Today's Reading

¹These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,

²Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

³The sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah; which three were born to him of Shua's daughter the Canaanitess. Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and he killed him.

⁴Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.

⁵The sons of Perez: Hezron, and Hamul.

⁶The sons of Zerah: Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara; five of them in all.

⁷The sons of Carmi: Achar, the troubler of Israel, who committed a trespass in the devoted thing.

⁸The sons of Ethan: Azariah.

⁹The sons also of Hezron, who were born to him: Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai.

¹⁰Ram became the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah;

¹¹and Nahshon became the father of Salma, and Salma became the father of Boaz,

¹²and Boaz became the father of Obed, and Obed became the father of Jesse;

¹³and Jesse became the father of his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimea the third,

¹⁴Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,

¹⁵Ozem the sixth, David the seventh;

¹⁶and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

¹⁷Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.

¹⁸Caleb the son of Hezron became the father of children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.

¹⁹Azubah died, and Caleb took to him Ephrath, who bore him Hur.

²⁰Hur became the father of Uri, and Uri became the father of Bezalel.

²¹Afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he took as wife when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Segub.

²²Segub became the father of Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.

²³Geshur and Aram took the towns of Jair from them, with Kenath, and its villages, even sixty cities. All these were the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.

²⁴After that Hezron was dead in Caleb Ephrathah, then Abijah Hezron's wife bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

²⁵The sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, Ahijah.

²⁶Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.

²⁷The sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker.

²⁸The sons of Onam were Shammai, and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab, and Abishur.

²⁹The name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail; and she bore him Ahban, and Molid.

³⁰The sons of Nadab: Seled, and Appaim; but Seled died without children.

³¹The sons of Appaim: Ishi. The sons of Ishi: Sheshan. The sons of Sheshan: Ahlai.

³²The sons of Jada the brother of Shammai: Jether, and Jonathan; and Jether died without children.

³³The sons of Jonathan: Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.

³⁴Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha.

³⁵Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant as wife; and she bore him Attai.

³⁶Attai became the father of Nathan, and Nathan became the father of Zabad,

³⁷and Zabad became the father of Ephlal, and Ephlal became the father of Obed,

³⁸and Obed became the father of Jehu, and Jehu became the father of Azariah,

³⁹and Azariah became the father of Helez, and Helez became the father of Eleasah,

⁴⁰and Eleasah became the father of Sismai, and Sismai became the father of Shallum,

⁴¹and Shallum became the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah became the father of Elishama.

⁴²The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron.

⁴³The sons of Hebron: Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema.

⁴⁴Shema became the father of Raham, the father of Jorkeam; and Rekem became the father of Shammai.

⁴⁵The son of Shammai was Maon; and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.

⁴⁶Ephah, Caleb's concubine, bore Haran, and Moza, and Gazez; and Haran became the father of Gazez.

⁴⁷The sons of Jahdai: Regem, and Jothan, and Geshan, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph.

⁴⁸Maacah, Caleb's concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah.

⁴⁹She bore also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbena, and the father of Gibea; and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah.

⁵⁰These were the sons of Caleb, the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim,

⁵¹Salma the father of Bethlehem, Hareph the father of Beth Gader.

⁵²Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim had sons: Haroeh, half of the Menuhoth.

⁵³The families of Kiriath Jearim: The Ithrites, and the Puthites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; of them came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites.

⁵⁴The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, and the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites.

⁵⁵The families of scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came of Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.

¹Now these were the sons of David, who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess;

²the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;

³the fifth, Shephatiah of Abital; the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife:

⁴six were born to him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months. In Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years;

⁵and these were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel;

⁶and Ibhar, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,

⁷and Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

⁸and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.

⁹All these were the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines; and Tamar was their sister.

¹⁰Solomon's son was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,

¹¹Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,

¹²Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,

¹³Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,

¹⁴Amon his son, Josiah his son.

¹⁵The sons of Josiah: the firstborn Yochanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.

¹⁶The sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son.

¹⁷The sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son,

¹⁸and Malchiram, and Pedaiah, and Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

¹⁹The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel, and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam, and Hananiah; and Shelomith was their sister;

²⁰and Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushab Hesed, five.

²¹The sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah, and Jeshaiah; the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shecaniah.

²²The sons of Shecaniah: Shemaiah. The sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, and Igal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat, six.

²³The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, and Hizkiah, and Azrikam, three.

²⁴The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Yochanan, and Delaiah, and Anani, seven.

¹The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.

²Reaiah the son of Shobal became the father of Jahath; and Jahath became the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.

³These were the sons of the father of Etam: Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi;

⁴and Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.

⁵Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

⁶Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.

⁷The sons of Helah were Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.

⁸Hakkoz became the father of Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.

⁹Jabez was more honorable than his brothers: and his mother named him Jabez, saying, Because I bore him with sorrow.

¹⁰Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that it not be to my sorrow! God granted him that which he requested.

¹¹Chelub the brother of Shuhah became the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.

¹²Eshton became the father of Beth Rapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash. These are the men of Recah.

¹³The sons of Kenaz: Othniel, and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath.

¹⁴Meonothai became the father of Ophrah: and Seraiah became the father of Joab the father of Ge Harashim; for they were craftsmen.

¹⁵The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the sons of Elah; and Kenaz.

¹⁶The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

¹⁷The sons of Ezrah: Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon; and she bore Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

¹⁸His wife Yehudiyah bore Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. These are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.

¹⁹The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.

²⁰The sons of Shimon: Amnon, and Rinnah, Ben Hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth, and Ben Zoheth.

²¹The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those who worked fine linen, of the house of Ashbea;

²²and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. The records are ancient.

²³These were the potters, and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah: there they lived with the king for his work.

²⁴The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul;

²⁵Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.

²⁶The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son.

²⁷Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many children, neither did all their family multiply like the children of Judah.

²⁸They lived at Beersheba, and Moladah, and Hazarshual,

²⁹and at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,

³⁰and at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,

³¹and at Beth Marcaboth, and Hazar Susim, and at Beth Biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities to the reign of David.

³²Their villages were Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities;

³³and all their villages that were around the same cities, to Baal. These were their habitations, and they have their genealogy.

³⁴Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah,

³⁵and Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,

³⁶and Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,

³⁷and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah-

³⁸these mentioned by name were princes in their families: and their fathers' houses increased greatly.

³⁹They went to the entrance of Gedor, even to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.

⁴⁰They found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for those who lived there before were of Ham.

⁴¹These written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and struck their tents, and the Meunim who were found there, and destroyed them utterly to this day, and lived in their place; because there was pasture there for their flocks.

⁴²Some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to Mount Seir, having for their leaders Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

⁴³They struck the remnant of the Amalekites who escaped, and have lived there to this day.

¹Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

²Then the high priest and the principal men of the Judeans informed him against Paul, and they begged him,

³asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem; plotting to kill him on the way.

⁴However Festus answered that Paul should be kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart shortly.

⁵"Let them therefore," said he, "that are in power among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him."

⁶When he had stayed among them more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.

⁷When he had come, the Judeans who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove,

⁸while he said in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all."

⁹But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Judeans, answered Paul and said, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, and be judged by me there concerning these things?"

¹⁰But Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Judeans, as you also know very well.

¹¹For if I have done wrong, and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!"

¹²Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you shall go."

¹³Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the King and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and greeted Festus.

¹⁴As they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;

¹⁵about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Jewish elders informed me, asking for a sentence against him.

¹⁶To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man, before the accused has met the accusers face to face, and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.

¹⁷When therefore they had come together here, I did not delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought.

¹⁸Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such things as I supposed;

¹⁹but had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

²⁰Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters.

²¹But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar."

²²Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him."

²³So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

²⁴Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Judeans petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.

²⁶Of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after examination, I may have something to write.

²⁷For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him."

¹When Israel went forth out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign language;

²Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

³The sea saw it, and fled. The Jordan was driven back.

⁴The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs.

⁵What was it, you sea, that you fled? You Jordan, that you turned back?

⁶You mountains, that you skipped like rams; you little hills, like lambs?

⁷Tremble, you earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

⁸who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of waters.

¹The king's heart is in the Lord's hand like the watercourses. He turns it wherever he desires.

²Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.

³To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

⁴A high look, and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, is sin.

⁵The plans of the diligent surely lead to profit; and everyone who is hasty surely rushes to poverty.

⁶Getting treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor for those who seek death.

⁷The violence of the wicked will drive them away, because they refuse to do what is right.

⁸The way of the guilty is devious, but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

⁹It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than to share a house with a contentious woman.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.

¹¹When the mocker is punished, the simple gains wisdom. When the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.

¹²The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked, and brings the wicked to ruin.

¹³Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall not be heard.

¹⁴A gift in secret pacifies anger; and a bribe in the cloak, strong wrath.

¹⁵It is joy to the righteous to do justice; but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.

¹⁶The man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall rest in the assembly of the dead.

¹⁷He who loves pleasure shall be a poor man. He who loves wine and oil shall not be rich.

¹⁸The wicked is a ransom for the righteous; the treacherous for the upright.

¹⁹It is better to dwell in a desert land, than with a contentious and fretful woman.

²⁰There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man swallows it up.

²¹He who follows after righteousness and kindness finds life, righteousness, and honor.

²²A wise man scales the city of the mighty, and brings down the strength of its confidence.

²³Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

²⁴The proud and haughty man, "scoffer" is his name; he works in the arrogance of pride.

²⁵The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.

²⁶There are those who covet greedily all day long; but the righteous give and do not withhold.

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination: how much more, when he brings it with a wicked mind!

²⁸A false witness will perish, and a man who listens speaks to eternity.

²⁹A wicked man hardens his face; but as for the upright, he establishes his ways.

³⁰There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.

³¹The horse is prepared for the day of battle; but victory is with the Lord.