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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.

A Genealogy of the Returned Exiles

So all Israel was recorded in genealogies, and these are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And (A)Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith. (B)Now the first to (C)dwell again in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the (D)temple servants. And some of the people of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem: Uthai the son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, from the sons of (E)Perez the son of Judah. And of the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons. Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel and their kinsmen, 690. Of the Benjaminites: Sallu the son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah, Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, Elah the son of Uzzi, son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah; and their kinsmen according to their generations, (F)956. All these were heads of fathers' houses according (G)to their fathers' houses.

10 (H)Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin, 11 and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the (I)chief officer of the house of God; 12 and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, and Maasai the son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer; 13 besides their kinsmen, heads of their fathers' houses, 1,760, mighty men for the work of the service of the house of God.

14 (J)Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari; 15 and Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal and Mattaniah the son of Mica, son of Zichri, son of Asaph; 16 and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

17 The gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their kinsmen (Shallum was the chief); 18 until then they were (K)in the king's gate on the east side as the gatekeepers of the camps of the Levites. 19 Shallum the son of Kore, son of (L)Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of his fathers' house, the (M)Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent, as their fathers had been in charge of the camp of the Lord, keepers of the entrance. 20 And (N)Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the chief officer over them in time past; the Lord was with him. 21 (O)Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 22 All these, who were chosen as gatekeepers at the thresholds, were 212. They were enrolled by genealogies in their villages. (P)David and Samuel (Q)the seer established them in their office of trust. 23 So they and their sons were in charge of the gates of the house of the Lord, that is, the house of the tent, as guards. 24 The gatekeepers were on the four sides, east, west, north, and south. 25 And their kinsmen who were (R)in their villages were obligated to come (S)in every seven days, in turn, to be with these, 26 for the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted to be over (T)the chambers and the treasures of the house of God. 27 And they lodged around the house of God, for on them lay the duty of watching, and (U)they had charge of opening it every morning.

28 Some of them had charge of the utensils of service, for they were required to count them when they were brought in and taken out. 29 Others of them were appointed over the furniture and over all the holy utensils, also over the (V)fine flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, and the spices. 30 Others, of the sons of the priests, (W)prepared the mixing of the spices, 31 and Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of (X)Shallum the (Y)Korahite, was entrusted with (Z)making the flat cakes. 32 Also some of their kinsmen of the Kohathites had (AA)charge of the showbread, to prepare it every Sabbath.

33 Now these, the (AB)singers, the heads of fathers' houses of the Levites, were in the chambers of the temple free from other service, for they were on duty day and night. 34 These were heads of fathers' houses of the Levites, according to their generations, leaders. These lived in Jerusalem.

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