Chronological

The Gatekeepers

26 These are the groups of the gatekeepers.

From the family of Korah, there was Meshelemiah and his sons. (Meshelemiah son of Kore was from Asaph’s family.) ² Meshelemiah had sons. Zechariah was his first son. Jediael was his second son. Zebadiah was his third son. Jathniel was his fourth son. ³ Elam was his fifth son. Jehohanan was his sixth son, and Eliehoenai was his seventh son.

⁴ There were also Obed-Edom and his sons. Obed-Edom’s first son was Shemaiah. Jehozabad was his second son. Joah was his third son. Sacar was his fourth son. Nethanel was his fifth son. ⁵ Ammiel was his sixth son. Issachar was his seventh son, and Peullethai was his eighth son. God had blessed Obed-Edom with children.

⁶ Obed-Edom’s son Shemaiah also had sons. They were leaders in their father’s family because they were capable men. ⁷ Shemaiah’s sons were Othni, Rephael, Obed, Elzabad, Elihu and Semakiah. Elihu and Semakiah were skilled workers. ⁸ All these men were Obed-Edom’s descendants. They and their sons and relatives were capable men. They were strong enough to do the work. Obed-Edom had 62 descendants in all.

⁹ Meshelemiah had sons and relatives. They were skilled workers. In all, there were 18 sons and relatives.

¹⁰ These are the gatekeepers from the Merari family. Hosah had sons. Shimri was chosen to be in charge. He was not the oldest son, but his father chose him to be in charge. ¹¹ Hilkiah was his second son. Tabaliah was his third son, and Zechariah was his fourth son. In all, Hosah had 13 sons and relatives.

¹² These were the leaders of the groups of the gatekeepers. They had jobs for serving in the Temple of the Lord. Their relatives also had jobs in the Temple. ¹³ Each family was given a gate to guard. They were chosen by throwing lots. Young and old threw lots.

¹⁴ Meshelemiah was chosen by lot to guard the East Gate. Then lots were thrown for Meshelemiah’s son Zechariah. He was a wise counselor. He was chosen for the North Gate. ¹⁵ Obed-Edom was chosen for the South Gate. And Obed-Edom’s sons were chosen to guard the storehouse. ¹⁶ Shuppim and Hosah were chosen for the West Gate. They also were to guard the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road.

Guards stood side by side with guards. ¹⁷ Six Levites stood guard every day at the East Gate. Four Levites stood guard every day at the North Gate. Four Levites stood guard every day at the South Gate. And two Levites at a time guarded the storehouse. ¹⁸ There were two guards at the western court. And there were four guards on the road to the court.

¹⁹ These were the groups of the gatekeepers. They were from the families of Korah and Merari.

Other Leaders

²⁰ Other Levites were responsible for taking care of the treasuries of the Temple of God. They were also responsible for the places where the holy things were kept.

²¹ Ladan was Gershon’s son. Ladan was the ancestor of several family groups. Jehiel was a leader of one of the family groups. ²² Jehiel’s sons were Zetham and his brother Joel. They were responsible for the treasuries of the Temple of the Lord.

²³ Other leaders were chosen from the family groups of Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. ²⁴ Shubael was the leader responsible for the treasuries of the Temple of the Lord. Shubael was the descendant of Gershom, who was Moses’ son. ²⁵ These were Shubael’s relatives from Eliezer: Eliezer’s son Rehabiah, Rehabiah’s son Jeshaiah, Jeshaiah’s son Joram, Joram’s son Zicri and Zicri’s son Shelomith. ²⁶ Shelomith and his relatives were responsible for everything that had been collected for the Temple. Things had been collected by King David and the heads of families. They had been collected by commanders of 1,000 men and of 100 men and other army commanders. ²⁷ They also gave some of the things they had taken in wars. They gave them to be used in repairing the Temple of the Lord. ²⁸ Shelomith and his relatives took care of all the holy things. Some had been given by Samuel the seer and Saul son of Kish. Some had been given by Abner son of Ner and Joab son of Zeruiah.

²⁹ Kenaniah was from the Izhar family. He and his sons worked outside the Temple. They worked as officers and judges in different places in Israel.

³⁰ Hashabiah was from the Hebron family. He and his relatives were responsible for the Lord’s work and the king’s business in Israel west of the Jordan River. There were 1,700 skilled men in Hashabiah’s group. ³¹ The history of the Hebron family shows that Jeriah was their leader. In David’s fortieth year as king, the records were searched. Some capable men of the Hebron family were found living at Jazer in Gilead. ³² Jeriah had 2,700 relatives who were skilled men. They were leaders of families. King David gave them the responsibility of directing the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh. They took care of the Lord’s work and the king’s business for them.

Army Divisions

27 This is the list of the Israelite people who served the king in the army. Each division was on duty one month each year. There were leaders of families, commanders of 100 men, commanders of 1,000 men and other officers. Each division had 24,000 men.

² Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was in charge of the first division for the first month. There were 24,000 men in his division. ³ He was one of the descendants of Perez. Jashobeam was leader of all the army officers for the first month.

⁴ Dodai was in charge of the division for the second month. He was from the Ahohites. Mikloth was a leader in the division. There were 24,000 men in Dodai’s division.

⁵ The third commander was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest. He was the commander for the third month. There were 24,000 men in Benaiah’s division. ⁶ He was the Benaiah who was one of the Thirty^[a] soldiers. Benaiah was a brave warrior who led those men. Benaiah’s son Ammizabad was in charge of Benaiah’s division.

⁷ The fourth commander was Asahel, the brother of Joab. He was the commander for the fourth month. Later, Asahel’s son Zebadiah took his place as commander. There were 24,000 men in his division.

⁸ The fifth commander was Shamhuth, from Izrah’s family. He was the commander for the fifth month. There were 24,000 men in his division.

⁹ The sixth commander was Ira son of Ikkesh. He was the commander for the sixth month. He was from the town of Tekoa. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹⁰ The seventh commander was Helez. He was the commander for the seventh month. He was from the Pelonites and a descendant of Ephraim. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹¹ The eighth commander was Sibbecai. He was the commander for the eighth month. He was from Hushah and was from Zerah’s family. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹² The ninth commander was Abiezer, from the town of Anathoth. He was the commander for the ninth month. He was from the tribe of Benjamin. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹³ The tenth commander was Maharai. He was the commander for the tenth month. He was from Netophah and was from Zerah’s family. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹⁴ The eleventh commander was Benaiah. He was the commander for the eleventh month. He was from Pirathon and was from the tribe of Ephraim. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹⁵ The twelfth commander was Heldai. He was the commander for the twelfth month. He was from Netophah and was from Othniel’s family. There were 24,000 men in his division.

Leaders of the Tribes

¹⁶ These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel. Eliezer son of Zicri was over the tribe of Reuben. Shephatiah son of Maacah was over the tribe of Simeon. ¹⁷ Hashabiah son of Kemuel was over the tribe of Levi. Zadok was over the people of Aaron. ¹⁸ Elihu, one of David’s brothers, was over the tribe of Judah. Omri son of Michael was over the tribe of Issachar. ¹⁹ Ishmaiah son of Obadiah was over the tribe of Zebulun. Jerimoth son of Azriel was over the tribe of Naphtali. ²⁰ Hoshea son of Azaziah was over the tribe of Ephraim. Joel son of Pedaiah was over the western half-tribe of Manasseh. ²¹ Iddo son of Zechariah was over the eastern half-tribe of Manasseh. Jaasiel son of Abner was over the tribe of Benjamin. ²² Azarel son of Jeroham was over the tribe of Dan.

These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

²³ The Lord had promised to make the Israelites as many as the stars in the sky. So David only counted the men who were 20 years old and older. ²⁴ Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the people. But he did not finish. God became angry with Israel for counting the people. So the number of the people was not put in the history book about King David’s rule.

The King’s Directors

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

Jonathan was in charge of the storehouses in the towns, villages and towers. He was the son of Uzziah.

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

²⁷ Shimei was in charge of the vineyards. He was from the town of Ramah.

Zabdi was in charge of storing the wine that came from the vineyards. Zabdi was from Shepham.

²⁸ Baal-Hanan was in charge of the olive trees and sycamore trees in the western mountain slopes. He was from Geder.

Joash was in charge of storing the olive oil.

²⁹ Shitrai was in charge of the cows that fed in the Plain of Sharon. He was from Sharon.

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

³⁰ Obil was in charge of the camels. He was an Ishmaelite.

Jehdeiah was in charge of the donkeys. He was from Meronoth.

³¹ Jaziz was in charge of the sheep. He was from the Hagrites.

All these men were the officers who took care of King David’s property.

³² Jonathan was David’s uncle. He advised David. Jonathan was a wise man and a teacher of the law. Jehiel son of Hacmoni took care of the king’s sons. ³³ Ahithophel advised the king. Hushai was the king’s friend. He was from the Arkite people. ³⁴ Jehoiada and Abiathar later took Ahithophel’s place in advising the king. Jehoiada was Benaiah’s son. Joab was the commander of the king’s army.

David’s Plans for the Temple

28 David commanded all the leaders of Israel to come to Jerusalem. There were the leaders of the tribes and the commanders of the divisions serving the king. There were the commanders of 1,000 men and of 100 men. There were the leaders who took care of the property and animals that belonged to the king and his sons. There were the men over the palace, the powerful men and all the brave warriors.

² King David stood up and said, “Listen to me, my relatives and my people. I wanted to build a place to keep the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord. I wanted it to be God’s footstool. And I made plans to build a temple for worship to God. ³ But God said to me, ‘You must not build a temple for worship to me. You must not do that because you are a soldier. You have killed many men.’

⁴ “But the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family. He chose me to be king of Israel forever. The Lord chose the tribe of Judah to be a leader. And from the people of Judah, he chose my father’s family. And from that family God was pleased to make me king of Israel. ⁵ The Lord has given me many sons. And from those sons he has chosen Solomon. Solomon will be the new king of Israel. Israel is the Lord’s kingdom. ⁶ The Lord said to me, ‘Your son Solomon will build my Temple. And he will build the area around it. This is because I have chosen Solomon to be my son. And I will be his father. ⁷ He is obeying my laws and commands now. If he continues to obey them, I will make his kingdom strong forever.’”

⁸ David said, “Now, in front of all Israel and God, I tell you these things: Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God. Then you may keep this good land. And you may pass it on to your descendants forever.

⁹ “And you, my son Solomon, accept the God of your father. Serve him completely. Be happy to serve him. Do this because the Lord knows what is in every person’s mind. He understands everything you think. If you go to him for help, you will get an answer. But if you turn away from the Lord, he will leave you forever. ¹⁰ Solomon, you must understand this. The Lord has chosen you to build the Temple as his holy place. Be strong and finish the job.”

¹¹ Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for building the Temple. Those plans were also for the porch around the Temple. They were for its buildings, its storerooms, its upper rooms and its inside rooms. They also were the plans for the place where the people’s sins were removed. ¹² David gave him plans for everything he had in mind. David gave him plans for the courtyards around the Lord’s Temple and all the rooms around it. He gave him plans for the Temple treasuries. And he gave him plans for the treasuries of the holy things used in the Temple. ¹³ David gave Solomon directions for the groups of the priests and Levites. David told him about all the work of serving in the Temple of the Lord. He told him about the things to be used in the Temple service. ¹⁴ Many things made of gold or silver would be used in the Temple. David told Solomon how much gold or silver should be used to make each thing. ¹⁵ David told him how much gold to use for each gold lampstand and its lamps. He told him how much silver to use for each silver lampstand and its lamps. The different lampstands were to be used where needed. ¹⁶ David told how much gold should be used for each table that held the holy bread. And he told how much silver should be used for the silver tables. ¹⁷ He told how much pure gold should be used to make the forks, bowls and pitchers. He told how much gold should be used to make each gold dish. He told how much silver should be used to make each silver dish. ¹⁸ David told how much pure gold should be used for the altar of incense. He also gave Solomon the plans for the chariot. This is where the golden creatures spread their wings over the Ark of the Covenant with the Lord.

¹⁹ David said, “All these plans were written with the Lord guiding me. He helped me understand everything in the plans.”

²⁰ David also said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and brave. Do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged. The Lord God, my God, is with you. He will help you until all the work is finished. He will not leave you. You will build the Temple of the Lord. ²¹ The groups of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the Temple of God. Every skilled worker is ready to help you with all the work. The leaders and all the people will obey every command you give.”

Gifts for Building the Temple

29 King David spoke to all the Israelites who were gathered. He said, “God chose my son Solomon. Solomon is young and hasn’t yet learned what he needs to know. But the work is important. This palace is not for people. It is for the Lord God. ² I have done my best to prepare for building the Temple of God. I have given gold for the things made of gold. I have given silver for the things made of silver. I have given bronze for the things made of bronze. I have given iron for the things made of iron. I have given wood for the things made of wood. I have given onyx for the settings and turquoise. I have given gems of many different colors. I have given valuable stones and white marble. I have given much of all these things. ³ I have already given this for the Temple. But now I am also giving my own treasures of gold and silver. I am doing this because I really want the Temple of my God to be built. ⁴ I have given about 220,000 pounds of pure gold from Ophir. And I have given about 520,000 pounds of pure silver. They will be used to cover the walls of the buildings. ⁵ They will also be used for all the gold and silver work. Skilled men may use the gold and silver to make things for the Temple. Now, who is ready to give himself to the service of the Lord today?”

⁶ The family leaders and the leaders of the tribes of Israel gave their valuable things. The commanders of 1,000 men and of 100 men gave their valuable things. And the leaders responsible for the king’s work gave their valuable things. ⁷ These are the things they gave for the Temple of God: about 380,000 pounds of gold, about 750,000 pounds of silver, about 1,350,000 pounds of bronze and about 7,500,000 pounds of iron. ⁸ People who had valuable gems gave them to the treasury of the Temple of the Lord. Jehiel, from the Gershon family, took care of the valuable gems. ⁹ The leaders gave freely and completely to the Lord. The people were happy to see their leaders give so gladly. King David was also very happy.

David’s Prayer

¹⁰ David praised the Lord in front of all of the people who were gathered. He said:

²⁰ Then David said to all the people who were gathered, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God their ancestors worshiped. They bowed to the ground to give honor to the Lord and the king.

Solomon Becomes King

²¹ The next day the people made sacrifices to the Lord. They offered burnt offerings to him. They offered 1,000 bulls, 1,000 male sheep and 1,000 male lambs. They also brought drink offerings. Many sacrifices were made for all the people of Israel. ²² That day the people ate and drank with much joy. And the Lord was with them.

And they made David’s son Solomon king for the second time. They poured olive oil on Solomon to appoint him king. And they poured oil on Zadok to appoint him as priest. They did this in the presence of the Lord. ²³ Then Solomon sat on the Lord’s throne as king. He took his father David’s place. Solomon was very successful. And all the people of Israel obeyed him. ²⁴ All the leaders and soldiers and King David’s sons accepted Solomon as king. They promised to obey him. ²⁵ The Lord made Solomon great before all the Israelites. The Lord gave Solomon much honor. No king of Israel before Solomon had such honor.

David’s Death

²⁶ David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. ²⁷ He was king for 40 years. He ruled in the city of Hebron for 7 years. And he ruled in Jerusalem for 33 years. ²⁸ David died when he was old. He had lived a good, long life. He had received many riches and honors. And David’s son Solomon became king after him.

²⁹ Everything King David did as king, from beginning to end, is recorded. Those things are written in the records of Samuel the seer. And they are in the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer. ³⁰ Those writings tell what David did as king of Israel. They tell about his power and all that happened to him. And they tell what happened to Israel and all the kingdoms around them.

All Good Things Come from God

A song for going up to worship. Of Solomon.