Divisions of the Levites

24 Now the divisions of the [a]descendants of Aaron were these: (A)the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. (B)But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no [b]sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. David, with (C)Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their offices [c]for their ministry. Since more chief men were found from the [d]descendants of Eleazar than the [e]descendants of Ithamar, they divided them this way: there were sixteen heads of fathers’ households of the [f]descendants of Eleazar, and eight of the [g]descendants of Ithamar according to their fathers’ households. (D)So they were divided by lot, the one as the other; for they were officers of the sanctuary and officers of God, both from the [h]descendants of Eleazar and the [i]descendants of Ithamar. Shemaiah, the son of Nethanel the scribe, from the Levites, recorded them in the presence of the king, the leaders, Zadok the priest, (E)Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the priests and the Levites; one father’s household taken for Eleazar and one taken for Ithamar.

Now the first lot came out for Jehoiarib, the second for Jedaiah, the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim, the fifth for Malchijah, the sixth for Mijamin, 10 the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for (F)Abijah, 11 the ninth for Jeshua, the tenth for Shecaniah, 12 the eleventh for Eliashib, the twelfth for Jakim, 13 the thirteenth for Huppah, the fourteenth for Jeshebeab, 14 the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer, 15 the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Happizzez, 16 the nineteenth for Pethahiah, the twentieth for Jehezkel, 17 the twenty-first for Jachin, the twenty-second for Gamul, 18 the twenty-third for Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth for Maaziah. 19 (G)These were their offices for their ministry when they entered the house of the Lord according to the ordinance given to them through their father Aaron, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 24:1 Lit sons
  2. 1 Chronicles 24:2 Or children
  3. 1 Chronicles 24:3 Lit in their service
  4. 1 Chronicles 24:4 Lit sons
  5. 1 Chronicles 24:4 Lit sons
  6. 1 Chronicles 24:4 Lit sons
  7. 1 Chronicles 24:4 Lit sons
  8. 1 Chronicles 24:5 Lit sons
  9. 1 Chronicles 24:5 Lit sons

David Organizes the Priests

24 The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of (A)Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. (B)But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar became the priests. With the help of (C)Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, David organized them according to the appointed duties in their service. Since more chief men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, they organized them under sixteen heads of fathers' houses of the sons of Eleazar, and eight of the sons of Ithamar. They divided them (D)by lot, all alike, for there were sacred officers and officers of God among both the sons of Eleazar and the sons of Ithamar. And the scribe Shemaiah, the son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded them in the presence of the king and the princes and Zadok the priest and (E)Ahimelech the son of Abiathar and the heads of the fathers' houses of the priests and of the Levites, one father's house being chosen for Eleazar and one chosen for Ithamar.

The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, 10 the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to (F)Abijah, 11 the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, 12 the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, 13 the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, 14 the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, 15 the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, 16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, 17 the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty-second to Gamul, 18 the twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. 19 These had as their appointed duty in their service (G)to come into the house of the Lord according to the procedure established for them by Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

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