The Daily Audio Bible

¹⁸ The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas′seh had valiant men, who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty, ready for service. ¹⁹ They made war upon the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab; ²⁰ and when they received help against them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried to God in the battle, and he granted their entreaty because they trusted in him. ²¹ They carried off their livestock: fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred and fifty thousand sheep, two thousand asses, and a hundred thousand men alive. ²² For many fell slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their place until the exile.

The Half-Tribe of Manasseh

²³ The members of the half-tribe of Manas′seh dwelt in the land; they were very numerous from Bashan to Ba′al-her′mon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. ²⁴ These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: Epher,^[a] Ishi, Eli′el, Az′riel, Jeremiah, Hodavi′ah, and Jah′di-el, mighty warriors, famous men, heads of their fathers’ houses. ²⁵ But they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. ²⁶ So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Til′gath-pilne′ser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manas′seh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.

Descendants of Levi

6 ^[b] The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merar′i. ² The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uz′ziel. ³ The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abi′hu, Elea′zar, and Ith′amar. ⁴ Elea′zar was the father of Phin′ehas, Phin′ehas of Abishu′a, ⁵ Abishu′a of Bukki, Bukki of Uzzi, ⁶ Uzzi of Zerahi′ah, Zerahi′ah of Mera′ioth, ⁷ Mera′ioth of Amari′ah, Amari′ah of Ahi′tub, ⁸ Ahi′tub of Zadok, Zadok of Ahim′a-az, ⁹ Ahim′a-az of Azari′ah, Azari′ah of Joha′nan, ¹⁰ and Joha′nan of Azari′ah (it was he who served as priest in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem). ¹¹ Azari′ah was the father of Amari′ah, Amari′ah of Ahi′tub, ¹² Ahi′tub of Zadok, Zadok of Shallum, ¹³ Shallum of Hilki′ah, Hilki′ah of Azari′ah, ¹⁴ Azari′ah of Sera′iah, Sera′iah of Jeho′zadak; ¹⁵ and Jeho′zadak went into exile when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnez′zar.

^16 [c] The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merar′i. ¹⁷ And these are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shim′e-i. ¹⁸ The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uz′ziel. ¹⁹ The sons of Merar′i: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers. ²⁰ Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, ²¹ Jo′ah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Je-ath′erai his son. ²² The sons of Kohath: Ammin′adab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, ²³ Elka′nah his son, Ebi′asaph his son, Assir his son, ²⁴ Tahath his son, U′riel his son, Uzzi′ah his son, and Sha′ul his son. ²⁵ The sons of Elka′nah: Ama′sai and Ahi′moth, ²⁶ Elka′nah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, ²⁷ Eli′ab his son, Jero′ham his son, Elka′nah his son. ²⁸ The sons of Samuel: Jo′el^[d] his first-born, the second Abi′jah.^{[e] 29} The sons of Merar′i: Mahli, Libni his son, Shim′e-i his son, Uzzah his son, ³⁰ Shim′e-a his son, Haggi′ah his son, and Asa′iah his son.

Musicians Appointed by David

³¹ These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord, after the ark rested there. ³² They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem; and they performed their service in due order. ³³ These are the men who served and their sons. Of the sons of the Ko′hathites: Heman the singer the son of Jo′el, son of Samuel, ³⁴ son of Elka′nah, son of Jero′ham, son of Eli′el, son of To′ah, ³⁵ son of Zuph, son of Elka′nah, son of Mahath, son of Ama′sai, ³⁶ son of Elka′nah, son of Jo′el, son of Azari′ah, son of Zephani′ah, ³⁷ son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebi′asaph, son of Korah, ³⁸ son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel; ³⁹ and his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, namely, Asaph the son of Berechi′ah, son of Shim′e-a, ⁴⁰ son of Michael, son of Ba-ase′iah, son of Malchi′jah, ⁴¹ son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Ada′iah, ⁴² son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shim′e-i, ⁴³ son of Jahath, son of Gershom, son of Levi. ⁴⁴ On the left hand were their brethren the sons of Merar′i: Ethan the son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, ⁴⁵ son of Hashabi′ah, son of Amazi′ah, son of Hilki′ah, ⁴⁶ son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, ⁴⁷ son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merar′i, son of Levi; ⁴⁸ and their brethren the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

⁴⁹ But Aaron and his sons made offerings upon the altar of burnt offering and upon the altar of incense for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. ⁵⁰ These are the sons of Aaron: Elea′zar his son, Phin′ehas his son, Abishu′a his son, ⁵¹ Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahi′ah his son, ⁵² Mera′ioth his son, Amari′ah his son, Ahi′tub his son, ⁵³ Zadok his son, Ahim′a-az his son.

Settlements of the Levites

⁵⁴ These are their dwelling places according to their settlements within their borders: to the sons of Aaron of the families of Ko′hathites, for theirs was the lot, ⁵⁵ to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasture lands, ⁵⁶ but the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephun′neh. ⁵⁷ To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemo′a with its pasture lands, ⁵⁸ Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, ⁵⁹ Ashan with its pasture lands, and Beth-she′mesh with its pasture lands; ⁶⁰ and from the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its pasture lands, Al′emeth with its pasture lands, and An′athoth with its pasture lands. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen.

⁶¹ To the rest of the Ko′hathites were given by lot out of the family of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manas′seh, ten cities. ⁶² To the Gershomites according to their families were allotted thirteen cities out of the tribes of Is′sachar, Asher, Naph′tali, and Manas′seh in Bashan. ⁶³ To the Merar′ites according to their families were allotted twelve cities out of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zeb′ulun. ⁶⁴ So the people of Israel gave the Levites the cities with their pasture lands. ⁶⁵ They also gave them by lot out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin these cities which are mentioned by name.

⁶⁶ And some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their territory out of the tribe of E′phraim. ⁶⁷ They were given the cities of refuge: Shechem with its pasture lands in the hill country of E′phraim, Gezer with its pasture lands, ⁶⁸ Jok′me-am with its pasture lands, Beth-hor′on with its pasture lands, ⁶⁹ Ai′jalon with its pasture lands, Gath-rim′mon with its pasture lands, ⁷⁰ and out of the half-tribe of Manas′seh, Aner with its pasture lands, and Bil′e-am with its pasture lands, for the rest of the families of the Ko′hathites.

⁷¹ To the Gershomites were given out of the half-tribe of Manas′seh: Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands and Ash′taroth with its pasture lands; ⁷² and out of the tribe of Is′sachar: Kedesh with its pasture lands, Dab′erath with its pasture lands, ⁷³ Ramoth with its pasture lands, and Anem with its pasture lands; ⁷⁴ out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, ⁷⁵ Hukok with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands; ⁷⁶ and out of the tribe of Naph′tali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Ham′mon with its pasture lands, and Kiriatha′im with its pasture lands. ⁷⁷ To the rest of the Merar′ites were allotted out of the tribe of Zeb′ulun: Rim′mono with its pasture lands, Tabor with its pasture lands, ⁷⁸ and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the steppe with its pasture lands, Jahzah with its pasture lands, ⁷⁹ Ked′emoth with its pasture lands, and Meph′a-ath with its pasture lands; ⁸⁰ and out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahana′im with its pasture lands, ⁸¹ Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands.

Paul Defends Himself before Agrippa

26 Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:

² “I think myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, ³ because you are especially familiar with all customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

⁴ “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. ⁵ They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. ⁶ And now I stand here on trial for hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, ⁷ to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! ⁸ Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

⁹ “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ And I did so in Jerusalem; I not only shut up many of the saints in prison, by authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. ¹¹ And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme; and in raging fury against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

¹² “Thus I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. ¹³ At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who journeyed with me. ¹⁴ And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But rise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, ¹⁷ delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles—to whom I send you ¹⁸ to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Paul Tells of His Preaching

¹⁹ “Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but declared first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance. ²¹ For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. ²² To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: ²³ that the Christ must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.”

Paul Appeals to Agrippa to Believe

²⁴ And as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are mad; your great learning is turning you mad.” ²⁵ But Paul said, “I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth. ²⁶ For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” ²⁸ And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time you think to make me a Christian!” ²⁹ And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”

³⁰ Then the king rose, and the governor and Berni′ce and those who were sitting with them; ³¹ and when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” ³² And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Prayer for Recovery from Grave Illness

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.