First Book of Chronicles 9

¹ All the Israelites were classified in related groups, and these were already listed in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah when they were deported to Babylon for their faithlessness.

² The first to take up residence in their towns and their estates were the Israelites, the priests, the Levites and the oblates;

³ in Jerusalem lived Judaeans, Benjaminites, Ephraimites and Manassites.

⁴ Uthai son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, one of the sons of Perez son of Judah.

⁵ Of the Shilonites: Asaiah, the first-born, and his sons.

⁶ Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel. Also their kinsmen: six hundred and ninety.

⁷ Of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah;

⁸ Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, son of Michri; Meshullam son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah.

⁹ They had nine hundred and fifty-six kinsmen, grouped according to their kinship. All these men were heads, each of his family.

¹⁰ Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin,

¹¹ Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, ruler of the house of God.

¹² Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer.

¹³ They had kinsmen, heads of families, one thousand seven hundred and sixty stout fighting men who undertook the duties of the Temple of God.

¹⁴ Of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah of the sons of Merari,

¹⁵ Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, Mattaniah son of Mica, son is of Zichri, son of Asaph,

¹⁶ Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

¹⁷ The keepers of the gate: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and their kinsmen. Shallum, their head,

¹⁸ still keeps station at the royal gate, to the east. These were the gatekeepers of the camps of the Levites.

¹⁹ Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, with his brother Korahites, of the same family, were responsible for the liturgical service; they were keepers of the threshold for the Tent, as their fathers, in charge of the camp of Yahweh, had guarded the entrance to it.

²⁰ At one time, Phinehas son of Eleazar had ruled them (may Yahweh be with him!).

²¹ Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was keeper of the gate at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

²² All the keepers of the gate at the thresholds were picked men; there were two hundred and twelve of them. They were grouped by relationship in their various villages. These were confirmed in office by David and Samuel the seer because of their loyalty.

²³ They and their sons had the guardianship of the gates of the Temple of Yahweh, the house of the Tent.[*a]

²⁴ On the four sides stood the keepers of the gate, east, west, north, and south.

²⁵ Their kinsmen in their villages would come to join them for a week from time to time,

²⁶ since the four head gatekeepers themselves lived there permanently. They were the Levites responsible for the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.

²⁷ They spent the night in the precincts of the house of God, their duties being to guard it and open it every morning.

²⁸ Some of them were responsible for the furnishings of worship; they counted them whenever they put them away and took them out.

²⁹ Certain others were in charge of the furniture and all the sacred furnishings, the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, the spices,

³⁰ while those who prepared the mixture for the spices were priests.

³¹ One of the Levites, Mattithiah – he was the first-born of Shallum the Korahite – was, because of his loyalty, made responsible for making the offerings that were baked on the pan.

³² Some of their kinsmen the Kohathites were responsible for the loaves to be set out in rows sabbath by sabbath.

³³ These are the cantors, heads of the levitical families. When free from service they lived in the Temple chambers, because they were on duty day and night.

³⁴ These were the heads of the levitical families, grouped according to their kinship. These heads lived in Jerusalem.

³⁵ At Gibeon lived Abi-gibeon and Jeiel, whose wife was called Maacah.

³⁶ His first-born son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

³⁷ Zechariah and Mikloth.

³⁸ Mikloth became father of Shimeam. These also, near their kinsmen, lived with their kinsmen in Jerusalem.

³⁹ Ner became father of Kish, Kish father of Saul, Saul father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal.

⁴⁰ Son of Jonathan: Meribaal. Meribaal became father of Micah.

⁴¹ Sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea.

⁴² Ahaz became father of Jarah, Jarah father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri; Zimri became father of Moza,

⁴³ Moza father of Binea. Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.

⁴⁴ Azel had six sons; their names were these: Azrikam, his first-born, then Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.