The Daily Audio Bible

¹⁸ The sons of Reuben, the Gadites and the half-family group of Manasseh were powerful soldiers. They carried the battle-covering and the sword, and shot with the bow. They were able men in battle. There were 44,760 of them who went to war. ¹⁹ They made war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. ²⁰ They were given help against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand. They cried out to God in the battle. He gave them what they asked for, because they trusted in Him. ²¹ They took away their animals, 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 men. ²² Many were killed, because the war was of God. They lived in their place until they were taken away by Assyria.

The Family of Manasseh East of the Jordan River

²³ The sons of the half-family group of Manasseh lived in the land. There were many of them from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir and Mount Hermon. ²⁴ The heads of their fathers’ houses were Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were powerful soldiers, men whose names were well-known. And they were heads of their fathers’ houses.

²⁵ But they sinned against the God of their fathers. They sold themselves to the gods of the people of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. ²⁶ So the God of Israel moved the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, also known as Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria. And he carried the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-family group of Manasseh away to a strange land. He brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan. And they are there to this day.

The Family of Levi

6 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. ² The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. ³ The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ⁴ Eleazar was the father of Phinehas. Phinehas was the father of Abishua. ⁵ Abishua was the father of Bukki. Bukki was the father of Uzzi. ⁶ Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the father of Meraioth. ⁷ Meraioth was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. ⁸ Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Ahimaaz. ⁹ Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah. Azariah was the father of Johanan. ¹⁰ Johanan was the father of Azariah. (He was the one who served as the religious leader in the house which Solomon built in Jerusalem.) ¹¹ Azariah was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. ¹² Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Shallum. ¹³ Shallum was the father of Hilkiah. Hilkiah was the father of Azariah. ¹⁴ Azariah was the father of Seraiah. Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak. ¹⁵ Jehozadak was taken away when the Lord carried Judah and Jerusalem away to a strange land by Nebuchadnezzar.

¹⁶ The sons of Levi were Gershom, Kohath and Merari. ¹⁷ The names of the sons of Gershom were Libni and Shimei. ¹⁸ The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. ¹⁹ The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses. ²⁰ Of Gershom there were Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, ²¹ Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son. ²² The sons of Kohath were Amminadab, Korah his son, Assir his son, ²³ Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, ²⁴ Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Saul his son. ²⁵ The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth, ²⁶ Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, ²⁷ Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. ²⁸ The sons of Samuel were Joel the first-born, and Abijah the second. ²⁹ The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, ³⁰ Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.

Singers in the House of the Lord

³¹ David chose these men to lead the singing in the house of the Lord, after the special box with the Law of the Lord rested there. ³² They led the singing in front of the meeting tent until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. And they took their places for their work at the right times. ³³ These are the men who served, and their sons. From the sons of the Kohathites were Heman the singer, the 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. Tahath was the son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, ³⁸ son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel. ³⁹ Heman’s brother Asaph stood at his right hand. Asaph was the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, ⁴⁰ son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malchijah, ⁴¹ son of Ethni, son of Zerah. Zerah was the 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 hand were their brothers the sons of Merari. There was Ethan the son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, ⁴⁵ son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah. Amaziah was the 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 brothers the Levites were chosen for all the work of the house of God.

The Family of Aaron

⁴⁹ But Aaron and his sons gave the gifts on the altar of burnt gifts and on the altar of special perfume. They did all the work of the most holy place, to pay for the sins of Israel. They did all that Moses the servant of God had told them to do. ⁵⁰ The sons of Aaron were Eleazar, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, ⁵¹ Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, ⁵² Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, ⁵³ Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son.

⁵⁴ These are the places where they lived in their lands. The sons of Aaron of the families of the Kohathites were first to choose where to live. ⁵⁵ They were given Hebron in the land of Judah, and the fields around it. ⁵⁶ But the fields of the city and its towns were given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. ⁵⁷ The sons of Aaron were given cities where people go to be safe. These cities were Hebron, Libnah with its fields, Jatir, Eshtemoa with its fields, ⁵⁸ Hilen with its fields, Debir with its fields, ⁵⁹ Ashan with its fields, and Beth-shemesh with its fields. ⁶⁰ From the family of Benjamin they were given Geba with its fields, Allemeth with its fields, and Anathoth with its fields. There were thirteen cities in all, by their families.

⁶¹ Ten cities were given, by drawing names, to the rest of the sons of Kohath. These cities were given from the families of the half-family group of Manasseh. ⁶² Thirteen cities were given to the sons of Gershom, by their families. These cities were given from the families of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh. ⁶³ Twelve cities were given, by drawing names, to the sons of Merari, by their families. These cities were given from the families of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. ⁶⁴ So the people of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their fields. ⁶⁵ By drawing names, they gave them these cities which are written here, from the families of the sons of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin.

⁶⁶ Some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their land from the family of Ephraim. ⁶⁷ They were given cities where anyone could go to be safe. These cities were Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its fields, Gezer with its fields, ⁶⁸ Jokmeam with its fields, Beth-horon with its fields, ⁶⁹ Aijalon with its fields, and Gath-rimmon with its fields. ⁷⁰ From the half-family group of Manasseh they were given Aner with its fields and Bileam with its fields. They were for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.

⁷¹ Cities were given to the sons of Gershom from the half-family group of Manasseh. These cities were Golan in Bashan with its fields and Ashtaroth with its fields. ⁷² From the family of Issachar they were given Kedesh with its fields, Daberath with its fields, ⁷³ Ramoth with its fields, and Anem with its fields. ⁷⁴ From the family of Asher they were given Mashal with its fields, Abdon with its fields, ⁷⁵ Hukok with its fields, and Rehob with its fields. ⁷⁶ From the family of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee with its fields, Hammon with its fields, and Kiriathaim with its fields.

⁷⁷ The rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari were given cities from the family of Zebulun. These cities were Rimmono with its fields and Tabor with its fields. ⁷⁸ On the other side of the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, they were given cities from the family of Reuben. These cities were Bezer in the desert with its fields, Jahzah with its fields, ⁷⁹ Kedemoth with its fields, and Mephaath with its fields. ⁸⁰ From the family of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead with its fields, Mahanaim with its fields, ⁸¹ Heshbon with its fields, and Jazer with its fields.

Paul Speaks to King Agrippa

26 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may now speak for yourself.” Paul lifted his hand and started to talk, ² “King Agrippa, the Jews have said many things against me. I am happy to be able to tell you my side of the story. ³ You know all about the Jewish ways and problems. So I ask you to listen to me until I have finished.

⁴ “All the Jews know about my life from the time I was a boy until now. I lived among my own people in Jerusalem. ⁵ If they would tell what they know, they would say that I lived the life of a proud religious law-keeper. I was in the group of proud religious law-keepers who tried to obey every law.

⁶ “And now I am on trial here because I trust the promise God made to our fathers. ⁷ This promise is what our twelve family groups of the Jewish nation hope to see happen. They worship God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that they are saying things against me. ⁸ Why do you think it is hard to believe that God raises people from the dead?

⁹ “I used to think I should work hard against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ I did that in Jerusalem. I put many of the followers in prison. The head religious leaders gave me the right and the power to do it. Then when the followers were killed, I said it was all right. ¹¹ I beat them and tried to make them speak against God in all the Jewish places of worship. In my fight against them, I kept going after them even into cities in other countries.

¹² “When I was going to Damascus to do this, I had the right and the power from the head religious leaders to make it hard for the followers. ¹³ I was on the road at noon. King Agrippa, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun. It was shining around me and the men with me. ¹⁴ We all fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice speaking to me in the Jewish language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you working so hard against Me? You hurt yourself by trying to hurt Me.’ ¹⁵ I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, the One you are working against. ¹⁶ Get up. Stand on your feet. I have chosen you to work for Me. You will tell what you have seen and you will say what I want you to say. This is the reason I have allowed you to see Me. ¹⁷ I will keep you safe from the Jews and from the people who are not Jews. I am sending you to these people. ¹⁸ You are to open their eyes. You are to turn them from darkness to light. You are to turn them from the power of Satan to the power of God. In this way, they may have their sins forgiven. They may have what is given to them, along with all those who are set apart for God by having faith in Me.’

¹⁹ “King Agrippa, I obeyed what I saw from heaven. ²⁰ First I told what I saw to those in Damascus and then in Jerusalem. I told it through all the country of Judea. I even preached to the people who are not Jews that they should be sorry for their sins and turn from them to God. I told them they should do things to show they are sorry for their sins.

²¹ “That is why the Jews took hold of me in the house of God and tried to kill me. ²² God has helped me. To this day I have told these things to the people who are well-known and to those not known. I have told only what the early preachers and Moses said would happen. ²³ It was that Christ must suffer and be the first to rise from the dead. He would give light to the Jews and to the other nations.”

²⁴ As Paul was speaking for himself, Festus cried out in a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! All your learning keeps you from thinking right!” ²⁵ Paul said, “Most respected Festus, I am not crazy. I am speaking the truth! ²⁶ The king knows about all this. I am free to speak to him in plain words. Nothing I have said is new to him. These things happened where everyone saw them. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the writings of the early preachers? I know that you believe them.”

²⁸ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “In this short time you have almost proven to me that I should become a Christian!” ²⁹ Paul said, “My prayer to God is that you and all who hear me today would be a Christian as I am, only not have these chains!” ³⁰ King Agrippa and Festus and Bernice and those who sat with them got up. ³¹ As they left the courtroom, they said to each other, “This man has done nothing for which he should be kept in prison or be put to death.” ³² Agrippa told Festus, “This man could go free if he had not asked to be sent to Caesar.”

Prayer for Help in Time of Trouble

6 O Lord, do not speak sharp words to me in Your anger, or punish me when You are angry. ² Be kind to me, O Lord, for I am weak. O Lord, heal me for my bones are shaken. ³ My soul is in great suffering. But You, O Lord, how long? ⁴ Return, O Lord. Set my soul free. Save me because of Your loving-kindness. ⁵ No one remembers You when he is dead. Who gives You praise from the grave? ⁶ I am tired of crying inside myself. All night long my pillow is wet with tears. I flood my bed with them. ⁷ My eye has grown weak with sorrow. It has grown old because of all who hate me. ⁸ Go away from me, all you who sin. For the Lord has heard the sound of my crying. ⁹ The Lord has heard my cry for help. The Lord receives my prayer. ¹⁰ All those who hate me will be ashamed and worried. They will turn away. They will be put to shame right away.

²⁰ A man’s stomach will be filled with the fruit of his mouth. He will be filled with what his lips speak.

²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.