¹ Thus, all Israel's official genealogies had been entered in the records of the kings of Israel and Judah before they were deported to Babylon for their infidelity.

² Now the first citizens to return to their property in their cities were the Israelites, the priests, the Levites and the temple slaves.

³ In Jerusalem, there settled Judaeans, Benjaminites, Ephraimites and Manassehites.

⁴ Uthai son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, one of the sons of Perez son of Judah.

⁵ Of the descendants of Shelah: Asaiah, the first-born, and his sons.

⁶ Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel. And six hundred and ninety of their kinsmen.

⁷ And of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah;

⁸ Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, son of Michri; and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah.

⁹ Their kinsmen, according to their relationship, numbered nine hundred and fifty-six. All these men were chiefs of their families.

¹⁰ Of the priests there were Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin,

¹¹ Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief of the Temple of God;

¹² Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah; and Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer.

¹³ Their kinsmen, heads of families, numbered one thousand seven hundred and sixty-men expert in the ministerial service of the Temple of God.

¹⁴ Of the Levites there were Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah of the sons of Merari,

¹⁵ Bakbakar, Heresh, Galai, Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zichri, son of Asaph.

¹⁶ Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun and Berechiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the dependencies of the Netophathites.

¹⁷ The gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and their kinsmen. Shallum was the chief

¹⁸ and is still gatekeeper of the King's Gate to the east. They were the gatekeepers of the camps of the sons of Levi.

¹⁹ Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his brothers belonging to his family, the Korahites, were also in charge of the ministerial service as doorkeepers of the Tent, as their ancestors had been keepers of the entrance to the camp of Yahweh.

²⁰ Formerly, Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of them -- Yahweh be with him!

²¹ Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

²² All the keepers of the gate at the thresholds were picked men; there were two hundred and twelve of them. They were grouped by relationship in their various villages. These were confirmed in office by David and Samuel the seer because of their dependability.

²³ They and their sons continued in charge as guards of the gates of the Temple of Yahweh, the house of the Tent.

²⁴ The gatekeepers were assigned to the four sides, east, west, north and south,

²⁵ and their brothers in their villages were required to assist them from time to time for a week,

²⁶ since the four head gatekeepers were permanently on duty. They were Levites and were in charge of the accommodation and supplies of the Temple of God.

²⁷ They spent the night in the precincts of the Temple of God, their duties being to guard it and open it every morning.

²⁸ Some of them were in charge of the implements of worship, having to count them when they took them out and when they put them away.

²⁹ Others of them were put in charge of the implements, of all the objects in the sanctuary and of the flour, the wine, the oil, the incense and the perfume.

³⁰ Members of the priestly caste, however, mixed the ointment for the perfume.

³¹ One of the Levites, Mattithiah -- he was the first-born of Shallum the Korahite -- had regular charge of baking operations.

³² Some of their kinsmen the Kohathites were responsible for the loaves to be set out in rows Sabbath by Sabbath.

³³ In addition, there were the singers, the heads of the levitical families, who were accommodated in the Temple, free of other responsibilities because they were on duty day and night.

³⁴ Such were the chiefs of the levitical families, according to their relationship; these lived in Jerusalem.

³⁵ Jeiel father of Gibeon lived at Gibeon and his wife was called Maacah.

³⁶ His first-born son was Abdon, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

³⁷ Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah and Mikloth.

³⁸ Mikloth fathered Shimeam. But they, unlike their brothers, lived at Jerusalem with their brothers.

³⁹ Ner fathered Kish, Kish fathered Saul, Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab and Eshbaal.

⁴⁰ Son of Jonathan: Meribbaal. Meribbaal fathered Micah.

⁴¹ Sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea.

⁴² Ahaz fathered Jarah, Jarah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri; Zimri fathered Moza,

⁴³ Moza fathered Binea, Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son and Azel his son.

⁴⁴ Azel had six sons; their names were these: Azrikam his first-born, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.