20. Phineas son of Eleazar — may the Lord be with him! — had supervised them at one time.
21. Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was also a guard at the entrance to the Tent of the Lord's presence.
22. In all, 212 men were chosen as guards for the entrances and gates. They were registered according to the villages where they lived. It was King David and the prophet Samuel who had put their ancestors in these responsible positions.
23. They and their descendants continued to guard the gates to the Temple.
24. There was a gate facing in each direction, north, south, east, and west, and each had a chief guard.
25. These guards were assisted by their relatives, who lived in the villages and who had to take turns at guard duty for seven days at a time.
26. The four chief guards were Levites and had the final responsibility. They were also responsible for the rooms in the Temple and for the supplies kept there.
27. They lived near the Temple, because it was their duty to guard it and to open the gates every morning.
28. Other Levites were responsible for the utensils used in worship. They checked them out and checked them back in every time they were used.
29. Others were in charge of the other sacred equipment, and of the flour, wine, olive oil, incense, and spices.
30. But the responsibility for mixing the spices belonged to the priests.
31. A Levite named Mattithiah, eldest son of Shallum, of the clan of Korah, was responsible for preparing the baked offerings.
32. Members of the clan of Kohath were responsible for preparing the sacred bread for the Temple every Sabbath.
33. Some Levite families were responsible for the temple music. The heads of these families lived in some of the temple buildings and were free from other duties, because they were on call day and night.
34. The men named above were heads of Levite families, according to their ancestral lines. They were the leaders who lived in Jerusalem.
35. Jeiel founded the city of Gibeon and settled there. His wife was named Maacah.
36. His eldest son was Abdon, and his other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,