Chronological
Divisions of the Gatekeepers
26 For the gatekeepers, the following were the divisions.
From the Korahites
From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, from the sons of Asaph.
2 Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, 3 Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, and Eliehoenai the seventh.
4 Obed Edom had sons because God blessed him: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sakar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, 5 Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, and Pe’ullethai the eighth.
6 Sons were also born to his son Shemaiah, who ruled over the house of their father, for they were strong, capable men. 7 The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad, whose brothers were capable men, Elihu and Semakiah. 8 All these were male descendants of Obed Edom. They and their sons and their brothers were strong, capable men for the service. There were sixty-two of them from Obed Edom.
9 Meshelemiah had sons and brothers, capable men, eighteen in all.
From the Merarites
10 Hosah from the descendants of Merari also had sons. They were Shimri the head (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him head), 11 Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. All the sons and brothers of Hosah totaled thirteen.
Gatekeepers
12 The following were the divisions of the gatekeepers, according to their influential leaders, who had offices[a] like their brothers, to minister in the Lord’s house. 13 They cast lots for every gate according to their fathers’ houses, the small as well as the great.
14 The lot for the east side fell to Shelemiah.
Then they cast lots for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and his lot came out for the north side.
15 For Obed Edom the lot was for the south side, and for his sons the lot was for the storehouse.
16 For Shuppim and Hosah the lot was for the west side, by the gate of Shalleketh, by the ramp that goes up. They were stationed with one watchman next to another.
17 On the east side there were six Levites each day,
on the north side four each day,
and on the south side four each day,
and at the storehouse two at a time.
18 For the covered courtyard[b] on the west side, four were stationed at the ramp, and two at the courtyard.
19 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers from the descendants of the Korahites and from the descendants of Merari.
The Treasurers
20 From the Levites, Ahijah was[c] in charge of the treasuries[d] of God’s house and the treasuries for the consecrated things.
21 The sons of Ladan (who were descendants of Gershon through Ladan and who were the heads of the fathers’ households descended from Ladan the Gershonite) included Jehieli, 22 the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries of the Lord’s house.
23 From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: 24 Shebuel, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was supervisor over the treasuries.
25 His relatives were Eliezer, his son Rehabiah, and his son Jeshaiah, and his son Joram, and his son Zikri, and his son Shelomoth. 26 This Shelomoth and his brothers were over all the treasuries for the consecrated things, which David the king, together with the heads of the fathers’ households, the officers over thousands and hundreds, and the officers of the army, had dedicated. 27 They dedicated some of the plunder won in battles, to repair the Lord’s house. 28 Everything that Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah had dedicated, regardless of who had dedicated it, was under the control of Shelomoth and of his brothers.
The Government Officials
29 From the Izharites, Kenaniah and his sons were assigned to the civil administration of Israel as officers and judges. 30 From the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brothers, seventeen hundred capable men were in charge of the administration of Israel west of the Jordan, for all the work of the Lord and for the service of the king.
31 For the Hebronites, Jeriah was the head of the Hebronites on the basis of their genealogical records according to their fathers’ households. The genealogical records were verified in the fortieth year of the reign of David, and capable men were found among them at Jazer of Gilead. 32 Among Jeriah’s brothers, who were capable men, there were twenty-seven hundred heads of fathers’ households, whom King David made overseers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of the Manassites, for every matter pertaining to God, and for every matter pertaining to the king.
The Generals of the Army
27 The following is the list of the leaders of the people of Israel, those who were the heads of fathers’ houses and the commanders[e] of military units of a thousand and of a hundred, and the officers who served the king in any matter. They served in divisions that came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year. In every division there were twenty-four thousand men.
2 Over the first division for the first month was Jashobeam son of Zabdiel. In his division there were twenty-four thousand men. 3 He was from the sons of Perez. He was the head of all the commanders of the army for the first month.
4 Over the division for the second month was Dodai the Ahohite. Mikloth was the leader of his division. In his division there were twenty-four thousand men.
5 The third commander of the army for the third month was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the head priest. In his division there were twenty-four thousand men. 6 This is the same Benaiah who was the powerful warrior among the Thirty and the leader of the Thirty. Ammizabad his son was commander of his division.
7 The fourth commander for the fourth month was Asahel, the brother of Joab. Zebadiah his son succeeded him, and in his division there were twenty-four thousand men.
8 The fifth commander for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite, and in his division there were twenty-four thousand men.
9 The sixth commander for the sixth month was Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoan, and in his division there were twenty-four thousand men.
10 The seventh commander for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, from the descendants of Ephraim, and in his division there were twenty-four thousand men.
11 The eighth commander for the eighth month was Sibbecai the Hushathite, from the descendants of Zerah. In his division there were twenty-four thousand men.
12 The ninth commander for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anathothite, from the descendants of Benjamin. In his division there were twenty-four thousand men.
13 The tenth commander for the tenth month was Mahrai the Netophathite, from the descendants of Zerah. In his division there were twenty-four thousand men.
14 The eleventh commander for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, from the descendants of Ephraim. In his division there were twenty-four thousand men.
15 The twelfth commander for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite, from Othniel. In his division there were twenty-four thousand men.
The Leaders of the Tribes
16 The following were over the tribes of Israel:
Of the Reubenites, Eliezer son of Zikri was the leader,
Of the Simeonites, Shephatiah son of Ma’akah,
17 Of Levi, Hashabiah son of Kemuel,
Of the descendants of Aaron, Zadok,
18 Of Judah, Elihu, one of the brothers of David,
Of Issachar, Omri son of Michael,
19 Of Zebulun, Ishmaiah son of Obadiah,
Of Naphtali, Jeremoth son of Azriel,
20 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Azaziah,
Of the half tribe of Manasseh, Joel son of Pedaiah,
21 Of the half tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo son of Zechariah,
Of Benjamin, Ja’asiel son of Abner,
22 Of Dan, Azarel son of Jeroham.
These were the officers of the tribes of Israel.[f]
23 David did not count those twenty years old and under, because the Lord had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the sky. 24 Joab son of Zeruiah began to take a census but did not finish, and wrath came on Israel because of this. The number was not put into the account in the annals of King David.
Other Officials
25 Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the king’s storehouses.
Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the fields, in the cities, in the villages, and in the towers.
26 Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of those who worked in the fields, farming 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 cellars.
28 Baal Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive trees and the sycamore fig trees that were in the Shephelah.[g]
Joash was in charge of the storehouses for oil.
29 Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of the herds that grazed in Sharon.
Shaphat the son of Adlai was in charge of the herds that were in the lowlands.
30 Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels.
Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys.
31 Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks.
All these were in charge of the property which belonged to King David.
32 Also Jonathan, David’s uncle, was an advisor, a man of understanding, and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hakmoni took care of[h] the king’s sons. 33 Ahithophel was the king’s counselor, and Hushai the Arkite was the confidant.[i] 34 Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar. Joab was the commander of the king’s army.
The Plan for the Temple
28 David gathered all the officials of Israel in Jerusalem: namely, the officials over the tribes, the officers over the military divisions that served the king (the officers over the units of a thousand and the units of a hundred), the officials who were in charge of all the property and cattle that belonged to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the powerful men, all the strong, capable men.
2 Then King David stood up and said:
Listen to me, my brothers and my people. In my heart I wanted to build a house as a resting place for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and as a footstool for our God. So I made preparations to build. 3 But God said to me, “You will not build a house for my name because you are a man of war, and you have shed blood.” 4 Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from the whole house of my father to become king over Israel forever, because he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah he chose the house of my father, and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. 5 From all my sons (the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen my son Solomon to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6 He said to me, “Solomon, your son, is the one who will build my house and my courtyards, because I have chosen him for myself as a son. I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is committed to keeping my commandments and my ordinances, as is happening today.”
8 Now in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, keep and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God so that you may possess the good land and live in it as an inheritance for your children after you, forever.
9 You, Solomon, my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind because the Lord searches all hearts. He understands every thought people plan. If you seek him, he will let you find him. If you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. 10 Consider this carefully! Because the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the holy place, be strong and do it.
11 David gave his son Solomon the plan for the porch, its buildings, its storage rooms, its upper rooms, its inner chambers, and the chamber for the atonement seat. 12 He also gave him the plans for everything he had in mind for the courtyard of the House of the Lord, for all the chambers around it, for the storage rooms, and for the storage rooms for the dedicated gifts. 13 He gave the plans for the divisions of the priests and Levites, for all the work of service of the House of the Lord, and the designs for all the vessels and utensils for the service of the House of the Lord.
14 He prescribed the weight of the gold for all the vessels for every kind of service and the weight of the silver for all the vessels for every kind of service. 15 This included the weight of the gold for each gold lampstand and its lamps, the weight of the silver for the silver lampstands and their lamps according to the prescribed use of each lampstand, 16 the weight of gold for each table for the bread that is arranged, the silver for the silver tables, 17 the weight for the meat hooks,[j] the sprinkling bowls, the pure gold pitchers, the weight for each gold bowl, the weight of silver for each small silver bowl,[k] 18 the weight of refined gold for the altar of incense, and the plan for the chariot for the gold cherubim who are spreading their wings and covering the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.
19 David said, “All this is in writing. Because the hand of the Lord was on me, he made clear all the specifications involved in the plan.”
20 Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and be courageous and do this. Do not fear and do not be overwhelmed, because the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you. He will not forsake you while all the work for the service for the House of the Lord is being finished. 21 Look, the divisions of the priests and the Levites have been designated for all the service in the house of God. With you in all this work is every willing man, skilled for every form of service, the officials, and all the people who are ready for all your directions.”
29 King David said this to the whole assembly:
My son Solomon, the one God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The work is great because this citadel is not for a man. It is for the Lord God. 2 According to all my strength, I have provided these things for the house of my God: gold for the gold items, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, wood for the wooden, onyx stones and settings, antimony,[l] stones of many different colors, every kind of precious stone, and alabaster[m] in abundance.
3 Because of my devotion to the house of my God, from my personal treasure of gold and silver I am also giving for the house of my God in addition to all that I have already provided for this holy house: 4 three thousand talents[n] of gold from Ophir and seven thousand talents of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the structures.
5 I have given gold for gold items and silver for silver items for all the work by the craftsmen. Who else is willing to dedicate himself to the Lord today?
6 The officials of fathers’ houses, the officials of the tribes of Israel, and the officers of the thousands and of the hundreds made their offerings to the officials who were in charge of the king’s work. 7 They gave for the service of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics[o] of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. 8 Anyone who possessed stones gave them to the treasury of the House of the Lord, which was under the control of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 The people rejoiced over their willing giving, since with an undivided heart they had offered freely to the Lord. King David also was very joyful.
10 David blessed the Lord in the presence of the entire assembly. He said:
Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel, our father, from eternity to eternity. 11 To you, O Lord, belong greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty, because everything in the heavens and on the earth belongs to you. You, Lord, are exalted as head above everything. The kingdom belongs to you. 12 Riches and honor come from you. You are ruling over everything. In your hand are power and strength. It is in your power to make anyone great and strong. 13 Now, our God, we are thanking you and praising your glorious name.
14 Who am I? Who are my people that we are able to offer willingly like this? For everything comes from you. What we have given to you came from your hand. 15 We are aliens and temporary residents before you, as were all our fathers. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope of staying.
16 Lord, our God, all this abundance, which we have provided for building a house for you, for your holy name, is from your hand. This abundance belongs to you.
17 I know, my God, that you test the heart, and you take pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things. Now with joy I see your people, who are present here to bring the offering freely to you.
18 Lord, the God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, preserve forever this purpose and way of thinking in the heart of your people. Direct their heart to you.
19 To my son Solomon, give an undivided heart to keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, to do everything needed to build the citadel for which I have made preparations.
20 David said to the whole assembly, “Now bless the Lord your God.” So all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers. They bowed and stretched out flat on the ground before the Lord and the king. 21 They offered sacrifices to the Lord. On the next day they offered burnt offerings to the Lord (one thousand bulls, one thousand rams, one thousand lambs), their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. 22 They ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great joy. They made Solomon, the son of David, king a second time. They anointed him as the ruler for the Lord and Zadok as the priest.
23 Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king in the place of David his father. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the officials, the strong warriors, and also all the sons of King David pledged loyalty to Solomon the king. 25 The Lord made Solomon extremely great in the presence of all Israel. He gave him kingly majesty, such as had not been bestowed upon any king before him in Israel.
26 David son of Jesse had been king over all Israel. 27 He was king over Israel for forty years, in Hebron for seven years and in Jerusalem for thirty-three years. 28 He died at a good age, full of days, riches, and honor. Then Solomon his son reigned as king in his place.
29 The acts of King David from first to last are written in the records of Samuel the seer, the records[p] of Nathan the prophet, and the records of Gad the seer, 30 including everything about his kingship, his mighty deeds, and the events that happened during his time, to him, to Israel, and to the kingdoms of the other lands.
Psalm 127
The Lord Builds the House
Heading
A song of the ascents. By Solomon.
The Lord Builds the House
1 If the Lord does not build the house,
it is useless for the builders to work hard over it.
If the Lord does not watch over the city,
it is useless for the watchman to stand guard.
2 It is useless for you to get up early and to work late,
worrying about bread to eat,
because God grants sleep to the one he loves.[a]
3 Indeed, children are a heritage from the Lord.
The fruit of the womb is a reward from him.
4 Sons born during one’s youth are like arrows
in the hand of a warrior.
5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they dispute with enemies at the city gate.[b]
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.