Book Order Plan

¹This is how Aaron’s descendants, the priests, were divided into groups for service. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

²But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they had no sons. So only Eleazar and Ithamar were left to carry on as priests.

³With the help of Zadok, who was a descendant of Eleazar, and of Ahimelech, who was a descendant of Ithamar, David divided Aaron’s descendants into groups according to their various duties.

⁴Eleazar’s descendants were divided into sixteen groups and Ithamar’s into eight, for there were more family leaders among the descendants of Eleazar.

⁵All tasks were assigned to the various groups by means of sacred lots so that no preference would be shown, for there were many qualified officials serving God in the sanctuary from among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.

⁶Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, acted as secretary and wrote down the names and assignments in the presence of the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the family leaders of the priests and Levites. The descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar took turns casting lots.

⁷The first lot fell to Jehoiarib. The second lot fell to Jedaiah.

⁸The third lot fell to Harim. The fourth lot fell to Seorim.

⁹The fifth lot fell to Malkijah. The sixth lot fell to Mijamin.

¹⁰The seventh lot fell to Hakkoz. The eighth lot fell to Abijah.

¹¹The ninth lot fell to Jeshua. The tenth lot fell to Shecaniah.

¹²The eleventh lot fell to Eliashib. The twelfth lot fell to Jakim.

¹³The thirteenth lot fell to Huppah. The fourteenth lot fell to Jeshebeab.

¹⁴The fifteenth lot fell to Bilgah. The sixteenth lot fell to Immer.

¹⁵The seventeenth lot fell to Hezir. The eighteenth lot fell to Happizzez.

¹⁶The nineteenth lot fell to Pethahiah. The twentieth lot fell to Jehezkel.

¹⁷The twenty-first lot fell to Jakin. The twenty-second lot fell to Gamul.

¹⁸The twenty-third lot fell to Delaiah. The twenty-fourth lot fell to Maaziah.

¹⁹Each group carried out its appointed duties in the house of the LORD according to the procedures established by their ancestor Aaron in obedience to the commands of the LORD, the God of Israel.

²⁰These were the other family leaders descended from Levi: From the descendants of Amram, the leader was Shebuel. From the descendants of Shebuel, the leader was Jehdeiah.

²¹From the descendants of Rehabiah, the leader was Isshiah.

²²From the descendants of Izhar, the leader was Shelomith. From the descendants of Shelomith, the leader was Jahath.

²³From the descendants of Hebron, Jeriah was the leader, Amariah was second, Jahaziel was third, and Jekameam was fourth.

²⁴From the descendants of Uzziel, the leader was Micah. From the descendants of Micah, the leader was Shamir,

²⁵along with Isshiah, the brother of Micah. From the descendants of Isshiah, the leader was Zechariah.

²⁶From the descendants of Merari, the leaders were Mahli and Mushi. From the descendants of Jaaziah, the leader was Beno.

²⁷From the descendants of Merari through Jaaziah, the leaders were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.

²⁸From the descendants of Mahli, the leader was Eleazar, though he had no sons.

²⁹From the descendants of Kish, the leader was Jerahmeel.

³⁰From the descendants of Mushi, the leaders were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the descendants of Levi in their various families.

³¹Like the descendants of Aaron, they were assigned to their duties by means of sacred lots, without regard to age or rank. Lots were drawn in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the family leaders of the priests and the Levites.

¹David and the army commanders then appointed men from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God’s messages to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. Here is a list of their names and their work:

²From the sons of Asaph, there were Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. They worked under the direction of their father, Asaph, who proclaimed God’s messages by the king’s orders.

³From the sons of Jeduthun, there were Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six in all. They worked under the direction of their father, Jeduthun, who proclaimed God’s messages to the accompaniment of the lyre, offering thanks and praise to the LORD.

⁴From the sons of Heman, there were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.

⁵All these were the sons of Heman, the king’s seer, for God had honored him with fourteen sons and three daughters.

⁶All these men were under the direction of their fathers as they made music at the house of the LORD. Their responsibilities included the playing of cymbals, harps, and lyres at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman reported directly to the king.

⁷They and their families were all trained in making music before the LORD, and each of them — 288 in all — was an accomplished musician.

⁸The musicians were appointed to their term of service by means of sacred lots, without regard to whether they were young or old, teacher or student.

⁹The first lot fell to Joseph of the Asaph clan and twelve of his sons and relatives. The second lot fell to Gedaliah and twelve of his sons and relatives.

¹⁰The third lot fell to Zaccur and twelve of his sons and relatives.

¹¹The fourth lot fell to Zeri and twelve of his sons and relatives.

¹²The fifth lot fell to Nethaniah and twelve of his sons and relatives.

¹³The sixth lot fell to Bukkiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.

¹⁴The seventh lot fell to Asarelah and twelve of his sons and relatives.

¹⁵The eighth lot fell to Jeshaiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.

¹⁶The ninth lot fell to Mattaniah and twelve of his sons and relatives.

¹⁷The tenth lot fell to Shimei and twelve of his sons and relatives.

¹⁸The eleventh lot fell to Uzziel and twelve of his sons and relatives.

¹⁹The twelfth lot fell to Hashabiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.

²⁰The thirteenth lot fell to Shubael and twelve of his sons and relatives.

²¹The fourteenth lot fell to Mattithiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.

²²The fifteenth lot fell to Jerimoth and twelve of his sons and relatives.

²³The sixteenth lot fell to Hananiah and twelve of his sons and relatives.

²⁴The seventeenth lot fell to Joshbekashah and twelve of his sons and relatives.

²⁵The eighteenth lot fell to Hanani and twelve of his sons and relatives.

²⁶The nineteenth lot fell to Mallothi and twelve of his sons and relatives.

²⁷The twentieth lot fell to Eliathah and twelve of his sons and relatives.

²⁸The twenty-first lot fell to Hothir and twelve of his sons and relatives.

²⁹The twenty-second lot fell to Giddalti and twelve of his sons and relatives.

³⁰The twenty-third lot fell to Mahazioth and twelve of his sons and relatives.

³¹The twenty-fourth lot fell to Romamti-ezer and twelve of his sons and relatives.

¹These are the divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites, there was Meshelemiah son of Kore, of the family of Abiasaph.

²The sons of Meshelemiah were Zechariah (the oldest), Jediael (the second), Zebadiah (the third), Jathniel (the fourth),

³Elam (the fifth), Jehohanan (the sixth), and Eliehoenai (the seventh).

⁴The sons of Obed-edom, also gatekeepers, were Shemaiah (the oldest), Jehozabad (the second), Joah (the third), Sacar (the fourth), Nethanel (the fifth),

⁵Ammiel (the sixth), Issachar (the seventh), and Peullethai (the eighth). God had richly blessed Obed-edom.

⁶Obed-edom’s son Shemaiah had sons with great ability who earned positions of great authority in the clan.

⁷Their names were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad. Their relatives, Elihu and Semakiah, were also very capable men.

⁸All of these descendants of Obed-edom, including their sons and grandsons — sixty-two of them in all — were very capable men, well qualified for their work.

⁹Meshelemiah’s eighteen sons and relatives were also very capable men.

¹⁰Hosah, of the Merari clan, appointed Shimri as the leader among his sons, though he was not the oldest.

¹¹His other sons included Hilkiah (the second), Tebaliah (the third), and Zechariah (the fourth). Hosah’s sons and relatives, who served as gatekeepers, numbered thirteen in all.

¹²These divisions of the gatekeepers were named for their family leaders, and like the other Levites, they served at the house of the LORD.

¹³They were assigned by families for guard duty at the various gates, without regard to age or training, for it was all decided by means of sacred lots.

¹⁴The responsibility for the east gate went to Meshelemiah and his group. The north gate was assigned to his son Zechariah, a man of unusual wisdom.

¹⁵The south gate went to Obed-edom, and his sons were put in charge of the storehouse.

¹⁶Shuppim and Hosah were assigned the west gate and the gateway leading up to the Temple. Guard duties were divided evenly.

¹⁷Six Levites were assigned each day to the east gate, four to the north gate, four to the south gate, and two pairs at the storehouse.

¹⁸Six were assigned each day to the west gate, four to the gateway leading up to the Temple, and two to the courtyard.

¹⁹These were the divisions of the gatekeepers from the clans of Korah and Merari.

²⁰Other Levites, led by Ahijah, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the gifts dedicated to the LORD.

²¹From the family of Libni in the clan of Gershon, Jehiel was the leader.

²²The sons of Jehiel, Zetham and his brother Joel, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of the LORD.

²³These are the leaders that descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel:

²⁴From the clan of Amram, Shebuel was a descendant of Gershom son of Moses. He was the chief officer of the treasuries.

²⁵His relatives through Eliezer were Rehabiah, Jeshaiah, Joram, Zicri, and Shelomoth.

²⁶Shelomoth and his relatives were in charge of the treasuries containing the gifts that King David, the family leaders, and the generals and captains and other officers of the army had dedicated to the LORD.

²⁷These men dedicated some of the plunder they had gained in battle to maintain the house of the LORD.

²⁸Shelomoth and his relatives also cared for the gifts dedicated to the LORD by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah. All the other dedicated gifts were in their care, too.

²⁹From the clan of Izhar came Kenaniah. He and his sons were given administrative responsibilities over Israel as officials and judges.

³⁰From the clan of Hebron came Hashabiah. He and his relatives — 1,700 capable men — were put in charge of the Israelite lands west of the Jordan River. They were responsible for all matters related to the things of the LORD and the service of the king in that area.

³¹Also from the clan of Hebron came Jeriah, who was the leader of the Hebronites according to the genealogical records. (In the fortieth year of David’s reign, a search was made in the records, and capable men from the clan of Hebron were found at Jazer in the land of Gilead.)

³²There were 2,700 capable men among the relatives of Jeriah. King David sent them to the east side of the Jordan River and put them in charge of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They were responsible for all matters related to God and to the king.