1 Chronicles 24

1 Chronicles 24

David Organizes the Priests

1The divisions of Aaron’s descendants were as follows:

The sons of Aaron:

Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

2Nadab and Abihu died before their father did; they had no sons. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.

3David, Zadok (a descendant of Eleazar), and Ahimelech (a descendant of Ithamar) divided them into groups to carry out their assigned responsibilities.[#tn Heb “for their assignment in their service.”]

4The descendants of Eleazar had more leaders than the descendants of Ithamar, so they divided them up accordingly; the descendants of Eleazar had sixteen leaders, while the descendants of Ithamar had eight.[#tn Heb “And the sons of Eleazar were found to be more, with respect to the heads of men, than the sons of Ithamar, and they divided them. To the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen heads, according to the house of the fathers; and to the sons of Ithamar there were eight, according to the house of their fathers.”]

5They divided them by lots, for there were officials of the holy place and officials designated by God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.[#tn Heb “and they divided them by lots, these with these, for the officials of the holy place and the officials of God were from the sons of Eleazar and among the sons of Ithamar.”]

6The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, wrote down their names before the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the priestly and Levite families. One family was drawn by lot from Eleazar, and then the next from Ithamar.[#tn Heb “one house of a father was drawn by lot for Eleazar, and one [this assumes an emendation of אָחֻז (’akhuz) to אֶחָד (’ekhad, “one”)] was drawn by lot for Ithamar.”]

7The first lot went to Jehoiarib,

the second to Jedaiah,

8the third to Harim,

the fourth to Seorim,

9the fifth to Malkijah,

the sixth to Mijamin,

10the seventh to Hakkoz,

the eighth to Abijah,

11the ninth to Jeshua,

the tenth to Shecaniah,

12the eleventh to Eliashib,

the twelfth to Jakim,

13the thirteenth to Huppah,

the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

14the fifteenth to Bilgah,

the sixteenth to Immer,

15the seventeenth to Hezir,

the eighteenth to Happizzez,

16the nineteenth to Pethahiah,

the twentieth to Jehezkel,

17the twenty-first to Jakin,

the twenty-second to Gamul,

18the twenty-third to Delaiah,

the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

19This was the order in which they carried out their assigned responsibilities when they entered the Lord ’s temple, according to the regulations given them by their ancestor Aaron, just as the Lord God of Israel had instructed him.[#tn Heb “father.”; #tn Heb “these were their responsibilities for their service to enter the house of the Lord according to their manner [given] by the hand of Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel commanded him.”]

Remaining Levites

20The rest of the Levites included:[#tn Heb “Belonging to the rest of the sons of Levi.”]

Shubael from the sons of Amram,

Jehdeiah from the sons of Shubael,

21the firstborn Isshiah from Rehabiah and the sons of Rehabiah,

22Shelomoth from the Izharites,

Jahath from the sons of Shelomoth.

23The sons of Hebron:[#tc Most Hebrew mss omit “Hebron” here, but see 1 Chr 23:19. The name is included in two Hebrew mss and some LXX mss.]

Jeriah, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

24The son of Uzziel:[#tn The Hebrew text has the plural “sons,” but only one name appears after this.]

Micah;

Shamir from the sons of Micah.

25The brother of Micah:

Isshiah.

Zechariah from the sons of Isshiah.

26The sons of Merari:

Mahli and Mushi.

The son of Jaaziah:

Beno.

27The sons of Merari, from Jaaziah:

Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.

28From Mahli:

Eleazar, who had no sons.

29From Kish:

Jerahmeel.

30The sons of Mushi:

Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

These were the Levites, listed by their families.

31Just like their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, they also cast lots before King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, the leaders of families, the priests, and the Levites. The families of the oldest son cast lots along with the those of the youngest.[#tn Heb “the fathers [i.e., families] of the head [i.e., oldest] just like his youngest brother.”]

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