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Divisions of the priests

24 The divisions of the Aaronites:

Aaron’s family: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, without having sons, and so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. David, with the help of Zadok from Eleazar’s family and Ahimelech from Ithamar’s family, divided them according to their appointed duties. Since Eleazar’s family was found to have more male heads than Ithamar’s family, they divided them so that Eleazar’s family had sixteen household heads and Ithamar’s family had eight. They divided both groups by lots because there were holy leaders, even outstanding leaders, among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants. Shemaiah, Nethanel’s son, the levitical scribe, recorded their names in the presence of the king; the leaders; Zadok the priest; Ahimelech, Abiathar’s son; and the household heads of the priests and Levites. One household was taken from Eleazar followed by one from Ithamar.

The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,

the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

10 the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,

11 the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,

12 the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

13 the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

14 the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

15 the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez,

16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel,

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

18 the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

19 These were to enter the Lord’s temple according to their appointed duty and by the procedure established for them by their ancestor Aaron, just as the Lord God of Israel had instructed him.

Rest of the Levites

20 The rest of the Levites included:

from Amram’s family: Shubael;

from Shubael’s family: Jehdeiah;

21 from Rehabiah and his family: Isshiah the first;

22 from the Izharites: Shelomoth;

from Shelomoth’s family: Jahath;

23 Hebron’s family:[a] Jeriah the first,[b] Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth;

24 Uzziel’s family: Micah;

from Micah’s family: Shamir;

25 Micah’s brother Isshiah;

from Isshiah’s family: Zechariah;

26 Merari’s family: Mahli, Mushi and his son Jaaziah’s family;

27 Merari’s family by his son Jaaziah: Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri;

28 from Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons;

29 from Kish and his family: Jerahmeel;

30 and Mushi’s family: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

These were the Levites according to their households. 31 Both the household head and his youngest brother cast lots, just as their relatives, Aaron’s descendants, had done in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of the priestly and levitical households.

Temple musicians

25 David and the army officers[c] set apart Asaph’s family, Heman and Jeduthun, for service to prophesy[d] accompanied by lyres, harps, and cymbals.

This is the list of those who performed this special service:

From Asaph’s family: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. Asaph’s family was under Asaph’s direction and prophesied by order of the king.

From Jeduthun and his family: Gedaliah, Izri,[e] Jeshaiah, Shimei,[f] Hashabiah, and Mattithiah—six in all. They were under their father Jeduthun’s direction, prophesying with the lyre and giving thanks and praise to the Lord.

From Heman and his family: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.

All these were the family of Heman the king’s seer, according to God’s promise to honor him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. They were all under their father’s direction when singing in the Lord’s temple with cymbals, harps, and lyres to provide service in God’s temple, by order of the king.

As for Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman, the number of themselves and their relatives, who were trained in singing to the Lord and who were all skillful, was 288.

They cast lots for their assigned duties, small as well as great, teacher and pupil alike.

The first lot fell for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, his relatives, and his family, 12;

10 the third to Zaccur, his family, and his relatives, 12;

11 the fourth to Izri, his family, and his relatives, 12;

12 the fifth to Nethaniah, his family, and his relatives, 12;

13 the sixth to Bukkiah, his family, and his relatives, 12;

14 the seventh to Jesarelah, his family, and his relatives, 12;

15 the eighth to Jeshaiah, his family, and his relatives, 12;

16 the ninth to Mattaniah, his family, and his relatives, 12;

17 the tenth to Shimei, his family, and his relatives, 12;

18 the eleventh to Uzziel,[g] his family, and his relatives, 12;

19 the twelfth to Hashabiah, his family, and his relatives, 12;

20 the thirteenth to Shubael, his family, and his relatives, 12;

21 the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his family, and his relatives, 12;

22 the fifteenth to Jerimoth,[h] his family, and his relatives, 12;

23 the sixteenth to Hananiah, his family, and his relatives, 12;

24 the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his family, and his relatives, 12;

25 the eighteenth to Hanani, his family, and his relatives, 12;

26 the nineteenth to Mallothi, his family, and his relatives, 12;

27 the twentieth to Eliathah, his family, and his relatives, 12;

28 the twenty-first to Hothir, his family, and his relatives, 12;

29 the twenty-second to Giddalti, his family, and his relatives, 12;

30 the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his family, and his relatives, 12;

31 and the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his family, and his relatives, 12.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 24:23 LXX; MT my sons
  2. 1 Chronicles 24:23 Cf 1 Chron 23:19; MT lacks Jeriah.
  3. 1 Chronicles 25:1 Or liturgical officers
  4. 1 Chronicles 25:1 DSS, LXX, Vulg; MT the prophets
  5. 1 Chronicles 25:3 Cf 25:11: MT Zeri
  6. 1 Chronicles 25:3 LXX, cf 25:17; MT lacks Shimei.
  7. 1 Chronicles 25:18 LXX, Syr; MT Azrael
  8. 1 Chronicles 25:22 Cf 25:4; MT Jeremoth

The Divisions of Priests

24 These were the divisions(A) of the descendants of Aaron:(B)

The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.(C) But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did,(D) and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests. With the help of Zadok(E) a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelek a descendant of Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering. A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than among Ithamar’s, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar’s descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar’s descendants. They divided them impartially by casting lots,(F) for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.

The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelek(G) son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

The first lot fell to Jehoiarib,

the second to Jedaiah,(H)

the third to Harim,(I)

the fourth to Seorim,

the fifth to Malkijah,

the sixth to Mijamin,

10 the seventh to Hakkoz,

the eighth to Abijah,(J)

11 the ninth to Jeshua,

the tenth to Shekaniah,

12 the eleventh to Eliashib,

the twelfth to Jakim,

13 the thirteenth to Huppah,

the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

14 the fifteenth to Bilgah,

the sixteenth to Immer,(K)

15 the seventeenth to Hezir,(L)

the eighteenth to Happizzez,

16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah,

the twentieth to Jehezkel,

17 the twenty-first to Jakin,

the twenty-second to Gamul,

18 the twenty-third to Delaiah

and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

19 This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the Lord, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their ancestor Aaron, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

The Rest of the Levites

20 As for the rest of the descendants of Levi:(M)

from the sons of Amram: Shubael;

from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.

21 As for Rehabiah,(N) from his sons:

Ishiah was the first.

22 From the Izharites: Shelomoth;

from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath.

23 The sons of Hebron:(O) Jeriah the first,[a] Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.

24 The son of Uzziel: Micah;

from the sons of Micah: Shamir.

25 The brother of Micah: Ishiah;

from the sons of Ishiah: Zechariah.

26 The sons of Merari:(P) Mahli and Mushi.

The son of Jaaziah: Beno.

27 The sons of Merari:

from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zakkur and Ibri.

28 From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.

29 From Kish: the son of Kish:

Jerahmeel.

30 And the sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth.

These were the Levites, according to their families. 31 They also cast lots,(Q) just as their relatives the descendants of Aaron did, in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelek, and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated the same as those of the youngest.

The Musicians

25 David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph,(R) Heman(S) and Jeduthun(T) for the ministry of prophesying,(U) accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals.(V) Here is the list of the men(W) who performed this service:(X)

From the sons of Asaph:

Zakkur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision.

As for Jeduthun, from his sons:(Y)

Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei,[b] Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six in all, under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied, using the harp(Z) in thanking and praising the Lord.

As for Heman, from his sons:

Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-Ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. (All these were sons of Heman the king’s seer. They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.)

All these men were under the supervision of their father(AA) for the music of the temple of the Lord, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God.

Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman(AB) were under the supervision of the king.(AC) Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord—they numbered 288. Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots(AD) for their duties.

The first lot, which was for Asaph,(AE) fell to Joseph,
his sons and relatives[c]12[d]
the second to Gedaliah,
him and his relatives and sons12
10 the third to Zakkur,
his sons and relatives12
11 the fourth to Izri,[e]
his sons and relatives12
12 the fifth to Nethaniah,
his sons and relatives12
13 the sixth to Bukkiah,
his sons and relatives12
14 the seventh to Jesarelah,[f]
his sons and relatives12
15 the eighth to Jeshaiah,
his sons and relatives12
16 the ninth to Mattaniah,
his sons and relatives12
17 the tenth to Shimei,
his sons and relatives12
18 the eleventh to Azarel,[g]
his sons and relatives12
19 the twelfth to Hashabiah,
his sons and relatives12
20 the thirteenth to Shubael,
his sons and relatives12
21 the fourteenth to Mattithiah,
his sons and relatives12
22 the fifteenth to Jerimoth,
his sons and relatives12
23 the sixteenth to Hananiah,
his sons and relatives12
24 the seventeenth to Joshbekashah,
his sons and relatives12
25 the eighteenth to Hanani,
his sons and relatives12
26 the nineteenth to Mallothi,
his sons and relatives12
27 the twentieth to Eliathah,
his sons and relatives12
28 the twenty-first to Hothir,
his sons and relatives12
29 the twenty-second to Giddalti,
his sons and relatives12
30 the twenty-third to Mahazioth,
his sons and relatives12
31 the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer,
his sons and relatives12.(AF)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 24:23 Two Hebrew manuscripts and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 23:19); most Hebrew manuscripts The sons of Jeriah:
  2. 1 Chronicles 25:3 One Hebrew manuscript and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also verse 17); most Hebrew manuscripts do not have Shimei.
  3. 1 Chronicles 25:9 See Septuagint; Hebrew does not have his sons and relatives.
  4. 1 Chronicles 25:9 See the total in verse 7; Hebrew does not have twelve.
  5. 1 Chronicles 25:11 A variant of Zeri
  6. 1 Chronicles 25:14 A variant of Asarelah
  7. 1 Chronicles 25:18 A variant of Uzziel