26 The duties of the Levite gatekeepers were performed by the Korahites, specifically by the descendants of Meshelemiah (Kore’s son, of the sons of Asaph).

² Meshelemiah fathered sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, ³ Elam the fifth, Johanan the sixth, and Eliehoenai the seventh.

^4-5 God blessed Obed-edom, another gatekeeper, with sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth. ⁶ Obed-edom’s son Shemaiah fathered sons who ruled their family, for they were mighty warriors. ⁷ They were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad, whose brothers (Elihu and Semachiah) were valiant men. ⁸ These and their relatives were the lineage of Obed-edom; all were capable men with strength for the service in the temple, and 62 from this family served.

⁹ Meshelemiah had other sons and relatives, 18 valiant men.

¹⁰ Hosah (one of the sons of Merari) fathered sons who served as gatekeepers: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn son, his father made him the primary inheritor), ¹¹ Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. These sons plus Hosah’s other brothers numbered 13.

¹² All these divisions of gatekeepers, the chief men, performed specific duties (similar to their relatives’ duties) when ministering in the temple of the Eternal. ¹³ Like the other divisions, the weak and the mighty, the students and the teachers, used a system of lots to determine which gates they would guard according to their family lineage.

¹⁴ The eastern gate went to the family of Shelemiah. Since his family was larger than Obed-edom’s and Shuppim’s, Shelemiah’s son Zechariah also drew lots for control of a gate. Zechariah, a prudent counselor, received control of the northern gate. ¹⁵ Obed-edom received control of the southern gate, and his sons went to work the temple storehouse within the gates. ¹⁶ Shuppim and Hosah were together given the western gate (which is near the gate of Shallecheth, on the ascending road). The guards stood side by side at their posts. ¹⁷ Each day six Levites guarded the east side, four guarded the north, and four guarded the south. The storehouses were guarded in shifts, two by two. ¹⁸ At the Parbar, a building adjacent to the temple on the western side, four guarded the highway and two guarded the Parbar itself. ¹⁹ These were the duties of the Korahite and Merarite gatekeepers.