Tribal Leaders

¹⁶ Wielding the scepters of Israel for the descendants of Reuben, there was^[a] Zichri’s son Eliezer as chief officer;^[b] for the descendants of Simeon there was Maacah’s son Shephatiah; ¹⁷ for Levi there was Kemuel’s son Hashabiah; for Aaron there was Zadok; ¹⁸ for Judah there was Elihu, one of David’s brothers; for Issachar there was Michael’s son Omri; ¹⁹ for Zebulun there was Obadiah’s son Ishmaiah; for Naphtali, there was Azriel’s son Jerimoth; ²⁰ for the descendants of Ephraim, there was Azaziah’s son Hoshea; for the half-tribe of Manasseh, there was Pedaiah’s son Joel; ²¹ for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, there was Zechariah’s son Iddo; for Benjamin, there was Abner’s son Jaasiel; ²² for Dan, there was Jeroham’s son Azarel. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

²³ David did not complete a census of those younger than 20 years of age, since the Lord had said he would make Israel as numerous as the stars of heaven. ²⁴ Zeruiah’s son Joab began the census, but never completed it. Nevertheless, God became angry with Israel because of this, so the number was never entered into the official records of the Annals of King David.^[c]