The Gatekeepers

26 As for the divisions of the gatekeepers: of the Korahites, Meshelemiah son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph.^{(A) 2} Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, ³ Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh. ⁴ Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth,^{(B) 5} Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peullethai the eighth; for God blessed him. ⁶ Also to his son Shemaiah sons were born who exercised authority in their ancestral houses, for they were men of great ability. ⁷ The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad, whose brothers were able men, Elihu and Semachiah. ⁸ All these, sons of Obed-edom with their sons and brothers, were able men qualified for the service; sixty-two of Obed-edom. ⁹ Meshelemiah had sons and brothers, able men, eighteen. ¹⁰ Hosah, of the sons of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief (for though he was not the firstborn, his father made him chief),^{(C) 11} Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth; all the sons and brothers of Hosah totaled thirteen.

¹² These divisions of the gatekeepers, corresponding to their leaders, had duties, just as their kindred did, ministering in the house of the Lord,^{(D) 13} and they cast lots by ancestral houses, small and great alike, for their gates.^{(E) 14} The lot for the east fell to Shelemiah. They cast lots also for his son Zechariah, a prudent counselor, and his lot came out for the north. ¹⁵ Obed-edom’s came out for the south, and to his sons was allotted the storehouse. ¹⁶ For Shuppim and Hosah it came out for the west, at the gate of Shallecheth on the ascending road. Guard corresponded to guard. ¹⁷ On the east there were six Levites each day,^[a] on the north four each day, on the south four each day, as well as two and two at the storehouse, ¹⁸ and for the colonnade^[b] on the west there were four at the road and two at the colonnade.^{[c] 19} These were the divisions of the gatekeepers among the Korahites and the sons of Merari.

¹⁵ The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were in their place according to the command of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and the king’s seer Jeduthun. The gatekeepers were at each gate; they did not need to interrupt their service, for their kindred the Levites made preparations for them.^(A)

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

⁵ In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.^(A)

⁸ Once when he was serving as priest before God during his section’s turn of duty,^(A)