1 ARST The scroll named“The Record of the Kings of Israel” listed the names of all the people of Israel. The army of Babylon captured many of the people of Judah and took them to Babylon. That happened because of the sins the people of Judah had committed against God. BSB BSB: So all Israel was recorded in the genealogies written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. But Judah was exiled to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.
2 ARST The first people who returned to Judah many years later and lived in their own land and in their own cities and towns were some Israelites, priests, other descendants of Levi, and men who worked in the temple. BSB BSB: Now the first to resettle their own property in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.
3 ARST Other people from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh also returned to Judah and lived in Jerusalem, including the following people. BSB BSB: Some of the descendants of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem:
4 ARST Uthai son of Ammihud(Ammihud was Omri’ s son; Omri was Imri’ s son; Imri was Bani’ s son; Bani was a descendant of Perez; Perez was Judah’ s son); BSB BSB: Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, a descendant of Perez son of Judah.
5 ARST Asaiah and his sons(who were descendants of Shilon. Asaiah was the oldest son in his family); BSB BSB: From the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons.
6 ARST Jeuel and others of his relatives(who were from Zerah’ s clan. There were 690 people in this clan); BSB BSB: From the Zerahites: Jeuel and 690 relatives.
7 ARST and from the tribe of Benjamin, Sallu(Meshullam’ s son; Meshullam was Hodaviah’ s son; Hodaviah was Hassenuah’ s son), BSB BSB: From the Benjamites: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah;
8 ARST Ibneiah(Jeroham’ s son), Elah(Uzzi’ s son; Uzzi was Mikri’ s son), Meshullam(Shephatiah’ s son; Shephatiah was Reuel’ s son; Reuel was Ibnijah’ s son). BSB BSB: Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, the son of Michri; Meshullam son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;
9 ARST In all, there were 956 descendants of Benjamin living in Jerusalem. All these were leaders of their clans. BSB BSB: and 956 of their relatives according to their genealogy. All these men were heads of their families.
10 ARST Some of the priests who returned to Judah were: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jakin, BSB BSB: From the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin;
11 ARST Azariah, the person in charge of those who took care of the temple(Azariah was Hilkiah’ s son; Hilkiah was Meshullam’ s son; Meshullam was Zadok’ s son; Zadok was Meraioth’ s son; Meraioth was Ahitub’ s son), BSB BSB: Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief official of God’s temple;
12 ARST Adaiah(Jeroham’ s son; Jeroham was Pashhur’ s son; Pashhur was Malkijah’ s son), and Maasai(Adiel’ s son; Adiel was Jahzerah’ s son; Jahzerah was Meshullam’ s son; Meshullam was Meshillemith’ s son; Meshillemith was Immer’ s son). BSB BSB: Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah; Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;
13 ARST Altogether there were 1, 760 priests who returned to Judah. They were leaders of their clans, and they all were capable and responsible for doing work in the temple of God. BSB BSB: and 1,760 of their relatives, the heads of their families, able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
14 ARST From the descendants of Levi who returned to Judah there were: Shemaiah(Hasshub’ s son; Hasshub was Azrikam’ s son; Azrikam was Hashabiah’ s son; Hashabiah was a descendant of Levi’ s youngest son Merari), BSB BSB: From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a descendant of Merari;
15 ARST Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, Mattaniah(Mika’ s son; Mika was Zicri’ s son; Zicri was Asaph’ s son), BSB BSB: Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;
16 ARST Obadiah(Shemaiah’ s son; Shemaiah was Galal’ s son; Galal was Jeduthun’ s son), and Berekiah who lived in one of the villages where the Netophath people lived(Berekiah was Asa’ s son; Asa was Elkanah’ s son). BSB BSB: Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.
17 ARST From the descendants of Levi who returned to Judah who guarded the temple gates there were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and some of their relatives. Shallum was their leader. BSB BSB: These were the gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives. Shallum was their chief;
18 ARST Up until the time of this writing, those gatekeepers from the tribe of Levi stood at the King’ s Gate on the east side of the city. BSB BSB: he was previously stationed at the King’s Gate on the east side. These were the gatekeepers from the camp of the Levites.
19 ARST Shallum was Kore’ s son; Kore was Ebiasaph’ s son; Ebiasaph was Korah’ s son. Shallum and his relatives from his clan, the people descended from Korah, had the duty of being gatekeepers, responsible to guard the entrances to the temple of Yahweh, as their ancestors had done. BSB BSB: Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his relatives from the Korahites were assigned to guard the thresholds of the Tent, just as their fathers had been assigned to guard the entrance to the dwelling of the LORD.
20 ARST Previously Phinehas(Eleazar’ s son) had supervised the gatekeepers. Yahweh was with Phinehas. BSB BSB: In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him.
21 ARST Zechariah(Meshelemiah’ s son) was a gatekeeper at the temple’ s entrance. BSB BSB: Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
22 ARST Altogether, there were 212 men chosen to guard the gates. The records of the clans in their villages listed their names. King David and the prophet Samuel appointed those men because those men were dependable. BSB BSB: The number of those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds was 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their positions of trust.
23 ARST The work of those gatekeepers and their descendants was to guard the gates of Yahweh’ s temple, also known as the sacred tent. BSB BSB: So they and their descendants were assigned to guard the gates of the house of the LORD—the house called the Tent.
24 ARST There were gatekeepers on each of the four sides of the temple, toward the east, west, north, and south. BSB BSB: The gatekeepers were stationed on the four sides: east, west, north, and south.
25 ARST Sometimes it was necessary for the relatives of the gatekeepers who lived in those villages to come and help them. Each time some of them came, they helped the gatekeepers for seven days. BSB BSB: Their relatives came from their villages at fixed times to serve with them for seven-day periods.
26 ARST There were four descendants of Levi who worked every day, and they supervised the gatekeepers. They also took care of the storerooms and other rooms in the temple of God. BSB BSB: But the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the rooms and the treasuries of the house of God.
27 ARST They stayed at the temple because their job was to guard it. Each morning they opened the gates. BSB BSB: They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they were responsible for guarding it and opening it every morning.
28 ARST Some of the gatekeepers took care of the various items used in the daily duties of the temple. Their job was to bring those items out for sacrifices each day and to store them again each night. BSB BSB: Some of them were in charge of the articles used in worship, to count them whenever they were brought in or taken out.
29 ARST Other gatekeepers had the job to take care of the other things in the temple including the flour, wine, olive oil, incense, and spices that were used in the sacrifices. BSB BSB: Others were put in charge of the furnishings and other articles of the sanctuary, as well as the fine flour, wine, oil, frankincense, and spices.
30 ARST But some of the priests had the work of mixing the spices. BSB BSB: And some of the sons of the priests mixed the spices.
31 ARST There was a descendant of Levi named Mattithiah, the oldest son of Shallum, who was a descendant of Korah. His official duty was to bake the bread that was used in the offerings on the altar. BSB BSB: A Levite named Mattithiah, the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with baking the bread.
32 ARST Some of the gatekeepers who were descended from Kohath prepared the new loaves of bread to display before God that were placed on the table inside the temple every Sabbath day. BSB BSB: Some of their Kohathite relatives were responsible for preparing the rows of the showbread every Sabbath.
33 ARST Some of the descendants of Levi were musicians who worked in the temple. The leaders of those families stayed in the rooms of the temple. They did not do any other work in the temple because they they were responsible to serve as musicians day and night. BSB BSB: Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties because they were on duty day and night.
34 ARST Those are the names of the leaders of the clans descended from Levi, according to their genealogies. They all lived in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: All these were heads of Levite families, chiefs according to their genealogies, and they lived in Jerusalem.
35 ARST Another descendant of Benjamin was Jeiel. He lived in the city of Gibeon and was an early settler and leader of those who lived there. Jeiel’ s wife was Maakah. BSB BSB: Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah.
36 ARST His oldest son was Abdon. His other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, BSB BSB: Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,
37 ARST Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. BSB BSB: Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth.
38 ARST Mikloth(another of Jeiel’ s sons) was the father of Shimeah. All these descendants of Jeiel also lived in Jerusalem near their relatives. BSB BSB: Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. They too lived alongside their relatives in Jerusalem.
39 ARST Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of King Saul. Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malki- Shua, Abinadab, and Esh- Baal. BSB BSB: Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.
40 ARST Jonathan’ s son was Merib- Baal. Merib- Baal was the father of Micah. BSB BSB: The son of Jonathan: Merib-baal, who was the father of Micah.
41 ARST Micah’ s sons were Pithon, Melek, and Tahrea. BSB BSB: The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz.
42 ARST Ahaz was the father of Jarah. Jarah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza. BSB BSB: Ahaz was the father of Jarah; Jarah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri was the father of Moza.
43 ARST Moza was the father of Binea. Rephaiah was Binea’ s son. Eleasah was Rephaiah’ s son. Azel was Eleasah’ s son. BSB BSB: Moza was the father of Binea. Rephaiah was his son, Elasah his son, and Azel his son.
44 ARST Azel had six sons. Their names were Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were all of Azel’ s sons. BSB BSB: And Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.