1 Chronicles 26

1 Concerning the divisions of the porters: Of the Korhites was Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph.

This is a list of the groups of men who guarded the temple gates: From the descendants of Korah, there was Meshelemiah, the son of Kore, who was one of the sons of Asaph.

2 And the sons of Meshelemiah were, Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

The oldest son of Meshelemiah was Zechariah. His other sons were Jediael, Zebadiah, Jathniel,

3 Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh.

Elam, Jehohanan, and Eliehoenai.

4 Moreover the sons of Obededom were, Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethaneel the fifth.

[Another guard] was Obed-Edom. His oldest son was Shemaiah. His other sons were Jehozabad, Joah, Sacar, Nethanel,

5 Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peulthai the eighth: for God blessed him.

Ammiel, Issachar, and Peullethai. It was because God had blessed him that he had many sons.

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

Obed-Edom’s son Shemaiah also had sons. They were leaders in their father’s family because they were capable of doing many things well.

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

The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad. Shemaiah’s relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also capable men.

8 All these of the sons of Obededom: they and their sons and their brothers, able men for strength for the service, were three score and two of Obededom.

All of those descendants of Obed-Edom and their sons and relatives were capable people and strong workers. Altogether there were 62 of them.

9 And Meshelemiah had sons and brothers, strong men, eighteen.

Another guard was Meshelemiah. He and his sons and relatives were also capable people. There were 18 of them altogether.

10 Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons; Simri the chief, (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him the chief; )

Another guard was Hosah’s son Shimri, a descendant of Merari. Hosah appointed Shimri to be the leader, even though he was not Hosah’s oldest son.

11 Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brothers of Hosah were thirteen.

Hosah’s other sons were Hilkiah, Tabaliah, and Zechariah. Altogether there were 13 sons and relatives of Hosah.

12 Among these were the divisions of the porters, even among the chief men, having wards one against another, to minister in the house of the LORD.

Those men were leaders of the groups of men who guarded the gates of the temple. They worked at the temple like their relatives did.

13 And they cast lots, as well the small as the great, according to the house of their fathers, for every gate.

By casting lots, the leader of each family chose one gate for their group to guard. [All of them, including] young men and old men (OR, including leaders of large families and small families), cast lots.

14 And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counselor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward.

Shelemiah’s group was selected to guard the East Gate. The group of Shelemiah’s son Zechariah, who was a wise counselor, was selected to guard the North Gate.

15 To Obededom southward; and to his sons the house of Asuppim.

Then Obed-Edom’s group was selected to guard the South Gate, and his sons were selected to guard the [entrances to the temple] storerooms.

16 To Shuppim and Hosah the lot came forth westward, with the gate Shallecheth, by the causeway of the going up, ward against ward.

Then Shuppim’s group and Hosah’s group were selected to guard the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road [to the temple]. The work for the guards was divided evenly.

17 Eastward were six Levites, northward four a day, southward four a day, and toward Asuppim two and two.

Each day there were six descendants of Levi who guarded the East Gate, four who guarded the North Gate, four who guarded the South Gate, and two at a time who guarded the entrances to the storerooms.

18 At Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar.

At the West gate there were two men who guarded the courtyard and four who guarded the road outside the courtyard.

19 These are the divisions of the porters among the sons of Kore, and among the sons of Merari.

Those were the groups of men who were descendants of Korah and Merari who guarded the gates [of the temple].

20 And of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things.

Other descendants of Levi were in charge of the chests that contained the money that was dedicated to Yahweh, money that the people brought to the temple.

21 As concerning the sons of Laadan; the sons of the Gershonite Laadan, chief fathers, even of Laadan the Gershonite, were Jehieli.

[One of those men was] Ladan, a descendant of Gershon. He was the ancestor of several family groups. Jehiel was the leader of one of those family groups.

22 The sons of Jehieli; Zetham, and Joel his brother, which were over the treasures of the house of the LORD.

Others who had that work were Zetham and his [younger] brother Joel, who were the sons of Jehiel.

23 Of the Amramites, and the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites:

Others who did that work were descendants of Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

24 And Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler of the treasures.

[From the descendants of Amram], Shubael, a descendant of Moses’s son Gershom, was the leader who was in charge of the money chests.

25 And his brothers by Eliezer; Rehabiah his son, and Jeshaiah his son, and Joram his son, and Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son.

[Others who did that work were] the descendants of [Gershom’s younger brother] Eliezer. Those men were Eliezer’s son Rehabiah, Rehabiah’s son Jeshaiah, Jeshaiah’s son Joram, Joram’s son Zicri, and Zicri’s son Shelomith.

26 Which Shelomith and his brothers were over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which David the king, and the chief fathers, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the host, had dedicated.

Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the valuable things that had been dedicated [to Yahweh] by King David, by the leaders of the family groups, by the army commanders of 1,000 soldiers and commanders of 100 soldiers, and by other army commanders.

27 Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the LORD.

Some of the things that those army officers had taken [from Israel’s enemies] in battles they dedicated for the repair of the temple of Yahweh.

28 And all that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, had dedicated; and whoever had dedicated any thing, it was under the hand of Shelomith, and of his brothers.

And Shelomith and his relatives were also in charge of everything that had been dedicated [to Yahweh] by the prophet Samuel, by King Saul, and by [David’s two army commanders] Ner and Joab.

29 Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges.

From the descendants of Izhar, Kenaniah and his sons were given work outside [the temple area]. They were officials and judges in [various places] in Israel.

30 And of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brothers, men of valor, a thousand and seven hundred, were officers among them of Israel on this side Jordan westward in all the business of the LORD, and in the service of the king.

From the descendants of Hebron, Hashabiah and his relatives were responsible for the work done for Yahweh and for the king in all the area west of the Jordan [river]. There were 1,700 of them who were able to do their work well.

31 Among the Hebronites was Jerijah the chief, even among the Hebronites, according to the generations of his fathers. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valor at Jazer of Gilead.

It was written in the records of the descendants of Hebron that Jeriah was their leader. When David had been ruling for almost 40 years, they searched in those records, and they found [names of] capable men descended from Hebron who were at Jazer [city] in the Gilead [region].

32 And his brothers, men of valor, were two thousand and seven hundred chief fathers, whom king David made rulers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, for every matter pertaining to God, and affairs of the king.

Jeriah had 2,700 relatives who were able to do their work well, and who were leaders of their families. King David put them in charge of governing the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and [the eastern] half of the tribe of Manasseh, to be sure that all the people did what God and the king told them to do.