1 Chronicles 24–26

Chapter 24

¹The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ²But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests. ³With the help of Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, David organized them according to the appointed duties in their service. ⁴Since more chief men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, they organized them under sixteen heads of fathers’ houses of the sons of Eleazar, and eight of the sons of Ithamar. ⁵They organized them by lot, all alike, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both the sons of Eleazar and the sons of Ithamar. ⁶And the scribe Shemaiah the son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the priests and of the Levites; one father’s house being chosen for Eleazar and one chosen for Ithamar.

⁷The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, ⁸the third to Harim, the fourth to Se-orim, ⁹the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, ¹⁰the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, ¹¹the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, ¹²the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, ¹³the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebe-ab, ¹⁴the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, ¹⁵the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, ¹⁶the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, ¹⁷the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, ¹⁸the twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Ma-aziah. ¹⁹These had as their appointed duty in their service to come into the house of the Lord according to the procedure established for them by Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

²⁰And of the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, Shuba-el; of the sons of Shuba-el, Jehdeiah. ²¹Of Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, Isshiah the chief. ²²Of the Izharites, Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth, Jahath. ²³The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. ²⁴The sons of Uzziel, Micah; of the sons of Micah, Shamir. ²⁵The brother of Micah, Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah. ²⁶The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Ja-aziah: Beno. ²⁷The sons of Merari: of Ja-aziah, Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. ²⁸Of Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons. ²⁹Of Kish, the sons of Kish: Jerahmeel. ³⁰The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites according to their fathers’ houses. ³¹These also, the head of each father’s house and his younger brother alike, cast lots, just as their brethren the sons of Aaron, in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of fathers’ houses of the priests and of the Levites.

Chapter 25

¹David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: ²Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. ³Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shime-i, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. ⁴Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazi-oth. ⁵All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer, according to the promise of God to exalt him; for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. ⁶They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the order of the king. ⁷The number of them along with their brethren, who were trained in singing to the Lord, all who were skilful, was two hundred and eighty-eight. ⁸And they cast lots for their duties, small and great, teacher and pupil alike.

⁹The first lot fell for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, to him and his brethren and his sons, twelve; ¹⁰the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹¹the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹²the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹³the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁴the seventh to Jesharelah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁵the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁶the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁷the tenth to Shime-i, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁸the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ¹⁹the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁰to the thirteenth, Shuba-el, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²¹to the fourteenth, Mattithiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²²to the fifteenth, to Jeremoth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²³to the sixteenth, to Hananiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁴to the seventeenth, to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁵to the eighteenth, to Hanani, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁶to the nineteenth, to Mallothi, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁷to the twentieth, to Eliathah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁸to the twenty-first, to Hothir, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ²⁹to the twenty-second, to Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ³⁰to the twenty-third, to Mahazi-oth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; ³¹to the twenty-fourth, to Romamti-ezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

Chapter 26

¹As for the divisions of the gatekeepers: of the Korahites, Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph. ²And Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the first-born, Jedia-el the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathni-el the fourth, ³Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Eli-e-ho-enai the seventh. ⁴And Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the first-born, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, ⁵Ammi-el the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Pe-ullethai the eighth; for God blessed him. ⁶Also to his son Shemaiah were sons born who were rulers in their fathers’ houses, for they were men of great ability. ⁷The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Repha-el, Obed, and Elzabad, whose brethren were able men, Elihu and Semachiah. ⁸All these were of the sons of Obed-edom with their sons and brethren, able men qualified for the service; sixty-two of Obed-edom. ⁹And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, able men, eighteen. ¹⁰And Hosah, of the sons of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief (for though he was not the first-born, his father made him chief), ¹¹Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen.

¹²These divisions of the gatekeepers, corresponding to their chief men, had duties, just as their brethren did, ministering in the house of the Lord; ¹³and they cast lots by fathers’ houses, small and great alike, for their gates. ¹⁴The lot for the east fell to Shelemiah. They cast lots also for his son Zechariah, a shrewd counselor, and his lot came out for the north. ¹⁵Obed-edom’s came out for the south, and to his sons was allotted the storehouse. ¹⁶For Shuppim and Hosah it came out for the west, at the gate of Shallecheth on the road that goes up. Watch corresponded to watch. ¹⁷On the east there were six each day, on the north four each day, on the south four each day, as well as two and two at the storehouse; ¹⁸and for the parbar on the west there were four at the road and two at the parbar. ¹⁹These were the divisions of the gatekeepers among the Korahites and the sons of Merari.

²⁰And of the Levites, Ahijah had charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated gifts. ²¹The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers’ houses belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli.

²²The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and Joel his brother, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the Lord. ²³Of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites— ²⁴and Shebuel the son of Gershom, son of Moses, was chief officer in charge of the treasuries. ²⁵His brethren: from Eliezer were his son Rehabiah, and his son Jeshaiah, and his son Joram, and his son Zichri, and his son Shelomoth. ²⁶This Shelomoth and his brethren were in charge of all the treasuries of the dedicated gifts which David the king, and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and the officers of the thousands and the hundreds, and the commanders of the army, had dedicated. ²⁷From spoil won in battles they dedicated gifts for the maintenance of the house of the Lord. ²⁸Also all that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated—all dedicated gifts were in the care of Shelomoth and his brethren.

²⁹Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were appointed to outside duties for Israel, as officers and judges. ³⁰Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, one thousand seven hundred men of ability, had the oversight of Israel westward of the Jordan for all the work of the Lord and for the service of the king. ³¹Of the Hebronites, Jerijah was chief of the Hebronites of whatever genealogy or fathers’ houses. (In the fortieth year of David’s reign search was made and men of great ability among them were found at Jazer in Gilead.) ³²King David appointed him and his brethren, two thousand seven hundred men of ability, heads of fathers’ houses, to have the oversight of the Reubenites,…