1 Chronicles 26–28

The Levitical Gatekeepers

26The following were the divisions of the gatekeepers:

From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.

²Meshelemiah had sons:

Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second,

Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

³Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth,

and Eliehoenai the seventh.

⁴Obed-edom also had sons:

Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second,

Joah the third, Sachar the fourth,

Nethanel the fifth, ⁵Ammiel the sixth,

Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth,

for God blessed him.

⁶Also, to his son Shemaiah were born sons who ruled over their ancestral houses because they were strong, capable men.

⁷Shemaiah’s sons: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; his brothers Elihu and Semachiah were also capable men. ⁸All of these were among the sons of Obed-edom with their sons and brothers; they were capable men with strength for the work—62 from Obed-edom.

⁹Meshelemiah also had sons and brothers who were capable men—18.

¹⁰Hosah, ^tfrom the Merarites, also had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him as the first), ¹¹Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and brothers of Hosah were 13 in all.

¹²These divisions of the gatekeepers, under their leading men, had duties for ministering in the Lord’s temple, just as their brothers did. ¹³They cast lots for each gate according to their ancestral houses, young and old alike. ^u

¹⁴The lot for the east gate fell to Shelemiah. ^vThey also cast lots for his son Zechariah, an insightful counselor, and his lot came out for the north gate. ¹⁵Obed-edom’s was the south gate, and his sons’ lot was for the storehouses; ¹⁶it was the west gate and the gate of Shallecheth on the ascending highway for Shuppim and Hosah.

There were guards stationed at every watch. ¹⁷There were six Levites each day ^won the east, four each day on the north, four each day on the south, and two pair at the storehouses. ¹⁸As for the court on the west, there were four at the highway and two at the court. ¹⁹Those were the divisions of the gatekeepers from the sons of the Korahites and Merarites.

The Levitical Treasurers and Other Officials

²⁰From the Levites, Ahijah was in charge of the treasuries of God’s temple and the treasuries of what had been dedicated. ^x21From the sons of Ladan, who were the sons of the Gershonites through Ladan and were the heads of families belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli. ²²The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel, were in charge of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.

²³From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: ²⁴Shebuel, a descendant of Moses’ son Gershom, was the officer in charge of the treasuries. ²⁵His relative through Eliezer: his son Rehabiah, his son Jeshaiah, his son Joram, his son Zichri, and his son Shelomith. ^y26This Shelomith ^zand his brothers were in charge of all the treasuries of what had been dedicated by King David, ^aby the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and by the army commanders. ²⁷They dedicated part of the plunder from their battles for the repair of the Lord’s temple. ²⁸All that Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah had dedicated, along with everything else that had been dedicated, were in the care of Shelomith ^band his brothers.

²⁹From the Izrahites: Chenaniah and his sons had the outside duties ^cas officers and judges ^dover Israel. ³⁰From the Hebronites: Hashabiah ^eand his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had assigned duties in Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the Lord and for the service of the king. ³¹From the Hebronites: Jerijah ^fwas the head of the Hebronites, according to the genealogical records of his ancestors. A search was made in the fortieth year of David’s reign and strong, capable men were found among them at Jazer ^gin Gilead. ³²There were among Jerijah’s relatives, 2,700 capable men who were heads of families. King David appointed them over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh as overseers in every matter relating to God and the king. ^h

David’s Secular Officials

27This is the list of the Israelites, the heads of families, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in every matter to do with the divisions that were on rotated military duty each month throughout ⁱthe year. There were 24,000 in each division:

²Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was in charge of the first division, ^jfor the first month; 24,000 were in his division. ³He was a descendant of Perez and chief of all the army commanders for the first month.

⁴Dodai the Ahohite was in charge of the division for the second month, and Mikloth was the leader; 24,000 were in his division.

⁵The third army commander, as chief for the third month, was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest; 24,000 were in his division. ⁶This Benaiah was a mighty man among the Thirty and over the Thirty, and his son Ammizabad was in charge ^kof his division.

⁷The fourth commander, for the fourth month, was Joab’s brother Asahel, and his son Zebadiah was commander after him; 24,000 were in his division.

⁸The fifth, for the fifth month, was the commander Shamhuth the Izrahite; 24,000 were in his division.

⁹The sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; 24,000 were in his division.

¹⁰The seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite from the sons of Ephraim; 24,000 were in his division.

¹¹The eighth, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite; 24,000 were in his division.

¹²The ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer the Anathothite, a Benjaminite; 24,000 were in his division.

¹³The tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite; 24,000 were in his division.

¹⁴The eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah the Pirathonite from the sons of Ephraim; 24,000 were in his division.

¹⁵The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel’s family; ^l24,000 were in his division.

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

For the Reubenites, Eliezer son of Zichri was the chief official;

for the Simeonites, Shephatiah son of Maacah;

¹⁷for the Levites, Hashabiah son of Kemuel; for Aaron, Zadok;

¹⁸for Judah, Elihu, one of David’s brothers; for Issachar, Omri son of Michael;

¹⁹for Zebulun, Ishmaiah son of Obadiah;

for Naphtali, Jerimoth son of Azriel;

²⁰for the Ephraimites, Hoshea son of Azaziah;

for half the tribe of Manasseh, Joel son of Pedaiah;

²¹for half the tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo son of Zechariah;

for Benjamin, Jaasiel son of Abner;

²²for Dan, Azarel son of Jeroham.

Those were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. ^m

²³David didn’t count the men aged 20 or under, for the Lord had said He would make Israel as numerous as the stars of heaven. ⁿ²⁴Joab son of Zeruiah began to count them, but he didn’t complete it. There was wrath against Israel because of this census, ^oand the number was not entered in the Historical Record ^pof King David.

²⁵Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the king’s storehouses.

Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the country, in the cities, in the villages, and in the fortresses.

²⁶Ezri son of Chelub was in charge of those who worked in the fields tilling the soil.

²⁷Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards.

Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the produce of the vineyards for the wine cellars.

²⁸Baal-hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore trees ^qin the Judean foothills. ^r

Joash was in charge of the stores of olive oil.

²⁹Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of the herds that grazed in Sharon, ^swhile

Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of the herds in the valleys.

³⁰Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels.

Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys.

³¹Jaziz the Hagrite ^twas in charge of the flocks.

All these were officials in charge of King David’s property.

³²David’s uncle Jonathan was a counselor; he was a man of understanding and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hachmoni attended ^uthe king’s sons. ³³Ahithophel ^vwas the king’s counselor. Hushai ^wthe Archite was the king’s friend. ³⁴After Ahithophel came Jehoiada son of Benaiah, ^xthen Abiathar. ^yJoab was the commander of the king’s army. ^z

David Commissions Solomon to Build the Temple

28David assembled all the leaders of Israel in Jerusalem: ^athe leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions in the king’s service, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and cattle of the king and his sons, along with the court officials, the fighting men, ^band all the brave warriors. ²Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. It was in my heart to build a house as a resting place for the ark of the Lord’s covenant ^cand as a footstool ^dfor our God. I had made preparations to build, ³but God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for My name because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ ^e

⁴“Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me out of all my father’s household ^fto be king over Israel forever. ^gFor He chose Judah as leader, ^hand from the house of Judah, my father’s household, and from my father’s sons, ⁱHe was pleased to make me king over all Israel. ⁵And out of all my sons ^j—for the Lord has given me many sons—He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom over Israel. ^k6He said to me, ^l‘Your son Solomon is the one who is to build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father. ⁷I will establish his kingdom forever if he perseveres in keeping My commands and My ordinances as he is today.’ ^m

⁸“So now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and follow all the commands of the …