Zadok

26And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the LORD God before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

The king said to Abiathar the priest, "Go home to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die. But I will not kill you now. You carried the ark, God's holy chest, for my father David. You went through every hard time he went through."

27So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

So Solomon took away Abiathar's job as priest for the LORD. This happened just as the LORD had said at Shiloh about the family of Eli.

28Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

The news reached Joab. Joab had joined Adonijah's side, though he had not joined Absalom's. So Joab ran to the LORD's tent and grabbed the horns of the altar.

29And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.

King Solomon was told, "Joab has run to the LORD's tent. He is beside the altar." So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada and said, "Go, strike him down."

30And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.

Benaiah went into the LORD's tent and said, "The king says, come out." Joab said, "No. I will die here." Benaiah went back and told the king what Joab had said.

31And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.

The king said, "Do what he says. Strike him down and bury him. Joab killed men who had done nothing wrong. Take that guilt away from me and from my father's family.

32And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.

The LORD will make Joab pay for the blood he spilled. He killed two men who were better than he was, and my father David did not know. They were Abner son of Ner, leader of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, leader of Judah's army.

33Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD.

The guilt for their deaths stays on Joab and his children forever. But David, his children, his house, and his throne will have peace from the LORD forever."

34So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck Joab down and killed him. Joab was buried at his own home out in the wild country.

35And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.

The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada in charge of the army in Joab's place. He made Zadok priest in Abiathar's place.

1So king Solomon was king over all Israel.

So Solomon was king over all the land of Israel.

2And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,

These were his top leaders. Azariah, the son of Zadok, was the priest.

3Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.

Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, were scribes, men who wrote things down. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, kept the records of what happened.

4And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:

Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, led the army. Zadok and Abiathar were priests, men who led the worship of God.

5And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king’s friend:

Azariah, the son of Nathan, was in charge of the officers. Zabud, the son of Nathan, was a chief officer and the king's friend.

6And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.

Ahishar took care of the king's house. Adoniram, the son of Abda, was in charge of the workers.

26Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.

From Levi: 4,600 men.

27And Jehoiada was the leader of the Aaronites, and with him were three thousand and seven hundred;

Jehoiada was the leader of Aaron's family. He brought 3,700 men with him.

28And Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, and of his father’s house twenty and two captains.

Zadok was a brave young man. Twenty-two leaders from his own family came with him.

11And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,

David called for the priests Zadok and Abiathar. He also called the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

12And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.

David said, "You are the leaders of the Levite families. Make yourselves clean and ready for God's work. Then bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. Bring it to the place I made ready for it."

13For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

"The first time, you Levites did not carry it. So the LORD our God broke out against us in anger. We did not ask him how it should be done."

14So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

So the priests and the Levites made themselves clean and ready. Then they could bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.

15And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.

The Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders. They used the long poles made for carrying it. They did just what Moses had said, following the LORD's word.

37So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required:

So David left Asaph and his relatives there in front of the ark. They were to serve there every day, doing the work each day needed.

38And Obededom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obededom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters:

Obed-edom and sixty-eight of his relatives stayed too. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers, who guarded the doors.

39And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon,

David also left Zadok the priest and the other priests with him. They served at the LORD's tent at the worship place in Gibeon.

40To offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel;

Their job was to give burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar. They did this every morning and every evening. They followed everything written in the LORD's law for Israel.

41And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever;

Heman and Jeduthun were with them, along with others chosen and named. Their job was to thank the LORD, singing, "His faithful love never ends."

42And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters.

Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for the music. They also had other instruments for songs to God. The sons of Jeduthun watched the gate.

1Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Here are the groups of the men who came from Aaron. Aaron's sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

2But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office.

Nadab and Abihu died before their father did. They had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar did the priests' work.

3And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service.

Zadok came from Eleazar's family. Ahimelech came from Ithamar's family. They helped King David sort the priests into groups by their jobs.

4And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers.

Eleazar's family had more leaders than Ithamar's family. So the groups were made to match. Eleazar's family had sixteen leaders. Ithamar's family had eight leaders.

5Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.

They were split into groups by drawing lots, fairly for all. Both families had men who led the work at God's house.

6And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar.

Shemaiah was a writer. He was the son of Nethaneel, and he was a Levite. He wrote down all the names. The king watched, and so did the leaders. Zadok the priest watched. So did Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar. The family heads of the priests and Levites watched too. One family was picked from Eleazar, then one from Ithamar, back and forth.

20And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.

Then David said to all the people, "Praise the LORD your God." So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers. They bowed their heads low to honor the LORD and the king.

21And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings unto the LORD, on the morrow after that day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel:

The next day they gave animals to the LORD as gifts. They brought a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs. They also poured out drink offerings and gave many more gifts for all Israel.

22And did eat and drink before the LORD on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him unto the LORD to be the chief governor, and Zadok to be priest.

That day they ate and drank with great joy before the LORD. Then they made David's son Solomon king a second time. They poured oil on him to show he was chosen as ruler. They chose Zadok to be the priest.

23Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.

So Solomon sat on the LORD's throne as king in place of his father David. Things went well for him. All Israel obeyed him.

24And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king.

All the leaders and the strong soldiers promised to obey King Solomon. All of King David's other sons promised too.

25And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

The LORD made Solomon very great in front of all Israel. He gave Solomon more royal honor than any king in Israel before him.

15But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD:

But some priests from the family of Levi are different. They are the sons of Zadok. They kept doing their work in my holy place when Israel turned away from me. They may come near and serve me. They will stand before me and offer the fat and the blood, says the Lord GOD.

16They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.

Only they may go into my holy place. They may come near my table to serve me. They will do the work I give them.

17And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.

When they enter the gates of the inner courtyard, they must wear clothes made of linen. Linen is cloth made from a plant. They must not wear wool while they serve there or inside.

18They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.

They will wear linen cloths wrapped on their heads. They will wear linen shorts underneath. They must not wear anything that makes them sweat.

19And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.

Then they go out to the outer courtyard where the people are. First they must take off the clothes they served in. They leave those clothes in the holy rooms. Then they put on other clothes. That way the holiness of those clothes does not pass to the people.

20Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.

They must not shave their heads bald. They must not let their hair grow long. They must keep their hair carefully trimmed.

21Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.

No priest may drink wine before he goes into the inner courtyard.

22Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.

They must not marry a widow or a woman whose husband sent her away. They must marry a young woman from Israel who has never been married. They may also marry the widow of a priest.

23And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

They must teach my people what is holy and what is not. They must show them what is clean and what is unclean.

24And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.

When people argue, the priests will decide who is right. They must decide by my rules. They must keep my laws at all my special feasts. They must keep my Sabbath days holy. The Sabbath is the day set apart for rest.