1 Chronicles 9

Tree of Life Version

Kohanim and Levites in Nehemiah’s Day

9 So all Israel were registered by genealogies—behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.

Judah was carried away captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. ² The first to settle on their property in their towns were Israelites, kohanim, Levites and the Temple servants. ³ Those from the children of Judah, the children of Benjamin, and the children of Ephraim and Manasseh who settled in Jerusalem were: ⁴ Uthai son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, who was a descendant of Perez son of Judah.

⁵ From the Shilonites:

Asaiah the firstborn and his sons.

⁶ From the sons of Zerah: Jeuel and their kinsmen—690.

⁷ From the sons of Benjamin:

Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah; ⁸ Ibneiah son of Jeroham; and Elah son of Uzzi, son of Michri; and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibneiah, ⁹ and their kinsmen, according to their genealogies—956. All these men were leaders of their clans.

¹⁰ From the kohanim:

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 and Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer, ¹³ and their kinsmen, heads of their clans 1,760 very able men for the work of avodah in the House of God.

¹⁴ From the Levites:

Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, from the sons of Merari; ¹⁵ Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zichri, son of Asaph; ¹⁶ Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

¹⁷ The gatekeepers:

Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and their brothers. Shallum was the leader; ¹⁸ he serves to this day at the king’s gate to the east. These were the gatekeepers for the camp of the descendants of Levi. ¹⁹ Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen from his ancesteral clan, the Korahites, were assigned to guard the gates of the Tent. Their ancestors had been responsible for guarding the entrance to the dwelling of Adonai ²⁰ when Phinehas, son of Eleazar had been ruler over them in time past and Adonai was with him. ²¹ Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper of the door of the Tent of Meeting.

²² All these chosen to be gatekeepers at the gates were 212. These were registered in the genealogical records of their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their offices. ²³ They and their sons were guards of the gates of the House of Adonai, that is, the Tabernacle. ²⁴ The gatekeepers were posted on the four sides, toward the east, west, north, and south. ²⁵ Their kinsmen in their villages were to come from time to time and serve with them for seven days. ²⁶ For the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted over the chambers and over the treasuries in the House of God. ²⁷ They would spend the night around the House of God, because they were assigned to guard it and were in charge of opening it morning by morning.

²⁸ Now some of them had charge of the utensils for avodah, for by count they brought them in and by count they took them out. ²⁹ Some of them were appointed over the equipment and over all the utensils of the sanctuary, as well as over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the frankincense and the spices. ³⁰ But some of the sons of the kohanim prepared the mixture of spices. ³¹ Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was in charge of preparing the flat cakes. ³² Some of the relatives of Kohathites were in charge of preparing the rows of bread every Shabbat.

³³ Now these were the singers, patriarchal leaders of the Levites, who stayed in the chambers and were exempt from other service, for they were on duty day and night. ³⁴ These were heads of the Levite families, chiefs in their geneaological records. These lived in Jerusalem.

³⁵ Jeiel, the father of Gibeon, lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah. ³⁶ His firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ³⁷ Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah and Mikloth. ³⁸ Mikloth fathered Shimeam. They also lived with their kinsmen in Jerusalem, opposite their kinsmen.

³⁹ Ner fathered Kish and Kish fathered Saul. Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab and Eshbaal.

⁴⁰ The son of Jonathan was Merib-baal and Merib-baal fathered Micah.

⁴¹ The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Taharea and Ahaz.

⁴² Ahaz fathered Jarah and Jarah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri.

Zimri fathered Moza ⁴³ and Moza fathered Binea; Rephaiah was his son, Eleasah his son and Azel his son.

⁴⁴ Azel had six sons:

Azrikam, Bocru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.