To The Word – Day 138

₁Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

₂Kohath had four sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

₃Amram had two sons, Aaron and Moses, and one daughter, Miriam.

Aaron had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

₄The descendants of Eleazar from generation to generation are as follows: Phinehas, Abishua, ₅Bukki, Uzzi, ₆Zerahiah, Meraioth, ₇Amariah, Ahitub, ₈Zadok, Ahimaaz, ₉Azariah, Johanan, ₁₀Azariah (the one who served in the Temple which King Solomon built in Jerusalem), ₁₁Amariah, Ahitub, ₁₂Zadok, Shallum, ₁₃Hilkiah, Azariah, ₁₄Seraiah, Jehozadak. ₁₅King Nebuchadnezzar deported Jehozadak along with the other people of Judah and Jerusalem whom the LORD sent into exile.

₁₆Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ₁₇Each of them also had sons. Gershon was the father of Libni and Shimei; ₁₈Kohath was the father of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; ₁₉and Merari was the father of Mahli and Mushi.

₂₀These are the descendants of Gershon from generation to generation: Libni, Jahath, Zimmah, ₂₁Joah, Iddo, Zerah, Jeatherai.

₂₂These are the descendants of Kohath from generation to generation: Amminadab, Korah, Assir, ₂₃Elkanah, Ebiasaph, Assir, ₂₄Tahath, Uriel, Uzziah, Shaul.

₂₅Elkanah had two sons, Amasai and Ahimoth. ₂₆These are Ahimoth's descendants from generation to generation: Elkanah, Zophai, Nahath, ₂₇Eliab, Jeroham, Elkanah.

₂₈Samuel had two sons: Joel, the elder, and Abijah, the younger.

₂₉These are the descendants of Merari from generation to generation: Mahli, Libni, Shimei, Uzzah, ₃₀Shimea, Haggiah, Asaiah.

₃₁These are the men whom King David put in charge of the music at the place of worship in Jerusalem after the Covenant Box was moved there. ₃₂They took regular turns of duty at the Tent of the LORD's presence during the time before King Solomon built the Temple. ₃₃The family lines of those who held this office are as follows:

The clan of Kohath: Heman, the leader of the first choir, was the son of Joel. His family line went back to Jacob as follows: Heman, Joel, Samuel, ₃₄Elkanah, Jeroham, Eliel, Toah, ₃₅Zuph, Elkanah, Mahath, Amasai, ₃₆Elkanah, Joel, Azariah, Zephaniah, ₃₇Tahath, Assir, Ebiasaph, Korah, ₃₈Izhar, Kohath, Levi, Jacob.

₃₉Asaph was leader of the second choir. His family line went back to Levi as follows: Asaph, Berechiah, Shimea, ₄₀Michael, Baaseiah, Malchijah, ₄₁Ethni, Zerah, Adaiah, ₄₂Ethan, Zimmah, Shimei, ₄₃Jahath, Gershon, Levi.

₄₄Ethan of the clan of Merari was the leader of the third choir. His family line went back to Levi as follows: Ethan, Kishi, Abdi, Malluch, ₄₅Hashabiah, Amaziah, Hilkiah, ₄₆Amzi, Bani, Shemer, ₄₇Mahli, Mushi, Merari, Levi.

₄₈The other Levites were assigned all the other duties at the place of worship.

₄₉Aaron and his descendants presented the offerings of incense and offered the sacrifices that were burnt on the altar. They were responsible for all the worship in the Most Holy Place and for the sacrifices by which God forgives Israel's sins. They did all this in accordance with the instructions given by Moses, God's servant. ₅₀This is the line of Aaron's descendants: Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua, ₅₁Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, ₅₂Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, ₅₃Zadok, Ahimaaz.

₅₄This is the territory assigned to the descendants of Aaron of the clan of Kohath. They received the first share of the land assigned to the Levites. ₅₅This included Hebron in the territory of Judah and the pasture lands round it. ₅₆The fields and villages, however, that belonged to the city were assigned to Caleb son of Jephunneh. _57-59The following towns were assigned to Aaron's descendants: Hebron, a city of refuge, Jattir, and the towns of Libnah, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, and Beth Shemesh, with their pasture lands. ₆₀In the territory of Benjamin they were assigned the following towns with their pasture lands: Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth. This made a total of thirteen towns for all their families to live in. ₆₁Ten towns in the territory of West Manasseh were assigned by lot to the rest of the clan of Kohath, family by family.

₆₂To the clan of Gershon, family by family, were assigned thirteen towns in the territories of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and East Manasseh in Bashan. ₆₃In the same way, twelve towns in the territories of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun were assigned to the clan of Merari, family by family. ₆₄In this way the people of Israel assigned towns for the Levites to live in, together with the pasture lands round the towns. ₆₅(The towns in the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, mentioned above, were also assigned by drawing lots.)

₆₆Some of the families of the clan of Kohath were assigned towns and pasture lands in the territory of Ephraim: ₆₇Shechem, the city of refuge in the hills of Ephraim, Gezer, ₆₈Jokmeam, Beth Horon, ₆₉Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon. ₇₀In the territory of West Manasseh they were assigned the towns of Aner and Bileam with the surrounding pasture lands.

₇₁The families of the clan of Gershon were assigned the following towns, with the surrounding pasture lands:

In the territory of East Manasseh: Golan in Bashan, and Ashtaroth.

₇₂In the territory of Issachar: Kedesh, Daberath, ₇₃Ramoth, and Anem.

₇₄In the territory of Asher: Mashal, Abdon, ₇₅Hukok, and Rehob.

₇₆In the territory of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim.

₇₇The remaining families of the clan of Merari were assigned the following towns with the surrounding pasture lands:

In the territory of Zebulun: Rimmono and Tabor.

₇₈In the territory of Reuben, east of the River Jordan beyond Jericho: Bezer on the plateau, Jahzah, ₇₉Kedemoth, and Mephaath.

₈₀In the territory of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, ₈₁Heshbon, and Jazer.

₁Issachar had four sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.

₂Tola had six sons: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel. They were heads of families of the clan of Tola and were famous soldiers. At the time of King David their descendants numbered 22,600.

₃Uzzi had one son, Izrahiah. Izrahiah and his four sons, Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah, were all heads of families. ₄They had so many wives and children that their descendants were able to provide 36,000 men for military service.

₅The official records of all the families of the tribe of Issachar listed 87,000 men eligible for military service.

₆Benjamin had three sons: Bela, Becher, and Jediael.

₇Bela had five sons: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri. They were heads of families in the clan and were all famous soldiers. Their descendants included 22,034 men eligible for military service.

₈Becher had nine sons: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. ₉The official record of their descendants by families listed 20,200 men eligible for military service.

₁₀Jediael had one son, Bilhan, and Bilhan had seven sons: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. ₁₁They were heads of families in the clan and were all famous soldiers. Their descendants included 17,200 men eligible for military service. ₁₂Shuppim and Huppim also belonged to this tribe.

Dan had one son, Hushim.

₁₃Naphtali had four sons: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum. (They were descendants of Bilhah.)

₁₄By his Aramean concubine, Manasseh had two sons, Asriel and Machir. Machir was the father of Gilead. ₁₅Machir found a wife for Huppim and one for Shuppim. His sister's name was Maacah. Machir's second son was Zelophehad, and he had only daughters.

₁₆Maacah, Machir's wife, gave birth to two sons, whom they named Peresh and Sheresh. Peresh had two sons, Ulam and Rakem, ₁₇and Ulam had a son named Bedan. These are all descendants of Gilead, the son of Machir and grandson of Manasseh.

₁₈Gilead's sister Hammolecheth had three sons: Ishod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. ₁₉(Shemida had four sons: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.)

₂₀These are the descendants of Ephraim from generation to generation: Shuthelah, Bered, Tahath, Eleadah, Tahath, ₂₁Zabad, Shuthelah. Ephraim had two other sons besides Shuthelah: Ezer and Elead, who were killed when they tried to steal the livestock belonging to the native inhabitants of Gath. ₂₂Their father Ephraim mourned for them for many days, and his relatives came to comfort him. ₂₃Then he had intercourse with his wife again, and she became pregnant and had a son. They named him Beriah, because of the trouble that had come to their family.

₂₄Ephraim had a daughter named Sheerah. She built the towns of Upper and Lower Beth Horon, and Uzzen Sheerah.

₂₅Ephraim also had a son named Rephah, whose descendants were as follows: Resheph, Telah, Tahan, ₂₆Ladan, Ammihud, Elishama, ₂₇Nun, Joshua.

₂₈The territory which they took and settled in included Bethel and the towns round it, as far east as Naaran and as far west as Gezer and the towns round it. It also included the cities of Shechem and Ayyah, and the towns round them.

₂₉The descendants of Manasseh controlled the cities of Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, and the towns round them.

All these are the places where the descendants of Joseph son of Jacob lived.

₃₀These are the descendants of Asher. He had four sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah; and one daughter, Serah.

₃₁Beriah had two sons, Heber and Malchiel. (Malchiel founded the city of Birzaith.)

₃₂Heber had three sons: Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham; and one daughter, Shua.

₃₃Japhlet also had three sons: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath.

₃₄His brother Shomer had three sons: Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.

₃₅His brother Hotham had four sons: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.

₃₆The descendants of Zophah were Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, ₃₇Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.

₃₈The descendants of Jether were Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara, ₃₉and the descendants of Ulla were Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

₄₀All these were descendants of Asher. They were heads of families, famous fighting men, outstanding leaders. Asher's descendants included 26,000 men eligible for military service.

₁Benjamin had five sons. In order of age they were Bela, Ashbel, Aharah, ₂Nohah, and Rapha.

₃The descendants of Bela were Addar, Gera, Abihud, ₄Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, ₅Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.

_6-7The descendants of Ehud were Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera. They were heads of families that lived in Geba, but which were forced out and went to live in Manahath. Gera, the father of Uzza and Ahihud, led them in this move.

_8-9Shaharaim divorced two wives, Hushim and Baara. Later, when he lived in the country of Moab, he married Hodesh and had seven sons: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, ₁₀Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. His sons all became heads of families.

₁₁He also had two sons by Hushim: Abitub and Elpaal.

₁₂Elpaal had three sons: Eber, Misham, and Shemed. It was Shemed who built the cities of Ono and Lod and the surrounding villages.

₁₃Beriah and Shema were heads of families that settled in the city of Aijalon and drove out the people who lived in the city of Gath. ₁₄Beriah's descendants included Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, ₁₅Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, ₁₆Michael, Ishpah, and Joha.

₁₇Elpaal's descendants included Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, ₁₈Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab.

₁₉Shimei's descendants included Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, ₂₀Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, ₂₁Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath.

₂₂Shashak's descendants included Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, ₂₃Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, ₂₄Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, ₂₅Iphdeiah, and Penuel.

₂₆Jeroham's descendants included Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, ₂₇Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri.

₂₈These were the ancestral heads of families and their principal descendants who lived in Jerusalem.

₂₉Jeiel founded the city of Gibeon and settled there. His wife was named Maacah, ₃₀and his eldest son, Abdon. His other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ₃₁Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, ₃₂and Mikloth, the father of Shimeah. Their descendants lived in Jerusalem near other families of their clan.

₃₃Ner was the father of Kish, and Kish was the father of King Saul. Saul had four sons: Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. ₃₄Jonathan was the father of Meribbaal, who was the father of Micah.

₃₅Micah had four sons: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. ₃₆Ahaz was the father of Jehoaddah, who was the father of three sons: Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza, ₃₇Moza the father of Binea, Binea of Raphah, Raphah of Eleasah, and Eleasah of Azel.

₃₈Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. ₃₉Azel's brother Eshek had three sons: Ulam, Jeush, and Eliphelet.

₄₀Ulam's sons were outstanding soldiers and archers. He had 150 sons and grandsons in all. All those named above were members of the tribe of Benjamin.

₁All the people of Israel were listed according to their families, and this information was recorded in The Book of the Kings of Israel.

The people of Judah had been deported to Babylon as punishment for their sins. ₂The first to return to their property in the cities included Israelite citizens, priests, Levites, and temple workers. ₃People from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh went to live in Jerusalem.

_4-6There were 690 families of the tribe of Judah who lived in Jerusalem.

The descendants of Judah's son Perez had as their leader Uthai, the son of Ammihud and grandson of Omri. His other ancestors included Imri and Bani.

The descendants of Judah's son Shelah had as their leader Asaiah, who was the head of his family.

The descendants of Judah's son Zerah had Jeuel as their leader.

_7-8The following members of the tribe of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem:

₉There were 956 families of this tribe living there. All the men named above were heads of families.

_10-12The following priests lived in Jerusalem:

₁₃The priests who were heads of families totalled 1,760. They were experts in all the work carried on in the Temple.

_14-16The following Levites lived in Jerusalem:

₁₇The following temple guards lived in Jerusalem: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman. Shallum was their leader. ₁₈Down to that time members of their clans had been stationed at the eastern entrance to the King's Gate. Formerly they had stood guard at the gates to the camps of the Levites.

₁₉Shallum, the son of Kore and grandson of Ebiasaph, together with his fellow-members of the clan of Korah, was responsible for guarding the entrance to the Tent of the LORD's presence, just as their ancestors had been when they were in charge of the LORD's camp. ₂₀Phinehas son of Eleazar — may the LORD be with him! — had supervised them at one time.

₂₁Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was also a guard at the entrance to the Tent of the LORD's presence.

₂₂In all, 212 men were chosen as guards for the entrances and gates. They were registered according to the villages where they lived. It was King David and the prophet Samuel who had put their ancestors in these responsible positions. ₂₃They and their descendants continued to guard the gates to the Temple. ₂₄There was a gate facing in each direction, north, south, east, and west, and each had a chief guard. ₂₅These guards were assisted by their relatives, who lived in the villages and who had to take turns at guard duty for seven days at a time. ₂₆The four chief guards were Levites and had the final responsibility. They were also responsible for the rooms in the Temple and for the supplies kept there. ₂₇They lived near the Temple, because it was their duty to guard it and to open the gates every morning.

₂₈Other Levites were responsible for the utensils used in worship. They checked them out and checked them back in every time they were used. ₂₉Others were in charge of the other sacred equipment, and of the flour, wine, olive oil, incense, and spices. ₃₀But the responsibility for mixing the spices belonged to the priests.

₃₁A Levite named Mattithiah, eldest son of Shallum, of the clan of Korah, was responsible for preparing the baked offerings. ₃₂Members of the clan of Kohath were responsible for preparing the sacred bread for the Temple every Sabbath.

₃₃Some Levite families were responsible for the temple music. The heads of these families lived in some of the temple buildings and were free from other duties, because they were on call day and night.

₃₄The men named above were heads of Levite families, according to their ancestral lines. They were the leaders who lived in Jerusalem.

₃₅Jeiel founded the city of Gibeon and settled there. His wife was named Maacah. ₃₆His eldest son was Abdon, and his other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ₃₇Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth, ₃₈the father of Shimeah. Their descendants lived in Jerusalem near other families of their clan.

₃₉Ner was the father of Kish, and Kish was the father of Saul. Saul had four sons: Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. ₄₀Jonathan was the father of Meribbaal, who was the father of Micah. ₄₁Micah had four sons: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. ₄₂Ahaz was the father of Jarah, who was the father of three sons: Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza, ₄₃Moza the father of Binea, Binea of Rephaiah, Rephaiah of Eleasah, and Eleasah of Azel.

₄₄Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan.

₁The Philistines fought a battle against the Israelites on Mount Gilboa. Many Israelites were killed there, and the rest of them, including King Saul and his sons, fled. ₂But the Philistines caught up with them and killed three of Saul's sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. ₃The fighting was heavy round Saul, and he was hit by enemy arrows and badly wounded. ₄He said to the young man carrying his weapons, “Draw your sword and kill me, to keep these godless Philistines from gloating over me.” But the young man was too terrified to do it. So Saul took his own sword and threw himself on it. ₅The young man saw that Saul was dead, so he too threw himself on his sword and died. ₆So Saul and his three sons all died together and none of his descendants ever ruled. ₇When the Israelites who lived in the Valley of Jezreel heard that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and ran off. Then the Philistines came and occupied them.

₈The day after the battle, the Philistines went to plunder the corpses, and they found the bodies of Saul and his sons lying on Mount Gilboa. ₉They cut off Saul's head, stripped off his armour, and sent messengers with them throughout Philistia to tell the good news to their idols and to their people. ₁₀They put his weapons in one of their temples and hung his head in the temple of their god Dagon. ₁₁When the people of Jabesh in Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ₁₂the bravest men went and fetched the bodies of Saul and his sons and took them to Jabesh. They buried them there under an oak and fasted for seven days.

₁₃Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD. He disobeyed the LORD's commands; he tried to find guidance by consulting the spirits of the dead ₁₄instead of consulting the LORD. So the LORD killed him and gave control of the kingdom to David son of Jesse.