1 Chronicles 26–28

26TH CHAPTER

David Appoints Gatekeepers for the Temple

¹The following were the divisions of the gatekeepers: For Korah’s descendants there was Meshelemiah, the son of Kore, from the descendants of Asaph. ²Meshelemiah’s sons were Zechariah (the firstborn), Jediael (the second), Zebadiah (the third), Jathniel (the fourth), ³Elam (the fifth), Jehohanan (the sixth), Eliehoenai (the seventh). 

⁴⸤Also for Korah’s descendants⸥ there were Obed Edom’s sons Shemaiah (the firstborn), Jehozabad (the second), Joah (the third), Sachar (the fourth), Nethanel (the fifth), ⁵Ammiel (the sixth), Issachar (the seventh), Peullethai (the eighth). God had blessed Obed Edom. ⁶His son Shemaiah had sons who ruled their families because they were soldiers. ⁷Shemaiah’s sons were Othni, and Othni’s skilled brothers Rephael, Obed, Elzabad, as well as Elihu and Semachiah. ⁸All of these people were Obed Edom’s descendants. They, their sons, and their relatives were skilled and had the ability to perform the service. Obed Edom’s family included 62 men. 

⁹Meshelemiah’s sons and relatives were 18 skilled men. 

¹⁰From the descendants of Merari there were Hosah’s sons. Shimri was the head, although he was not the firstborn. His father appointed him head. ¹¹Hosah’s other sons were Hilkiah (the second), Tebaliah (the third), and Zechariah (the fourth). There were 13 sons and relatives of Hosah. 

¹²These divisions of gatekeepers through their head men were assigned duties with their relatives to serve in the Lord’s temple. ¹³They drew lots by families, youngest and oldest alike, for every gate. ¹⁴Shelemiah was chosen for the east side. His son Zechariah, a counselor who displayed insight, was chosen for the north side. ¹⁵Obed Edom was chosen for the south side, and his sons were chosen for the storerooms. ¹⁶Shuppim and Hosah were chosen for the west side with Shallecheth Gate at the gateway that goes to the palace. 

One squad of guards served its watch after another. ¹⁷On the east side there were six Levites. On the north there were four every day. On the south there were four every day. At the storerooms there were four, two at each entrance. ¹⁸At the courtyardon the west there were four Levites at the gateway to the palace and two at the courtyard itself. ¹⁹These were the divisions of the gatekeepers among Korah’s and Merari’s descendants. 

David Appoints Treasurers for the Temple

²⁰Ahijah, a Levite, was in charge of the treasuries in God’s temple and the treasuries of the gifts dedicated to God. ²¹⸤There were also⸥ the descendants of Ladan, who was descended from Gershon. ⸤Those who served⸥ for Ladan, the descendant of Gershon, were the heads of Ladan’s families: Jehiel ²²⸤and⸥ Jehiel’s sons Zetham and Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries in the Lord’s temple. ²³For the descendants of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, ²⁴there was Shebuel, a descendant of Moses’ son Gershom. He was the highest-ranking official in charge of the treasuries. ²⁵From his relatives on Eliezer’s side of the family was Shelomith. (Eliezer’s son was Rehabiah; his grandson was Jeshaiah; his great-grandson was Joram. Joram’s son was Zichri; his grandson was Shelomith.) ²⁶He and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries of the gifts dedicated to God that King David, the heads of families, the commanders of regiments and battalions, and the commanders of the army had donated. ²⁷(They had donated some of the loot taken in battle to support the Lord’s temple.) ²⁸Everything that Samuel the seer,^bSaul (son of Kish), Abner (son of Ner), and Joab (son of Zeruiah) had donated—everything that had been donated—was under the supervision of Shelomith and his relatives. 

David Appoints Levites to Oversee Israel’s Worship

²⁹From Izhar’s descendants Chenaniah and his sons were assigned duties. They served as officials and judges outside ⸤the temple⸥ in Israel. ³⁰From Hebron’s descendants Hashabiah and his 1,700 skilled, male relatives were appointed to serve Israel west of the Jordan River. They did everything the Lord wanted them to do, and they served the king. ³¹Jeriah was the head of Hebron’s descendants. In the fortieth year of David’s reign, the ancestry of Hebron’s descendants was researched family by family. Warriors from these families were found at Jazer in Gilead. ³²Jeriah’s relatives were 2,700 skilled men, who were heads of families. King David appointed them to be overseers in every matter involving God or the king for the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh. 

27TH CHAPTER

David’s Government Officials

¹This is a list of Israelite family heads, regiment and battalion commanders, and officers who were serving the king in all the army’s units. Throughout each year they came for a month at a time and then left. Each unit consisted of 24,000 men. 

²Jashobeam, son of Zabdiel, was in charge of the first unit, the one during the first month. In his unit there were 24,000. ³He was a descendant of Perez, and he was head of all of the army’s officers for the first month. 

⁴Dodai, Ahoh’s descendant, was in charge of the unit during the second month. It was his unit. (Mikloth was one of its leaders.) In Dodai’s unit there were 24,000. 

⁵The third commander of the army during the third month was Benaiah, son of the priest Jehoiada. He was the head, and in his unit there were 24,000. ⁶This Benaiah was one of the thirty fighting men and commander of the thirty as well as his own unit. His son was Ammizabad. 

⁷Asahel, Joab’s brother, was in charge of the fourth unit during the fourth month, and after him was his son Zebadiah. In his unit there were 24,000. 

⁸Shamhuth, Izrah’s descendant, was commander of the fifth unit during the fifth month. In his unit there were 24,000. 

⁹Ira, the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, was in charge of the sixth unit during the sixth month. In his unit there were 24,000. 

¹⁰Helez, a Pelonite from the descendants of Ephraim, was in charge of the seventh unit during the seventh month. In his unit there were 24,000. 

¹¹Sibbecai, a descendant of Zerah from Hushah, was in charge of the eighth unit during the eighth month. In his unit there were 24,000. 

¹²Abiezer, a member of the tribe of Benjamin from Anathoth, was in charge of the ninth unit during the ninth month. In his unit there were 24,000. 

¹³Mahrai, a descendant of Zerah from Netophah, was in charge of the tenth unit during the tenth month. In his unit there were 24,000. 

¹⁴Benaiah, a member of the tribe of Ephraim from Pirathon, was in charge of the eleventh unit during the eleventh month. In his unit there were 24,000. 

¹⁵During the twelfth month, the twelfth unit was commanded by Heldai from Netophah. He was Othniel’s descendant. In his unit there were 24,000. 

¹⁶The following officers were in charge of the tribes of Israel: 

for the tribe of Reuben 

Eliezer, son of Zichri 

for the tribe of Simeon 

Shephatiah, son of Maacah 

¹⁷

for the tribe of Levi 

Hashabiah, son of Kemuel 

for the family of Aaron 

Zadok 

¹⁸

for the tribe of Judah 

Elihu, one of David’s brothers 

for the tribe of Issachar 

Omri, son of Michael 

¹⁹

for the tribe of Zebulun 

Ishmaiah, son of Obadiah 

for the tribe of Naphtali 

Jerimoth, son of Azriel 

²⁰

for the tribe of Ephraim 

Hoshea, son of Azaziah 

for half of the tribe of Manasseh 

Joel, son of Pedaiah 

²¹

for the half of Manasseh in Gilead 

Iddo, son of Zechariah 

for the tribe of Benjamin 

Jaasiel, son of Abner 

²²

for the tribe of Dan 

Azarel, son of Jeroham 

These were the commanders of Israel’s tribes. 

²³David didn’t count those under 20 years old, because the Lord had promised that the people of Israel would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. ²⁴Joab, son of Zeruiah, started to count them but didn’t finish. God was angry with Israel because of this, and the report from it was never included in the official records of King David. 

²⁵These were all the commanders in charge of King David’s property:^a

for the royal treasuries 

Azmaveth, son of Adiel 

for the goods in the fields, cities, 

villages, and watchtowers 

Jonathan, son of Uzziah 

²⁶

for the farm workers in the fields 

Ezri, son of Chelub 

²⁷

for the vineyards 

Shimei from Ramah 

for storing wine that came from the vineyards 

Zabdi from Shepham 

²⁸

for the olive and fig trees in the foothills 

Baal Hanan from Gedor 

for storing olive oil 

Joash 

²⁹

for the herds grazing in Sharon 

Shitrai from Sharon 

for the herds in the valleys 

Shaphat, son of Adlai 

for the camels 

Obil, a descendant of Ishmael 

for the donkeys 

Jehdeiah from Meronoth 

³¹

for the flocks 

Jaziz from Hagar 

³²David’s uncle Jonathan, an educated man who possessed insight, was David’s adviser. Jonathan and Jehiel, son of Hachmoni, were in charge of the king’s sons. ³³Ahithophel was the king’s adviser. Hushai, a descendant of Archi, was the king’s friend. ³⁴Jehoiada (son of Benaiah) and Abiathar succeeded Ahithophel. Joab was the commander of the royal army. 

28TH CHAPTER

David’s Public Assembly at Jerusalem

¹David held a meeting in Jerusalem for all the leaders of Israel—the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the army units that served the king, the commanders of regiments and battalions, the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, the palace officials, the soldiers, and the fighting men. 

²David stood in front of them and said, “Listen to me, my relatives and subjects. I had my heart set on building the temple where the ark of the Lord’s promise could be placed. This temple would be a stool for our God’s feet, and I have made preparations to build it. ³But God told me, ‘You must not build the temple for my name. You have fought wars and caused bloodshed.’ ⁴Yet, from my entire family the Lord God of Israel chose me to be king of Israel permanently. He had chosen the tribe of Judah to lead ⸤Israel⸥. From the families of Judah he chose my father’s family. From among my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king of all Israel. ⁵And of all my sons (the Lord has given me many sons) he chose my son…