David Organizes the Musicians

25 David and the army officers selected some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy as they played stringed instruments and cymbals.^[a] The following men were assigned this responsibility:^[b]

² From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were supervised by Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision.^[c]

³ From the sons of Jeduthun:^[d] Gedaliah, Zeri,^[e] Jeshaiah,^[f] Hashabiah, and Mattithiah—six in all,^[g] under supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied as he played a harp, giving thanks and praise to the Lord.

⁴ From the sons of Heman:^[h] Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. ⁵ All these were the sons of Heman, the king’s prophet. God had promised him these sons in order to make him prestigious.^[i] God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

⁶ All these were under the supervision of their fathers; they were musicians in the Lord’s temple, playing cymbals and stringed instruments as they served in God’s temple. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the supervision of the king. ⁷ They and their relatives, all of them skilled and trained to make music to the Lord, numbered 288.^[j]

⁸ They cast lots to determine their responsibilities—oldest as well as youngest, teacher as well as student.^[k]

⁹ The first lot went to Asaph’s son Joseph and his relatives and sons—twelve in all,^[l]

the second to Gedaliah and his relatives and sons—twelve in all,

¹⁰ the third to Zaccur and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹¹ the fourth to Izri^[m] and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹² the fifth to Nethaniah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹³ the sixth to Bukkiah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹⁴ the seventh to Jesharelah^[n] and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹⁵ the eighth to Jeshaiah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹⁶ the ninth to Mattaniah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹⁷ the tenth to Shimei and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹⁸ the eleventh to Azarel^[o] and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

¹⁹ the twelfth to Hashabiah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁰ the thirteenth to Shubael and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²¹ the fourteenth to Mattithiah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²² the fifteenth to Jerimoth and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²³ the sixteenth to Hananiah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁴ the seventeenth to Joshbekashah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁵ the eighteenth to Hanani and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁶ the nineteenth to Mallothi and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁷ the twentieth to Eliathah and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁸ the twenty-first to Hothir and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

²⁹ the twenty-second to Giddalti and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

³⁰ the twenty-third to Mahazioth and his sons and relatives—twelve in all,

³¹ the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer and his sons and relatives—twelve in all.