1 Chronicles 27

Good News Translation

Military and Civil Organization

27 This is the list of the Israelite heads of families and clan leaders and their officials who administered the work of the kingdom. Each month of the year a different group of twenty-four thousand men was on duty under the commander for that month.

^2-15The following were the commanders for each month:

    First month: Jashobeam son of Zabdiel (he was a member of the clan of Perez, a part of the tribe of Judah)
    Second month: Dodai, a descendant of Ahohi (Mikloth was his second in command)^[a]
    Third month: Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest; he was the leader of “The Thirty” (his son Ammizabad succeeded him as commander of this group)
    Fourth month: Asahel, brother of Joab (his son Zebadiah succeeded him)
    Fifth month: Shamhuth, a descendant of Izhar
    Sixth month: Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa
    Seventh month: Helez, an Ephraimite from Pelon
    Eighth month: Sibbecai from Hushah (he was a member of the clan of Zerah, a part of the tribe of Judah)
    Ninth month: Abiezer from Anathoth in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin
    Tenth month: Maharai from Netophah (he was a member of the clan of Zerah)
    Eleventh month: Benaiah from Pirathon in the territory of the tribe of Ephraim
    Twelfth month: Heldai from Netophah (he was a descendant of Othniel)

Administration of the Tribes of Israel

^16-22This is the list of the administrators of the tribes of Israel:

Tribe	Administrator
Reuben	Eliezer son of Zichri
Simeon	Shephatiah son of Maacah
Levi	Hashabiah son of Kemuel
Aaron	Zadok
Judah	Elihu, one of King David's brothers
Issachar	Omri son of Michael
Zebulun	Ishmaiah son of Obadiah
Naphtali	Jeremoth son of Azriel
Ephraim	Hoshea son of Azaziah
West Manasseh	Joel son of Pedaiah
East Manasseh	Iddo son of Zechariah
Benjamin	Jaasiel son of Abner
Dan	Azarel son of Jeroham

²³^(A)King David did not take a census of the people who were under the age of twenty, because of the Lord's promise to make the people of Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky. ²⁴^(B)Joab, whose mother was Zeruiah, began to take a census, but he did not complete it. God punished Israel because of this census, so the final figures were never recorded in King David's official records.

Administrators of the Royal Property

^25-31This is the list of those who administered the royal property:

    Royal storerooms: Azmaveth son of Adiel
    Local storerooms: Jonathan son of Uzziah
    Farm labor: Ezri son of Chelub
    Vineyards: Shimei from Ramah
    Wine cellars: Zabdi from Shepham
    Olive and sycamore trees (in the western foothills): Baal Hanan from Geder
    Olive oil storage: Joash
    Cattle in the Plain of Sharon: Shitrai from Sharon
    Cattle in the valleys: Shaphat son of Adlai
    Camels: Obil, an Ishmaelite
    Donkeys: Jehdeiah from Meronoth
    Sheep and goats: Jaziz, a Hagrite

David's Personal Advisers

³²Jonathan, King David's uncle, was a skillful adviser and a scholar. He and Jehiel son of Hachmoni were in charge of the education of the king's sons. ³³Ahithophel was adviser to the king, and Hushai the Archite was the king's friend and counselor. ³⁴After Ahithophel died, Abiathar and Jehoiada son of Benaiah became advisers. Joab was commander of the royal army.

Footnotes

1 Chronicles 27:2 Probable text Mikloth … command; Hebrew unclear.

1 Chronicles 27

The Message

Military Organization

27 Here is the listing of the sons of Israel by family heads, commanders and captains, and other officers who served the king in everything military. Army divisions were on duty a month at a time for the twelve months of the year. Each division comprised 24,000 men.

^2-3First division, first month: Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was in charge with 24,000 men. He came from the line of Perez. He was over all the army officers during the first month.

⁴The division for the second month: Dodai the Ahohite was in charge: 24,000 men; Mikloth was the leader of his division.

^5-6Commander for the third month: Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest with 24,000 men. This was the same Benaiah who was a Mighty Man among the Thirty and their chief. His son Ammizabad was in charge of the division.

⁷Fourth division for the fourth month: Asahel brother of Joab; his son Zebadiah succeeded him: 24,000 men.

⁸Fifth division, fifth month: commander Shamhuth the Izrahite: 24,000 men.

⁹Sixth division, sixth month: Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite: 24,000 men.

¹⁰Seventh division, seventh month: Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite: 24,000 men.

¹¹Eighth division, eighth month: Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite: 24,000 men.

¹²Ninth division, ninth month: Abiezer the Anathothite, a Benjaminite: 24,000 men.

¹³Tenth division, tenth month: Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite: 24,000 men.

¹⁴Eleventh division, eleventh month: Benaiah the Pirathomite, an Ephraimite: 24,000 men.

¹⁵Twelfth division, twelfth month: Heldai the Netophathite from the family of Othniel: 24,000 men.

Tribal Administrators

^16-22Administrators of the affairs of the tribes:

for Reuben: Eliezer son of Zicri;

for Simeon: Shephatiah son of Maacah;

for Levi: Hashabiah son of Kemuel;

for Aaron: Zadok;

for Judah: Elihu, David’s brother;

for Issachar: Omri son of Michael;

for Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah;

for Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel;

for Ephraim: Hoshea son of Azaziah;

for one half-tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah;

for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah;

for Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner;

for Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham.

These are the administrative officers assigned to the tribes of Israel.

^23-24David didn’t keep a count of men under the age of twenty, because God had promised to give Israel a population as numerous as the stars in the sky. Joab son of Zeruiah started out counting the men, but he never finished. God’s anger broke out on Israel because of the counting. As it turned out, the numbers were never entered into the court records of King David.

Supply Officers

²⁵The king’s storage facilities were supervised by Azmaveth son of Adiel. Jonathan son of Uzziah was responsible for the warehouses in the outlying areas.

²⁶Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers on the farms.

²⁷Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards and Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of grapes for the wine vats.

²⁸Baal-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the western hills, and Joash was in charge of the olive oil.

²⁹Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of herds grazing in Sharon and Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of herds in the valley.

^30-31Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels, Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys, and Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks.

These were the ones responsible for taking care of King David’s property.

David’s Counselors

³²Jonathan, David’s uncle, a wise and literate counselor, and Jehiel son of Hacmoni, were responsible for raising the king’s sons.

^33-34Ahithophel was the king’s counselor; Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend. Ahithophel was later replaced by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar.

Joab was commander of the king’s army.

Good News Translation (GNT)

The Message (MSG)

1 Chronicles 27 Good News Translation