The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 And the rulers of the people were living in Jerusalem: the rest of the people made selection, by the decision of chance, of one out of every ten to be living in Jerusalem, the holy town; the other nine to go to the other towns.
1
The leaders settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people drew lots to choose one family out of every ten to go and live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the rest were to live in the other cities and towns.
2 And the people gave a blessing to all the men who were freely offering to take up their places in Jerusalem.
2
The people praised anyone else who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
3 Now these are the chiefs of the divisions of the country who were living in Jerusalem: but in the towns of Judah everyone was living on his heritage in the towns, that is, Israel, the priests, the Levites, the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon's servants.
3
In the other towns and cities the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the Temple workers, and the descendants of Solomon's servants lived on their own property in their own towns. The following is the list of the leading citizens of the province of Judah who lived in Jerusalem:
4 And in Jerusalem there were living certain of the children of Judah and of Benjamin. Of the children of Judah: Athaiah, the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the children of Perez;
4
[Members of the tribe of Judah:] Athaiah, the son of Uzziah and grandson of Zechariah. His other ancestors included Amariah, Shephatiah, and Mahalalel, descendants of Judah's son Perez.
5 And Maaseiah, the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite.
5
Maaseiah, the son of Baruch and grandson of Colhozeh. His other ancestors included Hazaiah, Adaiah, Joiarib, and Zechariah, descendants of Judah's son Shelah.
6 All the sons of Perez living in Jerusalem were four hundred and sixty-eight men of good position.
6
Of the descendants of Perez, 468 outstanding soldiers lived in Jerusalem.
7 And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu, the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah.
7
[Members of the tribe of Benjamin:] Sallu, the son of Meshullam and grandson of Joed. His other ancestors included Pedaiah, Kolaiah, Maaseiah, Ithiel, and Jeshaiah.
8 And after him Gabbai, Sallai, nine hundred and twenty-eight.
8
Gabbai and Sallai, close relatives of Sallu. In all, 928 Benjaminites lived in Jerusalem.
9 And Joel, the son of Zichri, was their overseer; and Judah, the son of Hassenuah, was second over the town.
9
Joel son of Zichri was their leader, and Judah son of Hassenuah was the second ranking official in the city.
10 Of the priests: Jedaiah, the son of Joiarib, Jachin,
10
[Priests:] Jedaiah son of Joiarib, and Jachin.
11 Seraiah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God,
11
Seraiah, the son of Hilkiah and grandson of Meshullam. His ancestors included Zadok, Meraioth, and Ahitub, who was the High Priest.
12 And their brothers who did the work of the house, eight hundred and twenty-two; and Adaiah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,
12
In all, 822 members of this clan served in the Temple. Adaiah, the son of Jeroham and grandson of Pelaliah. His ancestors included Amzi, Zechariah, Pashhur, and Malchijah.
13 And his brothers, heads of families, two hundred and forty-two; and Amashsai, the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,
13
In all, 242 members of this clan were heads of families. Amashsai, the son of Azarel and grandson of Ahzai. His ancestors included Meshillemoth and Immer.
14 And their brothers, men of war, a hundred and twenty-eight; and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of Haggedolim.
14
There were 128 members of this clan who were outstanding soldiers. Their leader was Zabdiel, a member of a leading family.
15 And of the Levites: Shemaiah, the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni,
15
[Levites:] Shemaiah, the son of Hasshub and grandson of Azrikam. His ancestors included Hashabiah and Bunni.
16 And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who were responsible for the outside business of the house of God;
16
Shabbethai and Jozabad, prominent Levites in charge of the work outside the Temple.
17 And Mattaniah, the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who had to give the first note of the song of praise in prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brothers, and Abda, the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
17
Mattaniah, the son of Mica and grandson of Zabdi, a descendant of Asaph. He led the Temple choir in singing the prayer of thanksgiving. Bakbukiah, who was Mattaniah's assistant. Abda, the son of Shammua and grandson of Galal, a descendant of Jeduthun.
18 All the Levites in the holy town were two hundred and eighty-four.
18
In all, 284 Levites lived in the holy city of Jerusalem.
19 In addition the door-keepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brothers who kept watch at the doors, were a hundred and seventy-two.
19
[Temple guards:] Akkub, Talmon, and their relatives, 172 in all.
20 And the rest of Israel, of the priests, the Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, every one in his heritage.
20
The rest of the people of Israel and the remaining priests and Levites lived on their own property in the other cities and towns of Judah.
21 But the Nethinim were living in the Ophel; and Ziha and Gishpa were over the Nethinim.
21
The Temple workers lived in the part of Jerusalem called Ophel and worked under the supervision of Ziha and Gishpa.
22 And the overseer of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi, the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the music-makers, who was over the business of the house of God.
22
The supervisor of the Levites who lived in Jerusalem was Uzzi, the son of Bani and grandson of Hashabiah. His ancestors included Mattaniah and Mica, and he belonged to the clan of Asaph, the clan that was responsible for the music in the Temple services.
23 For there was an order from the king about them and a regular amount for the music-makers, for their needs day by day.
23
There were royal regulations stating how the clans should take turns in leading the Temple music each day.
24 And Pethahiah, the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah, the son of Judah, was the king's servant in everything to do with the people.
24
Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the clan of Zerah and the tribe of Judah, represented the people of Israel at the Persian court.
25 And for the daughter-towns with their fields, some of the men of Judah were living in Kiriath-arba and its daughter-towns, and in Dibon and its daughter-towns, and in Jekabzeel and its daughter-towns,
25
Many of the people lived in towns near their farms. Those who were of the tribe of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba, Dibon, and Jekabzeel, and in the villages near these cities.
26 And in Jeshua, and in Moladah, and Beth-pelet,
26
They also lived in the cities of Jeshua, Moladah, Bethpelet,
27 And in Hazar-shual, and in Beer-sheba and its daughter-towns,
27
and Hazarshual, and in Beersheba and the villages around it.
28 And in Ziklag, and in Meconah and its daughter-towns,
28
They lived in the city of Ziklag, in Meconah and its villages,
29 And in En-rimmon, and in Zorah, and in Jarmuth,
29
in Enrimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth,
30 Zanoah, Adullam and their daughter-towns, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its daughter-towns. So they were living from Beer-sheba to the valley of Hinnom.
30
in Zanoah, in Adullam, and in the villages near these towns. They lived in Lachish and on the farms nearby, and in Azekah and its villages. That is to say, the people of Judah lived in the territory between Beersheba in the south and Hinnom Valley in the north.
31 And the children of Benjamin were living from Geba, at Michmash and Aija, and at Beth-el and its daughter-towns,
31
The people of the tribe of Benjamin lived in Geba, Michmash, Ai, Bethel and the nearby villages,
32 At Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
32
Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
33
Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
34
Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
35 Lod and Ono, the valley of expert workers.
35
Lod, and Ono, and in Craftsmen's Valley.
36 And of the Levites, certain divisions in Judah were joined to Benjamin.
36
Some groups of Levites that had lived in the territory of Judah were assigned to live with the people of Benjamin.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.