The Daily Audio Bible

¹² These divisions of the gatekeepers, corresponding to their chief men, had duties, just as their brethren did, ministering in the house of the Lord; ¹³ and they cast lots by fathers’ houses, small and great alike, for their gates. ¹⁴ The lot for the east fell to Shelemi′ah. They cast lots also for his son Zechari′ah, a shrewd counselor, and his lot came out for the north. ¹⁵ O′bed-e′dom’s came out for the south, and to his sons was allotted the storehouse. ¹⁶ For Shuppim and Hosah it came out for the west, at the gate of Shal′lecheth on the road that goes up. Watch corresponded to watch. ¹⁷ On the east there were six each day,^[a] on the north four each day, on the south four each day, as well as two and two at the storehouse; ¹⁸ and for the parbar^[b] on the west there were four at the road and two at the parbar. ¹⁹ These were the divisions of the gatekeepers among the Kor′ahites and the sons of Merar′i.

The Treasurers, Officers, and Judges

²⁰ And of the Levites, Ahi′jah had charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated gifts. ²¹ The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers’ houses belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehi′eli.^[c]

²² The sons of Jehi′eli, Zetham and Jo′el his brother, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the Lord. ²³ Of the Am′ramites, the Iz′harites, the He′bronites, and the Uz′zielites— ²⁴ and Sheb′uel the son of Gershom, son of Moses, was chief officer in charge of the treasuries. ²⁵ His brethren: from Elie′zer were his son Rehabi′ah, and his son Jesha′iah, and his son Joram, and his son Zichri, and his son Shelo′moth. ²⁶ This Shelo′moth and his brethren were in charge of all the treasuries of the dedicated gifts which David the king, and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and the officers of the thousands and the hundreds, and the commanders of the army, had dedicated. ²⁷ From spoil won in battles they dedicated gifts for the maintenance of the house of the Lord. ²⁸ Also all that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Jo′ab the son of Zeru′iah had dedicated—all dedicated gifts were in the care of Shelo′moth^[d] and his brethren.

²⁹ Of the Iz′harites, Chenani′ah and his sons were appointed to outside duties for Israel, as officers and judges. ³⁰ Of the He′bronites, Hashabi′ah and his brethren, one thousand seven hundred men of ability, had the oversight of Israel westward of the Jordan for all the work of the Lord and for the service of the king. ³¹ Of the He′bronites, Jeri′jah was chief of the He′bronites of whatever genealogy or fathers’ houses. (In the fortieth year of David’s reign search was made and men of great ability among them were found at Jazer in Gilead.) ³² King David appointed him and his brethren, two thousand seven hundred men of ability, heads of fathers’ houses, to have the oversight of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manas′sites for everything pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.

The Military Divisions

27 This is the list of the people of Israel, the heads of fathers’ houses, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and their officers who served the king in all matters concerning the divisions that came and went, month after month throughout the year, each division numbering twenty-four thousand:

² Jasho′beam the son of Zab′di-el was in charge of the first division in the first month; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ³ He was a descendant of Perez, and was chief of all the commanders of the army for the first month. ⁴ Dodai the Aho′hite^[e] was in charge of the division of the second month; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ⁵ The third commander, for the third month, was Bena′iah, the son of Jehoi′ada the priest, as chief; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ⁶ This is the Bena′iah who was a mighty man of the thirty and in command of the thirty; Ammiz′abad his son was in charge of his division.^{[f] 7} As′ahel the brother of Jo′ab was fourth, for the fourth month, and his son Zebadi′ah after him; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ⁸ The fifth commander, for the fifth month, was Shamhuth, the Iz′rahite; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ⁹ Sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira, the son of Ikkesh the Teko′ite; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹⁰ Seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez the Pel′onite, of the sons of E′phraim; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹¹ Eighth, for the eighth month, was Sib′becai the Hu′shathite, of the Ze′rahites; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹² Ninth, for the ninth month, was Abi-e′zer of An′athoth, a Benjaminite; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹³ Tenth, for the tenth month, was Ma′harai of Neto′phah, of the Ze′rahites; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹⁴ Eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Bena′iah of Pir′athon, of the sons of E′phraim; in his division were twenty-four thousand. ¹⁵ Twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netoph′athite, of Oth′niel; in his division were twenty-four thousand.

Leaders of Tribes

¹⁶ Over the tribes of Israel, for the Reubenites Elie′zer the son of Zichri was chief officer; for the Simeonites, Shephati′ah the son of Ma′acah; ¹⁷ for Levi, Hashabi′ah the son of Kemu′el; for Aaron, Zadok; ¹⁸ for Judah, Eli′hu, one of David’s brothers; for Is′sachar, Omri the son of Michael; ¹⁹ for Zeb′ulun, Ishma′iah the son of Obadi′ah; for Naph′tali, Jer′emoth the son of Az′riel; ²⁰ for the E′phraimites, Hoshe′a the son of Azazi′ah; for the half-tribe of Manas′seh, Jo′el the son of Peda′iah; ²¹ for the half-tribe of Manas′seh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechari′ah; for Benjamin, Ja-a′siel the son of Abner; ²² for Dan, Az′arel the son of Jero′ham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. ²³ David did not number those below twenty years of age, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as many as the stars of heaven. ²⁴ Jo′ab the son of Zeru′iah began to number, but did not finish; yet wrath came upon Israel for this, and the number was not entered in the chronicles of King David.

Other Civic Officials

²⁵ Over the king’s treasuries was Az′maveth the son of Ad′i-el; and over the treasuries in the country, in the cities, in the villages and in the towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzzi′ah; ²⁶ and over those who did the work of the field for tilling the soil was Ezri the son of Chelub; ²⁷ and over the vineyards was Shim′e-i the Ra′mathite; and over the produce of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite. ²⁸ Over the olive and sycamore trees in the Shephe′lah was Ba′al-ha′nan the Gede′rite; and over the stores of oil was Jo′ash. ²⁹ Over the herds that pastured in Sharon was Shitrai the Sha′ronite; over the herds in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai. ³⁰ Over the camels was Obil the Ish′maelite; and over the she-asses was Jehde′iah the Meron′othite. Over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite. ³¹ All these were stewards of King David’s property.

³² Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, being a man of understanding and a scribe; he and Jehi′el the son of Hach′moni attended the king’s sons. ³³ Ahith′ophel was the king’s counselor, and Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend. ³⁴ Ahith′ophel was succeeded by Jehoi′ada the son of Bena′iah, and Abi′athar. Jo′ab was commander of the king’s army.

God’s Promise Realized through Faith

¹³ The promise to Abraham and his descendants, that they should inherit the world, did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵ For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

¹⁶ That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants—not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all, ¹⁷ as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. ¹⁸ In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations; as he had been told, “So shall your descendants be.” ¹⁹ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰ No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹ fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. ²² That is why his faith was “reckoned to him as righteousness.” ²³ But the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, ²⁴ but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, ²⁵ who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Results of Justification

5 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through him we have obtained access^[b] to this grace in which we stand, and we^[c] rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. ³ More than that, we^[d] rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Denunciation of Godlessness

To the choirmaster. Of David.