20. In the past Phinehas was in charge of the gatekeepers. He was Eleazar’s son. The Lord was with Phinehas.
21. Zechariah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Temple. He was the son of Meshelemiah.
22. In all, 212 men were chosen to guard the gates. Their names were written in their family histories in their villages. David and Samuel the seer chose these men because they were dependable.
23. The gatekeepers and their descendants had the responsibility of guarding the gates of the Temple of the Lord. (The Temple took the place of the Holy Tent.)
24. There were gatekeepers on all four sides of the Temple: east, west, north and south.
25. The gatekeepers’ relatives who lived in the villages had to come and help them at certain times. Each time they came they helped the gatekeepers for seven days.
26. Because they were dependable, four gatekeepers were made the leaders of all the gatekeepers. They were Levites. They were responsible for the rooms and treasures in the Temple of God.
27. They stayed up all night guarding the Temple of God. And they opened it every morning.
28. Some of the gatekeepers were responsible for the tools and dishes used in the Temple services. They counted these tools and dishes when people took them out. And they counted them when people brought them back.
29. Other gatekeepers were chosen to take care of the things in the Holy Place. They also took care of the flour, wine, oil, incense and spices.