Study Desk

With much trouble I have made things ready for the house of the Lord. There is gold weighing as much as 100,000 men. There is silver weighing as much as 1,000,000 men. And there is too much brass and iron to weigh. I have made wood and stone ready, and you may add to them.

"Is not the Lord your God with you? Has He not given you peace on every side? For He has given the people of the land into my hand. The land is put under my rule before the Lord and His people.

Now set your heart and soul to look to the Lord your God. Get ready and build the holy place of the Lord God. Then you may bring the special box with the Law of the Lord. You may bring the holy objects of God. And put them into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord."

There were 4,000 gate-keepers. And 4,000 were praising the Lord with the things for playing music that David had made.

The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart for holy work, he and his sons forever. They were to burn special perfume before the Lord, and do His work. And they were to pray for good to come to the people in the Lord's name forever.

For David said, "The Lord God of Israel has given peace to his people. And He lives in Jerusalem forever.

The Levites do not need to carry the meeting tent and all the parts for its work any longer."

For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered, from twenty years old and older.

They are to take care of the holy bread, the fine flour for a grain gift, and the bread without yeast. They are to take care of what is baked, and what is well mixed, of all the right amounts.

In this way they are to take care of the meeting tent, the holy place, and help their brothers the sons of Aaron, for the work of the Lord's house.

They were divided by drawing names, all alike. For there were leaders of the holy place and leaders of God, from both the sons of Eleazar and Ithamar.

The writer Shemaiah, the Levite son of Nethanel, wrote down their names. He wrote them in front of the king, the princes, Zadok the religious leader, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the families of the religious leaders and of the Levites. One family was taken for Eleazar, and one for Ithamar.

David and the captains of the army set apart for the work some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman and of Jeduthun. They were to speak God's Word while harps and timbrels were playing. These are the names of those who served in this way.

The sons of Asaph were: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asharelah. They were led by Asaph, who spoke for God under the leading of the king.

They drew names for their work, the young and old alike, also the teacher and the one who was taught.

All these were sons of Obed-edom. They and their sons and brothers were able men with strength for the work. There were sixty-two men from Obed-edom.

The families drew names by their fathers' houses, the small and the large alike, for every gate.

Shelemiah's name was drawn for the east gate. Then they drew the name of his son Zechariah for the north gate. Zechariah used much wisdom talking with people.

Obed-edom's name was drawn for the south gate. And his sons were to watch the store-house.

Shuppim and Hosah's names were drawn for the west gate beside the gate of Shallecheth, on the road that goes up a hill. Each one was given his duty to watch.