1 Chronicles 9

1 And all [those of] Israel have reckoned themselves by genealogy, and behold, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah—they were removed to Babylon for their trespass.

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 And the first inhabitants, who [are] in their possession, in their cities, of Israel, [are] the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim.

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 And those who dwelt in Jerusalem of the sons of Judah, and of the sons of Benjamin, and of the sons of Ephraim and Manasseh:

[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, of the sons 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 And of the Shilonite: Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons.

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

6 And of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel, and their brothers—six hundred and ninety.

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

7 And of the sons of Benjamin: 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 and Ibneiah son of Jeroham, and Elah son of Uzzi, son of Michri, 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 And their brothers, according to their generations, [are] nine hundred and fifty-six. All these [are] men, heads of fathers, according to the house of their fathers.

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 And of the priests: Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin,

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

11 and Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, leader in 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 and Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, 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 And their brothers, heads of the house of their fathers, [are] one thousand and seven hundred and sixty, mighty in valor, for the work of the service of 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 And of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hashshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, of the sons 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 and Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah son of Micah, son of Zichri, 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 and Obadiah son of Shemariah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah, son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who is dwelling in the villages of the Netophathite.

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 And the gatekeepers [are] Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brothers—Shallum [is] the head;

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 and until now they [are] at the gate of the king eastward; they [are] the gatekeepers for the companies of the sons of Levi.

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

19 And Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his brothers, of the house of his father, the Korahites, [are] over the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent, and their fathers [are] over the camp of YHWH, keepers of the entrance;

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 and Phinehas son of Eleazar has been leader over them formerly; YHWH [is] with him.

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

21 Zechariah son of Meshelemiah [is] gatekeeper at the opening of the Tent of Meeting.

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

22 All of those who are chosen for gatekeepers at the thresholds [are] two hundred and twelve; they [are] in their villages, by their genealogy; they whom David and Samuel the seer appointed in their office.

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 And they and their sons [are] over the gates of the house of YHWH, even of the house of the tent, by watches.

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 are at [the] four sides: east, west, north, and south.

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

25 And their brothers in their villages [are] to come in with these for seven days from time to time.

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 For the four chiefs of the gatekeepers in office, they are Levites, and they have been over the chambers, and over the treasuries of 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 and they lodge around the house of God, for the watch [is] on them, and they [are] over the opening, even morning by morning.

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

28 And [some] of them [are] over the vessels of service, for they bring them in by number, and by number they take them 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 And [some] of them are appointed over the vessels, even over all the vessels of the holy place, and over the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.

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

30 And [some] of the sons of the priests are mixing the mixture for spices.

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

31 And Mattithiah of the Levites (he [is] the firstborn to Shallum the Korahite), [is] in office over the work of the pans.

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 And of the sons of the Kohathite, [some] of their brothers [are] over the bread of the arrangement, to prepare [it] Sabbath by 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 And these who sing, heads of fathers of the Levites, in the chambers, [are] free, for [they are] over them in the work by day and by 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 heads of the fathers of the Levites [are] heads throughout their generations. These have dwelt 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 And the father of Gibeon, Jehiel, has dwelt in Gibeon, and the name of his wife [is] Maachah;

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

36 and his son, the firstborn, [is] Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Ba‘al, and Ner, and Nadab,

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

37 and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth.

Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth.

38 And Mikloth begot Shimeam, and they have also dwelt opposite their brothers—with their brothers in Jerusalem.

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

39 And Ner begot Kish, and Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, and Malchi-Shua, and Abinadab, and Esh-Ba‘al.

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 And a son of Jonathan [is] Merib-Ba‘al, and Merib-Ba‘al begot Micah.

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

41 And sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea,

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

42 and Ahaz—he begot Jaarah, and Jaarah begot Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri, and Zimri begot 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 and Moza begot Binea, and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, 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 And to Azel [are] six sons, and these [are] their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan; these [are] sons of Azel.

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