¹⁰ When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, ^(A)the^[a] priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the ^(B)ordinance^[b] of David king of Israel.

²⁴ And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers across from them, to ^(A)praise and give thanks, ^(B)group^[a] alternating with group, ^(C)according to the command of David the man of God. ²⁵ Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storerooms of the gates. ²⁶ These lived in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of ^[b]Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah ^(D)the governor, and of Ezra the priest, ^(E)the scribe.

¹⁵ And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their places, according to the ^(A)command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer. Also the gatekeepers ^(B)were at each gate; they did not have to leave their position, because their brethren the Levites prepared portions for them.

^25 (A)And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, ^(B)according to the commandment of David, of ^(C)Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; ^(D)for thus was the commandment of the Lord by His prophets. ²⁶ The Levites stood with the instruments ^(E)of David, and the priests with ^(F)the trumpets.

The Musicians

25 Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of ^(A)Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals. And the number of the skilled men performing their service was: ² Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and ^[a]Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were ^[b]under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied according to the order of the king. ³ Of ^(B)Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, ^[c]Zeri, Jeshaiah, ^[d]Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, ^[e]six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the Lord. ⁴ Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, ^[f]Uzziel, ^[g]Shebuel, ^[h]Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. ⁵ All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to ^[i]exalt his ^(C)horn. For God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

⁶ All these were under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and ^(D)harps, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were ^(E)under the authority of the king. ⁷ So the ^(F)number of them, with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the Lord, all who were skillful, was two hundred and eighty-eight.

⁵ four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand ^(A)praised the Lord with musical instruments, ^(B)“which I made,” said David, “for giving praise.”

⁴² and with them Heman and Jeduthun, to sound aloud with trumpets and cymbals and the musical instruments of God. Now the sons of Jeduthun were gatekeepers.

Regular Worship Maintained

³⁷ So he left ^(A)Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark regularly, as every day’s work ^(B)required;