David Organizes the Musicians

25 David and the army officers selected some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy as they played stringed instruments and cymbals.^[a] The following men were assigned this responsibility:^[b]

² From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were supervised by Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision.^[c]

³ From the sons of Jeduthun:^[d] Gedaliah, Zeri,^[e] Jeshaiah,^[f] Hashabiah, and Mattithiah—six in all,^[g] under supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied as he played a harp, giving thanks and praise to the Lord.

⁴ From the sons of Heman:^[h] Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. ⁵ All these were the sons of Heman, the king’s prophet. God had promised him these sons in order to make him prestigious.^[i] God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

⁶ All these were under the supervision of their fathers; they were musicians in the Lord’s temple, playing cymbals and stringed instruments as they served in God’s temple. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the supervision of the king. ⁷ They and their relatives, all of them skilled and trained to make music to the Lord, numbered 288.^[j]

⁸ They cast lots to determine their responsibilities—oldest as well as youngest, teacher as well as student.^[k]

⁹ The first lot went to Asaph’s son Joseph and his relatives and sons—twelve in all,^[l]

the second to Gedaliah and his relatives and sons—twelve in all,

¹⁰ the third to Zaccur and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹¹ the fourth to Izri^[m] and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹² the fifth to Nethaniah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹³ the sixth to Bukkiah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹⁴ the seventh to Jesharelah^[n] and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹⁵ the eighth to Jeshaiah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹⁶ the ninth to Mattaniah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹⁷ the tenth to Shimei and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹⁸ the eleventh to Azarel^[o] and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹⁹ the twelfth to Hashabiah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁰ the thirteenth to Shubael and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²¹ the fourteenth to Mattithiah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²² the fifteenth to Jerimoth and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²³ the sixteenth to Hananiah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁴ the seventeenth to Joshbekashah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁵ the eighteenth to Hanani and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁶ the nineteenth to Mallothi and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁷ the twentieth to Eliathah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁸ the twenty-first to Hothir and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁹ the twenty-second to Giddalti and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

³⁰ the twenty-third to Mahazioth and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

³¹ the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer and his sons and relatives—twelve in all.

Divisions of Gatekeepers

26 The divisions of the gatekeepers:

From the Korahites: Meshelemiah, son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.

² Meshelemiah’s sons:

The firstborn Zechariah, the second Jediael, the third Zebadiah, the fourth Jathniel, ³ the fifth Elam, the sixth Jehohanan, and the seventh Elihoenai.

⁴ Obed-Edom’s sons:

The firstborn Shemaiah, the second Jehozabad, the third Joah, the fourth Sakar, the fifth Nethanel, ⁵ the sixth Ammiel, the seventh Issachar, and the eighth Peullethai. (Indeed, God blessed Obed-Edom.^[p])

⁶ His son Shemaiah also had sons, who were leaders of their families, for they were highly respected. ⁷ The sons of Shemaiah:

Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad. His relatives^[q] Elihu and Semakiah were also respected.

⁸ All these were the descendants of Obed-Edom. They and their sons and relatives were respected men, capable of doing their responsibilities. There were sixty-two of them related to Obed-Edom.

⁹ Meshelemiah had sons and relatives who were respected—eighteen in all.

¹⁰ Hosah, one of the descendants of Merari, had sons:

The firstborn Shimri (he was not actually the firstborn, but his father gave him that status), ¹¹ the second Hilkiah, the third Tebaliah, and the fourth Zechariah. All Hosah’s sons and relatives numbered thirteen.

¹² These divisions of the gatekeepers, corresponding to their leaders, had assigned responsibilities, like their relatives, as they served in the Lord’s temple.

¹³ They cast lots, both young and old, according to their families, to determine which gate they would be responsible for.^{[r] 14} The lot for the east gate went to Shelemiah.^[s] They then cast lots for his son Zechariah, a wise adviser, and the lot for the north gate went to him. ¹⁵ Obed-Edom was assigned the south gate, and his sons were assigned the storehouses. ¹⁶ Shuppim and Hosah were assigned the west gate, along with the Shalleketh gate on the upper road. One guard was adjacent to another.^{[t] 17} Each day there were six Levites posted on the east, four on the north, and four on the south. At the storehouses they were posted in pairs. ¹⁸ At the court on the west there were four posted on the road and two at the court. ¹⁹ These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari.

Supervisors of the Storehouses

²⁰ Their fellow Levites were^[u] in charge of the storehouses^[v] in God’s temple and the storehouses containing consecrated items. ²¹ The descendants of Ladan,^[w] who were descended from Gershon through Ladan and were leaders of the families of Ladan the Gershonite, included Jehieli^{[x] 22} and the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the storehouses in the Lord’s temple.

²³ As for the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites:

²⁴ Shebuel^[y] son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was the supervisor of the storehouses. ²⁵ His relatives through Eliezer included: Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zikri his son, and Shelomith^[z] his son. ²⁶ Shelomith^[aa] and his relatives were in charge of all the storehouses containing the consecrated items dedicated by King David, the family leaders who led units of a thousand and a hundred, and the army officers. ²⁷ They had dedicated some of the plunder taken in battles to be used for repairs on the Lord’s temple. ²⁸ They were also in charge of everything dedicated by Samuel the prophet,^[ab] Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah; Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of everything that had been dedicated.

²⁹ As for the Izharites: Kenaniah and his sons were given responsibilities outside the temple^[ac] as officers and judges over Israel.

³⁰ As for the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his relatives, 1,700 respected men, were assigned responsibilities in Israel west of the Jordan; they did the Lord’s work and the king’s service.

³¹ As for the Hebronites: Jeriah was the leader of the Hebronites according to the genealogical records. In the fortieth year of David’s reign, they examined the records and discovered^[ad] there were highly respected men in Jazer in Gilead. ³² Jeriah had 2,700 relatives who were respected family leaders.^[ae] King David placed them in charge of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh; they took care of all matters pertaining to God and the king.^[af]