They and their descendants were assigned to guard the gates of the Lord’s sanctuary (that is, the tabernacle).

He made framed windows for the temple.

I will be like a moth to Ephraim, like wood rot to the house of Judah.

Tell the whole community of Israel, ‘In the tenth day of this month they each must take a lamb for themselves according to their families – a lamb for each household.

because the tribe of the Reubenites by their families, the tribe of the Gadites by their families, and half of the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.

Now, to show my commitment to the temple of my God, I donate my personal treasure of gold and silver to the temple of my God, in addition to all that I have already supplied for this holy temple.

When they came to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders offered voluntary offerings for the temple of God in order to rebuild it on its site.

The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about these things.

“As for the sons of Merari, you are to number them by their families and by their clans.

Those numbered from the families of the Merarites, by their families, by their clans,

Jeroboam then thought to himself: “Now the Davidic dynasty could regain the kingdom.

Ahi son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was the leader of the family.

They cast lots, both young and old, according to their families, to determine which gate they would be responsible for.

They had dedicated some of the plunder taken in battles to be used for repairs on the Lord’s temple.

Indeed, the leaders sit there on thrones and make legal decisions, on the thrones of the house of David.

The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked; he overthrows the wicked to their ruin.

The Lord says this to the family of Israel: “Seek me so you can live!

Now I understand that you have gone away because you longed desperately for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?”

And to help you there is to be a man from each tribe, each man the head of his family.

The sons of Merari by their families were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their clans.