De taak van de priesters
1-2 Ook de priesters, de nakomelingen van Aäron, waren onderverdeeld in twee groepen, die de namen droegen van de zonen van Aäron: Eleazar en Itamar. Nadab en Abihu waren ook zonen van Aäron, maar zij stierven eerder dan hun vader en hadden geen kinderen, zo bleven alleen Eleazar en Itamar over voor de bediening van het priesterambt. 3Na overleg met Zadok en Ahimelech, de leiders van respectievelijk de Eleazar-groep en de Itamar-groep, verdeelde David Aärons nakomelingen over talloze kleine groepen, al naar gelang het soort werk dat zij verrichtten. 4Eleazars nakomelingen werden onderverdeeld in zestien en Itamars nakomelingen in acht groepen. Het bleek namelijk dat onder de nakomelingen van Eleazar meer groepshoofden waren dan onder de nakomelingen van Itamar. 5Door middel van het lot werden de priesters bij de groepen ingedeeld, zodat niemand werd bevoordeeld, want er bevonden zich heel wat beroemde mannen en hoogwaardigheidsbekleders van de tempel in elke groep. 6Semaja, een Leviet en de zoon van Netanel, fungeerde als secretaris en noteerde de namen in het bijzijn van de koning, de leiders van Israël, de priester Zadok, Abjathars zoon Ahimelech en de hoofden van de priesters en de Levieten. Beurtelings werd één familie getrokken voor de Eleazar-groep en één voor de Itamar-groep.
7-18De families werden door middel van het lot op de volgende manier verdeeld: als eerste viel het lot op Jojarib; als tweede op Jedaja; de derde was Harim; de vierde was Seorim; vijfde was Malkia; zesde Mijamin; zevende Hakkoz; achtste Abia; negende Jesua; tiende Sechanja; elfde Eljasib; twaalfde Jakim; dertiende Huppa; veertiende Jesebeab; vijftiende Bilga; zestiende Immer; zeventiende Hezir; achttiende Happizzes; negentiende Petahja; twintigste Jehezkel; eenentwintigste Jachin; tweeëntwintigste Gamul; drieëntwintigste Delaja; vierentwintigste Maäzja. 19Elke groep voerde zijn eigen taken in de tempel uit, zoals God die aan hun voorvader Aäron had opgedragen.
20Dit waren de andere nakomelingen van Levi: Amram, zijn nakomeling Subaël en diens telg Jehdeja, 21de groep van Rehabja, onder leiding van zijn oudste zoon Jissia, 22de groep van Jizha, bestaande uit Selomoth en zijn nakomeling Jahath. 23De groep van Hebron, bestaande uit Jeria, Hebrons oudste zoon, Amarja, zijn tweede zoon, Jahaziël, zijn derde zoon, en Jekameam, de vierde zoon. 24-25 De groep van Uzziël stond onder leiding van zijn zoon Micha. Van de groep van Micha had zijn zoon Samir de leiding. De leiding van de groep van Michaʼs broer Jissia was in handen van diens zoon Zecharja. 26-27 De groep van Merari stond onder leiding van zijn zonen Machli en Musi. De groep van Jaäzia, ook een zoon van Merari, bestond uit Beno, Soham, Zakkur en Hibri. 28Machliʼs nakomelingen waren Eleazar, die geen zonen had, 29en Kis, die onder meer Jerachmeël als zoon had. 30De zonen van Musi waren Machli, Eder en Jerimoth. Dit waren de nakomelingen van Levi, verdeeld over hun families. 31Evenals de nakomelingen van Aäron werden ook zij door middel van het lot ingedeeld, zonder dat daarbij werd gelet op leeftijd of rang. Dat gebeurde in het bijzijn van koning David, Zadok, Ahimelech en de leiders van de priesters en Levieten.
The Groups of Priests
1The priests in the family line of Aaron were separated into groups. The groups were separated according to the sons of Aaron.
The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did. They didn’t have any sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests. 3With the help of Zadok and Ahimelek, David separated the priests into groups. Each group served in its appointed order and time. Zadok belonged to the family line of Eleazar. Ahimelek belonged to the family line of Ithamar. 4More leaders were found among Eleazar’s family line than among Ithamar’s. So the priests were separated into their groups based on that fact. There were 16 family leaders from Eleazar’s line. There were eight family leaders from Ithamar’s line. 5The priests were separated into their groups by casting lots. That was the fair way to do it. The priests were officials of the temple and officials of God. They came from the family lines of Eleazar and Ithamar.
6Shemaiah was a Levite. He was the son of Nethanel. Shemaiah was the writer who recorded the names of the priests. He wrote them down in front of the king and the officials. The officials included Zadok the priest and Ahimelek. Ahimelek was the son of Abiathar. The officials also included the leaders of the families of the priests and the Levites. One family was chosen by lot from Eleazar’s group. Then one was chosen from Ithamar’s group.
7The 1st lot chosen was for Jehoiarib.
The 2nd was for Jedaiah.
8The 3rd was for Harim.
The 4th was for Seorim.
9The 5th was for Malkijah.
The 6th was for Mijamin.
10The 7th was for Hakkoz.
The 8th was for Abijah.
11The 9th was for Jeshua.
The 10th was for Shekaniah.
12The 11th was for Eliashib.
The 12th was for Jakim.
13The 13th was for Huppah.
The 14th was for Jeshebeab.
14The 15th was for Bilgah.
The 16th was for Immer.
15The 17th was for Hezir.
The 18th was for Happizzez.
16The 19th was for Pethahiah.
The 20th was for Jehezkel.
17The 21st was for Jakin.
The 22nd was for Gamul.
18The 23rd was for Delaiah.
The 24th was for Maaziah.
19That was their appointed order for serving when they entered the Lord’s temple. That order was based on the rules Aaron had given them long ago. Everything was done exactly as the Lord had commanded Aaron. The Lord is the God of Israel.
The Rest of the Levites
20Here are the other members of the family line of Levi.
From the sons of Amram came Shubael.
From the sons of Shubael came Jehdeiah.
21From the sons of Rehabiah came Ishiah. Ishiah was the oldest.
22From the people of Izhar came Shelomoth.
From the sons of Shelomoth came Jahath.
23Jeriah was the first son of Hebron. Amariah was his second son. Jahaziel was the third. Jekameam was the fourth.
24The son of Uzziel was Micah.
From the sons of Micah came Shamir.
25The brother of Micah was Ishiah.
From the sons of Ishiah came Zechariah.
26The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.
The son of Jaaziah was Beno.
27The sons of Merari
from Jaaziah were Beno, Shoham, Zakkur and Ibri.
28From Mahli came Eleazar. Eleazar didn’t have any sons.
29From Kish came Jerahmeel. Jerahmeel was the son of Kish.
30The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth.
Those were the Levites, family by family.
31They cast lots just as their relatives had done. Their relatives were in the family line of Aaron. They cast lots in front of King David, Zadok and Ahimelek. They did it in front of the family leaders of the priests. They also did it in front of the family leaders of the Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated in the same way as the families of the youngest.
