18
till to that time they kept by their whiles in the gate of the king at the east, of the sons of Levi. (until that time, they had all been guards, or doorkeepers, in the companies of the Levites, at the King's Gate, on the east.)
19
Shallum forsooth, the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, with his brethren, and with the house of his father; these be the sons of Korah upon the works of the service, keepers of the porches of the tabernacle, and the families of them kept by whiles, or times, the entering of the castles of the Lord. (And Shallum, the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, with his kinsmen, of the house of his father; these Korahites were in charge of the guards at the entrance to the Tabernacle; for their families had long guarded the entrances to the tents, or to the camp, of the Lord.)
20
And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, was the duke of them before the Lord. (And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, had been their leader before, the Lord be with him!)
21
And Zechariah, the son of Meshelemiah, was porter of the gate of the tabernacle of witnessing. (And Zechariah, the son of Meshelemiah, was the guard at the gate to the Tabernacle of the Witnessing.)
22
All these chosen into porters by (the) gates were two hundred and twelve, and they were described, or presented, in their own towns, which deacons, or ministers, David and Samuel, the prophet, ordained in their faith, (All these chosen to be guards at the gates were two hundred and twelve, and they were listed in their own towns, and David, and the prophet Samuel, had ordained these Levites, or these ministers, for their faithfulness,)
23
both them and the sons of them in the doors of the house of the Lord, and in the tabernacle of witnessing, by their whiles. (both them and their sons to be at the doors of the House of the Lord, that is, at the entrance to the Tabernacle of the Witnessing, by their watches.)
24
Porters were by four coasts (Guards were on four sides), that is, at the east, at the west, at the north, and at the south.
25
And their brethren dwelled in towns, and came in their sabbaths from time till to time. (And their kinsmen lived in their towns, and came for seven days at a time, each in their turn.)
26
All the number of porters was betaken to these four deacons, and they kept (charge of) the chambers, and the treasures of the house of the Lord. (These four chief guards, or doorkeepers, were Levites; and they were greatly trusted, and kept charge of the rooms, and the supplies of the House of the Lord.)
27
Also they dwelled in their keepings by the compass of the temple of the Lord, that when time were, they should open the gates early. (And they lived in their residences about the Temple of the Lord, so that at the proper time, they could open the gates every morning.)
28
Men of their kin were also on the vessels of [the] service; for the vessels were borne in at the number, and were borne out of them. (Men of their kin were also in charge of the vessels used in the service; for the vessels were borne in and borne out by them, by number.)