Study Desk

Now the leaders of the people stayed in Jerusalem,^(a) and the rest of the people cast lots^(b) for one out of ten to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city,^(c) while the other nine-tenths remained in their towns.^(d)

The people praised all the men who volunteered^(e) to live in Jerusalem.

These are the heads of the province who stayed in Jerusalem^(f) (but in the villages of Judah each lived on his own property in their towns^(g)—the Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon's servants^(h)—

while some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem): Judah's⁽ⁱ⁾ descendants: Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of Perez's descendants;

and Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, a descendant of the Shilonite.

The total number of Perez's descendants, who settled in Jerusalem, was 468 capable men.

These were Benjamin's descendants: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah,

and after him Gabbai and Sallai: 928.

Joel son of Zichri was the officer over them, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command over the city.

The priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin, and

Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief official of God's temple,

and their relatives who did the work at the temple: 822. Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah

and his relatives, the leaders of families: 242. Amashsai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer,

and their relatives, capable men: 128. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim, was their chief.

The Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni;

and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the leaders of the Levites, who supervised the work outside the house of God;

Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, the leader who began the thanksgiving in prayer;^(j) Bakbukiah, second among his relatives; and Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun.^(k)

All the Levites in the holy city:^(l) 284.

The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their relatives, who guarded the gates: 172.

The rest of Israel, the priests, and the Levites were in all the villages of Judah, each on his own inherited property.^(m)

The temple servants lived on Ophel;^[a](n) Ziha and Gishpa supervised the temple servants.

The leader of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, of the descendants of Asaph, who were singers for the service of God's house.

There was, in fact, a command of the king regarding them, and an ordinance regulating^[b] the singers'^(o) daily tasks.

Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the descendants of Zerah^(p) son of Judah, was the king's^(q) agent^[c] in every matter concerning the people.

As for the farming settlements with their fields: Some of Judah's descendants lived in Kiriath-arba^(r) and its villages, Dibon^(s) and its villages, and Jekabzeel and its villages;

in Jeshua, Moladah,^(t) Beth-pelet,

Hazar-shual, and Beer-sheba^(u) and its villages;

in Ziklag^(v) and Meconah and its villages;

in En-rimmon, Zorah,^(w) Jarmuth,^(x) and

Zanoah^(y) and Adullam with their villages; in Lachish^(z) with its fields and Azekah^(aa) and its villages. So they settled from Beer-sheba^(ab) to the Valley of Hinnom.^(ac)

Benjamin's descendants: from Geba,^[d](ad) Michmash,^(ae) Aija, and Bethel^(af)—and its villages,

Anathoth,^(ag) Nob,^(ah) Ananiah,

Hazor,^(ai) Ramah,^(aj) Gittaim,^(ak)

Hadid, Zeboim,^(al) Neballat,

Lod, and Ono,^(am) the Valley of Craftsmen.

Some of the Judean divisions of Levites were in Benjamin.