Today's Reading

¹For the divisions of the doorkeepers: of the Korahites, Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph.

²Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

³Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Eliehoenai the seventh.

⁴Obed-Edom had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethanel the fifth,

⁵Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peullethai the eighth; for God blessed him.

⁶Also to Shemaiah his son were sons born, who ruled over the house of their father; for they were mighty men of valor.

⁷The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, Elzabad, whose brothers were valiant men, Elihu, and Semachiah.

⁸All these were of the sons of Obed-Edom: they and their sons and their brothers, able men in strength for the service; sixty-two of Obed-Edom.

⁹Meshelemiah had sons and brothers, valiant men, eighteen.

¹⁰Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief, (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him chief),

¹¹Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brothers of Hosah were thirteen.

¹²Of these were the divisions of the doorkeepers, even of the chief men, having offices like their brothers, to minister in the house of the Lord.

¹³They cast lots, the small as well as the great, according to their fathers' houses, for every gate.

¹⁴The lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counselor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward.

¹⁵To Obed-Edom southward; and to his sons the storehouse.

¹⁶To Shuppim and Hosah westward, by the gate of Shallecheth, at the causeway that goes up, watch against watch.

¹⁷Eastward were six Levites, northward four a day, southward four a day, and for the storehouse two and two.

¹⁸For Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and two at Parbar.

¹⁹These were the divisions of the doorkeepers; of the sons of the Korahites, and of the sons of Merari.

²⁰Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of God's house, and over the treasures of the dedicated things.

²¹The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers' households belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli.

²²The sons of Jehieli: Zetham, and Joel his brother, over the treasures of the house of the Lord.

²³Of the Amramites, of the Izharites, of the Hebronites, of the Uzzielites:

²⁴and Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler over the treasures.

²⁵His brothers: of Eliezer, Rehabiah his son, and Jeshaiah his son, and Joram his son, and Zichri his son, and Shelomoth his son.

²⁶This Shelomoth and his brothers were over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which David the king, and the heads of the fathers' households, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the army, had dedicated.

²⁷They dedicated some of the spoil won in battles to repair the house of the Lord.

²⁸All that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, had dedicated, whoever had dedicated anything, it was under the hand of Shelomoth, and of his brothers.

²⁹Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges.

³⁰Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brothers, men of valor, one thousand seven hundred, had the oversight of Israel beyond the Jordan westward, for all the business of the Lord, and for the service of the king.

³¹Of the Hebronites was Jerijah the chief, even of the Hebronites, according to their generations by fathers' households. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valor at Jazer of Gilead.

³²His brothers, men of valor, were two thousand seven hundred, heads of fathers' households, whom king David made overseers over the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites, for every matter pertaining to God, and for the affairs of the king.

¹Now the children of Israel after their number, the heads of fathers' households and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king, in any matter of the divisions which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year-of every division were twenty-four thousand.

²Over the first division for the first month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

³He was of the children of Perez, the chief of all the captains of the army for the first month.

⁴Over the division of the second month was Dodai the Ahohite, and his division; and Mikloth the ruler: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

⁵The third captain of the army for the third month was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, chief: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

⁶This is that Benaiah, who was the mighty man of the thirty, and over the thirty: and of his division was Ammizabad his son.

⁷The fourth captain for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

⁸The fifth captain for this fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

⁹The sixth captain for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

¹⁰The seventh captain for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

¹¹The eighth captain for the eighth month was Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zerahites: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

¹²The ninth captain for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anathothite, of the Benjamites: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

¹³The tenth captain for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zerahites: and in his division were Twenty-four thousand.

¹⁴The eleventh captain for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

¹⁵The twelfth captain for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

¹⁶Furthermore over the tribes of Israel: of the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri the ruler: of the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maacah:

¹⁷of Levi, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel: of Aaron, Zadok:

¹⁸of Judah, Elihu, one of the brothers of David: of Issachar, Omri the son of Michael:

¹⁹of Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah: of Naphtali, Jeremoth the son of Azriel:

²⁰of the children of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah: of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah:

²¹of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah: of Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner:

²²of Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham. These were the captains of the tribes of Israel.

²³But David did not take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because the Lord had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the sky.

²⁴Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but did not finish; and there came wrath for this on Israel; neither was the number put into the account in the chronicles of king David.

²⁵Over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel: and over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah:

²⁶Over those who did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub:

²⁷and over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite: and over the increase of the vineyards for the winecellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite:

²⁸and over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the lowland was Baal Hanan the Gederite: and over the cellars of oil was Joash:

²⁹and over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite: and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai:

³⁰and over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite: and over the donkeys was Jehdeiah the Meronothite: and over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite.

³¹All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David's.

³²Also Jonathan, David's uncle, was a counselor, a man of understanding, and a scribe: and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the king's sons:

³³Ahithophel was the king's counselor: and Hushai the Archite was the king's friend:

³⁴and after Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar: and the captain of the king's army was Joab.

¹David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies who served the king by division, and the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, and the rulers over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officers, and the mighty men, even all the mighty men of valor, to Jerusalem.

²Then David the king stood up on his feet, and said, "Hear me, my brothers, and my people! As for me, it was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God; and I had prepared for the building.

³But God said to me, 'You shall not build a house for my name, because you are a man of war, and have shed blood.'

⁴However the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever. For he has chosen Judah to be prince; and in the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel.

⁵Of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons), he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the Lord's kingdom over Israel.

⁶He said to me, 'Solomon, your son, shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

⁷I will establish his kingdom forever, if he continues to do my commandments and my ordinances, as at this day.'

⁸Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God; that you may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever.

⁹You, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.

¹⁰Take heed now; for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong, and do it."

¹¹Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch of the temple, and of its houses, and of its treasuries, and of the upper rooms of it, and of the inner rooms of it, and of the place of the mercy seat;

¹²and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit, for the courts of the house of the Lord, and for all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of God's house, and for the treasuries of the dedicated things;

¹³also for the divisions of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord;

¹⁴of gold by weight for the gold, for all vessels of every kind of service; for all the vessels of silver by weight, for all vessels of every kind of service;

¹⁵by weight also for the lampstands of gold, and for its lamps, of gold, by weight for every lampstand and for its lamps; and for the lampstands of silver, by weight for every lampstand and for its lamps, according to the use of every lampstand;

¹⁶and the gold by weight for the tables of show bread, for every table; and silver for the tables of silver;

¹⁷and the forks, and the basins, and the cups, of pure gold; and for the golden bowls by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls by weight for every bowl;

¹⁸and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot, the cherubim, that spread out, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

¹⁹"All this," said David, "I have been made to understand in writing from the hand of the Lord, even all the works of this pattern."

²⁰David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do it. Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not fail you, nor forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.

²¹Behold, there are the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for all the service of God's house. There shall be with you in all kinds of work every willing man who has skill, for any kind of service. Also the captains and all the people will be entirely at your command."

¹Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;

²through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

³Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance;

⁴and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope:

⁵and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

⁶For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

⁷For rarely does one die for the righteous. Yet perhaps for a good person someone might dare to die.

⁸But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God's wrath through him.

¹⁰For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.

¹¹Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

¹²Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned.

¹³For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law.

¹⁴Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren't like Adam's disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.

¹⁵But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

¹⁶The gift is not as through one who sinned: for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification.

¹⁷For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.

¹⁹For as through the one man's disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous.

²⁰The law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly;

²¹that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹ I was glad when they said to me, "Let's go to the Lord's house!"

²Our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem;

³Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together;

⁴where the tribes go up, even the tribes of Yah, according to an ordinance for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

⁵For there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of David's house.

⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper.

⁷Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.

⁸For my brothers' and companions' sakes, I will now say, "Peace be within you."

⁹For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

¹He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.

²When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

³Whoever loves wisdom brings joy to his father; but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

⁴The king by justice makes the land stable, but he who takes bribes tears it down.

⁵A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

⁶An evil man is snared by his sin, but the righteous can sing and be glad.

⁷The righteous care about justice for the poor. The wicked aren't concerned about knowledge.

⁸Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.

⁹If a wise man goes to court with a foolish man, the fool rages or scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰The bloodthirsty hate a man of integrity; and they seek the life of the upright.

¹¹A fool vents all of his anger, but a wise man brings himself under control.

¹²If a ruler listens to lies, all of his officials are wicked.

¹³The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴The king who fairly judges the poor, his throne shall be established forever.

¹⁵The rod of correction gives wisdom, but a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.

¹⁶When the wicked increase, sin increases; but the righteous will see their downfall.

¹⁷Correct your son, and he will give you peace; yes, he will bring delight to your soul.

¹⁸Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but one who keeps the Law is blessed.

¹⁹A servant can't be corrected by words. Though he understands, yet he will not respond.

²⁰Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²¹He who pampers his servant from youth will have him become a son in the end.

²²An angry man stirs up strife, and a wrathful man abounds in sin.

²³A man's pride brings him low, but one of lowly spirit gains honor.

²⁴Whoever is an accomplice of a thief is an enemy of his own soul. He takes an oath, but dares not testify.

²⁵The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in the Lord is kept safe.

²⁶Many seek the ruler's favor, but a man's justice comes from the Lord.

²⁷A dishonest man detests the righteous, and the upright in their ways detest the wicked.