1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81
18 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh were warriors who carried shield and sword, drew the bow, and were trained for war—44,760 ready for military service. 19 When they waged war on the Hagrites (the Jeturites, the Naphishites, and the Nodabites), 20 they received help against them. The Hagrites and all who were with them were handed over to them, because they cried out to God in battle. God granted their prayer because they trusted in him. 21 They seized their livestock: 50,000 of their camels, 250,000 sheep and goats, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 captives. 22 Many died, because God fought the battle. They lived there in place of the inhabitants until the exile.
23 The members of half the tribe of Manasseh lived in the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. They were very numerous.
24 These were the heads of their households:
Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel—mighty warriors, famous men, heads of their households.
25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors and faithlessly followed the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26 As a result, Israel’s God stirred up the spirit of Assyria’s King Pul, otherwise known as Assyria’s King Tilgath-pilneser, who led the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh into exile, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan River, where they remain to this day.
High priests
6 [a] Levi’s family: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
2 Kohath’s family: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
3 Amram’s family: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.
Aaron’s family: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
4 Eleazar was the father of Phinehas, Phinehas of Abishua, 5 Abishua of Bukki, Bukki of Uzzi, 6 Uzzi of Zerahiah, Zerahiah of Meraioth, 7 Meraioth of Amariah, Amariah of Ahitub, 8 Ahitub of Zadok, Zadok of Ahimaaz, 9 Ahimaaz of Azariah, Azariah of Johanan, 10 and Johanan of Azariah. He was the one who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem.
11 Azariah was the father of Amariah, Amariah of Ahitub, 12 Ahitub of Zadok, Zadok of Shallum, 13 Shallum of Hilkiah, Hilkiah of Azariah, 14 Azariah of Seraiah, and Seraiah of Jehozadak. 15 Jehozadak went away when the Lord caused Judah and Jerusalem to be exiled by Nebuchadnezzar.
Levites
16 [b] Levi’s family: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
17 These are the names of Gershom’s family: Libni and Shimei.
18 Kohath’s family: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
19 Merari’s family: Mahli and Mushi.
These are the Levites’ clans according to their fathers:
20 Of Gershom: his son Libni, his son Jahath, his son Zimmah, 21 his son Joah, his son Iddo, his son Zerah, and his son Jeatherai.
22 Kohath’s family: his son Amminadab, his son Korah, his son Assir, 23 his son Elkanah, his son Ebiasaph, his son Assir, 24 his son Tahath, his son Uriel, his son Uzziah, and his son Shaul.
25 Elkanah’s family: Amasai and Ahimoth, 26 his son Elkanah,[c] his son Zophai, his son Nahath, 27 his son Eliab, his son Jeroham, and his son Elkanah.
28 Samuel’s family: the oldest Joel,[d] and the second Abijah.
29 Merari’s family: Mahli, his son Libni, his son Shimei, his son Uzzah, 30 his son Shimea, his son Haggiah, and his son Asaiah.
Levitical singers
31 David put the following in charge of the music in the Lord’s house after the chest was placed there. 32 They ministered with song before the dwelling of the meeting tent, until Solomon built the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. They carried out their usual duties. 33 Those who served and their families were:
Kohath’s family: Heman the singer, son of Joel son of Samuel 34 son of Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Eliel son of Toah 35 son of Zuph son of Elkanah son of Mahath son of Amasai 36 son of Elkanah son of Joel son of Azariah son of Zephaniah 37 son of Tahath son of Assir son of Ebiasaph son of Korah 38 son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi son of Israel. 39 His relative was Asaph, who stood on his right, that is, Asaph son of Berechiah son of Shimea 40 son of Michael son of Baaseiah son of Malchijah 41 son of Ethni son of Zerah son of Adaiah 42 son of Ethan son of Zimmah son of Shimei 43 son of Jahath son of Gershom son of Levi.
44 On the left were their relatives, Merari’s family: Ethan son of Kishi son of Abdi son of Malluch 45 son of Hashabiah son of Amaziah son of Hilkiah 46 son of Amzi son of Bani son of Shemer 47 son of Mahli son of Mushi son of Merari son of Levi. 48 Their relatives the Levites were dedicated to all the services of the dwelling for God’s house.
Priests from Aaron’s line
49 Aaron and his sons sacrificed on the altar for entirely burned offerings and on the altar for incense, doing all the work of the holiest place, to make reconciliation for Israel, just as Moses, God’s servant, had commanded.
50 This was Aaron’s family: his son Eleazar, his son Phinehas, his son Abishua, 51 his son Bukki, his son Uzzi, his son Zerahiah, 52 his son Meraioth, his son Amariah, his son Ahitub, 53 his son Zadok, and his son Ahimaaz.
Levitical cities
54 These are the places they lived by their camps within their territory. To Aaron’s family from the Kohathite clan, as chosen by lot, 55 they gave Hebron in the land of Judah with its surrounding pasturelands. 56 But the city’s fields and its settlements they gave to Caleb, Jephunneh’s son. 57 To Aaron’s family they gave the refuge cities: Hebron, Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, 58 Hilen[e] with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, 59 Ashan with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands,[f] and Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands. 60 From Benjamin’s tribe: Gibeon with its pasturelands,[g] Geba with its pasturelands, Alemeth with its pasturelands, and Anathoth with its pasturelands. They had thirteen towns within their clan.
61 The remaining Kohathites were given ten towns by lot from the clan of half the tribe of Manasseh. 62 The Gershomites received by lot according to their clans thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan. 63 The Merarites received by lot according to their clans twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 64 In this way the Israelites gave the Levites the towns with their pasturelands. 65 They gave these towns, which they designated by name, by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
66 Some of the Kohathite clans had towns of their territory from the tribe of Ephraim. 67 They gave them refuge cities: Shechem with its pasturelands in the Ephraimite highlands, Gezer with its pasturelands, 68 Jokmeam with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands, 69 Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands; 70 and from half the tribe of Manasseh, Taanach[h] with its pasturelands, and Bileam with its pasturelands, for the Kohathite clans who remained.
71 To the Gershomites from the clan of half the tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands and Ashtaroth with its pasturelands; 72 from the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasturelands and Daberath with its pasturelands, 73 Ramoth with its pasturelands and Anem with its pasturelands; 74 from the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, and 75 Helkath[i] with its pasturelands and Rehob with its pasturelands; 76 and from the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, Hammon with its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim with its pasturelands. 77 To the remaining Merarites from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam with its pasturelands,[j] Rimmon[k] with its pasturelands, Tabor with its pasturelands, and Nahalal with its pasturelands;[l] 78 on the other side of the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, from the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the desert with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands, 79 Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands; 80 and from the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, 81 Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands.
Footnotes:
- 1 Chronicles 6:1 5:27 in Heb
- 1 Chronicles 6:16 6:1 in Heb
- 1 Chronicles 6:26 LXX; MT repeats Elkanah.
- 1 Chronicles 6:28 LXX, Syr; MT lacks Joel.
- 1 Chronicles 6:58 LXX, cf Josh 15:51; MT Hilez
- 1 Chronicles 6:59 LXX, Syr, cf Josh 21:16; MT lacks Juttah.
- 1 Chronicles 6:60 Cf Josh 21:17; MT lacks Gibeon.
- 1 Chronicles 6:70 Cf Josh 21:25; MT Aner
- 1 Chronicles 6:75 Cf Josh 21:31; MT Hukkok
- 1 Chronicles 6:77 Cf Josh 21:34; MT lacks Jokneam.
- 1 Chronicles 6:77 LXX; MT Rimmono
- 1 Chronicles 6:77 Cf Josh 21:35; MT lacks Nahalal.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Acts 26
Paul’s defense before Agrippa
26 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.”
So Paul gestured with his hand and began his defense. 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself especially fortunate that I stand before you today as I offer my defense concerning all the accusations the Jews have brought against me. 3 This is because you understand well all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I ask you to listen to me patiently. 4 Every Jew knows the way of life I have followed since my youth because, from the beginning, I was among my people and in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time. If they wanted to, they could testify that I followed the way of life set out by the most exacting group of our religion. I am a Pharisee. 6 Today I am standing trial because of the hope in the promise God gave our ancestors. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes hope to receive as they earnestly worship night and day. The Jews are accusing me, King Agrippa, because of this hope! 8 Why is it inconceivable to you that God raises the dead?
9 “I really thought that I ought to oppose the name of Jesus the Nazarene in every way possible. 10 And that’s exactly what I did in Jerusalem. I locked up many of God’s holy people in prison under the authority of the chief priests. When they were condemned to death, I voted against them. 11 In one synagogue after another—indeed, in all the synagogues—I would often torture them, compelling them to slander God. My rage bordered on the hysterical as I pursued them, even to foreign cities.
12 “On one such journey, I was going to Damascus with the full authority of the chief priests. 13 While on the road at midday, King Agrippa, I saw a light from heaven shining around me and my traveling companions. That light was brighter than the sun. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice that said to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you harassing me? It’s hard for you to kick against a spear.’[a] 15 Then I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are harassing. 16 Get up! Stand on your feet! I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you as my servant and witness of what you have seen and what I will show you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you 18 to open their eyes. Then they can turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are made holy by faith in me.’
19 “So, King Agrippa, I wasn’t disobedient to that heavenly vision. 20 Instead, I proclaimed first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to the whole region of Judea and to the Gentiles. My message was that they should change their hearts and lives and turn to God, and that they should demonstrate this change in their behavior. 21 Because of this, some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to murder me. 22 God has helped me up to this very day. Therefore, I stand here and bear witness to the lowly and the great. I’m saying nothing more than what the Prophets and Moses declared would happen: 23 that the Christ would suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to my people and to the Gentiles.”
24 At this point in Paul’s defense, Festus declared with a loud voice, “You’ve lost your mind, Paul! Too much learning is driving you mad!”
25 But Paul replied, “I’m not mad, most honorable Festus! I’m speaking what is sound and true. 26 King Agrippa knows about these things, and I have been speaking openly to him. I’m certain that none of these things have escaped his attention. This didn’t happen secretly or in some out-of-the-way place. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28 Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you trying to convince me that, in such a short time, you’ve made me a Christian?”
29 Paul responded, “Whether it is a short or a long time, I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today will become like me, except for these chains.”
30 The king stood up, as did the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them. 31 As they left, they were saying to each other, “This man is doing nothing that deserves death or imprisonment.”
32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar.”
Footnotes:
- Acts 26:14 Or goads
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Psalm 6
Psalm 6
For the music leader. On stringed instruments. According to the eighth.[a] A psalm of David.
6 Please, Lord,
don’t punish me when you are angry;
don’t discipline me when you are furious.
2 Have mercy on me, Lord,
because I’m frail.
Heal me, Lord,
because my bones are shaking in terror!
3 My whole body[b] is completely terrified!
But you, Lord! How long will this last?
4 Come back to me, Lord! Deliver me!
Save me for the sake of your faithful love!
5 No one is going to praise you
when they are dead.
Who gives you thanks
from the grave?[c]
6 I’m worn out from groaning.
Every night, I drench my bed with tears;
I soak my couch all the way through.
7 My vision fails because of my grief;
it’s weak because of all my distress.
8 Get away from me, all you evildoers,
because the Lord has heard me crying!
9 The Lord has listened to my request.
The Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be ashamed
and completely terrified;
they will be defeated
and ashamed instantly.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Proverbs 18:20-21
20 The stomach is satisfied
by the fruit of the mouth;
one’s lips can earn a satisfying income.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue;
those who love it will eat its fruit.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible