1 Chronicles 23-26

May 16, 2024

1 Chronicles 23

THE DIVISIONS OF THE LEVITES
When David was old and full of days, he installed his son Solomon as king over Israel.
2 Then he gathered all the leaders of Israel, the priests, and the Levites. 3 The Levites thirty years old or more were counted; the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand by headcount. 4 “Of these,” David said, “twenty-four thousand are to be in charge of the work on the Lord’s temple, six thousand are to be officers and judges, 5 four thousand are to be gatekeepers, and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the instruments that I have made for worship.”

6 Then David divided them into divisions according to Levi’s sons: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

7 The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
8 Ladan’s sons: Jehiel was the first, then Zetham, and Joel ​— ​three.
9 Shimei’s sons: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran ​— ​three. Those were the heads of the families of Ladan.
10 Shimei’s sons: Jahath, Zizah, Jeush, and Beriah. Those were Shimei’s sons ​— ​four. 11 Jahath was the first and Zizah was the second; however, Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became one family and received a single assignment.
12 Kohath’s sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel ​— ​four.
13 Amram’s sons: Aaron and Moses.
Aaron, along with his descendants, was set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense in the presence of the Lord, to minister to him, and to pronounce blessings in his name forever. 14 As for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

15 Moses’s sons: Gershom and Eliezer.
16 Gershom’s sons: Shebuel was first.
17 Eliezer’s sons were Rehabiah, first; Eliezer did not have any other sons, but Rehabiah’s sons were very numerous.
18 Izhar’s sons: Shelomith was first.
19 Hebron’s sons: Jeriah was first, Amariah second, Jahaziel third, and Jekameam fourth.
20 Uzziel’s sons: Micah was first, and Isshiah second.
21 Merari’s sons: Mahli and Mushi.
Mahli’s sons: Eleazar and Kish.
22 Eleazar died having no sons, only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.
23 Mushi’s sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth ​— ​three.
24 These were the descendants of Levi by their ancestral families ​— ​the family heads, according to their registration by name in the headcount ​— ​twenty years old or more, who worked in the service of the Lord’s temple. 25 For David said, “The Lord God of Israel has given rest to his people, and he has come to stay in Jerusalem forever. 26 Also, the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the equipment for its service” ​— ​27 for according to the last words of David, the Levites twenty years old or more were to be counted ​— ​28“but their duty will be to assist the descendants of Aaron with the service of the Lord’s temple, being responsible for the courts and the chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of God’s temple ​— ​29 as well as the rows of the Bread of the Presence, the fine flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baking, the mixing, and all measurements of volume and length. 30 They are also to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the Lord, and likewise in the evening. 31 Whenever burnt offerings are offered to the Lord on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed festivals, they are to offer them regularly in the Lord’s presence according to the number prescribed for them. 32 They are to carry out their responsibilities for the tent of meeting, for the holy place, and for their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, in the service of the Lord’s temple.”

1 Chronicles 24

THE DIVISIONS OF THE PRIESTS
The divisions of the descendants of Aaron were as follows: Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. 3 Together with Zadok from the descendants of Eleazar and Ahimelech from the descendants of Ithamar, David divided them according to the assigned duties of their service. 4 Since more leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than Ithamar’s, they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of ancestral families were from Eleazar’s descendants, and eight heads of ancestral families were from Ithamar’s. 5 They were assigned by lot, for there were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants.

6 The secretary, Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king and the officers, the priest Zadok, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the heads of families of the priests and the Levites. One ancestral family was taken for Eleazar, and then one for Ithamar.

7 The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,
8 the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,
9 the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,
10 the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,
11 the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,
12 the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,
13 the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,
14 the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,
15 the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez,
16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel,
17 the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul,
18 the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.
19 These had their assigned duties for service when they entered the Lord’s temple, according to their regulations, which they received from their ancestor Aaron, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

THE REST OF THE LEVITES
20 As for the rest of Levi’s sons:
from Amram’s sons: Shubael;
from Shubael’s sons: Jehdeiah.
21 From Rehabiah:
from Rehabiah’s sons: Isshiah was the first.
22 From the Izharites: Shelomoth;
from Shelomoth’s sons: Jahath.
23 Hebron’s sons:
Jeriah the first, Amariah the second,
Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
24 From Uzziel’s sons: Micah;
from Micah’s sons: Shamir.
25 Micah’s brother: Isshiah;
from Isshiah’s sons: Zechariah.
26 Merari’s sons: Mahli and Mushi,
and from his sons, Jaaziah his son.
27 Merari’s sons, by his son Jaaziah:
Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.
28 From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.
29 From Kish, from Kish’s sons: Jerahmeel.
30 Mushi’s sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.
Those were the descendants of the Levites according to their ancestral families. 31 They also cast lots the same way as their relatives the descendants of Aaron did in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the families of the priests and Levites ​— ​the family heads and their younger brothers alike.

1 Chronicles 25

THE LEVITICAL MUSICIANS
David and the officers of the army also set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, who were to prophesy accompanied by lyres, harps, and cymbals. This is the list of the men who performed their service:
2 From Asaph’s sons:
Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah, sons of Asaph, under Asaph’s authority, who prophesied under the authority of the king.
3 From Jeduthun: Jeduthun’s sons:
Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah ​— ​six ​— ​under the authority of their father Jeduthun, prophesying to the accompaniment of lyres, giving thanks and praise to the Lord.
4 From Heman: Heman’s sons:
Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. 5 All these sons of Heman, the king’s seer, were given by the promises of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
6 All these men were under their own fathers’ authority for the music in the Lord’s temple, with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of God’s temple. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the king’s authority. 7 They numbered 288 together with their relatives who were all trained and skillful in music for the Lord. 8 They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil.

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

1 Chronicles 26

THE LEVITICAL GATEKEEPERS
The following were the divisions of the gatekeepers:
From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.
2 Meshelemiah had sons:
Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second,
Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,
3 Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth,
and Eliehoenai the seventh.
4 Obed-edom also had sons:
Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second,
Joah the third, Sachar the fourth,
Nethanel the fifth, 5 Ammiel the sixth,
5 Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth,
for God blessed him.
6 Also, to his son Shemaiah were born sons who ruled their ancestral families because they were strong, capable men.
7 Shemaiah’s sons: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semachiah were also capable men. 8 All of these were among the sons of Obed-edom with their sons and relatives; they were capable men with strength for the work ​— ​sixty-two from Obed-edom.
9 Meshelemiah also had sons and relatives who were capable men ​— ​eighteen.
10 Hosah, from the Merarites, also had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him as the first), 11 Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and relatives of Hosah were thirteen in all.
12 These divisions of the gatekeepers, under their leading men, had duties for ministering in the Lord’s temple, just as their relatives did. 13 They cast lots for each temple gate according to their ancestral families, young and old alike.

14 The lot for the east gate fell to Shelemiah. They also cast lots for his son Zechariah, an insightful counselor, and his lot came out for the north gate. 15 Obed-edom’s was the south gate, and his sons’ lot was for the storehouses; 16 it was the west gate and the gate of Shallecheth on the ascending highway for Shuppim and Hosah.

There were guards stationed at every watch. 17 There were six Levites each day on the east, four each day on the north, four each day on the south, and two pair at the storehouses. 18 As for the court on the west, there were four at the highway and two at the court. 19 Those were the divisions of the gatekeepers from the descendants of the Korahites and Merarites.

THE LEVITICAL TREASURERS AND OTHER OFFICIALS
20 From the Levites, Ahijah was in charge of the treasuries of God’s temple and the treasuries of what had been dedicated. 21 From the sons of Ladan, who were the descendants of the Gershonites through Ladan and were the family heads belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli. 22 The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel, were in charge of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.

23 From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: 24 Shebuel, a descendant of Moses’s son Gershom, was the officer in charge of the treasuries. 25 His relatives through Eliezer: his son Rehabiah, his son Jeshaiah, his son Joram, his son Zichri, and his son Shelomith. 26 This Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries of what had been dedicated by King David, by the family heads who were the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and by the army commanders. 27 They dedicated part of the plunder from their battles for the repair of the Lord’s temple. 28 All that the seer Samuel, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah had dedicated, along with everything else that had been dedicated, were in the care of Shelomith and his relatives.

29 From the Izrahites: Chenaniah and his sons had duties outside the temple as officers and judges over Israel. 30 From the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 capable men, had assigned duties in Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the Lord and for the service of the king. 31 From the Hebronites: Jerijah was the head of the Hebronites, according to the family records of his ancestors. A search was made in the fortieth year of David’s reign and strong, capable men were found among them at Jazer in Gilead. 32 There were among Jerijah’s relatives 2,700 capable men who were family heads. King David appointed them over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh as overseers in every matter relating to God and the king.

— 1 Chronicles 23-26 (CSB)