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Number and Services of Musicians

25 Moreover, David and the commanders of the army separated for the service some of the sons of (A)Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who were to (B)prophesy with lyres, (C)harps, and cymbals; and the number of [a]those who performed their service was:

Of the sons of Asaph:
Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and [b]Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were under the [c]direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the [d]direction of the king.
(D)Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun:
Gedaliah, [e]Zeri, Jeshaiah, [f]Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the [g]direction of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising Yahweh.
Of Heman, the sons of Heman:
Bukkiah, Mattaniah, [h]Uzziel, [i]Shebuel and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth.

All these were the sons of Heman (E)the king’s seer to [j]exalt him according to the words of God. So God gave fourteen sons and three daughters to Heman. All these were under the [k]direction of their father to sing in the house of Yahweh, (F)with cymbals, harps, and lyres, for the service of the house of God. (G)Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the [l]direction of the king. And their number who were trained in singing to Yahweh, with their [m]relatives, all who were skillful, was (H)288.

Responsibilities of the Musicians

(I)They cast lots for their responsibilities, each alongside the other, the small as well as the great, the teacher as well as the pupil.

Now the first lot came out for Asaph to Joseph,
the second for Gedaliah, he with his relatives and sons were twelve;
10 the third to Zaccur, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
11 the fourth to [n]Izri, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
12 the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
13 the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
14 the seventh to [o]Jesharelah, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
15 the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
16 the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
17 the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
18 the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
19 the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
20 for the thirteenth, Shubael, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
21 for the fourteenth, Mattithiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
22 for the fifteenth to Jeremoth, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
23 for the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
24 for the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
25 for the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
26 for the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
27 for the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
28 for the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
29 for the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
30 for the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and his relatives, twelve;
31 for the twenty-fourth to Romamti-ezer, his sons and his relatives, twelve.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 25:1 Lit workmen according to their service
  2. 1 Chronicles 25:2 In v 14, Jesharelah
  3. 1 Chronicles 25:2 Lit hand(s)
  4. 1 Chronicles 25:2 Lit hand(s)
  5. 1 Chronicles 25:3 In v 11, Izri
  6. 1 Chronicles 25:3 As in mss and ancient versions, cf. 25:17
  7. 1 Chronicles 25:3 Lit hands
  8. 1 Chronicles 25:4 In v 18, Azarel
  9. 1 Chronicles 25:4 In v 20, Shubael
  10. 1 Chronicles 25:5 Lit lift up the horn
  11. 1 Chronicles 25:6 Lit hands
  12. 1 Chronicles 25:6 Lit hands
  13. 1 Chronicles 25:7 Lit brothers, so in ch
  14. 1 Chronicles 25:11 In v 3, Zeri
  15. 1 Chronicles 25:14 In v 2, Asherelah

The Temple Musicians

25 King David and the leaders of the Levites chose the following Levite clans to lead the worship services: Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. They were to proclaim God's messages, accompanied by the music of harps and cymbals. This is the list of persons chosen to lead the worship, with the type of service that each group performed:

The four sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah. They were under the direction of Asaph, who proclaimed God's messages whenever the king commanded.

The six sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah. Under the direction of their father they proclaimed God's message, accompanied by the music of harps, and sang praise and thanks to the Lord.

The fourteen sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. God gave to Heman, the king's prophet, these fourteen sons and also three daughters, as he had promised, in order to give power to Heman. All of his sons played cymbals and harps under their father's direction, to accompany the Temple worship. And Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under orders from the king.

All these twenty-four men were experts; and their fellow Levites were trained musicians. There were 288 men in all.

To determine the assignment of duties they all drew lots, whether they were young or old, experts or beginners.

9-31 These 288 men were divided according to families into twenty-four groups of twelve, with a leader in charge of each group. This is the order in which they were on duty: 1) Joseph of the family of Asaph; 2) Gedaliah; 3) Zaccur; 4) Zeri; 5) Nethaniah; 6) Bukkiah; 7) Asharelah; 8) Jeshaiah; 9) Mattaniah; 10) Shimei; 11) Uzziel; 12) Hashabiah; 13) Shebuel; 14) Mattithiah; 15) Jerimoth; 16) Hananiah; 17) Joshbekashah; 18) Hanani; 19) Mallothi; 20) Eliathah; 21) Hothir; 22) Giddalti; 23) Mahazioth; 24) Romamti Ezer.