The people in Jerusalem

Many of the people of Judah were captured and forced to go to Babylon. That happened because they did not faithfully do what was pleasing to God. 2 The first people who returned to Judah 70 years later and lived in their own land and in their own cities and towns were some Israeli priests, other descendants of Levi, and men who worked in the temple.

3 Other people from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh also returned to Judah and lived in Jerusalem. This is a list of those people of the tribe of Judah:

• 4 Uthai the son of Ammihud. Ammihud was the son of Omri; Omri was the son of Imri; Imri was the son of Bani; Bani was a descendant of Perez; Perez was the son of Judah.
• 5 Asaiah and his sons were descendants of Shelah. Asaiah was the oldest son in his family.
• 6 Jeuel and others of his relatives in Zerah’s clan. There were 690 people in this clan.
• 7 From the tribe of Benjamin, Sallu, the son of Meshullam. Meshullam was the son of Hodaviah; Hodaviah was the son of Hassenuah.
• 8 Ibneiah the son of Jeroham.
• Elah the son of Uzzi. Uzzi was the son of Micri.
• Meshullam the son of Shephatiah. Shephatiah was the son of Reuel; Reuel was the son of Ibnijah.
• 9 In other records of the people descended from Benjamin, there are the names of 956 people who were living in Jerusalem. All these were leaders of their clans.

10 Some of the priests who returned to Judah were:

• Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jakin,
• 11 and Azariah who was the son of Hilkiah.
  • Hilkiah who was the son of Meshullam;
  • Meshullam who was the son of Zadok,
  • Zadok who was the son of Meraioth;
  • Meraioth who was the son of Ahitub;
  • Ahitub who supervised the temple guards;
• 12 Adaiah who was the son of Jeroham;
  • Jeroham who was the son of Pashhur;
  • Pashhur who was the son of Malchijah;
• Maasai who was the son of Adiel;
  • Adiel who was the son of Jahzerah;
  • Jahzerah who was the son of Meshullam;
  • Meshullam who was the son of Meshillemith;
  • Meshillemith who was the son of Immer.

13 Altogether there were 1,760 priests who returned to Judah. They were leaders of their clans, and they all were responsible for doing work in the temple of God.

• 14 From the descendants of Levi who returned to Judah there was Shemaiah the son of Hasshub.
  • Hasshub was the son of Azrikam;
  • Azrikam was the son of Hashabiah;
  • Hashabiah was a descendant of Levi’s youngest son Merari.
• 15 Other descendants of Levi who returned to Judah were Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Mica.
  • Mica was the son if Zicri;
  • Zicri was the son of Asaph.
• 16 There was also Obadiah the son of Shemaiah.
  • Shemaiah was the son of Galal.
  • Galal was the son of Jeduthun.
• There was also Berekiah the son of Asa.
  • Asa was the son of Elkanah, who lived in one of the villages where the Netophath people-clan lived.
  
  
• 17 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. 18 Those gatekeepers from the tribe of Levi stood at the King’s Gate on the east side of the temple.
  • 19 Shallum was the son of Kore.
  • Kore was the son of Ebiasaph.
  • Ebiasaph was the son of Korah.
• Shallum and his relatives were gatekeepers, and they were responsible to guard the gates of the Sacred Tent of Yahweh, like their ancestors had done.
• 20 Previously Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, had supervised the gatekeepers, and Yahweh ◄was with/helped► Phinehas.
• 21 Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance of the Sacred Tent.

22 Altogether, there were 212 men who were chosen to guard the gates. Their names were written in the records of the clans in their villages. King David and the prophet Samuel appointed/chose those men because those men ◄were dependable/always did what they were told to do►. 23 The work of those gatekeepers and their descendants was to guard the entrances of the Sacred Tent of Yahweh. That was before the temple was built to replace the Sacred Tent. 24 There were gatekeepers on each of the four sides of the Sacred Tent. 25 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. 26 There were four descendants of Levi who worked every day, and they supervised the gatekeepers. They also took care of the rooms and treasures in the Sacred Tent of God. 27 They remained awake all during the night to guard the Sacred Tent, and each morning they opened the gates.

28 Some of the gatekeepers took care of the articles that were used in worship. They also took care of the flour, wine, olive oil, incense, and spices that were used in the sacrifices. 29 Other gatekeepers were appointed to take care of the other things in the Sacred Tent. 30 But some of the priests had the work of mixing the spices. 31 There was a descendant of Levi named Mattithiah, the oldest son of Shallum, who was a descendant of Korah. He ◄was very dependable/always did what he was told to do►, so they gave him {he was given} the work of baking the bread that was used in the offerings on the altar. 32 Some of the gatekeepers who were descended from Kohath prepared the freshly baked loaves of sacred bread that were placed on the table inside the Sacred Tent every Sabbath/rest day.

33 Some of the descendants of Levi were musicians who worked in the Sacred Tent. The leaders of those families stayed/slept in the rooms of the Sacred Tent. They did not do any other work in the Sacred Tent because they were responsible to serve as musicians day and night.

34 Those are the names of the leaders of the clans descended from Levi. Their names were written in the records of the clans. They all lived in Jerusalem.