The Family of Abraham

The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.

Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family.

According to their family genealogy, they had 36,000 men ready for battle, for they had many wives and children.

Then he made love to his wife again, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. He named him Beriah, because there had been misfortune in his family.

Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his fellow gatekeepers from his family (the Korahites) were responsible for guarding the thresholds of the tent just as their ancestors had been responsible for guarding the entrance to the dwelling of the Lord.

including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men,

and Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family;

The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had.

David’s House and Family

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him.

Then all the people left, each for their own home, and David returned home to bless his family.

David’s Prayer

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Lord my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people.”

Jahath was the first and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons; so they were counted as one family with one assignment.

The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelek son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

Obed-Edom’s son Shemaiah also had sons, who were leaders in their father’s family because they were very capable men.

The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, from the family of Othniel. There were 24,000 men in his division.

“Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.