The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday July 7, 2022 (NIV)

1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17

Ashhur, Tekoa’s father, had two wives, Helah and Naarah. Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari for him. This was Naarah’s family.

Helah’s family: Zereth, Zohar,[a] and Ethnan. Koz was the father of Anub, Hazzobebah, and the clans of Aharhel, Harum’s son.

Jabez was more honored than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I bore him in pain.”[b] 10 Jabez called on Israel’s God: “If only you would greatly bless me and increase my territory. May your power go with me to keep me from trouble, so as not to cause me pain.” And God granted his request.

11 Chelub, Shuhah’s brother, was the father of Mehir, who was Eshton’s father. 12 Eshton was the father of Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, Ir-nahash’s father. These are the men of Recah.

13 Kenaz’s family: Othniel and Seraiah. Othniel’s family: Hathath and Meonothai.[c] 14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab the father of Ge-harashim,[d] so-called because they were skilled workers. 15 The family of Caleb, Jephunneh’s son: Iru, Elah, and Naam. This was Kenaz’s family.[e]

16 Jehallelel’s family: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

17 Ezrah’s family:[f] Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Jether was the father of[g] Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, Eshtemoa’s father. 18 His Judean wife gave birth to Jered, Gedor’s father; Heber, Soco’s father; and Jekuthiel, Zanoah’s father.

This is the family of Bithiah, Pharaoh’s daughter, whom Mered married. 19 The family of his Judean wife,[h] the sister of Naham, Keilah’s father the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

20 Shimon’s family: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon.

Ishi’s family: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth.

21 The family of Shelah, Judah’s son: Er, Lecah’s father; Laadah, Mareshah’s father; the clans of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea; 22 Jokim; the men of Cozeba; Joash; and Saraph, who married into[i] Moab but returned to Bethlehem[j] (the records are ancient). 23 They were the potters who lived in Netaim and Gederah; they lived there with the king in his service.

Simeon’s line

24 Simeon’s family: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul, 25 his son Shallum, his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma. 26 Mishma’s family: his son Hammuel, his son Zaccur, and his son Shimei. 27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers didn’t have many children, and none of their clans became as numerous as the Judeans.

28 They lived in Beer-sheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, 29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their towns until David became king. 32 Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five towns— 33 as well as all their villages around these towns as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept their own family records:

34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, 35 Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah son of Seraiah son of Asiel, 36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37 and Ziza son of Shiphi son of Allon son of Jedaiah son of Shimri son of Shemaiah. 38 These mentioned by name were leaders in their clans, and their households increased greatly.

39 They went to the entrance of Gedor, as far as the east side of the valley, to find pasture for their flocks. 40 They found fertile pasture, and the land was spacious, quiet, and peaceful; the people of Ham used to live there. 41 These whose names were recorded, however, came in the days of Judah’s King Hezekiah, attacked their tents and the Meunim[k] found there, and completely destroyed them, as can be seen today. They settled in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks. 42 Some of them, five hundred Simeonites, went to Mount Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, Ishi’s sons. 43 They struck down those who were left of the Amalekites and have lived there ever since.

Lines of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh

The family of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son: he was actually the oldest, but when he dishonored his father’s bed his birthright[l] was given to the family of Joseph, Israel’s son, so Reuben isn’t listed as the oldest in the records. Although Judah became the strongest among his brothers and a leader came from him, the birthright belonged to Joseph.

The family of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

Joel’s family: his son Shemaiah, his son Gog, his son Shimei, his son Micah, his son Reaiah, his son Baal, and his son Beerah, whom Assyria’s King Tilgath-pilneser carried away into exile. He was a chief of the Reubenites. His relatives, by their[m] clans when their genealogy was listed in the records, were: Jeiel the first; Zechariah; and Bela, Azaz’s son, Shema’s grandson, and Joel’s great-grandson.

They lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. They also settled in the east as far as the edge of the desert that stretches to the Euphrates River, because their livestock had increased in the land of Gilead. 10 In Saul’s days they waged war on the Hagrites, whom they defeated. So they lived in their tents throughout the entire region east of Gilead.

11 Gad’s family lived opposite them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah: 12 Joel was the first, Shapham the second, and Janai governed[n] Bashan.

13 Their relatives according to their households: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber—seven in all.

14 This was the family of Abihail son of Huri son of Jaroah son of Gilead son of Michael son of Jeshishai son of Jahdo son of Buz. 15 Ahi, Abdiel’s son and Guni’s grandson, was the head of their household.

16 They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and as far as the boundaries of all the open lands of Sharon. 17 They were all listed in the records in the days of Judah’s King Jotham and Israel’s King Jeroboam.

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Chronicles 4:7 Qere, LXX; Kethib Izhar
  2. 1 Chronicles 4:9 Heb sounds like Jabez.
  3. 1 Chronicles 4:13 LXX, Vulg; MT lacks Meonothai.
  4. 1 Chronicles 4:14 Or the valley of skilled workers
  5. 1 Chronicles 4:15 Cf 4:13; MT the family of Elah and Kenaz
  6. 1 Chronicles 4:17 LXX, Vulg; MT son
  7. 1 Chronicles 4:17 LXX; MT and she conceived
  8. 1 Chronicles 4:19 LXX; MT the wife of Hodiah
  9. 1 Chronicles 4:22 Or ruled over
  10. 1 Chronicles 4:22 Cf Tg, Vulg; MT Lehem returned
  11. 1 Chronicles 4:41 Qere; Kethib Meinim
  12. 1 Chronicles 5:1 Or oldest son’s rights
  13. 1 Chronicles 5:7 LXXL, Syr; MT his
  14. 1 Chronicles 5:12 LXX, Tg; MT Shaphat in
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Acts 25

Paul appeals to Caesar

25 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. The chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. Appealing to him, they asked as a favor from Festus that he summon Paul to Jerusalem. They were planning to ambush and kill him along the way. But Festus responded by keeping Paul in Caesarea, since he was to return there very soon himself. “Some of your leaders can come down with me,” he said. “If he’s done anything wrong, they can bring charges against him.”

He stayed with them for no more than eight or ten days, then went down to Caesarea. The following day he took his seat in the court and ordered that Paul be brought in. When he arrived, many Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him. They brought serious charges against him, but they couldn’t prove them. In his own defense, Paul said, “I’ve done nothing wrong against the Jewish Law, against the temple, or against Caesar.”

Festus, wanting to put the Jews in his debt, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me concerning these things?”

10 Paul replied, “I’m standing before Caesar’s court. I ought to be tried here. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you well know. 11 If I’m guilty and have done something that deserves death, then I won’t try to avoid death. But if there is nothing to their accusations against me, no one has the authority to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

12 After Festus conferred with his advisors, he responded, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go.”

King Agrippa informed about Paul

13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea to welcome Festus. 14 Since they were staying there for many days, Festus discussed the case against Paul with the king. He said, “There is a man whom Felix left in prison. 15 When I was in Jerusalem, the Jewish chief priests and elders brought charges against him and requested a guilty verdict in his case. 16 I told them it is contrary to Roman practice to hand someone over before they have faced their accusers and had opportunity to offer a defense against the charges. 17 When they came here, I didn’t put them off. The very next day I took my seat in the court and ordered that the man be brought before me. 18 When the accusers took the floor, they didn’t charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they quibbled with him about their own religion and about some dead man named Jesus, who Paul claimed was alive. 20 Since I had no idea how to investigate these matters, I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to stand trial there on these issues. 21 However, Paul appealed that he be held in custody pending a decision from His Majesty the emperor, so I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.”

22 Agrippa said to Festus, “I want to hear the man myself.”

“Tomorrow,” Festus replied, “you will hear him.”

23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great fanfare. They entered the auditorium with the military commanders and the city’s most prominent men. Festus then ordered that Paul be brought in. 24 Festus said, “King Agrippa and everyone present with us: You see this man! The entire Jewish community, both here and in Jerusalem, has appealed to me concerning him. They’ve been calling for his immediate death. 25 I’ve found that he has done nothing deserving death. When he appealed to His Majesty, I decided to send him to Rome. 26 I have nothing definite to write to our lord emperor. Therefore, I’ve brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this investigation, I might have something to write. 27 After all, it would be foolish to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Psalm 5

Psalm 5

For the music leader. For the flutes. A psalm of David.

Hear my words, Lord!
Consider my groans!
Pay attention to the sound of my cries, my king and my God,
because I am praying to you!
Lord, in the morning you hear my voice.
In the morning I lay it all out before you.
Then I wait expectantly.
Because you aren’t a God
who enjoys wickedness;
evil doesn’t live with you.
Arrogant people won’t last long
in your sight;
you hate all evildoers;
you destroy liars.
The Lord despises people who are violent and dishonest.

But me? I will enter your house
because of your abundant, faithful love;
I will bow down at your holy temple,
honoring you.
Lord, because of many enemies,
please lead me in your righteousness.
Make your way clear,
right in front of me.
Because there’s no truth in my enemies’ mouths,
all they have inside them is destruction.
Their throats are open graves;
their tongues slick with talk.
10 Condemn them, God!
Let them fail by their own plans.
Throw them out for their many sins
because they’ve rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you celebrate.
Let them sing out loud forever!
Protect them
so that all who love your name
can rejoice in you.
12 Because you, Lord, bless the righteous.
You cover them with favor like a shield.

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Proverbs 18:19

19 An offended ally is more formidable than a city;
such quarreling is like the bars of a castle.

Common English Bible (CEB)

Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible