1 Chronicles 9
Easy-to-Read Version
9 The names of all the Israelites were listed in their family histories. Those family histories were put in the book, The History of the Kings of Israel.
The People in Jerusalem
The people of Judah were made prisoners and forced to go to Babylon. They were taken there because they were not faithful to God. 2 The first people to come back and live in their own lands and towns were some Israelites, priests, Levites, and servants who work in the Temple.
3 These are the people from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh who lived in Jerusalem:
4 Uthai was Ammihud’s son. Ammihud was Omri’s son. Omri was Imri’s son. Imri was Bani’s son. Bani was a descendant of Perez. Perez was Judah’s son.
5 The Shilonites who lived in Jerusalem were Asaiah the oldest son and his sons.
6 The Zerahites who lived in Jerusalem were Jeuel and their relatives. There were 690 of them in all.
7 These are the people from the tribe of Benjamin who lived in Jerusalem: Sallu was Meshullam’s son. Meshullam was Hodaviah’s son. Hodaviah was Hassenuah’s son. 8 Ibneiah was Jeroham’s son. Elah was Uzzi’s son. Uzzi was Micri’s son. And Meshullam was Shephatiah’s son. Shephatiah was Reuel’s son. Reuel was Ibnijah’s son. 9 The family history of Benjamin shows there were 956 of them living in Jerusalem. All these men were leaders in their families.
10 These are the priests who lived in Jerusalem: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jakin, and 11 Azariah. Azariah was Hilkiah’s son. Hilkiah was Meshullam’s son. Meshullam was Zadok’s son. Zadok was Meraioth’s son. Meraioth was Ahitub’s son. Ahitub was the important official responsible for God’s Temple. 12 Also there was Jeroham’s son, Adaiah. Jeroham was Pashhur’s son. Pashhur was Malkijah’s son. And there was Adiel’s son, Maasai. Adiel was Jahzerah’s son. Jahzerah was Meshullam’s son. Meshullam was Meshillemith’s son. Meshillemith was Immer’s son.
13 There were 1760 priests. They were leaders of their families. They were responsible for the work of serving in God’s Temple.
14 These are the people from the tribe of Levi who lived in Jerusalem: Hasshub’s son, Shemaiah. Hasshub was Azrikam’s son. Azrikam was Hashabiah’s son. Hashabiah was a descendant of Merari. 15 Also living in Jerusalem were Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah. Mattaniah was Mica’s son. Mica was Zicri’s son. Zicri was Asaph’s son. 16 Obadiah was Shemaiah’s son. Shemaiah was Galal’s son. Galal was Jeduthun’s son. Berekiah was Asa’s son. Asa was Elkanah’s son. Berekiah lived in the small towns near the people of Netophah.
17 These are the gatekeepers who lived in Jerusalem: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives. Shallum was their leader. 18 Now these men stand next to the King’s Gate on the east side. They were the gatekeepers from the tribe of Levi. 19 Shallum was Kore’s son. Kore was Ebiasaph’s son. Ebiasaph was Korah’s son. Shallum and his brothers were gatekeepers. They were from the family of Korah. They had the job of guarding the entrance to the Holy Tent. They did this just as their ancestors had done before them. Their ancestors had the job of guarding the entrance to the area where the Lord lived among the people. 20 In the past, Phinehas was in charge of the gatekeepers. Phinehas was Eleazar’s son. The Lord was with Phinehas. 21 Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Holy Tent.
22 In all there were 212 men who were chosen to guard the gates of the Holy Tent. Their names were written in their family histories in their small towns. David and Samuel the seer chose these men because they could be trusted. 23 The gatekeepers and their descendants had the responsibility of guarding the gates of the Lord’s house, the Holy Tent. 24 There were gates on the four sides: east, west, north, and south. 25 The gatekeepers’ relatives who lived in the small towns had to come and help them at certain times. They came and helped the gatekeepers for seven days each time.
26 There were four gatekeepers who were the leaders of all the gatekeepers. They were Levites. They had the job of caring for the rooms and treasures in God’s Temple. 27 They stayed up all night guarding God’s Temple, and they had the job of opening God’s Temple every morning.
28 Some of the gatekeepers had the job of caring for the dishes used in the Temple services. They counted them when they were brought in. They also counted these dishes when they were taken out. 29 Other gatekeepers were chosen to care for the furniture and the special dishes. They also took care of the flour, wine, oil, incense, and special oil.[a] 30 But it was the priests who had the job of mixing the special oil.
31 There was a Levite named Mattithiah who had the job of baking the bread used for the offerings. Mattithiah was Shallum’s oldest son. Shallum was from the Korah family. 32 Some of the gatekeepers who were in the Korah family had the job of preparing the bread put on the table every Sabbath.
33 The Levites who were singers and leaders of their families stayed in the rooms at the Temple. They did not have to do other work because they were responsible for the work in the Temple day and night.
34 All these Levites were leaders of their families. They were listed as leaders in their family histories. They lived in Jerusalem.
The Family History of King Saul
35 Jeiel was Gibeon’s father. Jeiel lived in the town of Gibeon. His wife was named Maacah. 36 Jeiel’s oldest son was Abdon. Other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, 37 Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. 38 Mikloth was Shimeam’s father. Jeiel’s family lived near their relatives in Jerusalem.
39 Ner was Kish’s father. Kish was Saul’s father. And Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malki Shua, Abinadab, and Esh Baal.
40 Jonathan’s son was Merib Baal. Merib Baal was Micah’s father.
41 Micah’s sons were Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. 42 Ahaz was the father of Jadah.[b] Jadah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was Moza’s father. 43 Moza was the father of Binea. Rephaiah was Binea’s son. Eleasah was Rephaiah’s son. And Azel was Eleasah’s son.
44 Azel had six sons. Their names were Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. They were Azel’s children.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 9:29 special oil Or “perfume.” This might be the oil used to anoint priests, prophets, and kings. See Ex. 30:22-38.
- 1 Chronicles 9:42 Jadah This is from the ancient Greek translation and some Hebrew copies. Most Hebrew copies have “Jarah” for “Jadah” in this verse.
1 Chronicles 9
New King James Version
Priests and Levites in Jerusalem
9 So (A)all Israel was [a]recorded by genealogies, and indeed, they were inscribed in the book of the kings of Israel. But Judah was carried away captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. 2 (B)And the first inhabitants who dwelt in their possessions in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and (C)the Nethinim.
Dwellers in Jerusalem
3 Now in (D)Jerusalem the children of Judah dwelt, and some of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim and Manasseh: 4 Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the descendants of Perez, the son of Judah. 5 Of the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons. 6 Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel, and their brethren—six hundred and ninety. 7 Of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah; 8 Ibneiah the son of Jeroham; Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri; Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah; 9 and their brethren, according to their generations—nine hundred and fifty-six. All these men were heads of a father’s house in their fathers’ houses.
The Priests at Jerusalem
10 (E)Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin; 11 [b]Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the (F)officer over the house of God; 12 Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah; Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer; 13 and their brethren, heads of their fathers’ houses—one thousand seven hundred and sixty. They were [c]very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
The Levites at Jerusalem
14 Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari; 15 Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of (G)Zichri, the son of Asaph; 16 (H)Obadiah the son of (I)Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.
The Levite Gatekeepers
17 And the gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brethren. Shallum was the chief. 18 Until then they had been gatekeepers for the camps of the children of Levi at the King’s Gate on the east.
19 Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, from his father’s house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, [d]gatekeepers of the tabernacle. Their fathers had been keepers of the entrance to the camp of the Lord. 20 And (J)Phinehas the son of Eleazar had been the officer over them in time past; the Lord was with him. 21 (K)Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was [e]keeper of the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
22 All those chosen as gatekeepers were two hundred and twelve. (L)They were recorded by their genealogy, in their villages. David and Samuel (M)the seer had appointed them to their trusted office. 23 So they and their children were in charge of the gates of the house of the Lord, the house of the tabernacle, by assignment. 24 The gatekeepers were assigned to the four directions: the east, west, north, and south. 25 And their brethren in their villages had to come with them from time to time (N)for seven days. 26 For in this trusted office were four chief gatekeepers; they were Levites. And they had charge over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God. 27 And they lodged all around the house of God because [f]they had the (O)responsibility, and they were in charge of opening it every morning.
Other Levite Responsibilities
28 Now some of them were in charge of the serving vessels, for they brought them in and took them out by count. 29 Some of them were appointed over the furnishings and over all the implements of the sanctuary, and over the (P)fine flour and the wine and the oil and the incense and the spices. 30 And some of the sons of the priests made (Q)the ointment of the spices.
31 Mattithiah of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the trusted office (R)over the things that were baked in the pans. 32 And some of their brethren of the sons of the Kohathites (S)were in charge of preparing the showbread for every Sabbath.
33 These are (T)the singers, heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites, who lodged in the chambers, and were free from other duties; for they were employed in that work day and night. 34 These heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites were heads throughout their generations. They dwelt at Jerusalem.
The Family of King Saul
35 Jeiel the father of Gibeon, whose wife’s name was (U)Maacah, dwelt at Gibeon. 36 His firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, 37 Gedor, Ahio, [g]Zechariah, and Mikloth. 38 And Mikloth begot [h]Shimeam. They also dwelt alongside their relatives in Jerusalem, with their brethren. 39 (V)Ner begot Kish, Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal. 40 The son of Jonathan was Merib-Baal, and Merib-Baal begot Micah. 41 The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, [i]Tahrea, (W)and[j] Ahaz. 42 And Ahaz begot [k]Jarah; Jarah begot Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begot Moza; 43 Moza begot Binea, [l]Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son.
44 And Azel had six sons whose names were these: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan; these were the sons of Azel.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 9:1 enrolled
- 1 Chronicles 9:11 Seraiah, Neh. 11:11
- 1 Chronicles 9:13 Lit. mighty men of strength
- 1 Chronicles 9:19 Lit. thresholds
- 1 Chronicles 9:21 gatekeeper
- 1 Chronicles 9:27 the watch was committed to them
- 1 Chronicles 9:37 Zecher, 1 Chr. 8:31
- 1 Chronicles 9:38 Shimeah, 1 Chr. 8:32
- 1 Chronicles 9:41 Tarea, 1 Chr. 8:35
- 1 Chronicles 9:41 So with Arab., Syr., Tg., Vg. (cf. 8:35); MT, LXX omit and Ahaz
- 1 Chronicles 9:42 Jehoaddah, 1 Chr. 8:36
- 1 Chronicles 9:43 Raphah, 1 Chr. 8:37
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
