¹⁷The following temple guards lived in Jerusalem: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman. Shallum was their leader. ¹⁸Down to that time members of their clans had been stationed at the eastern entrance to the King’s Gate.^z Formerly they had stood guard at the gates to the camps of the Levites.

¹⁹Shallum, the son of Kore and grandson of Ebiasaph, together with his fellow-members of the clan of Korah, was responsible for guarding the entrance to the Tent of the Lord’s presence, just as their ancestors had been when they were in charge of the Lord’s camp. ²⁰Phineas son of Eleazar—may the Lord be with him!—had supervised them at one time.

²¹Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was also a guard at the entrance to the Tent of the Lord’s presence.

²²In all, 212 men were chosen as guards for the entrances and gates. They were registered according to the villages where they lived. It was King David and the prophet Samuel who had put their ancestors in these responsible positions. ²³They and their descendants continued to guard the gates to the Temple.

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Footnotes

zking’s gate: The east gate of the Temple, through which the king usually entered.