1 Chronicles 24–26

The Groups of the Priests

24These were the groups of Aaron’s sons: Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ²But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests. ³David, with the help of Zadok, a descendant of Eleazar, and Ahimelech, a descendant of Ithamar, separated their family groups into two different groups. Each group had certain duties. ⁴There were more leaders from Eleazar’s family than from Ithamar’s—sixteen leaders from Eleazar’s family and eight leaders from Ithamar’s family. ⁵Men were chosen from Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s families by throwing lots. Some men from each family were chosen to be in charge of the Holy Place, and some were chosen to serve as priests.

⁶Shemaiah son of Nethanel, from the tribe of Levi, was the secretary. He recorded the names of those descendants in front of King David, the officers, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the families of the priests and Levites. The work was divided by lots among the families of Eleazar and Ithamar. The following men with their groups were chosen.

⁷The first one chosen was Jehoiarib. The second was Jedaiah. ⁸The third was Harim. The fourth was Seorim. ⁹The fifth was Malkijah. The sixth was Mijamin. ¹⁰The seventh was Hakkoz. The eighth was Abijah. ¹¹The ninth was Jeshua. The tenth was Shecaniah. ¹²The eleventh was Eliashib. The twelfth was Jakim. ¹³The thirteenth was Huppah. The fourteenth was Jeshebeab. ¹⁴The fifteenth was Bilgah. The sixteenth was Immer. ¹⁵The seventeenth was Hezir. The eighteenth was Happizzez. ¹⁶The nineteenth was Pethahiah. The twentieth was Jehezkel. ¹⁷The twenty-first was Jakin. The twenty-second was Gamul. ¹⁸The twenty-third was Delaiah. The twenty-fourth was Maaziah.

¹⁹These were the groups chosen to serve in the Temple of the Lord. They obeyed the rules given them by Aaron, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

The Other Levites

²⁰These are the names of the rest of Levi’s descendants:

Shubael was a descendant of Amram, and Jehdeiah was a descendant of Shubael.

²¹Isshiah was the first son of Rehabiah.

²²From the Izhar family group, there was Shelomoth, and Jahath was a descendant of Shelomoth.

²³Hebron’s first son was Jeriah, Amariah was his second, Jahaziel was his third, and Jekameam was his fourth.

²⁴Uzziel’s son was Micah. Micah’s son was Shamir. ²⁵Micah’s brother was Isshiah, and Isshiah’s son was Zechariah.

²⁶Merari’s descendants were Mahli and Mushi. Merari’s son was Jaaziah. ²⁷Jaaziah son of Merari had sons named Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. ²⁸Mahli’s son was Eleazar, but Eleazar did not have any sons.

²⁹Kish’s son was Jerahmeel.

³⁰Mushi’s sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

These are the Levites, listed by their families. ³¹They were chosen for special jobs by throwing lots in front of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, the leaders of the families of the priests, and the Levites. They did this just as their relatives, the priests, Aaron’s descendants, had done. The families of the oldest brother and the youngest brother were treated the same.

The Music Groups

25David and the commanders of the army chose some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to preach and play harps, lyres, and cymbals. Here is a list of the men who served in this way:

²Asaph’s sons who served were Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. King David chose Asaph to preach, and Asaph directed his sons.

³Jeduthun’s sons who served were Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah. There were six of them, and Jeduthun directed them. He preached and used a harp to give thanks and praise to the Lord.

⁴Heman’s sons who served were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. ⁵All these were sons of Heman, David’s seer. God promised to make Heman strong, so Heman had many sons. God gave him fourteen sons and three daughters. ⁶Heman directed all his sons in making music for the Temple of the Lord with cymbals, lyres, and harps; that was their way of serving in the Temple of God. King David was in charge of Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman. ⁷These men and their relatives were trained and skilled in making music for the Lord. There were two hundred eighty-eight of them. ⁸Everyone threw lots to choose the time his family was to serve at the Temple. The young and the old, the teacher and the student, had to throw lots.

⁹First, the lot fell to Joseph, from the family of Asaph.

Second, twelve men were chosen from Gedaliah, his sons and relatives.

¹⁰Third, twelve men were chosen from Zaccur, his sons and relatives.

¹¹Fourth, twelve men were chosen from Izri, his sons and relatives.

¹²Fifth, twelve men were chosen from Nethaniah, his sons and relatives.

¹³Sixth, twelve men were chosen from Bukkiah, his sons and relatives.

¹⁴Seventh, twelve men were chosen from Jesarelah, his sons and relatives.

¹⁵Eighth, twelve men were chosen from Jeshaiah, his sons and relatives.

¹⁶Ninth, twelve men were chosen from Mattaniah, his sons and relatives.

¹⁷Tenth, twelve men were chosen from Shimei, his sons and relatives.

¹⁸Eleventh, twelve men were chosen from Azarel, his sons and relatives.

¹⁹Twelfth, twelve men were chosen from Hashabiah, his sons and relatives.

²⁰Thirteenth, twelve men were chosen from Shubael, his sons and relatives.

²¹Fourteenth, twelve men were chosen from Mattithiah, his sons and relatives.

²²Fifteenth, twelve men were chosen from Jerimoth, his sons and relatives.

²³Sixteenth, twelve men were chosen from Hananiah, his sons and relatives.

²⁴Seventeenth, twelve men were chosen from Joshbekashah, his sons and relatives.

²⁵Eighteenth, twelve men were chosen from Hanani, his sons and relatives.

²⁶Nineteenth, twelve men were chosen from Mallothi, his sons and relatives.

²⁷Twentieth, twelve men were chosen from Eliathah, his sons and relatives.

²⁸Twenty-first, twelve men were chosen from Hothir, his sons and relatives.

²⁹Twenty-second, twelve men were chosen from Giddalti, his sons and relatives.

³⁰Twenty-third, twelve men were chosen from Mahazioth, his sons and relatives.

³¹Twenty-fourth, twelve men were chosen from Romamti-Ezer, his sons and relatives.

The Gatekeepers

26These are the groups of the gatekeepers. From the family of Korah, there was Meshelemiah son of Kore, who was from Asaph’s family. ²Meshelemiah had sons. Zechariah was his first son, Jediael was second, Zebadiah was third, Jathniel was fourth, ³Elam was fifth, Jehohanan was sixth, and Eliehoenai was seventh.

⁴Obed-Edom had sons. Shemaiah was his first son, Jehozabad was second, Joah was third, Sacar was fourth, Nethanel was fifth, ⁵Ammiel was sixth, Issachar was seventh, and Peullethai was eighth. God blessed Obed-Edom with children.

⁶Obed-Edom’s son Shemaiah also had sons. They were leaders in their father’s family because they were capable men. ⁷Shemaiah’s sons were Othni, Rephael, Obed, Elzabad, Elihu, and Semakiah. Elihu, and Semakiah were skilled workers. ⁸All these were Obed-Edom’s descendants. They and their sons and relatives were capable men and strong workers. Obed-Edom had sixty-two descendants in all.

⁹Meshelemiah had sons and relatives who were skilled workers. In all, there were eighteen.

¹⁰From the Merari family, Hosah had sons. Shimri was chosen to be in charge. Although he was not the oldest son, his father chose him to be in charge. ¹¹Hilkiah was his second son, Tabaliah was third, and Zechariah was fourth. In all, Hosah had thirteen sons and relatives.

¹²These were the leaders of the groups of gatekeepers, and they served in the Temple of the Lord. Their relatives also worked in the Temple. ¹³By throwing lots, each family chose a gate to guard. Young and old threw lots.

¹⁴Meshelemiah was chosen by lot to guard the East Gate. Then lots were thrown for Meshelemiah’s son Zechariah. He was a wise counselor and was chosen for the North Gate. ¹⁵Obed-Edom was chosen for the South Gate, and Obed-Edom’s sons were chosen to guard the storehouse. ¹⁶Shuppim and Hosah were chosen for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road.

Guards stood side by side with guards. ¹⁷Six Levites stood guard every day at the East Gate; four Levites stood guard every day at the North Gate; four Levites stood guard every day at the South Gate; and two Levites at a time guarded the storehouse. ¹⁸There were two guards at the western court and four guards on the road to the court.

¹⁹These were the groups of the gatekeepers from the families of Korah and Merari.

Other Leaders

²⁰Other Levites were responsible for guarding the treasuries of the Temple of God and for the places where the holy items were kept.

²¹Ladan was Gershon’s son and the ancestor of several family groups. Jehiel was a leader of one of the family groups. ²²His sons were Zetham and Joel his brother, and they were responsible for the treasuries of the Temple of the Lord.

²³Other leaders were chosen from the family groups of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁴Shubael, the descendant of Gershom, who was Moses’ son, was the leader responsible for the treasuries. ²⁵These were Shubael’s relatives from Eliezer: Eliezer’s son Rehabiah, Rehabiah’s son Jeshaiah, Jeshaiah’s son Joram, Joram’s son Zicri, and Zicri’s son Shelomith. ²⁶Shelomith and his relatives were responsible for everything that had been collected for the Temple by King David, by the heads of families, by the commanders of a thousand men and of a hundred men, and by other army commanders. ²⁷They also gave some of the things they had taken in wars to be used in repairing the Temple of the Lord. ²⁸Shelomith and his relatives took care of all the holy items. Some had been given by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah.

²⁹Kenaniah was from the Izhar family. He and his sons worked outside the Temple as officers and judges in different places in Israel.

³⁰Hashabiah was from the…