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Genealogical records were kept for all Israel; they are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Israel.

Exiles Who Resettled in Jerusalem

The people of Judah[a] were carried away to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. The first to resettle on their property and in their cities were some Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.[b] Some from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim and Manasseh settled in Jerusalem.

The settlers included:[c] Uthai son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, who was a descendant of Perez son of Judah.

From the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons.

From the descendants of Zerah: Jeuel.

Their relatives numbered 690.

From the descendants of Benjamin:

Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah; Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, son of Mikri; and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah.

Their relatives, listed in their genealogical records, numbered 956. All these men were leaders of their families.[d]

10 From the priests:

Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jakin; 11 Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub the leader in God’s temple; 12 Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malkijah; and Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer.

13 Their relatives, who were leaders of their families, numbered 1,760. They were capable men who were assigned to carry out the various tasks of service in God’s temple.[e]

14 From the Levites:

Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah a descendant of Merari; 15 Bakbakkar; Heresh; Galal; Mattaniah son of Mika, son of Zikri, son of Asaph; 16 Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived among the settlements of the Netophathites.

17 The gatekeepers were:

Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brothers. Shallum was the leader; 18 he serves to this day at the King’s Gate on the east. These were the gatekeepers from the camp of the descendants of Levi.

19 Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his relatives from his family (the Korahites) were assigned to guard the entrance to the sanctuary.[f] Their ancestors had guarded the entrance to the Lord’s dwelling place.[g] 20 Phinehas son of Eleazar had been their leader in earlier times, and the Lord was with him. 21 Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the guard at the entrance to the meeting tent.

22 All those selected to be gatekeepers at the entrances numbered 212. Their names were recorded in the genealogical records of their settlements. David and Samuel the prophet[h] had appointed them to their positions.[i] 23 They and their descendants were assigned to guard the gates of the Lord’s sanctuary (that is, the tabernacle).[j] 24 The gatekeepers were posted on all four sides—east, west, north, and south. 25 Their relatives, who lived in their settlements, came from time to time and served with them for seven-day periods. 26 The four head gatekeepers, who were Levites, were assigned to guard the storerooms and treasuries in God’s sanctuary.[k] 27 They would spend the night in their posts all around God’s sanctuary,[l] for they were assigned to guard it and would open it with the key every morning. 28 Some of them were in charge of the articles used by those who served; they counted them when they brought them in and when they brought them out.[m] 29 Some of them were in charge of the equipment and articles of the sanctuary,[n] as well as the flour, wine, olive oil, incense, and spices. 30 (But some of the priests mixed the spices.) 31 Mattithiah, a Levite, the firstborn son[o] of Shallum the Korahite, was in charge of baking the bread for offerings. 32 Some of the Kohathites, their relatives, were in charge of preparing the bread that is displayed each Sabbath.

33 The musicians and Levite family leaders stayed in rooms at the sanctuary[p] and were exempt from other duties, for day and night they had to carry out their assigned tasks. 34 These were the family leaders of the Levites, as listed in their genealogical records. They lived in Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 9:1 tn The Hebrew text has simply “Judah,” though the verb הָגְלוּ (hoglu, “carried away”) is plural.
  2. 1 Chronicles 9:2 tn Heb “and the inhabitants, the first who [were] in their property in their cities, Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.”
  3. 1 Chronicles 9:4 tn The words “the settlers included” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  4. 1 Chronicles 9:9 tn Heb “and all these men were heads of fathers for the house of their fathers.”
  5. 1 Chronicles 9:13 tn Heb “capable [for] the work of the task of the house of God.”
  6. 1 Chronicles 9:19 tn Heb “and his brothers belonging to the house of his father, the Korachites, to the work of the task, guardians of the threshold of the tent.”
  7. 1 Chronicles 9:19 tn Heb “and their fathers to the camp of the Lord, guardians of the entrance.” Here “fathers” is used in a more general sense of “forefathers” or “ancestors” and is not limited specifically to their fathers only.
  8. 1 Chronicles 9:22 tn The Hebrew term is רֹאֶה (roʾeh, “seer”), an older word for נָבִיא (naviʾ, “prophet”).
  9. 1 Chronicles 9:22 tn Heb “they—David appointed, and Samuel the seer, in their position.”
  10. 1 Chronicles 9:23 tn Heb “and they and their sons to the gates of the house of the Lord, of the house of the tent, [were assigned] as guards.”
  11. 1 Chronicles 9:26 tn Heb “in the house of God.”
  12. 1 Chronicles 9:27 tn Heb “in the house of God.”
  13. 1 Chronicles 9:28 tn Heb “and from them over the articles of the task, for by number they would bring them in, and by number they would bring them out.”
  14. 1 Chronicles 9:29 tn Heb “holy place.”
  15. 1 Chronicles 9:31 tn The word “son” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
  16. 1 Chronicles 9:33 tn Heb “were in rooms.” The words “at the sanctuary” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

So all Israel was listed in the official records of Israel’s kings.

Restored Jerusalem community

Judah was carried into exile in Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. The first to resettle their property in their towns were the Israelite people, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants. Those settling in Jerusalem included some from Judah, some from Benjamin, and some from Ephraim and Manasseh:

Judah and Benjamin

Uthai son of Ammihud son of Omri son of Imri son of Bani from the family of Perez, Judah’s son.

From the Shilonites: Asaiah the oldest son and his family.

From Zerah’s family: Jeuel and their relatives—690 in all.

From Benjamin’s family: Sallu son of Meshullam son of Hodaviah son of Senaah;[a] Ibneiah, Jeroham’s son; Elah son of Uzzi son of Michri; Meshullam son of Shephatiah son of Reuel son of Ibnijah; and their relatives in their line of descent—956 in all. All of these were heads of their households.

Priests and Levites

10 From the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin, 11 and Azariah son of Hilkiah son of Meshullam son of Zadok son of Meraioth son of Ahitub the leader of God’s house; 12 Adaiah son of Jeroham son of Pashhur son of Malchijah; Maasai son of Adiel son of Jahzerah son of Meshullam son of Meshillemith son of Immer; 13 and their relatives, heads of their households, 1,760 capable men for the religious work of God’s house.

14 From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub son of Azrikam son of Hashabiah, from Merari’s family; 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 settlements of the Netophathites.

Gatekeepers

17 The gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman. Their brother Shallum was the leader, 18 stationed until now in the King’s Gate on the east side. These were the gatekeepers belonging to the Levites’ camp.

19 Shallum, Kore’s son, Ebiasaph’s grandson, and Korah’s great-grandson, and his relatives belonging to his household, the Korahites, served as gatekeepers at the tent’s entrances, as their ancestors had been gatekeepers at the entrance to the Lord’s camp.

20 Phinehas, Eleazar’s son, the Lord be with him, was their leader in former times.

21 Zechariah, Meshelemiah’s son, was gatekeeper at the meeting tent’s entrance.

22 All those selected as gatekeepers at the entrances were two hundred twelve. They were listed in the family records by their settlements. David and Samuel the seer assigned them to their trusted position. 23 So they and their descendants were the gatekeepers guarding the Lord’s house, that is, the tent.[b] 24 The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north, and south. 25 Their relatives came in from their settlements, from time to time, to assist them for a period of seven days. 26 Due to their trustworthiness, the four master gatekeepers, who were Levites, were in charge of the rooms and the treasuries of God’s house. 27 They would spend the night patrolling God’s house since they had guard duty and were responsible for unlocking it every morning. 28 Some of them were responsible for the worship objects; they counted them when they were brought in and taken out. 29 Others were appointed over the furniture, the holy equipment, the flour, wine, oil, incense, and spices. 30 Some of the priests blended the ointment for the spices; 31 and Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the oldest son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with baking the flat cakes. 32 Also some of their Kohathite relatives were responsible for preparing the stacks of bread for each Sabbath. 33 The singers were the heads of the households of the Levites. They lived in temple rooms and were free from other service because they were on duty day and night. 34 These were the heads of the households of the Levites, according to descent. They lived in Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 9:7 LXX; MT Hassenuah
  2. 1 Chronicles 9:23 Or house of the tent