The Gatekeepers

26 The divisions of the gatekeepers:^(A)

¹² These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their leaders, had duties for ministering^(E) in the temple of the Lord, just as their relatives had. ¹³ Lots^(F) were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike.

¹⁴ The lot for the East Gate^(G) fell to Shelemiah.^[a] Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah,^(H) a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him. ¹⁵ The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-Edom,^(I) and the lot for the storehouse fell to his sons. ¹⁶ The lots for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah.

Guard was alongside of guard: ¹⁷ There were six Levites a day on the east, four a day on the north, four a day on the south and two at a time at the storehouse. ¹⁸ As for the court^[b] to the west, there were four at the road and two at the court^[c] itself.

¹⁹ These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari.^(J)

The Treasurers and Other Officials

²⁰ Their fellow Levites^(K) were^[d] in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries for the dedicated things.^(L)

²¹ The descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and who were heads of families belonging to Ladan the Gershonite,^(M) were Jehieli, ²² the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries^(N) of the temple of the Lord.

²³ From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites:^(O)

Army Divisions

27 This is the list of the Israelites—heads of families, commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and their officers, who served the king in all that concerned the army divisions that were on duty month by month throughout the year. Each division consisted of 24,000 men.

Leaders of the Tribes

These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

²³ David did not take the number of the men twenty years old or less,^(AM) because the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars^(AN) in the sky. ²⁴ Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. God’s wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering,^(AO) and the number was not entered in the book^[e] of the annals of King David.

The King’s Overseers

²⁵ Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the royal storehouses.

Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the outlying districts, in the towns, the villages and the watchtowers.

²⁶ Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the workers who farmed the land.

²⁷ Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards.

Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the produce of the vineyards for the wine vats.

²⁸ Baal-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig^(AP) trees in the western foothills.

Joash was in charge of the supplies of olive oil.

²⁹ Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of the herds grazing in Sharon.^(AQ)

Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of the herds in the valleys.

³⁰ Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels.

Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys.

³¹ Jaziz the Hagrite^(AR) was in charge of the flocks.

All these were the officials in charge of King David’s property.

³² Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a man of insight and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hakmoni took care of the king’s sons.

³³ Ahithophel^(AS) was the king’s counselor.

Hushai^(AT) the Arkite was the king’s confidant. ³⁴ Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar.^(AU)

Joab^(AV) was the commander of the royal army.

3 “I will send my messenger,^(A) who will prepare the way before me.^(B) Then suddenly the Lord^(C) you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,^(D) whom you desire,^(E) will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

² But who can endure^(F) the day of his coming?^(G) Who can stand^(H) when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire^(I) or a launderer’s soap.^{(J) 3} He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;^(K) he will purify^(L) the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.^(M) Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,^{(N) 4} and the offerings^(O) of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.^(P)

⁵ “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers,^(Q) adulterers^(R) and perjurers,^(S) against those who defraud laborers of their wages,^(T) who oppress the widows^(U) and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners^(V) among you of justice, but do not fear^(W) me,” says the Lord Almighty.

Breaking Covenant by Withholding Tithes

⁶ “I the Lord do not change.^(X) So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.^{(Y) 7} Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away^(Z) from my decrees and have not kept them. Return^(AA) to me, and I will return to you,”^(AB) says the Lord Almighty.

“But you ask,^(AC) ‘How are we to return?’

⁸ “Will a mere mortal rob^(AD) God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes^(AE) and offerings. ⁹ You are under a curse^(AF)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. ¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe^(AG) into the storehouse,^(AH) that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates^(AI) of heaven and pour out^(AJ) so much blessing^(AK) that there will not be room enough to store it.^{(AL) 11} I will prevent pests from devouring^(AM) your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,^(AN)” says the Lord Almighty. ¹² “Then all the nations will call you blessed,^(AO) for yours will be a delightful land,”^(AP) says the Lord Almighty.^(AQ)

Israel Speaks Arrogantly Against God

¹³ “You have spoken arrogantly^(AR) against me,” says the Lord.

“Yet you ask,^(AS) ‘What have we said against you?’

¹⁴ “You have said, ‘It is futile^(AT) to serve^(AU) God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements^(AV) and going about like mourners^(AW) before the Lord Almighty? ¹⁵ But now we call the arrogant^(AX) blessed. Certainly evildoers^(AY) prosper,^(AZ) and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”

The Faithful Remnant

¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.^(BA) A scroll^(BB) of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared^(BC) the Lord and honored his name.

¹⁷ “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my^(BD) treasured possession.^(BE) I will spare^(BF) them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son^(BG) who serves him. ¹⁸ And you will again see the distinction between the righteous^(BH) and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.^(BI)

¹ The elder,^(A)

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

² Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. ³ It gave me great joy when some believers^(B) came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.^{(C) 4} I have no greater joy than to hear that my children^(D) are walking in the truth.^(E)

⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,^[a](F) even though they are strangers to you.^{(G) 6} They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way^(H) in a manner that honors^(I) God. ⁷ It was for the sake of the Name^(J) that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.^{(K) 8} We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. ¹⁰ So when I come,^(L) I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers.^(M) He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.^(N)

¹¹ Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.^(O) Anyone who does what is good is from God.^(P) Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.^{(Q) 12} Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone^(R)—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.^(S)

¹³ I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.^(T)

¹⁵ Peace to you.^(U) The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.^(V)