18. Prior to this time, they were responsible for the King’s Gate on the east side. These men served as gatekeepers for the camps of the Levites.
19. Shallum was the son of Kore, a descendant of Abiasaph, from the clan of Korah. He and his relatives, the Korahites, were responsible for guarding the entrance to the sanctuary, just as their ancestors had guarded the Tabernacle in the camp of the lord.
20. Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers in earlier times, and the lord had been with him.
21. And later Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was responsible for guarding the entrance to the Tabernacle.
22. In all, there were 212 gatekeepers in those days, and they were listed according to the genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed their ancestors because they were reliable men.
23. These gatekeepers and their descendants, by their divisions, were responsible for guarding the entrance to the house of the lord when that house was a tent.
24. The gatekeepers were stationed on all four sides—east, west, north, and south.
25. Their relatives in the villages came regularly to share their duties for seven-day periods.