²⁷ This included Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, who had 3,700 under his command.

Aaron’s Descendants

⁴⁹ Only Aaron and his descendants served as priests. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offering and the altar of incense, and they performed all the other duties related to the Most Holy Place. They made atonement for Israel by doing everything that Moses, the servant of God, had commanded them.

⁵⁰ The descendants of Aaron were Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua, ⁵¹ Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, ⁵² Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, ⁵³ Zadok, and Ahimaaz.

Territory for the Levites

⁵⁴ This is a record of the towns and territory assigned by means of sacred lots to the descendants of Aaron, who were from the clan of Kohath. ⁵⁵ This territory included Hebron and its surrounding pasturelands in Judah, ⁵⁶ but the fields and outlying areas belonging to the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. ⁵⁷ So the descendants of Aaron were given the following towns, each with its pasturelands: Hebron (a city of refuge),^[a] Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa,

¹⁸ Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers.

⁹ So the commanders did everything as Jehoiada the priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. They brought them all to Jehoiada the priest,

Revolt against Athaliah

⁴ In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada the priest summoned the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, and the palace guards to come to the Temple of the Lord. He made a solemn pact with them and made them swear an oath of loyalty there in the Lord’s Temple; then he showed them the king’s son.