The Gatekeepers

26 The divisions of the gatekeepers:^(A)

Psalm 49^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Psalm 44^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.^[b]

¹⁹ He also stationed gatekeepers^(A) at the gates of the Lord’s temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.

²³ Berekiah and Elkanah were to be doorkeepers for the ark. ²⁴ Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer the priests were to blow trumpets^(A) before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark.

¹⁸ and with them their relatives next in rank: Zechariah,^[a] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom^(A) and Jeiel,^[b] the gatekeepers.

²² Altogether, those chosen to be gatekeepers^(F) at the thresholds numbered 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. The gatekeepers had been assigned to their positions of trust by David and Samuel the seer.^{(G) 23} They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the Lord—the house called the tent of meeting. ²⁴ The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north and south. ²⁵ Their fellow Levites in their villages had to come from time to time and share their duties for seven-day^(H) periods. ²⁶ But the four principal gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the responsibility for the rooms and treasuries^(I) in the house of God. ²⁷ They would spend the night stationed around the house of God,^(J) because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key^(K) for opening it each morning.

⁹ and the sons of Eliab^(A) were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. The same Dathan and Abiram were the community^(B) officials who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were among Korah’s followers when they rebelled against the Lord.^{(C) 10} The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them^(D) along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men.^(E) And they served as a warning sign.^{(F) 11} The line of Korah,^(G) however, did not die out.^(H)