1 Chronicles

The Community of Jerusalem After the Exile

All the Israelites were classified into related groups and were listed in the Book of the Kings of Israel. As for those of Judah, they were deported to Babylon for their faithlessness.

The first who came back to their towns and estates were Israelites, priests, Levites, and helpers.

So in Jerusalem lived Judeans, Benjaminites, Ephraimites, and Manassites.

Uthai, son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, one of the sons of Perez, son of Judah.

Of the Shelanites: Asaiah, the firstborn, and his sons.

Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel. Additionally, their relatives numbered six hundred and ninety.

Of the tribe of Benjamin: Sallu, son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah;

Ibneiah, son of Jeroham; Elah, son of Uzzi, son of Michri; Meshullam, son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah.

They had nine hundred and fifty-six relatives, grouped according to their kinship. All these men were heads of families.

Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin,

Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, ruler of the house of God.

Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer.

They had relatives, heads of families, one thousand seven hundred and sixty men who undertook the duties of the temple of God.

Of the Levites: Shemaiah, son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah of the sons of Merari,

Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, Mattaniah, son of Mica, son of Zichri, son of Asaph,

Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah, son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

The keepers of the gate: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives. Shallum was their head;

and they still kept the station at the royal gate to the east. These were the gatekeepers of the camp of the Levites.

Shallum, son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his brother Korahites, who were of the same family, were responsible for the liturgical service. They were “keepers of the threshold for the Tent,” for their fathers had guarded the entrance of the camp of the Lord.

At one time, Phinehas, son of Eleazar, had ruled them, and they served before the Lord.

Zechariah, son of Meshelemiah, was the gatekeeper at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

All the keepers of the gate at the thresholds were picked men; there were two hundred and twelve of them, and they were registered in their various villages. These were appointed by David and Samuel the seer because of their loyalty.

They and their sons had the guardianship of the gates of the house of the Lord, the house of the Tent.

On the four sides stood the keepers of the gate: east, west, north, and south.

Their relatives in the villages would come to join them for a week from time to time,

since the four head gatekeepers themselves lived there permanently. Some of them were responsible for the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.

They spent the night in the precincts of the house of God, their duties being to guard it, and they had the keys to open the rooms in the morning.

Some of them were responsible for the furnishings of worship. They counted them whenever they put them away and retrieved them.

Others were in charge of the furniture and all the sacred furnishings, the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, the spices;

but only the priests prepared the mixture for the spices.

One of the Levites, Mattithiah, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was responsible for the offerings baked on the pan.

Some of their relatives, the Kohathites, were responsible for the loaves to be set out in rows, Sabbath by Sabbath.

These are the singers, heads of the Levitical families. When free from service, they lived in the temple chambers because they were on duty day and night.

These were the heads of the Levite families, grouped according to their families. They lived in Jerusalem.

In the city of Gibeon, dwelt in Gibeon; and Jeiel, whose wife was called Maacah.

His firstborn was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth.

Mikloth became the father of Shimeam. Their descendants lived in Jerusalem near other families of their clans.

Ner became the father of Kish, Kish the father of Saul, and Saul, the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.

Jonathan’s son, Meribbaal, became the father of Micah.

Micah had four sons: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz.

Ahaz became the father of Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; Zimri became the father of Moza,

Moza father of Binea, whose son was

Rephaiah, whose son was Eleasah, whose son was Azel. Azel had six sons: Azrikam, his firstborn, and then Ishmael, Sheariah, Azariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.