1 Chronicles 9

EasyEnglish Bible

The people who returned to Jerusalem

9 All the Israelites' names were included in the lists of their ancestors. Those lists are written in the history book about Israel's kings.

The people of Judah had turned away from the Lord. Their enemies took them away to Babylon as their prisoners. ² The first people who returned to their home towns after that were some priests, Levites, servants in the temple and other Israelites.

^3-4 Some people from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem.

Those people included: Uthai, son of Ammihud and grandson of Omri. Omri was Imri's son. Imri was Bani's son. Bani was a descendant of Judah's son, Perez.

⁵ From the clan of Judah's son Shelah, there were Asaiah and his sons. Asaiah was the oldest son in his family.

⁶ From the clan of Judah's son Zerah, there was Jeuel.

There were 690 people from Judah's tribe who returned.

⁷ From Benjamin's tribe, there was: Sallu, the son of Meshullam and grandson of Hodaviah, who was Hassenuah's son. ⁸ There was also Jeroham's son Ibneiah, Elah the son of Uzzi and grandson of Mikri's, and Meshullam, son of Shephatiah and grandson of Reuel, who was Ibnijah's son.

⁹ There were 956 people from Benjamin's tribe who returned. Their names are written in the lists of their ancestors. All those men were leaders of their clans.

The priests who returned

¹⁰ The priests who returned to live in Jerusalem were: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jakin and Azariah.^{[a] 11} 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. Ahitub was the most important officer in God's temple. ¹² There was also Adaiah, the son of Jeroham and grandson of Pashhur, who was Malkijah's son. And there was Maasai, the son of Adiel and grandson of Jahzerah. Jahzerah was Meshullam's son. Meshullam was Meshillemith's son, and Meshillemith was Immer's son.

¹³ There were 1,760 priests and their relatives who returned. They were leaders of their clans. They were able to do their jobs well as they served God in his temple.

The Levites

¹⁴ From the Levites, there were: Shemaiah, the son of Hasshub and grandson of Azrikam, who was Hashabiah's son. Hashabiah belonged to Merari's clan. ¹⁵ There was Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal and Mattaniah, the son of Mica and grandson of Zikri, who was a descendant of Asaph. ¹⁶ There was also Obadiah, the son of Shemaiah and grandson of Galal, who was Jeduthun's son. And there was Berekiah, the son of Asa and grandson of Elkanah. Elkanah had lived in the villages of the Netophath people.

Levites who were temple guards

¹⁷ The Levite guards at the gates of the temple were: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and their relatives. Shallum was their leader. ¹⁸ Those guards stood at the King's Gate on the east side of the temple.

¹⁹ Shallum was the son of Kore and grandson of Ebiasaph, who belonged to Korah's clan. Shallum and his relatives from Korah's clan were guards at the entrance of the Lord's Holy Place. Their ancestors had also been guards at the entrance of the Lord's special tent. ²⁰ Eleazar's son Phinehas had been the leader of the guards at one time. The Lord was with Phinehas to help him. ²¹ Meshelemiah's son Zechariah was also a guard at the entrance of the tent where the Lord met with his people.

²² There were 212 guards for the gates of the temple. Their names were written in the lists of their ancestors, for each village where they lived. King David and the prophet Samuel had chosen their ancestors to do this important work as guards. ²³ Those men and their descendants had to stand as guards at the gates of the Lord's Holy Place, which had been a special tent. ²⁴ The guards stood on the four sides of the Lord's house: the east, west, north and south sides. ²⁵ Their relatives lived in their villages. They came to Jerusalem to help with the work as guards. Each time that they came, they worked there for seven days. ²⁶ There were four faithful Levite guards who led the work. They kept safe the rooms in God's house where they stored valuable things and money. ²⁷ They stayed at their places around God's house during each night. It was their work to keep it safe. Each morning they would use their key to open the gates.

²⁸ Some of the guards kept safe the valuable things that the priests used when they served the Lord. The guards counted those things when the priests brought them in. They counted them again when the priests took them out.

²⁹ Some other guards kept safe the tools and the valuable things that were in the Holy Place. Some guards took care of the flour, wine, olive oil, incense and spices. ³⁰ But it was the work of some of the priests to mix the spices. ³¹ Mattithiah was a Levite who belonged to Korah's clan. His work was to prepare the bread that they used as offerings. ³² Other Levites who belonged to Kohath's clan prepared the bread for the special table. The priests put this bread on the special table in the Holy Place each Sabbath day.

³³ Some of the Levites were musicians in the temple. The leaders of those clans lived in rooms at the temple. They needed to do their work as musicians during the night, as well as during the day. So they did not have other jobs to do in the temple. ³⁴ Those men were the leaders of the Levite clans. Their names are written in the lists of their clans' ancestors. They lived in Jerusalem.

The descendants of Jeiel

³⁵ Gibeon's father, Jeiel, lived in Gibeon town. His wife's name was Maakah. ³⁶ His firstborn son was Abdon. His other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ³⁷ Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah and Mikloth.

³⁸ Mikloth became the father of Shimeam. They lived near their relatives in Jerusalem.

³⁹ Ner became the father of Kish. Kish became the father of Saul. Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-Baal.

⁴⁰ Jonathan's son was Merib-Baal. Merib-Baal became the father of Micah.

⁴¹ Micah's sons were: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea and Ahaz.

⁴² Ahaz became the father of Jadah.

Jadah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth and Zimri.

Zimri became the father of Moza.

⁴³ Moza became the father of Binea. Binea's son was Rephaiah. Rephaiah's son was Eleasah. Eleasah's son was Azel. ⁴⁴ Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah and Hanan. That is the list of Azel's sons.