Chapter 26

Divisions of Gatekeepers. ^1 (A)As for the divisions of gatekeepers: Of the Korahites was Meshelemiah, the son of Kore, one of the sons of Abiasaph. ² Meshelemiah’s sons: Zechariah, the firstborn, Jediael, the second son, Zebadiah, the third, Jathniel, the fourth, ³ Elam, the fifth, Jehohanan, the sixth, Eliehoenai, the seventh. ⁴ Obed-edom’s sons: Shemaiah, the firstborn, Jehozabad, a second son, Joah, the third, Sachar, the fourth, Nethanel, the fifth, ⁵ Ammiel, the sixth, Issachar, the seventh, Peullethai, the eighth, for God blessed him. ⁶ To his son Shemaiah were born sons who ruled over their family, for they were warriors. ⁷ The sons of Shemaiah were Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; also his kinsmen who were men of substance, Elihu and Semachiah. ⁸ All these were the sons of Obed-edom, who, together with their sons and their kinsmen, were men of substance, fit for the service. Of Obed-edom, sixty-two. ⁹ Of Meshelemiah, eighteen sons and kinsmen, men of substance.

¹⁰ Hosah, a descendant of Merari, had these sons: Shimri, the chief (for though he was not the firstborn, his father made him chief),^{(B) 11} Hilkiah, the second son, Tebaliah, the third, Zechariah, the fourth. All the sons and kinsmen of Hosah were thirteen.

¹² To these divisions of the gatekeepers, by their chief men, were assigned watches for them to minister in the house of the Lord, for each group in the same way. ¹³ They cast lots for each gate, small and large families alike. ¹⁴ When the lot was cast for the east side, it fell to Meshelemiah. Then they cast lots for his son Zechariah, a prudent counselor, and the north side fell to his lot.^{(C) 15} To Obed-edom fell the south side, and to his sons the storehouse. ¹⁶ To Hosah fell the west side with the Shallecheth gate at the ascending highway. For each family, watches were established. ¹⁷ On the east, six watched each day, on the north, four each day, on the south, four each day, and at the storehouse they were two and two; ¹⁸ as for the large building^[a] on the west, there were four at the highway and two at the large building. ¹⁹ These were the classes of the gatekeepers, sons of Korah and Merari.