20 Phinehas, son of Eleazar, had been their chief in times past; the Lord was with him.
21 Zechariah, son of Meshelemiah, guarded the gate of the tent of meeting.
22 In all, those who were chosen for gatekeepers at the threshold were two hundred and twelve. They were inscribed in the family records of their villages. David and Samuel the seer had established them in their position of trust.
23 Thus they and their sons kept guard over the gates of the house of the Lord, the house which was then a tent.
24 The gatekeepers were stationed at the four sides, to the east, the west, the north, and the south.
25 Their brothers who lived in their own villages took turns in assisting them for seven-day periods,
26 while the four chief gatekeepers were on permanent duty. These were the Levites who also had charge of the chambers and treasures of the house of God.