1 Chronicles 24

24TH CHAPTER

The Organization of the Priests

¹The divisions of Aaron’s descendants were as follows: Aaron’s sons were Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ²Nadab and Abihu died before their father died, and neither had any children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. 

³David, Eleazar’s descendant Zadok, and Ithamar’s descendant Ahimelech divided Aaron’s descendants into groups for service. ⁴Since Eleazar’s descendants had more men who were family heads than Ithamar’s descendants, they were divided so that Eleazar’s descendants had 16 family leaders and Ithamar’s descendants had 8 family leaders. ⁵Both groups were divided impartially by drawing lots so that there were officers for the holy place and officers for God among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants. ⁶The scribe Shemaiah was a son of Nethanel and a descendant of Levi. Shemaiah recorded their names in the presence of the king, the princes, the priest Zadok, Ahimelech (son of Abiathar), and the family leaders of the priests and Levites. One family was chosen for Eleazar, another for Ithamar. 

⁷The first lot drawn was for Jehoiarib, the second for Jedaiah, ⁸the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim, ⁹the fifth for Malchiah, the sixth for Mijamin, ¹⁰the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for Abijah, ¹¹the ninth for Jeshua, the tenth for Shecaniah, ¹²the eleventh for Eliashib, the twelfth for Jakim, ¹³the thirteenth for Huppah, the fourteenth for Jeshebeab, ¹⁴the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer, ¹⁵the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Happizzez, ¹⁶the nineteenth for Pethahiah, the twentieth for Jehezkel, ¹⁷the twenty-first for Jachin, the twenty-second for Gamul, ¹⁸the twenty-third for Delaiah, the twenty-fourth for Maaziah. ¹⁹These were their priestly groups when they went to serve at the Lord’s temple. Their ancestor Aaron made these rules for them, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him. 

The Organization of the Levites

²⁰⸤The following men were leaders⸥ for Levi’s descendants ⸤from Kohath⸥: 

Jehdeiah (for Amram’s descendants through Shubael), 

²¹Isshiah (⸤for Amram’s descendants⸥ through Rehabiah), 

²²Jahath (for Izhar’s descendants through Shelomoth), 

²³Jeriah (for Hebron’s descendants^a), 

Amariah (the second ⸤of Hebron’s descendants⸥), 

Jahaziel (the third ⸤of Hebron’s descendants⸥), 

Jekameam (the fourth ⸤of Hebron’s descendants⸥), 

²⁴Shamir (for Uzziel’s descendants through Micah), 

²⁵and Zechariah (for ⸤Uzziel’s⸥ descendants through Micah’s brother 

Isshiah). 

²⁶The following men were leaders from Levi’s descendants from Merari: 

Mahli, Mushi, and Merari’s son Jaaziah, 

²⁷Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri (for Merari’s descendants through his son 

Jaaziah), 

²⁸Eleazar (who had no sons, for Mahli’s descendants), 

²⁹Jerahmeel (for ⸤Mahli’s⸥ descendants through Kish), 

³⁰Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth (for Mushi’s descendants). 

These were Levi’s descendants according to their families. ³¹They drew lots as their relatives, Aaron’s descendants, had done. They drew them in front of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the families of the priests and Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated the same way as those of the youngest.