The Gatekeepers

26 These are the groups of the gatekeepers. From the family of Korah, there was Meshelemiah son of Kore, who was from Asaph’s family. ² Meshelemiah had sons. Zechariah was his first son, Jediael was second, Zebadiah was third, Jathniel was fourth, ³ Elam was fifth, Jehohanan was sixth, and Eliehoenai was seventh.

⁴ Obed-Edom had sons. Shemaiah was his first son, Jehozabad was second, Joah was third, Sacar was fourth, Nethanel was fifth, ⁵ Ammiel was sixth, Issachar was seventh, and Peullethai was eighth. God blessed Obed-Edom with children.

⁶ Obed-Edom’s son Shemaiah also had sons. They were leaders in their father’s family because they were capable men. ⁷ Shemaiah’s sons were Othni, Rephael, Obed, Elzabad, Elihu, and Semakiah. Elihu, and Semakiah were skilled workers. ⁸ All these were Obed-Edom’s descendants. They and their sons and relatives were capable men and strong workers. Obed-Edom had sixty-two descendants in all.

⁹ Meshelemiah had sons and relatives who were skilled workers. In all, there were eighteen.

¹⁰ From the Merari family, Hosah had sons. Shimri was chosen to be in charge. Although he was not the oldest son, his father chose him to be in charge. ¹¹ Hilkiah was his second son, Tabaliah was third, and Zechariah was fourth. In all, Hosah had thirteen sons and relatives.

¹² These were the leaders of the groups of gatekeepers, and they served in the Temple of the Lord. Their relatives also worked in the Temple. ¹³ By throwing lots, each family chose a gate to guard. Young and old threw lots.

¹⁴ Meshelemiah was chosen by lot to guard the East Gate. Then lots were thrown for Meshelemiah’s son Zechariah. He was a wise counselor and was chosen for the North Gate. ¹⁵ Obed-Edom was chosen for the South Gate, and Obed-Edom’s sons were chosen to guard the storehouse. ¹⁶ Shuppim and Hosah were chosen for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road.

Guards stood side by side with guards. ¹⁷ Six Levites stood guard every day at the East Gate; four Levites stood guard every day at the North Gate; four Levites stood guard every day at the South Gate; and two Levites at a time guarded the storehouse. ¹⁸ There were two guards at the western court and four guards on the road to the court.

¹⁹ These were the groups of the gatekeepers from the families of Korah and Merari.

Other Leaders

²⁰ Other Levites were responsible for guarding the treasuries of the Temple of God and for the places where the holy items were kept.

²¹ Ladan was Gershon’s son and the ancestor of several family groups. Jehiel was a leader of one of the family groups. ²² His sons were Zetham and Joel his brother, and they were responsible for the treasuries of the Temple of the Lord.

²³ Other leaders were chosen from the family groups of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ²⁴ Shubael, the descendant of Gershom, who was Moses’ son, was the leader responsible for the treasuries. ²⁵ These were Shubael’s relatives from Eliezer: Eliezer’s son Rehabiah, Rehabiah’s son Jeshaiah, Jeshaiah’s son Joram, Joram’s son Zicri, and Zicri’s son Shelomith. ²⁶ Shelomith and his relatives were responsible for everything that had been collected for the Temple by King David, by the heads of families, by the commanders of a thousand men and of a hundred men, and by other army commanders. ²⁷ They also gave some of the things they had taken in wars to be used in repairing the Temple of the Lord. ²⁸ Shelomith and his relatives took care of all the holy items. Some had been given by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah.

²⁹ Kenaniah was from the Izhar family. He and his sons worked outside the Temple as officers and judges in different places in Israel.

³⁰ Hashabiah was from the Hebron family. He and his relatives were responsible for the Lord’s work and the king’s business in Israel west of the Jordan River. There were seventeen hundred skilled men in Hashabiah’s group. ³¹ The history of the Hebron family shows that Jeriah was their leader. In David’s fortieth year as king, the records were searched, and some capable men of the Hebron family were found living at Jazer in Gilead. ³² Jeriah had twenty-seven hundred relatives who were skilled men and leaders of families. King David gave them the responsibility of directing the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh in God’s work and the king’s business.

Army Divisions

27 This is the list of the Israelites who served the king in the army. Each division was on duty one month each year. There were leaders of families, commanders of a hundred men, commanders of a thousand men, and other officers. Each division had twenty-four thousand men.

² Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was in charge of the first division for the first month. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division. ³ Jashobeam, one of the descendants of Perez, was leader of all the army officers for the first month.

⁴ Dodai, from the Ahohites, was in charge of the division for the second month. Mikloth was a leader in the division. There were twenty-four thousand men in Dodai’s division.

⁵ The third commander, for the third month, was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division. ⁶ He was the Benaiah who was one of the Thirty^[a] soldiers. Benaiah was a brave warrior who led those men. Benaiah’s son Ammizabad was in charge of Benaiah’s division.

⁷ The fourth commander, for the fourth month, was Asahel, the brother of Joab. Later, Asahel’s son Zebadiah took his place as commander. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

⁸ The fifth commander, for the fifth month, was Shamhuth, from Izrah’s family. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

⁹ The sixth commander, for the sixth month, was Ira son of Ikkesh from the town of Tekoa. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹⁰ The seventh commander, for the seventh month, was Helez. He was from the Pelonites and a descendant of Ephraim. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹¹ The eighth commander, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai. He was from Hushah and was from Zerah’s family. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹² The ninth commander, for the ninth month, was Abiezer. He was from Anathoth in Benjamin. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹³ The tenth commander, for the tenth month, was Maharai. He was from Netophah and was from Zerah’s family. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹⁴ The eleventh commander, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah. He was from Pirathon in Ephraim. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

¹⁵ The twelfth commander, for the twelfth month, was Heldai. He was from Netophah and was from Othniel’s family. There were twenty-four thousand men in his division.

Leaders of the Tribes

¹⁶ These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. Eliezer son of Zicri was over the tribe of Reuben. Shephatiah son of Maacah was over the tribe of Simeon. ¹⁷ Hashabiah son of Kemuel was over the tribe of Levi. Zadok was over the people of Aaron. ¹⁸ Elihu, one of David’s brothers, was over the tribe of Judah. Omri son of Michael was over the tribe of Issachar. ¹⁹ Ishmaiah son of Obadiah was over the tribe of Zebulun. Jerimoth son of Azriel was over the tribe of Naphtali. ²⁰ Hoshea son of Azaziah was over the tribe of Ephraim. Joel son of Pedaiah was over West Manasseh. ²¹ Iddo son of Zechariah was over East Manasseh. Jaasiel son of Abner was over the tribe of Benjamin. ²² Azarel son of Jeroham was over the tribe of Dan.

These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

²³ The Lord had promised to make the Israelites as many as the stars in the sky. So David only counted the men who were twenty years old and older. ²⁴ Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the people, but he did not finish. God became angry with Israel for counting the people, so the number of the people was not put in the history book about King David’s rule.

The King’s Directors

²⁵ Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the royal storehouses.

Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the country, towns, villages, and towers.

²⁶ Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers who farmed the land.

²⁷ Shimei, from the town of Ramah, was in charge of the vineyards.

Zabdi, from Shapham, was in charge of storing the wine that came from the vineyards.

²⁸ Baal-Hanan, from Geder, was in charge of the olive trees and sycamore trees in the western hills.

Joash was in charge of storing the olive oil.

²⁹ Shitrai, from Sharon, was in charge of the herds that fed in the Plain of Sharon.

Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of the herds in the valleys.

³⁰ Obil, an Ishmaelite, was in charge of the camels.

Jehdeiah, from Meronoth, was in charge of the donkeys.

³¹ Jaziz, from the Hagrites, was in charge of the flocks.

All these men were the officers who took care of King David’s property.

³² Jonathan was David’s uncle, and he advised David. Jonathan was a wise man and a teacher of the law. Jehiel son of Hacmoni took care of the king’s sons. ³³ Ahithophel advised the king. Hushai, from the Arkite people, was the king’s friend. ³⁴ Jehoiada and Abiathar later took Ahithophel’s place in advising the king. Jehoiada was Benaiah’s son. Joab was the commander of the king’s army.

David’s Plans for the Temple

28 David commanded all the leaders of Israel to come to Jerusalem. There were the leaders of the tribes, commanders of the divisions serving the king, commanders of a thousand men and of a hundred men, leaders who took care of the property and animals that belonged to the king and his sons, men over the palace, the powerful men, and all the brave warriors.

² King David stood up and said, “Listen to me, my relatives and my people. I wanted to build a place to keep the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord. I wanted it to be God’s footstool. So I made plans to build a temple. ³ But God said to me, ‘You must not build a temple for worshiping me, because you are a soldier and have killed many people.’

⁴ “But the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king of Israel forever. He chose the tribe of Judah to lead, and from the people of Judah, he chose my father’s family. From that family God was pleased to make me king of Israel. ⁵ The Lord has given me many sons, and from those sons he has chosen Solomon to be the new king of Israel. Israel is the Lord’s kingdom. ⁶ The Lord said to me, ‘Your son Solomon will build my Temple and its courtyards. I have chosen Solomon to be my son, and I will be his father. ⁷ He is obeying my laws and commands now. If he continues to obey them, I will make his kingdom strong forever.’”

⁸ David said, “Now, in front of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of God, I tell you these things: Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God. Then you will keep this good land and pass it on to your descendants forever.

⁹ “And you, my son Solomon, accept the God of your father. Serve him completely and willingly, because the Lord knows what is in everyone’s mind. He understands everything you think. If you go to him for help, you will get an answer. But if you turn away from him, he will leave you forever. ¹⁰ Solomon, you must understand this. The Lord has chosen you to build the Temple as his holy place. Be strong and finish the job.”

¹¹ Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for building the Temple and the courtyard around the Temple. They included its buildings, its storerooms, its upper rooms, its inside rooms, and the place where the people’s sins were removed. ¹² David gave him plans for everything he had in mind: the courtyards around the Lord’s Temple and all the rooms around it, the Temple treasuries, and the treasuries of the holy items used in the Temple. ¹³ David gave Solomon directions for the groups of the priests and Levites. David told him about all the work of serving in the Temple of the Lord and about the items to be used in the Temple service ¹⁴ that were made of gold or silver. David told Solomon how much gold or silver should be used to make each thing. ¹⁵ David told him how much gold to use for each gold lampstand and its lamps and how much silver to use for each silver lampstand and its lamps. The different lampstands were to be used where needed. ¹⁶ David told how much gold should be used for each table that held the holy bread and how much silver should be used for the silver tables. ¹⁷ He told how much pure gold should be used to make the forks, bowls, and pitchers and how much gold should be used to make each gold dish. He told how much silver should be used to make each silver dish ¹⁸ and how much pure gold should be used for the altar of incense. He also gave Solomon the plans for the chariot of the golden creatures that spread their wings over the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord.

¹⁹ David said, “All these plans were written with the Lord guiding me. He helped me understand everything in the plans.”

²⁰ David also said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and brave, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or leave you until all the work for the Temple of the Lord is finished. ²¹ The groups of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the Temple of God. Every skilled worker is ready to help you with all the work. The leaders and all the people will obey every command you give.”

Gifts for Building the Temple

29 King David said to all the Israelites who were gathered, “God chose my son Solomon, who is young and hasn’t yet learned what he needs to know, but the work is important. This palace is not for people; it is for the Lord God. ² I have done my best to prepare for building the Temple of God. I have given gold for the things made of gold and silver for the things made of silver. I have given bronze for the things made of bronze and iron for the things made of iron. I have given wood for the things made of wood and onyx for the settings. I have given turquoise gems of many different colors, valuable stones, and white marble. I have given much of all these things. ³ I have already given this for the Temple, but now I am also giving my own treasures of gold and silver, because I really want the Temple of my God to be built. ⁴ I have given about two hundred twenty thousand pounds of pure gold from Ophir and about five hundred twenty thousand pounds of pure silver. They will be used to cover the walls of the buildings ⁵ and for all the gold and silver work. Skilled men may use the gold and silver to make things for the Temple. Now, who is ready to give himself to the service of the Lord today?”

⁶ The family leaders and the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of a thousand men and of a hundred men, and the leaders responsible for the king’s work gave their valuable things. ⁷ They donated about three hundred eighty thousand pounds of gold, about seven hundred fifty thousand pounds of silver, about one million three hundred fifty thousand pounds of bronze, and about seven million five hundred thousand pounds of iron to the Temple of God. ⁸ People who had valuable gems gave them to the treasury of the Temple of the Lord, and Jehiel, from the Gershon family, took care of the valuable gems. ⁹ The leaders gave willingly and completely to the Lord. The people rejoiced to see their leaders give so gladly, and King David was also very happy.

David’s Prayer

¹⁰ David praised the Lord in front of all the people who were gathered. He said:

²⁰ Then David said to all the people who were gathered, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they bowed to the ground to give honor to the Lord and the king.

Solomon Becomes King

²¹ The next day the people sacrificed to the Lord. They offered burnt offerings to him of a thousand bulls, a thousand male sheep, and a thousand male lambs. They also brought drink offerings. Many sacrifices were made for all the people of Israel. ²² That day the people ate and drank with much joy, and the Lord was with them.

And they made David’s son Solomon king for the second time. They poured olive oil on Solomon to appoint him king in the presence of the Lord. And they poured oil on Zadok to appoint him as priest. ²³ Then Solomon sat on the Lord’s throne as king and took his father David’s place. Solomon was very successful, and all the people of Israel obeyed him. ²⁴ All the leaders and soldiers and King David’s sons accepted Solomon as king and promised to obey him. ²⁵ The Lord made Solomon great before all the Israelites and gave Solomon much honor. No king of Israel before Solomon had such honor.

David’s Death

²⁶ David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. ²⁷ He had ruled over Israel forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. ²⁸ David died when he was old. He had lived a good, long life and had received many riches and honors. His son Solomon became king after him.

²⁹ Everything David did as king, from beginning to end, is recorded in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet, and the records of Gad the seer. ³⁰ Those writings tell what David did as king of Israel. They tell about his power and what happened to him and to Israel and to all the kingdoms around them.

All Good Things Come from God

A song for going up to worship. Of Solomon.