David Organizes the Priests

24:1 The divisions of Aaron’s descendants were as follows:

The sons of Aaron:

Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

24:2 Nadab and Abihu died before their father did; they had no sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.

24:3 David, Zadok (a descendant of Eleazar), and Ahimelech (a descendant of Ithamar) divided them into groups to carry out their assigned responsibilities.1 24:4 The descendants of Eleazar had more leaders than the descendants of Ithamar, so they divided them up accordingly; the descendants of Eleazar had sixteen leaders, while the descendants of Ithamar had eight.2 24:5 They divided them by lots, for there were officials of the holy place and officials designated by God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.3 24:6 The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, wrote down their names before the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the priestly and Levite families. One family was drawn by lot from Eleazar, and then the next from Ithamar.4

24:7 The first lot went to Jehoiarib,

the second to Jedaiah,

24:8 the third to Harim,

the fourth to Seorim,

24:9 the fifth to Malkijah,

the sixth to Mijamin,

24:10 the seventh to Hakkoz,

the eighth to Abijah,

24:11 the ninth to Jeshua,

the tenth to Shecaniah,

24:12 the eleventh to Eliashib,

the twelfth to Jakim,

24:13 the thirteenth to Huppah,

the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

24:14 the fifteenth to Bilgah,

the sixteenth to Immer,

24:15 the seventeenth to Hezir,

the eighteenth to Happizzez,

24:16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah,

the twentieth to Jehezkel,

24:17 the twenty-first to Jakin,

the twenty-second to Gamul,

24:18 the twenty-third to Delaiah,

the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

24:19 This was the order in which they carried out their assigned responsibilities when they entered the Lord’s temple, according to the regulations given them by their ancestor5 Aaron, just as the Lord God of Israel had instructed him.6