The Daily Audio Bible
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Resettlement of the Land
11 So the leaders of the people dwelt in Jerusalem while the remainder of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine remained in the other towns. 2 Then the people blessed all the men who volunteered to dwell in Jerusalem.
3 These are the leaders of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem. (Some of Israel, the kohanim, the Levites, the Temple servants, and the children of Solomon’s servants dwelt in the towns of Judah, each on his own property in their towns, 4 and some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin dwelt in Jerusalem).
From the sons of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, from the descendants of Perez; 5 also Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, son of the Shilonite. 6 In all, 468 sons of Perez dwelt in Jerusalem—valiant men.
7 Now these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah. 8 Following him were 928 valiant men. 9 Joel son of Zichri was in charge over them; Judah son of Hassenuah was second over the city.
10 Of the kohanim: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin, 11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the ruler of the House of God, 12 their relatives who performed the work of the House—822. Also Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, 13 and his relatives, leaders of ancestral lines—242. Also Amashsai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer, 14 and their relatives were 128 valiant warriors. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim was in charge over them.
15 From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah of Bunni. 16 From the leaders of the Levites, Shabbethai and Jozabad had oversight over the external business of the House of God. 17 Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, the director who led the thanksgiving prayer. Also Bakbukiah, second among his relatives, and then Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. 18 In all there were 284 Levites in the holy city.
19 Also there were 172 gatekeepers Akkub, Talmon and their brothers—who kept watch at the gates.
20 The rest of Israel, the kohanim, and the Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, each in his own inheritance.
21 But the Temple servants dwelt on the Ophel, with Ziha and Gishpa over the Temple servants. 22 The one in charge over the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph who were singers responsible for the service in the House of God. 23 The king’s command concerning them was to provide regular daily support for the singers. 24 Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, from the descendants of Zerah the son of Judah, was the king’s agent for any matter concerning the people.
25 Now as for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah dwelt in Kiriat-arba and its towns, in Dibon and its towns, in Jekabzeel and its villages, 26 in Jeshua; in Moladah, in Beth-pelet; 27 in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its towns, 28 in Ziklag, in Meconah and its towns, 29 in En-rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, 30 in Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, in Lachish and its fields, and in Azekah and its towns. So they settled from Beersheba to the Hinnom valley.
31 The descendants of Benjamin dwelt in Geba, Michmas and Aijah, Bethel and its towns, 32 Anatoth, Nob, Ananiah, 33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, 34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, 35 Lod, Ono and Ge-harashim. 36 Some of the divisions of the Levites of Judah settled with Benjamin.
Identifying the Kohanim and Levites
12 Now these are the kohanim and the Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremot, 4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, 5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the kohanim and their brothers in the days of Jeshua.
8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah—he and his brothers conducted the songs of praise— 9 and Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, were opposite them in ranks. 10 Jeshua fathered Joiakim, Joiakim fathered Eliashib, Eliashib fathered Joiada, 11 Joiada fathered Jonathan, and Jonathan fathered Jaddua.
12 In the days of Joiakim, the family leaders of the kohanim were: Meraiah for Seraiah, Hananiah for Jeremiah, 13 Meshullam for Ezra, Jehohanan for Amariah, 14 Jonathan for Melicu, Joseph for Shebaniah, 15 Adna for Harim, Helkai for Meraiot, 16 Zechariah for Iddo, Meshullam for Ginnethon, 17 Zichri for Abijah, Piltai for Miniamin and Moadiah, 18 Shammua for Bilgah, Jehonathan for Shemaiah, 19 Mattenai for Joiarib, Uzzi for Jedaiah, 20 Kallai for Sallai, Eber for Amok, 21 Hashabiah for Hilkiah, and Nethanel for Jedaiah.
22 The family heads of the Levites were recorded in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, as well as for the kohanim, up until the reign of Darius the Persian. 23 The family leaders among the sons of Levi were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.
24 So the leaders of the Levites were: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, with their brothers facing them, to give praise and thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, one section responding to the other. 25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers guarding the storehouses at the gates. 26 These served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the kohen-scribe.
Feast with the Lord—Not with Idols
14 Therefore, my dearly loved ones, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people—judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless—isn’t it a sharing of Messiah’s blood? The bread which we break—isn’t it a sharing of Messiah’s body? 17 Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body—for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider physical Israel. Those who eat the sacrifices—aren’t they partners in the altar?[a]
19 What am I saying then—that an idol sacrifice is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I’m saying that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God, and I don’t want you to become partners with demons. [b] 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?[c] We are not stronger than He, are we?
23 “Everything is permitted”—but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permitted”—but not everything builds up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, without raising questions of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord’s, and its fullness.” [d] 27 If an unbeliever invites you over and you want to go, eat whatever is set before you, without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This is from an idol sacrifice,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 not your own conscience, I mean, but the other person’s. For why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I give thanks for?
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense either to Jewish or Greek people or to God’s community— 33 just as I also try to please everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.
11 Young lions may lack, and go hungry,
but those who seek Adonai want for no good thing.
12 Come, children, listen to me:
I will teach you the fear of Adonai.
13 Who is the one who delights in life,
and loves to see good days?
14 Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking treachery.
15 Depart from evil and do good.
Seek shalom and pursue it.[a]
16 The eyes of Adonai are on the righteous,
and His ears are attentive to their cry.
17 The face of Adonai is against evildoers,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
18 The righteous cry out and Adonai hears,
and delivers them from all their troubles.
19 Adonai is close to the brokenhearted,
and saves those crushed in spirit.
20 Many are the distresses of the righteous,
but Adonai delivers him out of them all.
21 He keeps all his bones—
not one of them is broken.[b]
22 Evil kills the wicked—
those who hate the righteous will be held guilty.
14 A gift in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe given secretly, fierce rage.
15 Doing justice brings joy to the righteous,
and terror to those who do evil.
16 Whoever strays from the path of wisdom
ends up in the congregation of the dead.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.