Historical

The Organization of the Priests

24 The divisions of Aaron’s descendants were as follows: Aaron’s sons were Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ² Nadab and Abihu died before their father died, and neither had any children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.

³ David, Eleazar’s descendant Zadok, and Ithamar’s descendant Ahimelech divided Aaron’s descendants into groups for service. ⁴ Since Eleazar’s descendants had more men who were family heads than Ithamar’s descendants, they were divided so that Eleazar’s descendants had 16 family leaders and Ithamar’s descendants had 8 family leaders. ⁵ Both groups were divided impartially by drawing lots so that there were officers for the holy place and officers for Elohim among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants. ⁶ The scribe Shemaiah was a son of Nethanel and a descendant of Levi. Shemaiah recorded their names in the presence of the king, the princes, the priest Zadok, Ahimelech (son of Abiathar), and the family leaders of the priests and Levites. One family was chosen for Eleazar, another for Ithamar.

⁷ The first lot drawn was for Jehoiarib, the second for Jedaiah, ⁸ the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim, ⁹ the fifth for Malchiah, the sixth for Mijamin, ¹⁰ the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for 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, the twenty-fourth for Maaziah. ¹⁹ These were their priestly groups when they went to serve at Yahweh’s temple. Their ancestor Aaron made these rules for them, as Yahweh Elohim of Israel had commanded him.

The Organization of the Levites

²⁰ The following men were leaders for Levi’s descendants from Kohath:

²⁶ The following men were leaders from Levi’s descendants from Merari:

These were Levi’s descendants according to their families. ³¹ They drew lots as their relatives, Aaron’s descendants, had done. They drew them in front of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the families of the priests and Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated the same way as those of the youngest.

David Appoints Musicians for the Temple

25 David and the army commanders appointed the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to serve as prophets with lyres, harps, and cymbals. This is the list of the men who performed this service:

² From the sons of Asaph were Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah. (They were directed by Asaph, who served as a prophet under the king’s direction.)

³ From the sons of Jeduthun were Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, Mattithiah. (The six brothers were directed by their father, the prophet Jeduthun. They thanked and praised Yahweh as they played lyres.)

⁴ From the sons of Heman were Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. ⁵ (All of them were the sons of the king’s seer^[b] Heman. They were given to him to make him prominent, as Elohim had promised. So Elohim gave Heman 14 sons and 3 daughters.)

⁶ All these Levites sang at Yahweh’s temple under the direction of their fathers Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman. They played cymbals, lyres, and harps for worship in Elohim’s temple under the direction of the king. ⁷ They, along with their relatives, were trained, skilled musicians for Yahweh. There were 288 of them.

⁸ They drew lots for their assignment of duties, the youngest as well as the oldest, the skilled musicians along with the students.

⁹ The first lot drawn chose Joseph, the son of Asaph.

The second chose Gedaliah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

¹⁰ The third chose Zaccur, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

¹¹ The fourth chose Izri, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

¹² The fifth chose Nethaniah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

¹³ The sixth chose Bukkiah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

¹⁴ The seventh chose Jesarelah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

¹⁵ The eighth chose Jeshaiah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

¹⁶ The ninth chose Mattaniah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

¹⁷ The tenth chose Shimei, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

¹⁸ The eleventh chose Azarel, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

¹⁹ The twelfth chose Hashabiah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

²⁰ The thirteenth chose Shubael, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

²¹ The fourteenth chose Mattithiah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

²² The fifteenth chose Jeremoth, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

²³ The sixteenth chose Hananiah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

²⁴ The seventeenth chose Joshbekashah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

²⁵ The eighteenth chose Hanani, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

²⁶ The nineteenth chose Mallothi, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

²⁷ The twentieth chose Eliathah, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

²⁸ The twenty-first chose Hothir, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

²⁹ The twenty-second chose Giddalti, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

³⁰ The twenty-third chose Mahazioth, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.

³¹ The twenty-fourth chose Romamti Ezer, his sons, and his relatives—12 men.