Chapter 26

Divisions of the Gatekeepers

1 For the divisions of the gatekeepers there were of the Korahites, 1Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of 2Asaph.

2 Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

3 Elam the fifth, Johanan the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh.

4 aObed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth,

5 Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh and Peullethai the eighth; God had indeed blessed him.

6 Also to his son Shemaiah sons were born who ruled over the house of their father, for they were mighty men of valor.

7 The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad, whose brothers, Elihu and Semachiah, were valiant men.

8 All these were of the sons of Obed-edom; they and their sons and their 1relatives were able men with strength for the service, 62 from Obed-edom.

9 Meshelemiah had sons and relatives, 18 valiant men.

10 Also aHosah, one of the sons of Merari had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father made him first),

11 Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth; all the sons and relatives of Hosah were 13.

12 To these divisions of the gatekeepers, the chief men, were given duties like their relatives to minister in the house of the Lord.

13 aThey cast lots, the small and the great alike, according to their fathers’ households, for every gate.

14 The lot to the east fell to 1Shelemiah. Then they cast lots for his son Zechariah, a counselor with insight, and his lot came out to the north.

15 For Obed-edom it fell to the south, and to his sons went the storehouse.

16 For Shuppim and Hosah it was to the west, by the gate of Shallecheth, on the ascending highway. Guard corresponded to guard.

17 On the east there were six Levites, on the north four daily, on the south four daily, and at the storehouse two by two.

18 At the 1aParbar on the west there were four at the highway and two at the Parbar.

19 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers of the sons of Korah and of the sons of Merari.

Keepers of the Treasure

20 1The Levites, their relatives, 2had acharge of the treasures of the house of God and of the treasures of the dedicated gifts.

21 The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, namely, the Jehielites, were the heads of the fathers’ households, belonging to Ladan the Gershonite.

22 The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and Joel his brother, 1had charge of the treasures of the house of the Lord.

23 As for the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites,

24 Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was officer over the treasures.

25 His relatives by Eliezer were Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zichri his son and Shelomoth his son.

26 This Shelomoth and his relatives 1had charge of all the treasures of the dedicated gifts awhich King David and the heads of the fathers’ households, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and the commanders of the army, had dedicated.

27 They dedicated 1part of the spoil won in battles to repair the house of the Lord.

28 And all that Samuel the seer had dedicated and Saul the son of Kish, Abner the son of Ner and Joab the son of Zeruiah, everyone who had dedicated anything, all of this was 1in the care of 2Shelomoth and his relatives.

Outside Duties

29 As for the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons awere assigned to outside duties for Israel, as bofficers and judges.

30 As for the Hebronites, aHashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had charge of the affairs of Israel 1west of the Jordan, for all the work of the Lord and the service of the king.

31 As for the Hebronites, aJerijah the chief 1(these Hebronites were investigated according to their genealogies and fathers’ households, in the fortieth year of David’s reign, and men of outstanding capability were found among them at bJazer of Gilead)

32 and his relatives, capable men, were 2,700 in number, heads of fathers’ households. And King David made them overseers of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of the Manassites aconcerning 1all the affairs of God and of the king.