′ah, Isshi′ah the chief. ²² Of the Iz′harites, Shelo′moth; of the sons of Shelo′moth, Jahath. ²³ The sons of Hebron:^[b] Jeri′ah the chief,^[c] Amari′ah the second, Jaha′ziel the third, Jekame′am the fourth. ²⁴ The sons of Uz′ziel, Micah; of the sons of Micah, Shamir. ²⁵ The brother of Micah, Isshi′ah; of the sons of Isshi′ah, Zechari′ah. ²⁶ The sons of Merar′i: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Ja-azi′ah: Beno. ²⁷ The sons of Merar′i: of Ja-azi′ah, Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. ²⁸ Of Mahli: Elea′zar, who had no sons. ²⁹ Of Kish, the sons of Kish: Jerah′meel. ³⁰ The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jer′imoth. These were the sons of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses. ³¹ These also, the head of each father’s house and his younger brother alike, cast lots, just as their brethren the sons of Aaron, in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahim′elech, and the heads of fathers’ houses of the priests and of the Levites.

The Temple Musicians

25 David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jedu′thun, who should prophesy with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: ² Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethani′ah, and Ashare′lah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. ³ Of Jedu′thun, the sons of Jedu′thun: Gedali′ah, Zeri, Jesha′iah, Shim′e-i,^[d] Hashabi′ah, and Mattithi′ah, six, under the direction of their father Jedu′thun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. ⁴ Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukki′ah, Mattani′ah, Uz′ziel, Shebu′el, and Jer′imoth, Hanani′ah, Hana′ni, Eli′athah, Giddal′ti, and Romam′ti-e′zer, Joshbekash′ah, Mallo′thi, Hothir, Maha′zi-oth. ⁵ All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer, according to the promise of God to exalt him; for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. ⁶ They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jedu′thun, and Heman were under the order of the king. ⁷ The number of them along with their brethren, who were trained in singing to the Lord, all who were skilful, was two hundred and eighty-eight. ⁸ And they cast lots for their duties, small and great, teacher and pupil alike.

⁹ The first lot fell for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedali′ah, to him and his brethren and his sons, twelve; ¹⁰ the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹¹ the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹² the fifth to Nethani′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹³ the sixth to Bukki′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁴ the seventh to Jeshare′lah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁵ the eighth to Jesha′iah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁶ the ninth to Mattani′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁷ the tenth to Shim′e-i, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁸ the eleventh to Az′arel, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁹ the twelfth to Hashabi′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁰ to the thirteenth, Shu′ba-el, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²¹ to the fourteenth, Mattithi′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²² to the fifteenth, to Jer′emoth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²³ to the sixteenth, to Hanani′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁴ to the seventeenth, to Joshbekash′ah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁵ to the eighteenth, to Hana′ni, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁶ to the nineteenth, to Mallo′thi, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁷ to the twentieth, to Eli′athah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁸ to the twenty-first, to Hothir, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁹ to the twenty-second, to Giddal′ti, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ³⁰ to the twenty-third, to Maha′zi-oth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ³¹ to the twenty-fourth, to Romam′ti-e′zer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

The Gatekeepers

26 As for the divisons of the gatekeepers: of the Kor′ahites, Meshelemi′ah the son of Kor′e, of the sons of Asaph. ² And Meshelemi′ah had sons: Zechari′ah the first-born, Jedi′a-el the second, Zebadi′ah the third, Jath′ni-el the fourth, ³ Elam the fifth, Jeho-ha′nan the sixth, Eli-e-ho-e′nai the seventh. ⁴ And O′bed-e′dom had sons: Shemai′ah the first-born, Jeho′zabad the second, Jo′ah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethan′el the fifth, ⁵ Am′mi-el the sixth, Is′sachar the seventh, Pe-ul′lethai the eighth; for God blessed him. ⁶ Also to his son Shemai′ah were sons born who were rulers in their fathers’ houses, for they were men of great ability. ⁷ The sons of Shemai′ah: Othni, Reph′a-el, Obed, and Elza′bad, whose brethren were able men, Eli′hu and Semachi′ah. ⁸ All these were of the sons of O′bed-e′dom with their sons and brethren, able men qualified for the service; sixty-two of O′bed-e′dom. ⁹ And Meshelemi′ah had sons and brethren, able men, eighteen. ¹⁰ And Hosah, of the sons of Merar′i, had sons: Shimri the chief (for though he was not the first-born, his father made him chief), ¹¹ Hilki′ah the second, Tebali′ah the third, Zechari′ah the fourth: all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen.

The Example of Abraham

4 What then shall we say about^[a] Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? ² For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. ³ For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” ⁴ Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due. ⁵ And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness. ⁶ So also David pronounces a blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:

⁹ Is this blessing pronounced only upon the circumcised, or also upon the uncircumcised? We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. ¹⁰ How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. ¹¹ He received circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, ¹² and likewise the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but also follow the example of the faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.