Chapter 9

¹ Thus all Israel was listed in family lists, and these are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.^(A)

Now Judah had been exiled to Babylon because of its treachery. ^2 [a](B)The first to settle again in their cities and dwell there were certain Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.^(C)

Jerusalemites. ³ In Jerusalem lived Judahites and Benjaminites; also Ephraimites and Manassites. ⁴ Among the Judahites was Uthai, son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, one of the sons of Perez, son of Judah. ⁵ Among the Shelanites were Asaiah, the firstborn, and his sons. ⁶ Among the Zerahites were Jeuel and six hundred and ninety of their relatives. ⁷ Among the Benjaminites were Sallu, son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah, ⁸ as well as Ibneiah, son of Jeroham; Elah, son of Uzzi, son of Michri; Meshullam, son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah. ⁹ Their kindred of various families were nine hundred and fifty-six. All those named were heads of their ancestral houses.

¹⁰ Among the priests were Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jachin; ¹¹ Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God; ¹² Adaiah, son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah; Maasai, son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer. ¹³ Their brothers, heads of their ancestral houses, were one thousand seven hundred and sixty, valiant in the work of the service of the house of God.

¹⁴ Among the Levites were Shemaiah, son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, one of the sons of Merari; ¹⁵ Bakbakkar; Heresh; Galal; Mattaniah, son of Mica, son of Zichri, a descendant of Asaph; ¹⁶ Obadiah, son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, a descendant of Jeduthun; and Berechiah, son of Asa, son of Elkanah, whose family lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

¹⁷ The gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brothers; Shallum was the chief. ¹⁸ Previously they had stood guard at the king’s gate on the east side; now they became gatekeepers for the encampments of the Levites. ¹⁹ Shallum, son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, a descendant of Korah, and his brothers of the same ancestral house of the Korahites had as their assigned task the guarding of the threshold of the tent, just as their fathers had guarded the entrance to the encampment of the Lord. ²⁰ Phinehas, son of Eleazar, had been their chief in times past; the Lord was with him.^{(D) 21} Zechariah, son of Meshelemiah, guarded the gate of the tent of meeting.^{(E) 22} In all, those who were chosen for gatekeepers at the threshold were two hundred and twelve. They were inscribed in the family records of their villages. David and Samuel the seer had established them in their position of trust. ²³ Thus they and their sons kept guard over the gates of the house of the Lord, the house which was then a tent. ²⁴ The gatekeepers were stationed at the four sides, to the east, the west, the north, and the south.^{(F) 25} Their brothers who lived in their own villages took turns in assisting them for seven-day periods,^{(G) 26} while the four chief gatekeepers were on permanent duty. These were the Levites who also had charge of the chambers and treasures of the house of God. ²⁷ They would spend the night near the house of God, for it was in their charge and they had the duty of opening it each morning.

²⁸ Some of them had charge of the vessels used there, tallying them as they were brought in and taken out. ²⁹ Others were appointed to take care of the utensils and all the sacred vessels, as well as the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the frankincense, and the spices. ³⁰ It was the sons of priests, however, who mixed the spiced ointments.^{(H) 31 (I)}Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with preparing the cakes. ³² Benaiah the Kohathite, one of their brothers, was in charge of setting out the showbread each sabbath.^(J)

³³ These were the singers and the gatekeepers, family heads over the Levites. They stayed in the chambers when free of duty, for day and night they had to be ready for service. ³⁴ These were the levitical family heads by their generations, chiefs who dwelt in Jerusalem.

II. The History of David

Genealogy of Saul. ^35 (K)Jeiel, the founder of Gibeon, dwelt in Gibeon; his wife’s name was Maacah. ³⁶ His firstborn son was Abdon; then came Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ³⁷ Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. ³⁸ Mikloth became the father of Shimeam. These, too, with their relatives, dwelt opposite their relatives in Jerusalem. ³⁹ Ner became the father of Kish, and Kish became the father of Saul. Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. ⁴⁰ The son of Jonathan was Meribbaal, and Meribbaal became the father of Micah. ⁴¹ The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. ⁴² Ahaz became the father of Jehoaddah, and Jehoaddah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri became the father of Moza. ⁴³ Moza became the father of Binea, whose son was Rephaiah, whose son was Eleasah, whose son was Azel. ⁴⁴ Azel had six sons, whose names were Azrikam, his firstborn, Ishmael, Sheariah, Azariah, Obadiah, and Hanan; these were the sons of Azel.