1 Chronicles 24–26

The Groups of Priests

24Here are the groups of priests the sons of Aaron were separated into.

The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ²But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did. They didn’t have any sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests.

³With the help of Zadok and Ahimelech, David separated the priests into groups. Each group served in its appointed order and time. Zadok belonged to the family line of Eleazar. Ahimelech belonged to the family line of Ithamar. ⁴More leaders were found among Eleazar’s family line than among Ithamar’s. So the priests were separated into their groups based on that fact. There were 16 family leaders from Eleazar’s line. There were eight family leaders from Ithamar’s line.

⁵The priests were separated into their groups by using lots. That was the fair way to do it. The priests were officials of the temple and officials of God. They came from the family lines of Eleazar and Ithamar.

⁶Shemaiah was a Levite. He was the son of Nethanel. He was the writer who recorded the names of the priests. He wrote them down in front of the king and the officials. The officials included the priest Zadok and Ahimelech. Ahimelech was the son of Abiathar. They also included the leaders of the families of the priests and the Levites. One family was chosen by lot from Eleazar. Then one was chosen from Ithamar.

⁷The 1st lot that was drawn out was for Jehoiarib.

The 2nd was for Jedaiah.

⁸The 3rd was for Harim.

The 4th was for Seorim.

⁹The 5th was for Malkijah.

The 6th was for Mijamin.

¹⁰The 7th was for Hakkoz.

The 8th was for Abijah.

¹¹The 9th was for Jeshua.

The 10th was for Shecaniah.

¹²The 11th was for Eliashib.

The 12th was for Jakim.

¹³The 13th was for Huppah.

The 14th was for Jeshebeab.

¹⁴The 15th was for Bilgah.

The 16th was for Immer.

¹⁵The 17th was for Hezir.

The 18th was for Happizzez.

¹⁶The 19th was for Pethahiah.

The 20th was for Jehezkel.

¹⁷The 21st was for Jakin.

The 22nd was for Gamul.

¹⁸The 23rd was for Delaiah.

The 24th was for Maaziah.

¹⁹That was their appointed order for serving when they entered the Lord’s temple. That order was based on the rules Aaron had given them long ago. Everything was done exactly as the Lord had commanded Aaron. The Lord is the God of Israel.

The Rest of the Levites

²⁰Here are the other members of the family line of Levi.

From the sons of Amram came Shubael.

From the sons of Shubael came Jehdeiah.

²¹From the sons of Rehabiah came Isshiah.

Isshiah was the oldest.

²²From the people of Izhar came Shelomoth.

From the sons of Shelomoth came Jahath.

²³Jeriah was the first son of Hebron. Amariah was his second son. Jahaziel was the third. Jekameam was the fourth.

²⁴The son of Uzziel was Micah.

From the sons of Micah came Shamir.

²⁵The brother of Micah was Isshiah.

From the sons of Isshiah came Zechariah.

²⁶The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.

The son of Jaaziah was Beno.

²⁷The sons of Merari

from Jaaziah were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri.

²⁸From Mahli came Eleazar. Eleazar didn’t have any sons.

²⁹From Kish came

Jerahmeel. Jerahmeel was the son of Kish.

³⁰The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth.

Those were the Levites, family by family. ³¹They cast lots, just as their relatives, the sons of Aaron, had done. They did it in front of King David, Zadok and Ahimelech. They did it in front of the family leaders of the priests. They also did it in front of the family leaders of the Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated in the same way as the families of the youngest.

The Singers

25David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun. They set them apart to serve the Lord by prophesying while harps, lyres and cymbals were being played. Here is the list of the men who served in that way.

²From the sons of Asaph came

Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph. He prophesied under the king’s direction.

³From the sons of Jeduthun came

Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah. The total number was six. They were under the direction of their father Jeduthun. He prophesied while playing the harp. He used it to thank and praise the Lord.

⁴From the sons of Heman came

Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. ⁵All of them were sons of the king’s prophet Heman. They were given to Heman to bring him honor. That’s what God had promised. God gave him 14 sons and three daughters.

⁶All of them were under the direction of their fathers. They played music for the Lord’s temple. They served at the house of God by playing cymbals, lyres and harps. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the king’s direction.

⁷All of them were trained and skilled in playing music for the Lord. Their total number was 288. That included their relatives. ⁸Young and old alike cast lots for their duties. That was true for students as well as teachers.

⁹The 1st lot that was drawn out was for Asaph. It was for Joseph

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

The 2nd lot was for Gedaliah

and his relatives and sons. The total number was 12.

¹⁰The 3rd was for Zaccur

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

¹¹The 4th was for Izri

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

¹²The 5th was for Nethaniah

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

¹³The 6th was for Bukkiah

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

¹⁴The 7th was for Jesarelah

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

¹⁵The 8th was for Jeshaiah

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

¹⁶The 9th was for Mattaniah

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

¹⁷The 10th was for Shimei

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

¹⁸The 11th was for Azarel

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

¹⁹The 12th was for Hashabiah

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

²⁰The 13th was for Shubael

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

²¹The 14th was for Mattithiah

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

²²The 15th was for Jerimoth

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

²³The 16th was for Hananiah

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

²⁴The 17th was for Joshbekashah

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

²⁵The 18th was for Hanani

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

²⁶The 19th was for Mallothi

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

²⁷The 20th was for Eliathah

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

²⁸The 21st was for Hothir

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

²⁹The 22nd was for Giddalti

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

³⁰The 23rd was for Mahazioth

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

³¹The 24th was for Romamti-Ezer

and his sons and relatives. The total number was 12.

The Men Who Guarded the Gates

26Here are the groups of men who guarded the gates.

From the family of Korah came Meshelemiah, the son of Kore. Kore was one of the sons of Asaph.

²Meshelemiah had sons.

Zechariah was his first son.

Jediael was his second son.

Zebadiah was the third.

Jathniel was the fourth.

³Elam was the fifth.

Jehohanan was the sixth.

And Eliehoenai was the seventh.

⁴Obed-Edom also had sons.

Shemaiah was his first son.

Jehozabad was his second son.

Joah was the third.

Sacar was the fourth.

Nethanel was the fifth.

⁵Ammiel was the sixth.

Issachar was the seventh.

And Peullethai was the eighth.

God had blessed Obed-Edom.

⁶His son Shemaiah also had sons. They were leaders in their family. That’s because they were men of great ability. ⁷The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad. Elzabad’s brothers Elihu and Semakiah were also able men. ⁸All of them belonged to the family line of Obed-Edom. They and their sons and relatives were men of ability. They were strong enough to do their work. The total number of men in the family line of Obed-Edom was 62.

⁹Meshelemiah’s sons and relatives were able men. Their total number was 18.

¹⁰Hosah belonged to the family line of Merari. Hosah’s first son was Shimri. But Shimri wasn’t the oldest son. His father had made him the first. ¹¹Hilkiah was Hosah’s second son. Tabaliah was the third. Zechariah was the fourth. The total number of Hosah’s sons and relatives was 13.

¹²Those groups of men guarded the gates. They worked under their chief men. They served at the Lord’s temple, just as their relatives had served. ¹³Lots were cast for each gate, family by family. Young and old alike were chosen.

¹⁴The lot that was drawn out for the East Gate was for Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah. He gave wise advice. The lot that was drawn out for the North Gate was for him. ¹⁵The lot for the South Gate was for Obed-Edom. The lot for the storeroom was for his sons. ¹⁶Lots were drawn out for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road. Those lots were for Shuppim and Hosah.

One guard stood next to another. ¹⁷There were six Levites a day on the east. There were four a day on the north. There were four a day on the south. And there were two at a time at the storeroom. ¹⁸Two Levite guards were at the courtyard to the west. And four were at the road.

¹⁹Those were the groups of the men who guarded the gates. They belonged to the family lines of Korah and Merari.

Other Officials

²⁰The Levite relatives of the men who guarded the gates were in charge of the treasures in the house of God. They were also in charge of other treasures that had been set apart for God.

²¹Ladan was from the family line of Gershon. Some leaders of families belonged to Ladan’s family line. One of them was Jehieli. ²²The sons of Jehieli were Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasures in the Lord’s temple.

²³Here are the officials who were from the family lines of Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

²⁴Shubael…