The Daily Audio Bible

24 ^1-2 The priests (the descendants of Aaron) were placed into two divisions named after Aaron’s sons, Eleazar and Ithamar.

Nadab and Abihu were also sons of Aaron, but they died before their father did and had no children; so only Eleazar and Ithamar were left to carry on. ³ David consulted with Zadok, who represented the Eleazar clan, and with Ahimelech, who represented the Ithamar clan; then he divided Aaron’s descendants into many groups to serve at various times. ⁴ Eleazar’s descendants were divided into sixteen groups and Ithamar’s into eight (for there was more leadership ability among the descendants of Eleazar).

⁵ All tasks were assigned to the various groups by coin-toss^[a] so that there would be no preference, for there were many famous men and high officials of the Temple in each division. ⁶ Shemaiah, a Levite and the son of Nethanel, acted as recording secretary and wrote down the names and assignments in the presence of the king and of these leaders: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the priests and Levites. Two groups from the division of Eleazar and one from the division of Ithamar were assigned to each task.

^7-18 The work was assigned (by coin-toss) in this order:

¹⁹ Each group carried out the Temple duties as originally assigned by God through their ancestor Aaron.

²⁰ These were the other descendants of Levi: Amram; his descendant Shubael; and Shubael’s descendant Jehdeiah; ²¹ the Rehabiah group, led by his oldest son Isshiah; ²² the Izhar group, consisting of Shelamoth and his descendant Jahath. ²³ The Hebron group: Jeriah, Hebron’s oldest son; Amariah, his second son; Jahaziel, his third son; Jekameam, his fourth son.

^24-25 The Uzziel group was led by his son Micah and his grandsons Shamir and Isshiah, and by Isshiah’s son Zechariah.

^26-27 The Merari group was led by his sons: Mahli and Mushi. (Jaaziah’s group, led by his son Beno, included his brothers Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.) ²⁸ Mahli’s descendants were Eleazar, who had no sons, ²⁹ and Kish, among whose sons was Jerahmeel. ³⁰ The sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

These were the descendants of Levi in their various clans. ³¹ Like the descendants of Aaron, they were assigned to their duties by coin-toss without distinction as to age or rank. It was done in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the priests and the Levites.

25 David and the officials of the Tabernacle then appointed men to prophesy to the accompaniment of zithers, harps, and cymbals. These men were from the groups of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. Here is a list of their names and their work:

² Under the leadership of Asaph, the king’s private prophet, were his sons Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah.

³ Under Jeduthun, who led in giving thanks and praising the Lord (while accompanied by the zither), were his six sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah.

^4-5 Under the direction of Heman, the king’s private chaplain, were his sons: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Geddalti, Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. (For God had honored him with fourteen sons and three daughters.) ^6-7 Their music ministry included the playing of cymbals, harps, and zithers; all were under the direction of their father as they performed this ministry in the Tabernacle.

Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman reported directly to the king. They and their families were all trained in singing praises to the Lord; each one—288 of them in all—was a master musician. ⁸ The singers were appointed to their particular term of service by coin-toss, without regard to age or reputation.

26 The Temple guards were from the Asaph division of the Korah clan. The captain of the guard was Meshelemiah, the son of Kore.

^2-3 His sergeants were his sons: Zechariah (the oldest), Jediael (the second), Zebadiah (the third), Jathniel (the fourth), Elam (the fifth), Jehohanan (the sixth), Eliehoenai (the seventh).

^4-5 The sons of Obed-edom were also appointed as Temple guards: Shemaiah (the oldest), Jehozabad (the second), Joah (the third), Sacar (the fourth), Nethanel (the fifth), Ammiel (the sixth), Issachar (the seventh), Peullethai (the eighth). What a blessing God gave him with all those sons!

^6-7 Shemaiah’s sons were all outstanding men and had positions of great authority in their clan. Their names were: Othni, Rephael, Obed, Elzabad.

Their brave brothers, Elihu and Semachiah, were also very able men.

⁸ All of these sons and grandsons of Obed-edom—all sixty-two of them—were outstanding men who were particularly well qualified for their work. ⁹ Meshelemiah’s eighteen sons and brothers, too, were real leaders. ¹⁰ Hosah, one of the Merari group, appointed Shimri as the leader among his sons, though he was not the oldest. ¹¹ The names of some of his other sons were: Hilkiah, the second; Tebaliah, the third; Zechariah, the fourth. Hosah’s sons and brothers numbered thirteen in all.

4 ^1-2 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What were his experiences concerning this question of being saved by faith? Was it because of his good deeds that God accepted him? If so, then he would have something to boast about. But from God’s point of view Abraham had no basis at all for pride. ³ For the Scriptures tell us Abraham believed God, and that is why God canceled his sins and declared him “not guilty.”

^4-5 But didn’t he earn his right to heaven by all the good things he did? No, for being saved is a gift; if a person could earn it by being good, then it wouldn’t be free—but it is! It is given to those who do not work for it. For God declares sinners to be good in his sight if they have faith in Christ to save them from God’s wrath.^[a]

⁶ King David spoke of this, describing the happiness of an undeserving sinner who is declared “not guilty”^[b] by God. ⁷ “Blessed and to be envied,” he said, “are those whose sins are forgiven and put out of sight. ⁸ Yes, what joy there is for anyone whose sins are no longer counted against him by the Lord.”^[c]

⁹ Now then, the question: Is this blessing given only to those who have faith in Christ but also keep the Jewish laws, or is the blessing also given to those who do not keep the Jewish rules but only trust in Christ? Well, what about Abraham? We say that he received these blessings through his faith. Was it by faith alone, or because he also kept the Jewish rules?

¹⁰ For the answer to that question, answer this one: When did God give this blessing to Abraham? It was before he became a Jew—before he went through the Jewish initiation ceremony of circumcision.

¹¹ It wasn’t until later on, after God had promised to bless him because of his faith, that he was circumcised. The circumcision ceremony was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him just and good in his sight—before the ceremony took place. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who believe and are saved without obeying Jewish laws. We see, then, that those who do not keep these rules are justified by God through faith. ¹² And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those Jews who have been circumcised. They can see from his example that it is not this ceremony that saves them, for Abraham found favor with God by faith alone before he was circumcised.

13 How long will you forget me, Lord? Forever? How long will you look the other way when I am in need? ² How long must I be hiding daily anguish in my heart? How long shall my enemy have the upper hand?

³ Answer me, O Lord my God; give me light in my darkness lest I die. ⁴ Don’t let my enemies say, “We have conquered him!” Don’t let them gloat that I am down.

⁵ But I will always trust in you and in your mercy and shall rejoice in your salvation. ⁶ I will sing to the Lord because he has blessed me so richly.

¹⁵ A lazy man sleeps soundly—and he goes hungry!

¹⁶ Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them means death.