1 Chronicles 24

1 And [these are] their divisions, of the sons of Aaron. [The] sons of Aaron [are] Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

These are the groups of the descendants of Aaron [the first Supreme Priest]: Aaron’s four sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

2 And Nadab dies—and Abihu—in the presence of their father, and they had no sons, and Eleazar and Ithamar act as priests.

But Nadab and Abihu died before their father died, and they had no children. So their [younger] brothers Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests.

3 And David distributes them—and Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar—according to their office in their service;

Zadok, who was a descendant of Eleazar, and Ahimelech, who was a descendant of Ithamar, helped David to separate his descendants into two groups. Each group had certain duties.

4 and there are found of the sons of Eleazar more for heads of the mighty men than of the sons of Ithamar; and they distribute them. Of the sons of Eleazar, heads for [each] house of [their] fathers—sixteen; and of the sons of Ithamar, for [each] house of their fathers—eight.

There were more leaders among the descendants of Eleazar than there were among the descendants of Ithamar. So they appointed 16 leaders from Eleazar’s descendants and eight leaders from Ithamar’s descendants.

5 And they distribute them by lots, with one another, for they have been princes of the holy place and princes of God, from the sons of Eleazar and from the sons of Ithamar.

There were temple officials and priests, including descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar, to make sure that the work was divided fairly. So they decided what work each person would do by (casting lots/throwing marked stones).

6 And Shemaiah son of Nethaneel the scribe, of the Levites, writes them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and heads of the fathers for priests and for Levites, one house of a father being taken possession of for Eleazar and one being taken possession of for Ithamar.

Shemaiah, the son of Nethanel, who was a descendant of Levi, wrote down the names [of the leaders of each group] while David and his officials were watching. Zadok, the [Supreme] Priest, and Ahimelech [his assistant], and the leaders of the families of the priests and of the families of the other descendants of Levi also watched.

7 And the first lot goes out for Jehoiarib, for Jedaiah the second,

Jehoiarib was the first one whose name was selected [by casting lots/throwing marked stones]. Next Jedaiah was selected.

8 for Harim the third, for Seorim the fourth,

Next, Harim was selected. Next, Seorim was selected.

9 for Malchijah the fifth, for Mijamin the sixth,

Next, Malkijah was selected. Next, Mijamin was selected.

10 for Hakkoz the seventh, for Abijah the eighth,

Next, Hakkoz was selected. Next, Abijah was selected.

11 for Jeshuah the ninth, for Shecaniah the tenth,

Next, Jeshua was selected. Next, Shecaniah was selected.

12 for Eliashib the eleventh, for Jakim the twelfth,

Next, Eliashib was selected. Next, Jakim was selected.

13 for Huppah the thirteenth, for Jeshebeab the fourteenth,

Next, Huppah was selected. Next, Jeshebeab was selected.

14 for Bilgah the fifteenth, for Immer the sixteenth,

Next, Bilgah was selected. Next, Immer was selected.

15 for Hezir the seventeenth, for Aphses the eighteenth,

Next, Hezir was selected. Next, Happizzez was selected.

16 for Pethahiah the nineteenth, for Jehezekel the twentieth,

Next, Pethahiah was selected. Next, Jehezkel was selected.

17 for Jachin the twenty-first, for Gamul the twenty-second,

Next, Jakin was selected. Next, Gamul was selected.

18 for Delaiah the twenty-third, for Maaziah the twenty-fourth.

Next, Delaiah was selected. Next, Maaziah was selected.

19 These [are] their appointments for their service, to come into the house of YHWH, according to their ordinance by the hand of their father Aaron, as YHWH God of Israel commanded them.

Those were the men who were chosen to be the leaders of the groups that would serve in the temple, obeying the regulations that were set down by Aaron, regulations which Yahweh, the God to whom the Israeli people belonged, had given to him.

20 And of the sons of Levi who are left—of sons of Amram: Shubael; of sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.

[This is a list of some of] the other descendants of Levi: Amram was the ancestor of Shubael and Jehdeiah.

21 Of Rehabiah, of sons of Rehabiah: the head Ishshiah.

Rehabiah was the ancestor of Isshiah, the oldest son in his family.

22 Of the Izharite: Shelomoth; of sons of Shelomoth: Jahath.

Izhar was the father of Shelomoth and the grandfather of Jahath.

23 And sons of Jeriah: Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.

[Kohath’s son] Hebron had four sons: Jeriah and his [younger] brothers Amariah, Jahaziel, and Jekameam.

24 Sons of Uzziel: Michah; of sons of Michah: Shamir.

Uzziel was the father of Micah and the grandfather of Shamir.

25 Ishshiah [is] a brother of Michah; of sons of Ishshiah: Zechariah;

Micah’s [younger] brother was the father of Zechariah.

26 sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; sons of Jaaziah: Beno;

The sons of Merari were Mahli, Mushi, and Jaaziah.

27 sons of Merari, of Jaaziah: Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri.

Jaaziah had four sons: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.

28 Of Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons;

Mahli’s son Eleazar did not have any sons.

29 of Kish, sons of Kish: Jerahmeel.

From the descendants of [Mahli’s second son] there was Jerahmeel.

30 And sons of Mushi [are] Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth; these [are] sons of the Levites, for the house of their fathers,

The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. Those were descendants of Levi who were listed according to the leaders of their families.

31 and they also cast lots just as their brothers, the sons of Aaron, before David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and heads of the fathers for priests and for Levites; the chief father just as his younger brother.

The jobs they would do were decided by (casting lots/throwing marked stones), like their fellow Israelis, the descendants of Aaron, did. They cast lots {The lots were cast} while King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the families of the priests and the [other] descendants of Levi watched. They gave the same jobs to the families of each oldest brother and each youngest brother.