1 Chronicles 9

1 All of the people of Israel were recorded in the genealogies written down in the book of the kings of Israel. The people of Judah were taken away to captivity in Babylon because they had been unfaithful.

The [names of all the] people of Israel were listed/written with the names of their clans, and that information was written in the scroll/book named ‘The Record of the Kings of Israel’. [Many of] the people of Judah were captured and forced to go to Babylon. That happened because they did not faithfully [do what was pleasing to] God.

2 The first to return and reclaim their property and live in their towns were some Israelites, priests, Levities, and Temple servants.

The first people who returned [to Judah 70 years later] and lived in their own land and in their own cities and towns were some Israeli priests, other descendants of Levi, and men who worked in the temple.

3 Some from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh returned to live in Jerusalem. They included:

[Other] people from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh [also returned to Judah and] lived in Jerusalem. This is a list of those people [of the tribe of Judah]:

4 Uthai son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, a descendant of Perez, son of Judah.

Uthai the son of Ammihud. Ammihud was the son of Omri; Omri was the son of Imri; Imri was the son of Bani; Bani was a descendant of Perez; Perez was the son of Judah.

5 From the Shilonites: Asaiah (firstborn) and his sons.

Asaiah and his sons were descendants of Shelah. Asaiah was the oldest son in his family.

6 From the Zerahites: Jeuel and relatives totaled 690.

Jeuel and others of his relatives in Zerah’s clan. There were 690 people in this clan.

7 From the Benjamites: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah;

From the tribe of Benjamin, Sallu, the son of Meshullam. Meshullam was the son of Hodaviah; Hodaviah was the son of Hassenuah.

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

Ibneiah the son of Jeroham. Elah the son of Uzzi. Uzzi was the son of Micri. Meshullam the son of Shephatiah. Shephatiah was the son of Reuel; Reuel was the son of Ibnijah.

9 All of them were family heads as recorded in their genealogies, and they totaled 956.

In other records of the people descended from Benjamin, there are the names of 956 people who were living in Jerusalem. All these were leaders of their clans.

10 From the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jakin,

Some of the priests [who returned to Judah were]: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jakin,

11 Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub. (Azariah was the head official in charge of the house of God.)

and Azariah who was the son of Hilkiah. Hilkiah who was the son of Meshullam; Meshullam who was the son of Zadok, Zadok who was the son of Meraioth; Meraioth who was the son of Ahitub; Ahitub who supervised the temple guards;

12 Also Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malkijah, and Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer.

Adaiah who was the son of Jeroham; Jeroham who was the son of Pashhur; Pashhur who was the son of Malchijah; Maasai who was the son of Adiel; Adiel who was the son of Jahzerah; Jahzerah who was the son of Meshullam; Meshullam who was the son of Meshillemith; Meshillemith who was the son of Immer.

13 The priests, who were family heads, totaled 1,760. They were strong and capable men who served in the house of God.

Altogether there were 1,760 priests [who returned to Judah]. They were leaders of their clans, and they all were responsible for doing work in the temple of God.

14 From the Levites: Shemaiah, son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, a descendant of Merari;

From the descendants of Levi [who returned to Judah] there was Shemaiah the son of Hasshub. Hasshub was the son of Azrikam; Azrikam was the son of Hashabiah; Hashabiah was a descendant of [Levi’s youngest son] Merari.

15 Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah, son of Mica, son of Zicri, son of Asaph;

[Other descendants of Levi who returned to Judah were] Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Mica. Mica was the son if Zicri; Zicri was the son of Asaph.

16 Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun; and Berekiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who used to live in the villages of the Netophathites.

There was also Obadiah the son of Shemaiah. Shemaiah was the son of Galal. Galal was the son of Jeduthun. There was also Berekiah the son of Asa. Asa was the son of Elkanah, who lived in one of the villages where the Netophath people-clan lived.

17 The gatekeepers of the Temple: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and their relatives. Shallum was the chief gatekeeper.

From the [descendants of Levi who returned to Judah] who guarded the temple gates there were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and some of their relatives. Shallum was their leader.

18 They had the responsibility up until now of looking after the King's Gate on the east side. They were the gatekeepers of the camps of the Levites.

Those gatekeepers from the tribe of Levi stood at the King’s Gate on the east side [of the temple].

19 Shallum was the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah. He and his relatives, the Korahites, were responsible for guarding the entrances to the sanctuary in the same way their fathers had been responsible for guarding the entrance to the tented house of the Lord.

Shallum was the son of Kore. Kore was the son of Ebiasaph. Ebiasaph was the son of Korah. Shallum and his relatives were gatekeepers, and they were responsible to guard the gates of the Sacred Tent of Yahweh, like their ancestors had done.

20 Previously Phinehas son of Eleazar had been the leader of the gatekeepers. The Lord was with him.

Previously Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, had supervised the gatekeepers, and Yahweh (was with/helped) Phinehas.

21 Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance of the Sacred Tent.

22 In total there were 212 chosen to be gatekeepers at the entrances. They recorded their genealogies in their home towns. David and Samuel the prophet had selected their forefathers for their faithfulness.

Altogether, there were 212 men who were chosen to guard the gates. Their names were written in the records of the clans in their villages. [King] David and the prophet Samuel appointed/chose those men because those men (were dependable/always did what they were told to do).

23 They and their descendants were responsible for guarding the entrance to the house of the Lord, also when it was a tent.

The work of those gatekeepers and their descendants was to guard the entrances of the Sacred Tent of Yahweh. That was before the temple was built to replace the Sacred Tent.

24 The gatekeepers were placed on four sides: east, west, north, and south.

There were gatekeepers on each of the four sides of the Sacred Tent.

25 Their relatives in their towns came every seven days at certain times to help them.

Sometimes it was necessary for the relatives of the gatekeepers who lived in those villages to come and help them. Each time some of them came, they helped the gatekeepers for seven days.

26 The four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were given the responsibility of looking after the rooms and treasuries in the house of God.

There were four descendants of Levi who [worked every day, and they] supervised the gatekeepers. They also took care of the rooms and treasures in the Sacred Tent of God.

27 They spent the night around the house of God because they had to guard it and they had the key to unlock it in the morning.

They remained awake all during the night to guard the Sacred Tent, and each morning they opened the gates.

28 Some of the gatekeepers were responsible for the articles that were used in worship services. They counted what was brought in and what was taken out.

Some of the gatekeepers took care of the articles that were used in worship. They also took care of the flour, wine, olive oil, incense, and spices [that were used in the sacrifices].

29 Others were given the job of looking after the furniture and equipment used in the sanctuary, as well as the special flour, wine, olive oil, incense, and spices.

Other gatekeepers were appointed to take care of the other things in the Sacred Tent.

30 (However, some of the priests were in charge of mixing the spices.)

But some of the priests had the work of mixing the spices.

31 Mattithiah, a Levite, who was the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was given the responsibility of baking the bread used in offerings.

There was a descendant of Levi named Mattithiah, the oldest son of Shallum, who was a descendant of Korah. He (was very dependable/always did what he was told to do), so they gave him {he was given} the work of baking the bread that was used in the offerings [on the altar].

32 Other Kohathites were in charge of preparing the bread set out on the table every Sabbath.

Some of the gatekeepers who were descended from Kohath prepared the freshly baked loaves of sacred bread that were placed on the table [inside the Sacred Tent] every Sabbath/rest day.

33 The musicians, heads of Levite families, lived in the rooms in the Temple and were not required to carry out other duties because they were on duty day and night.

Some of the descendants of Levi were musicians who worked in the Sacred Tent. The leaders of those families [stayed/slept] in the rooms [of the Sacred Tent]. They did not do [any other work] in the Sacred Tent because they were responsible to serve [as musicians] day and night.

34 These were all heads of Levite families, leaders as recorded in their genealogies, and they lived in Jerusalem.

Those are [the names of] the leaders of the clans descended from Levi. Their names were written in the records of the clans. They all lived in Jerusalem.

35 Jeiel was the father of Gibeon and he lived in Gibeon. His wife's name was Maacah.

[One of the descendants of Benjamin, ] Jeiel, lived in Gibeon [city]. He was the city leader. His wife’s name was Maacah.

36 His firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

His oldest son was Abdon. His other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

37 Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth.

Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth.

38 Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. They also lived near their relatives in Jerusalem.

Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. Jeiel’s family lived near their relatives in Jerusalem.

39 Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal.

Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of [King] Saul. Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal.

40 The son of Jonathan: Merib-Baal, who was the father of Micah.

Jonathan’s son was Merib-Baal. Merib-Baal was the father of Micah.

41 The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz.

Micah’s sons were Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, [and Ahaz].

42 Ahaz was the father of Jadah, Jadah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri, and Zimri was the father of Moza.

Ahaz was the father of Jadah (OR, Jarah). Jadah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza.

43 Moza was the father of Binea; Rephaiah was his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son.

Moza was the father of Binea. The son of Binea was Rephaiah. The son of Rephaiah was Eleasah. The son of Eleasah was Azel.

44 Azel had six sons. Their names were: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.

Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan.