David Assigns the Priests Their Duties
1 Aaron's descendants were then divided into work groups. Aaron had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 But Nadab and Abihu died long before their father, without having any sons. That's why Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.
3 David divided Aaron's descendants into groups, according to their assigned work. Zadok, one of Eleazar's descendants, and Ahimelech, one of Ithamar's descendants, helped David.
4 Eleazar's descendants were divided into 16 groups, and Ithamar's were divided into eight groups, because Eleazar's family included more family leaders. 5 However, both families included temple officials and priests, and so to make sure the work was divided fairly, David asked God what to do.
6 As each group was assigned their duties, Shemaiah the son of Nethanel the Levite wrote down the name of the family leader in charge of that group. The witnesses were David and his officials, as well as Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the family leaders from the clans of the priests and the Levites.
7-18 Each group of priests went by the name of its family leader, and they were assigned their duties in the following order: Jehoiarib, Jedaiah, Harim, Seorim, Malchijah, Mijamin, Hakkoz, Abijah, Jeshua, Shecaniah, Eliashib, Jakim, Huppah, Jeshebeab, Bilgah, Immer, Hezir, Happizzez, Pethahiah, Jehezkel, Jachin, Gamul, Delaiah, Maaziah. 19 These men were assigned their duties at the temple, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded their ancestor Aaron.
The Rest of the Levites Are Assigned Their Duties
20 Here is a list of the other descendants of Levi:
Amram was the ancestor of Shubael and Jehdeiah.21 Rehabiah was the ancestor of Isshiah, the oldest son in his family.22 Izhar was the father of Shelomoth and the grandfather of Jahath.23 Hebron had four sons, in the following order: Jeriah, Amariah, Jahaziel, and Jekameam.24 Uzziel was the father of Micah and the grandfather of Shamir.25 Isshiah, Micah's brother, was the father of Zechariah.26 Merari was the father of Mahli, Mushi, and Jaaziah.
27 Jaaziah had three sons: Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. 28-29 Mahli was the father of Eleazar and Kish. Eleazar had no sons, but Kish was the father of Jerahmeel. 30 Mushi had three sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.
These were the descendants of Levi, according to their clans. 31 Each one was assigned his duties in the same way that their relatives the priests had been assigned their duties. David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the family leaders of the priests and Levites were the witnesses.
1 These are also the diuisions of the sonnes of Aaron: The sonnes of Aaron were Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the Priestes office. 3 And Dauid distributed them, euen Zadok of the sonnes of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sonnes of Ithamar according to their offices in their ministration. 4 And there were found more of the sonnes of Eleazar by the number of men, then of the sonnes of Ithamar. and they deuided them, to wit, among the sonnes of Eleazar, sixteene heads, according to the houshould of their fathers, and among ye sonnes of Ithamar, according to the housholde of their fathers, eight. 5 Thus they distributed them by lot the one from the other, and so the rulers of the Sanctuarie and the rulers of the house of God were of the sonnes of Eleazar and of the sonnes of Ithamar. 6 And Shemaiah the sonne of Nethaneel the scribe of the Leuites, wrote them before ye King and the princes, and Zadok the Priest, and Ahimelech the sonne of Abiathar, and before ye chiefe fathers of the Priests and of the Leuites, one familie being reserued for Eleazar, and another reserued for Ithamar. 7 And the first lot fell to Iehoiarib, and the second to Iedaiah, 8 The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, 9 The fifth to Malchiiah, the sixt to Miiamin, 10 The seuenth to Hakkoz, the eight to Abiiah, 11 The ninth to Ieshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, 12 The eleuenth to Eliashib, the twelft to Iakim, 13 The thirteenth to Huppa, the fouretenth to Ieshebeab, 14 The fiftenth to Bilgah, the sixtenth to Immer, 15 The seuententh to Hezir, the eightenth to Happizzer, 16 The ninetenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Iehezekel, 17 The one and twentie to Iachin, the two and twentie to Gamul, 18 The three and twentie to Deliah, the foure and twentie to Maaziah. 19 These were their orders according to their offices, when they entred into the house of the Lord according to their custome vnder the hande of Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him. 20 And of the sonnes of Leui that remained of the sonnes of Amram, was Shubael, of the sonnes of Shubael, Iedeiah, 21 Of Rehabiah. euen of the sonnes of Rehabiah, the first Isshiiah, 22 Of Izhari, Shelomoth, of the sonnes of Shelomoth, Iahath, 23 And his sonnes Ieriah the first, Amariah the second, Iahaziel the thirde, and Iekameam the fourth, 24 The sonne of Vzziel was Michah, ye sonne of Michah was Shamir, 25 The brother of Michah was Isshiiah, the sonne of Isshiiah, Zechariah, 26 The sonnes of Merari, were Mahli and Mushi, the sonne of Iaaziiah was Beno, 27 The sonnes of Merari of Iahaziah were Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur and Ibri. 28 Of Mahli came Eleazar, which had no sonnes. 29 Of Kish. the sonne of Kish was Ierahmeel, 30 And the sonnes of Mushi were Mahli, and Eder, and Ierimoth: these were sonnes of the Leuites after the houshold of their fathers. 31 And these also cast lots with their brethren the sonnes of Aaron before King Dauid, and Zadok and Ahimelech and the chiefe fathers of the Priests, and of the Leuites, euen the chiefe of the families against their yonger brethren.