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9 The family tree of every person in Israel was carefully recorded in The Annals of the Kings of Israel.
Judah was exiled to Babylon because the people worshiped idols.
2 The first to return and live again in their former cities were families from the tribes of Israel and also the priests, the Levites, and the Temple assistants.
3 Then some families from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh arrived in Jerusalem:
4 One family was that of Uthai (the son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani) of the clan of Perez (son of Judah).
5 The Shilonites were another family to return, including Asaiah (Shilon’s oldest son) and his sons; 6 there were also the sons of Zerah, including Jeuel and his relatives: 690 in all.
7-8 Among the members of the tribe of Benjamin who returned were these:
Sallu (the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah);
Ibneiah (the son of Jeroham);
Elah (the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri);
Meshullam (the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah).
9 These men were all chiefs of subclans. A total of 956 Benjaminites returned.
10-11 The priests who returned were:
Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin,
Azariah (the son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub). He was the chief custodian of the Temple.
12 Another of the returning priests was Adaiah (son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah).
Another priest was Maasai (son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer).
13 In all, 1,760 priests returned.
14 Among the Levites who returned was Shemaiah (son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, who was a descendant of Merari).
15-16 Other Levites who returned included:
Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal,
Mattaniah (the son of Mica, who was the son of Zichri, who was the son of Asaph),
Obadiah (the son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun),
Berechiah (the son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the area of the Netophathites).
17-18 The gatekeepers were Shallum (the chief gatekeeper), Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman—all Levites. They are still responsible for the eastern royal gate. 19 Shallum’s ancestry went back through Kore and Ebiasaph to Korah. He and his close relatives the Korahites were in charge of the sacrifices and the protection of the sanctuary, just as their ancestors had supervised and guarded the Tabernacle. 20 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, was the first director of this division in ancient times. And the Lord was with him.
21 At that time Zechariah, the son of Meshelemiah, had been responsible for the protection of the entrance to the Tabernacle. 22 There were 212 doorkeepers in those days. They were chosen from their villages on the basis of their genealogies, and they were appointed by David and Samuel because of their reliability. 23 They and their descendants were in charge of the Lord’s Tabernacle. 24 They were assigned to each of the four sides: east, west, north, and south. 25 And their relatives in the villages were assigned to help them from time to time, for seven days at a time.
26 The four head gatekeepers, all Levites, were in an office of great trust, for they were responsible for the rooms and treasuries in the Tabernacle of God. 27 Because of their important positions, they lived near the Tabernacle, and they opened the gates each morning. 28 Some of them were assigned to care for the various vessels used in the sacrifices and worship; they checked them in and out to avoid loss. 29 Others were responsible for the furniture, the items in the sanctuary, and the supplies such as fine flour, wine, incense, and spices.
30 Other priests prepared the spices and incense.
31 And Mattithiah (a Levite and the oldest son of Shallum the Korahite) was entrusted with making the flat cakes for grain offerings.
32 Some members of the Kohath clan were in charge of the preparation of the special bread[a] each Sabbath.
33-34 The cantors were all prominent Levites. They lived in Jerusalem at the Temple and were on duty at all hours. They were free from other responsibilities and were selected by their genealogies.
35-37 Jeiel (whose wife was Maacah) lived in Gibeon. He had many[b] sons, including: Gibeon, Abdon (the oldest), Zur, Kish, Baal,
38 Mikloth lived with his son Shimeam in Jerusalem near his relatives.
39 Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchi-shua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
40 Jonathan was the father of Mephibosheth;[c]
Mephibosheth was the father of Micah;
41 Micah was the father of Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz;
42 Ahaz was the father of Jarah;
Jarah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri;
Zimri was the father of Moza.
43 Moza was the father of Binea, Rephaiah, Eleasah, and Azel.
44 Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, Hanan.
10 The Philistines attacked and defeated the Israeli troops, who turned and fled and were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa.[d] 2 They caught up with Saul and his three sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, and killed them all. 3 Saul had been hard pressed with heavy fighting all around him, when the Philistine archers shot and wounded him.
4 He cried out to his bodyguard, “Quick, kill me with your sword before these uncircumcised heathen capture and torture me.”
But the man was afraid to do it, so Saul took his own sword and fell against its point; and it pierced his body. 5 Then his bodyguard, seeing that Saul was dead, killed himself in the same way. 6 So Saul and his three sons died together; the entire family was wiped out in one day.
7 When the Israelis in the valley below the mountain heard that their troops had been routed and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them. 8 When the Philistines went back the next day to strip the bodies of the men killed in action and to gather the booty from the battlefield, they found the bodies of Saul and his sons. 9 So they stripped off Saul’s armor and cut off his head; then they displayed them throughout the nation and celebrated the wonderful news before their idols. 10 They fastened his armor to the walls of the Temple of the Gods and nailed his head to the wall of Dagon’s temple.
11 But when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 their heroic warriors went out to the battlefield[e] and brought back his body and the bodies of his three sons. Then they buried them beneath the oak tree at Jabesh and mourned and fasted for seven days.
13 Saul died for his disobedience to the Lord and because he had consulted a medium,[f] 14 and did not ask the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him and gave the kingdom to David, the son of Jesse.
21 No one had eaten for a long time, but finally Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Fair Havens—you would have avoided all this injury and loss! 22 But cheer up! Not one of us will lose our lives, even though the ship will go down.
23 “For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul—for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God has granted your request and will save the lives of all those sailing with you.’ 25 So take courage! For I believe God! It will be just as he said! 26 But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”
27 About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven to and fro on the Adriatic Sea, the sailors suspected land was near. 28 They sounded and found 120 feet of water below them. A little later they sounded again and found only 90 feet. 29 At this rate they knew they would soon be driven ashore; and fearing rocks along the coast, they threw out four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.
30 Some of the sailors planned to abandon the ship and lowered the emergency boat as though they were going to put out anchors from the prow. 31 But Paul said to the soldiers and commanding officer, “You will all die unless everyone stays aboard.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the boat fall off.
33 As the darkness gave way to the early morning light, Paul begged everyone to eat. “You haven’t touched food for two weeks,” he said. 34 “Please eat something now for your own good! For not a hair of your heads shall perish!”
35 Then he took some hardtack and gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. 36 Suddenly everyone felt better and began eating, 37 all 276 of us—for that is the number we had aboard. 38 After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing all the wheat overboard.
39 When it was day, they didn’t recognize the coastline, but noticed a bay with a beach and wondered whether they could get between the rocks and be driven up onto the beach. 40 They finally decided to try. Cutting off the anchors and leaving them in the sea, they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed ashore. 41 But the ship hit a sandbar[a] and ran aground. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was exposed to the violence of the waves and began to break apart.
42 The soldiers advised their commanding officer to let them kill the prisoners lest any of them swim ashore and escape. 43 But Julius[b] wanted to spare Paul, so he told them no. Then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard and make for land, 44 and the rest to try for it on planks and debris from the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely ashore!
8 O Lord our God, the majesty and glory of your name fills all the earth and overflows the heavens. 2 You have taught the little children to praise you perfectly. May their example shame and silence your enemies!
3 When I look up into the night skies and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you have made— 4 I cannot understand how you can bother with mere puny man, to pay any attention to him!
5 And yet you have made him only a little lower than the angels[a] and placed a crown of glory and honor upon his head.
6 You have put him in charge of everything you made; everything is put under his authority: 7 all sheep and oxen, and wild animals too, 8 the birds and fish, and all the life in the sea. 9 O Jehovah, our Lord, the majesty and glory of your name fills the earth.
23 The poor man pleads, and the rich man answers with insults.
24 There are “friends” who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.