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David’s Government Officials

27 This is a list of Israelite family heads, regiment and battalion commanders, and officers who were serving the king in all the army’s units. Throughout each year they came for a month at a time and then left. Each unit consisted of 24,000 men.

Jashobeam, son of Zabdiel, was in charge of the first unit, the one during the first month. In his unit there were 24,000. He was a descendant of Perez, and he was head of all of the army’s officers for the first month.

Dodai, Ahoh’s descendant, was in charge of the unit during the second month. It was his unit. (Mikloth was one of its leaders.) In Dodai’s unit there were 24,000.

The third commander of the army during the third month was Benaiah, son of the priest Jehoiada. He was the head, and in his unit there were 24,000. This Benaiah was one of the thirty fighting men and commander of the thirty as well as his own unit. His son was Ammizabad.

Asahel, Joab’s brother, was in charge of the fourth unit during the fourth month, and after him was his son Zebadiah. In his unit there were 24,000.

Shamhuth, Izrah’s descendant, was commander of the fifth unit during the fifth month. In his unit there were 24,000.

Ira, the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa, was in charge of the sixth unit during the sixth month. In his unit there were 24,000.

10 Helez, a Pelonite from the descendants of Ephraim, was in charge of the seventh unit during the seventh month. In his unit there were 24,000.

11 Sibbecai, a descendant of Zerah from Hushah, was in charge of the eighth unit during the eighth month. In his unit there were 24,000.

12 Abiezer, a member of the tribe of Benjamin from Anathoth, was in charge of the ninth unit during the ninth month. In his unit there were 24,000.

13 Mahrai, a descendant of Zerah from Netophah, was in charge of the tenth unit during the tenth month. In his unit there were 24,000.

14 Benaiah, a member of the tribe of Ephraim from Pirathon, was in charge of the eleventh unit during the eleventh month. In his unit there were 24,000.

15 During the twelfth month, the twelfth unit was commanded by Heldai from Netophah. He was Othniel’s descendant. In his unit there were 24,000.

16 The following officers were in charge of the tribes of Israel:

for the tribe of Reuben

Eliezer, son of Zichri

for the tribe of Simeon

Shephatiah, son of Maacah

17 for the tribe of Levi

Hashabiah, son of Kemuel

for the family of Aaron

Zadok

18 for the tribe of Judah

Elihu, one of David’s brothers

for the tribe of Issachar

Omri, son of Michael

19 for the tribe of Zebulun

Ishmaiah, son of Obadiah

for the tribe of Naphtali

Jerimoth, son of Azriel

20 for the tribe of Ephraim

Hoshea, son of Azaziah

for half of the tribe of Manasseh

Joel, son of Pedaiah

21 for the half of Manasseh in Gilead

Iddo, son of Zechariah

for the tribe of Benjamin

Jaasiel, son of Abner

22 for the tribe of Dan

Azarel, son of Jeroham

These were the commanders of Israel’s tribes.

23 David didn’t count those under 20 years old, because the Lord had promised that the people of Israel would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. 24 Joab, son of Zeruiah, started to count them but didn’t finish. God was angry with Israel because of this, and the report from it was never included in the official records of King David.

25 These were all the commanders in charge of King David’s property: [a]

for the royal treasuries

Azmaveth, son of Adiel

for the goods in the fields, cities, villages, and watchtowers

Jonathan, son of Uzziah

26 for the farm workers in the fields

Ezri, son of Chelub

27 for the vineyards

Shimei from Ramah

for storing wine that came from the vineyards

Zabdi from Shepham

28 for the olive and fig trees in the foothills

Baal Hanan from Gedor

for storing olive oil

Joash

29 for the herds grazing in Sharon

Shitrai from Sharon

for the herds in the valleys

Shaphat, son of Adlai

30 for the camels

Obil, a descendant of Ishmael

for the donkeys

Jehdeiah from Meronoth

31 for the flocks

Jaziz from Hagar

32 David’s uncle Jonathan, an educated man who possessed insight, was David’s adviser. Jonathan and Jehiel, son of Hachmoni, were in charge of the king’s sons. 33 Ahithophel was the king’s adviser. Hushai, a descendant of Archi, was the king’s friend. 34 Jehoiada (son of Benaiah) and Abiathar succeeded Ahithophel. Joab was the commander of the royal army.

Footnotes

  1. 27:25 The last part of verse 32 has been moved to the beginning of verse 25 to express the complex Hebrew paragraph structure more clearly in English.

27 Now the children of Israel after their number, the heads of fathers’ households and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king in any matter of the divisions which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year—of every division were twenty-four thousand.

Over the first division for the first month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel. In his division were twenty-four thousand. He was of the children of Perez, the chief of all the captains of the army for the first month. Over the division of the second month was Dodai the Ahohite and his division, and Mikloth the ruler; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. The third captain of the army for the third month was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the chief priest. In his division were twenty-four thousand. This is that Benaiah who was the mighty man of the thirty and over the thirty. Of his division was Ammizabad his son. The fourth captain for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him. In his division were twenty-four thousand. The fifth captain for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite. In his division were twenty-four thousand. The sixth captain for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite. In his division were twenty-four thousand. 10 The seventh captain for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, of the children of Ephraim. In his division were twenty-four thousand. 11 The eighth captain for the eighth month was Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zerahites. In his division were twenty-four thousand. 12 The ninth captain for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anathothite, of the Benjamites. In his division were twenty-four thousand. 13 The tenth captain for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zerahites. In his division were twenty-four thousand. 14 The eleventh captain for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of Ephraim. In his division were twenty-four thousand. 15 The twelfth captain for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel. In his division were twenty-four thousand.

16 Furthermore over the tribes of Israel: of the Reubenites, Eliezer the son of Zichri was the ruler; of the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maacah; 17 of Levi, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel; of Aaron, Zadok; 18 of Judah, Elihu, one of the brothers of David; of Issachar, Omri the son of Michael; 19 of Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah; of Naphtali, Jeremoth the son of Azriel; 20 of the children of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah; of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah; 21 of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah; of Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner; 22 of Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham. These were the captains of the tribes of Israel. 23 But David didn’t take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because Yahweh had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the sky. 24 Joab the son of Zeruiah began to take a census, but didn’t finish; and wrath came on Israel for this. The number wasn’t put into the account in the chronicles of King David.

25 Over the king’s treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel. Over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, in the villages, and in the towers was Jonathan the son of Uzziah; 26 Over those who did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub. 27 Over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite. Over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite. 28 Over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the lowland was Baal Hanan the Gederite. Over the cellars of oil was Joash. 29 Over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite. Over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai. 30 Over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite. Over the donkeys was Jehdeiah the Meronothite. Over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite. 31 All these were the rulers of the property which was King David’s.

32 Also Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a man of understanding, and a scribe. Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the king’s sons. 33 Ahithophel was the king’s counselor. Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend. 34 After Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar. Joab was the captain of the king’s army.