1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

1 Kings 3-4; 2 Chronicles 1; Psalm 72

1 Kings 3-4

3Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord , and the wall around Jerusalem.

²The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord .

³Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

⁴The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

⁵At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁶Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

⁷“Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.

⁸Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.

⁹So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

¹⁰The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.

¹¹So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice,

¹²I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

¹³Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for-both riches and honor-so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.

¹⁴And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”

¹⁵Then Solomon awoke-and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.

¹⁶Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

¹⁷One of them said, “My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me.

¹⁸The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

¹⁹“During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him.

²⁰So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast.

²¹The next morning, I got up to nurse my son-and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

²²The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.” But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.

²³The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’ “

²⁴Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king.

²⁵He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

²⁶The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

²⁷Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

²⁸When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

4So King Solomon ruled over all Israel.

²And these were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok-the priest;

³Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha-secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud-recorder;

⁴Benaiah son of Jehoiada-commander in chief; Zadok and Abiathar-priests;

⁵Azariah son of Nathan-in charge of the district officers; Zabud son of Nathan-a priest and personal adviser to the king;

⁶Ahishar-in charge of the palace; Adoniram son of Abda-in charge of forced labor.

⁷Solomon also had twelve district governors over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year.

⁸These are their names: Ben-Hur-in the hill country of Ephraim;

⁹Ben-Deker-in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan;

¹⁰Ben-Hesed-in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher were his);

¹¹Ben-Abinadab-in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);

¹²Baana son of Ahilud-in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam;

¹³Ben-Geber-in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as well as the district of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars);

¹⁴Ahinadab son of Iddo-in Mahanaim;

¹⁵Ahimaaz-in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);

¹⁶Baana son of Hushai-in Asher and in Aloth;

¹⁷Jehoshaphat son of Paruah-in Issachar;

¹⁸Shimei son of Ela-in Benjamin;

¹⁹Geber son of Uri-in Gilead (the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and the country of Og king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district.

²⁰The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.

²¹And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.

²²Solomon’s daily provisions were thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal,

²³ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.

²⁴For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides.

²⁵During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree.

²⁶Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.

²⁷The district officers, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking.

²⁸They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

²⁹God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.

³⁰Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.

³¹He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite-wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.

³²He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.

³³He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.

³⁴Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

2 Chronicles 1

1Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.

²Then Solomon spoke to all Israel-to the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, to the judges and to all the leaders in Israel, the heads of families-

³and Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon, for God’s Tent of Meeting was there, which Moses the Lord ‘s servant had made in the desert.

⁴Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.

⁵But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the tabernacle of the Lord ; so Solomon and the assembly inquired of him there.

⁶Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord in the Tent of Meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

⁷That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁸Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place.

⁹Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth.

¹⁰Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

¹¹God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king,

¹²therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”

¹³Then Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place at Gibeon, from before the Tent of Meeting. And he reigned over Israel.

¹⁴Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.

¹⁵The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.

¹⁶Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue – the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.

¹⁷They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.

PSALM 72

¹Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.

²He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.

³The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.

⁴He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor.

⁵He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations.

⁶He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.

⁷In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.

⁸He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

⁹The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust.

¹⁰The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts.

¹¹All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.

¹²For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.

¹³He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.

¹⁴He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.

¹⁶Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field.

¹⁷May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.

¹⁸Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.

¹⁹Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

²⁰This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

Psalm 119:1-88

¹Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord .

²Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.

³They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways.

⁴You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.

⁵Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!

⁶Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.

⁷I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.

⁸I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

⁹How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

¹⁰I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

¹¹I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

¹²Praise be to you, O Lord ; teach me your decrees.

¹³With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.

¹⁴I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.

¹⁵I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

¹⁶I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

¹⁷Do good to your servant, and I will live; I will obey your word.

¹⁸Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

¹⁹I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.

²⁰My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.

²¹You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from your commands.

²²Remove from me scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes.

²³Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees.

²⁴Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

²⁵I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word.

²⁶I recounted my ways and you answered me; teach me your decrees.

²⁷Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.

²⁸My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.

²⁹Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through your law.

³⁰I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.

³¹I hold fast to your statutes, O Lord ; do not let me be put to shame.

³²I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.

³³Teach me, O Lord , to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.

³⁴Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.

³⁵Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.

³⁶Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.

³⁷Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

³⁸Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared.

³⁹Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good.

⁴⁰How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.

⁴¹May your unfailing love come to me, O Lord , your salvation according to your promise;

⁴²then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word.

⁴³Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.

⁴⁴I will always obey your law, for ever and ever.

⁴⁵I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.

⁴⁶I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame,

⁴⁷for I delight in your commands because I love them.

⁴⁸I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.

⁴⁹Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope.

⁵⁰My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

⁵¹The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from your law.

⁵²I remember your ancient laws, O Lord , and I find comfort in them.

⁵³Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken your law.

⁵⁴Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge.

⁵⁵In the night I remember your name, O Lord , and I will keep your law.

⁵⁶This has been my practice: I obey your precepts.

⁵⁷You are my portion, O Lord ; I have promised to obey your words.

⁵⁸I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.

⁵⁹I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes.

⁶⁰I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

⁶¹Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law.

⁶²At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.

⁶³I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.

⁶⁴The earth is filled with your love, O Lord ; teach me your decrees.

⁶⁵Do good to your servant according to your word, O Lord .

⁶⁶Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.

⁶⁸You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.

⁶⁹Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart.

⁷⁰Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law.

⁷¹It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

⁷²The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

⁷³Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.

⁷⁴May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

⁷⁵I know, O Lord , that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

⁷⁶May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.

⁷⁷Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.

⁷⁸May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause; but I will meditate on your precepts.

⁷⁹May those who fear you turn to me, those who understand your statutes.

⁸⁰May my heart be blameless toward your decrees, that I may not be put to shame.

⁸¹My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.

⁸²My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, “When will you comfort me?”

⁸³Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your decrees.

⁸⁴How long must your servant wait? When will you punish my persecutors?

⁸⁵The arrogant dig pitfalls for me, contrary to your law.

⁸⁶All your commands are trustworthy; help me, for men persecute me without cause.

⁸⁷They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts.

⁸⁸Preserve my life according to your love, and I will obey the statutes of your mouth.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

1 Kings 1-2; Psalm 37, 71, 94

1 King 1-2

1When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him.

²So his servants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.”

³Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

⁴The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her.

⁵Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him.

⁶(His father had never interfered with him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)

⁷Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support.

⁸But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah.

⁹Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah who were royal officials,

¹⁰but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.

¹¹Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king without our lord David’s knowing it?

¹²Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

¹³Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’

¹⁴While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm what you have said.”

¹⁵So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him.

¹⁶Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the king. “What is it you want?” the king asked.

¹⁷She said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the Lord your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’

¹⁸But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it.

¹⁹He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant.

²⁰My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

²¹Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”

²²While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived.

²³And they told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.

²⁴Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne?

²⁵Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’

²⁶But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite.

²⁷Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

²⁸Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.

²⁹The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble,

³⁰I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the Lord , the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”

³¹Then Bathsheba bowed low with her face to the ground and, kneeling before the king, said, “May my lord King David live forever!”

³²King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king,

³³he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and set Solomon my son on my own mule and take him down to Gihon.

³⁴There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

³⁵Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”

³⁶Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord , the God of my lord the king, so declare it.

³⁷As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and put Solomon on King David’s mule and escorted him to Gihon.

³⁹Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!”

⁴⁰And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.

⁴¹Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”

⁴²Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.”

⁴³“Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king.

⁴⁴The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule,

⁴⁵and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear.

⁴⁶Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne.

⁴⁷Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed

⁴⁸and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord , the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.’ “

⁴⁹At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed.

⁵⁰But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

⁵¹Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ “

⁵²Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.”

⁵³Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.”

2When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.

²“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, show yourself a man,

³and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go,

⁴and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

⁵“Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me-what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.

⁶Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.

⁷“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

⁸“And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord : ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’

⁹But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.”

¹⁰Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.

¹¹He had reigned forty years over Israel-seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

¹²So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.

¹³Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. Bathsheba asked him, “Do you come peacefully?” He answered, “Yes, peacefully.”

¹⁴Then he added, “I have something to say to you.” “You may say it,” she replied.

¹⁵“As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord .

¹⁶Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.” “You may make it,” she said.

¹⁷So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon-he will not refuse you-to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”

¹⁸“Very well,” Bathsheba replied, “I will speak to the king for you.”

¹⁹When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.

²⁰“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.” The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.”

²¹So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.”

²²King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him-after all, he is my older brother-yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!”

²³Then King Solomon swore by the Lord : “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request!

²⁴And now, as surely as the Lord lives-he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised-Adonijah shall be put to death today!”

²⁵So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.

²⁶To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships.”

²⁷So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord , fulfilling the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli.

²⁸When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar.

²⁹King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!”

³⁰So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’ ” But he answered, “No, I will die here.” Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.”

³¹Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my father’s house of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed.

³²The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without the knowledge of my father David he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them-Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army-were better men and more upright than he.

³³May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord ‘s peace forever.”

³⁴So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab and killed him, and he was buried on his own land in the desert.

³⁵The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.

³⁶Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else.

³⁷The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”

³⁸Shimei answered the king, “What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.

³⁹But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.”

⁴⁰At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.

⁴¹When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned,

⁴²the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die’? At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’

⁴³Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?”

⁴⁴The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing.

⁴⁵But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain secure before the Lord forever.”

⁴⁶Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and killed him. The kingdom was now firmly established in Solomon’s hands.

PSALM 37

¹Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;

²for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

³Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

⁴Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵Commit your way to the Lord ; trust in him and he will do this:

⁶He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

⁷Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil.

⁹For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

¹⁰A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

¹¹But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

¹²The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;

¹³but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

¹⁴The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.

¹⁵But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;

¹⁷for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.

¹⁸The days of the blameless are known to the Lord , and their inheritance will endure forever.

¹⁹In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰But the wicked will perish: The Lord ‘s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish-vanish like smoke.

²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;

²²those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off.

²³If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm;

²⁴though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

²⁵I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

²⁶They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.

²⁷Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.

²⁸For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

²⁹the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.

³²The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;

³³but the Lord will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

³⁴Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

³⁶but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.

³⁷Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.

³⁸But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.

³⁹The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord ; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

⁴⁰The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

PSALM 71

¹In you, O Lord , I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.

²Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.

³Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

⁴Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men.

⁵For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord , my confidence since my youth.

⁶From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.

⁷I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.

⁸My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.

⁹Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

¹⁰For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.

¹¹They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”

¹²Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me.

¹³May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.

¹⁴But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

¹⁵My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.

¹⁶I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord ; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

¹⁷Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

¹⁸Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.

¹⁹Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you?

²⁰Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

²¹You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.

²²I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.

²³My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I, whom you have redeemed.

²⁴My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

PSALM 94

¹O Lord , the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth.

²Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve.

³How long will the wicked, O Lord , how long will the wicked be jubilant?

⁴They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting.

⁵They crush your people, O Lord ; they oppress your inheritance.

⁶They slay the widow and the alien; they murder the fatherless.

⁷They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.”

⁸Take heed, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?

⁹Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?

¹⁰Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches man lack knowledge?

¹¹The Lord knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile.

¹²Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord , the man you teach from your law;

¹³you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.

¹⁴For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.

¹⁵Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

¹⁶Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?

¹⁷Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

¹⁸When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your love, O Lord , supported me.

¹⁹When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

²⁰Can a corrupt throne be allied with you- one that brings on misery by its decrees?

²¹They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

²²But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

²³He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

Psalm 111-118

PSALM 111

¹Praise the Lord . I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

²Great are the works of the Lord ; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

³Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.

⁴He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.

⁵He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.

⁶He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations.

⁷The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.

⁸They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.

⁹He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever- holy and awesome is his name.

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

PSALM 112

¹Praise the Lord . Blessed is the man who fears the Lord , who finds great delight in his commands.

²His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

³Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

⁴Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.

⁵Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.

⁶Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.

⁷He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord .

⁸His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

⁹He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.

¹⁰The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

PSALM 113

¹Praise the Lord . Praise, O servants of the Lord , praise the name of the Lord .

²Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.

³From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

⁴The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.

⁵Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high,

⁶who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

⁷He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

⁸he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.

⁹He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 114

¹When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,

²Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

³The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back;

⁴the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.

⁵Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back,

⁶you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs?

⁷Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

⁸who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.

PSALM 115

¹Not to us, O Lord , not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

²Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?”

³Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

⁴But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

⁵They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see;

⁶they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell;

⁷they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

⁸Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

⁹O house of Israel, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield.

¹⁰O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield.

¹¹You who fear him, trust in the Lord – he is their help and shield.

¹²The Lord remembers us and will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron,

¹³he will bless those who fear the Lord – small and great alike.

¹⁴May the Lord make you increase, both you and your children.

¹⁵May you be blessed by the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth.

¹⁶The highest heavens belong to the Lord , but the earth he has given to man.

¹⁷It is not the dead who praise the Lord , those who go down to silence;

¹⁸it is we who extol the Lord , both now and forevermore. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 116

¹I love the Lord , for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

²Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

³The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.

⁴Then I called on the name of the Lord : “O Lord , save me!”

⁵The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

⁶The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.

⁷Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

⁸For you, O Lord , have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,

⁹that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

¹⁰I believed; therefore I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”

¹¹And in my dismay I said, “All men are liars.”

¹²How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?

¹³I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord .

¹⁴I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

¹⁶O Lord , truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant ; you have freed me from my chains.

¹⁷I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord .

¹⁸I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people,

¹⁹in the courts of the house of the Lord – in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 117

¹Praise the Lord , all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.

²For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord .

PSALM 118

¹Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.

²Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.”

³Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.”

⁴Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.”

⁵In my anguish I cried to the Lord , and he answered by setting me free.

⁶The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

⁷The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.

⁸It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

⁹It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

¹⁰All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹¹They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹²They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹³I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me.

¹⁴The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

¹⁵Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord ‘s right hand has done mighty things!

¹⁶The Lord ‘s right hand is lifted high; the Lord ‘s right hand has done mighty things!”

¹⁷I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.

¹⁸The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

¹⁹Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord .

²⁰This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.

²¹I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.

²²The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;

²³the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵O Lord , save us; O Lord , grant us success.

²⁶Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord . From the house of the Lord we bless you.

²⁷The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.

²⁸You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

²⁹Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

1 Chronicles 26-29; Psalm 127

1 Chronicles 26-29

26The divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.

²Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

³Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth and Eliehoenai the seventh.

⁴Obed-Edom also had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth,

⁵Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh and Peullethai the eighth. (For God had blessed Obed-Edom.)

⁶His son Shemaiah also had sons, who were leaders in their father’s family because they were very capable men.

⁷The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also able men.

⁸All these were descendants of Obed-Edom; they and their sons and their relatives were capable men with the strength to do the work-descendants of Obed-Edom, 62 in all.

⁹Meshelemiah had sons and relatives, who were able men-18 in all.

¹⁰Hosah the Merarite had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him the first),

¹¹Hilkiah the second, Tabaliah the third and Zechariah the fourth. The sons and relatives of Hosah were 13 in all.

¹²These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their chief men, had duties for ministering in the temple of the Lord , just as their relatives had.

¹³Lots were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike.

¹⁴The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him.

¹⁵The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-Edom, and the lot for the storehouse fell to his sons.

¹⁶The lots for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah. Guard was alongside of guard:

¹⁷There were six Levites a day on the east, four a day on the north, four a day on the south and two at a time at the storehouse.

¹⁸As for the court to the west, there were four at the road and two at the court itself.

¹⁹These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari.

²⁰Their fellow Levites were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries for the dedicated things.

²¹The descendants of Ladan, who were Gershonites through Ladan and who were heads of families belonging to Ladan the Gershonite, were Jehieli,

²²the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel. They were in charge of the treasuries of the temple of the Lord .

²³From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites and the Uzzielites:

²⁴Shubael, a descendant of Gershom son of Moses, was the officer in charge of the treasuries.

²⁵His relatives through Eliezer: Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zicri his son and Shelomith his son.

²⁶Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David, by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and by the other army commanders.

²⁷Some of the plunder taken in battle they dedicated for the repair of the temple of the Lord .

²⁸And everything dedicated by Samuel the seer and by Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner and Joab son of Zeruiah, and all the other dedicated things were in the care of Shelomith and his relatives.

²⁹From the Izharites: Kenaniah and his sons were assigned duties away from the temple, as officials and judges over Israel.

³⁰From the Hebronites: Hashabiah and his relatives-seventeen hundred able men-were responsible in Israel west of the Jordan for all the work of the Lord and for the king’s service.

³¹As for the Hebronites, Jeriah was their chief according to the genealogical records of their families. In the fortieth year of David’s reign a search was made in the records, and capable men among the Hebronites were found at Jazer in Gilead.

³²Jeriah had twenty-seven hundred relatives, who were able men and heads of families, and King David put them in charge of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.

27This is the list of the Israelites-heads of families, commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and their officers, who served the king in all that concerned the army divisions that were on duty month by month throughout the year. Each division consisted of 24,000 men.

²In charge of the first division, for the first month, was Jashobeam son of Zabdiel. There were 24,000 men in his division.

³He was a descendant of Perez and chief of all the army officers for the first month.

⁴In charge of the division for the second month was Dodai the Ahohite; Mikloth was the leader of his division. There were 24,000 men in his division.

⁵The third army commander, for the third month, was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest. He was chief and there were 24,000 men in his division.

⁶This was the Benaiah who was a mighty man among the Thirty and was over the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was in charge of his division.

⁷The fourth, for the fourth month, was Asahel the brother of Joab; his son Zebadiah was his successor. There were 24,000 men in his division.

⁸The fifth, for the fifth month, was the commander Shamhuth the Izrahite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

⁹The sixth, for the sixth month, was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹⁰The seventh, for the seventh month, was Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹¹The eighth, for the eighth month, was Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹²The ninth, for the ninth month, was Abiezer the Anathothite, a Benjamite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹³The tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹⁴The eleventh, for the eleventh month, was Benaiah the Pirathonite, an Ephraimite. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹⁵The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, from the family of Othniel. There were 24,000 men in his division.

¹⁶The officers over the tribes of Israel: over the Reubenites: Eliezer son of Zicri; over the Simeonites: Shephatiah son of Maacah;

¹⁷over Levi: Hashabiah son of Kemuel; over Aaron: Zadok;

¹⁸over Judah: Elihu, a brother of David; over Issachar: Omri son of Michael;

¹⁹over Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah; over Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel;

²⁰over the Ephraimites: Hoshea son of Azaziah; over half the tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah;

²¹over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah; over Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner;

²²over Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham. These were the officers over the tribes of Israel.

²³David did not take the number of the men twenty years old or less, because the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.

²⁴Joab son of Zeruiah began to count the men but did not finish. Wrath came on Israel on account of this numbering, and the number was not entered in the book of the annals of King David.

²⁵Azmaveth son of Adiel was in charge of the royal storehouses. Jonathan son of Uzziah was in charge of the storehouses in the outlying districts, in the towns, the villages and the watchtowers.

²⁶Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers who farmed the land.

²⁷Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards. Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of the produce of the vineyards for the wine vats.

²⁸Baal-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the western foothills. Joash was in charge of the supplies of olive oil.

²⁹Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of the herds grazing in Sharon. Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of the herds in the valleys.

³⁰Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels. Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys.

³¹Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks. All these were the officials in charge of King David’s property.

³²Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, a man of insight and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hacmoni took care of the king’s sons.

³³Ahithophel was the king’s counselor. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend.

³⁴Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar. Joab was the commander of the royal army.

28David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the brave warriors.

²King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord , for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it.

³But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’

⁴“Yet the Lord , the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.

⁵Of all my sons-and the Lord has given me many-he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.

⁶He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

⁷I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.’

⁸“So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord , and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.

⁹“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

¹⁰Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”

¹¹Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement.

¹²He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things.

¹³He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord , as well as for all the articles to be used in its service.

¹⁴He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service:

¹⁵the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand;

¹⁶the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables;

¹⁷the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish;

¹⁸and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the ark of the covenant of the Lord .

¹⁹“All this,” David said, “I have in writing from the hand of the Lord upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan.”

²⁰David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.

²¹The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.”

29Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God.

²With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God-gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble-all of these in large quantities.

³Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple:

⁴three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings,

⁵for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord ?”

⁶Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.

⁷They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron.

⁸Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.

⁹The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord . David the king also rejoiced greatly.

¹⁰David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, O Lord , God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.

¹¹Yours, O Lord , is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord , is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

¹²Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

¹³Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

¹⁴“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

¹⁵We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.

¹⁶O Lord our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.

¹⁷I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.

¹⁸O Lord , God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.

¹⁹And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, requirements and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”

²⁰Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord , the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the Lord and the king.

²¹The next day they made sacrifices to the Lord and presented burnt offerings to him: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand male lambs, together with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.

²²They ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the Lord that day. Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the Lord to be ruler and Zadok to be priest.

²³So Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him.

²⁴All the officers and mighty men, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their submission to King Solomon.

²⁵The Lord highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor such as no king over Israel ever had before.

²⁶David son of Jesse was king over all Israel.

²⁷He ruled over Israel forty years-seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

²⁸He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.

²⁹As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer,

³⁰together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.

PSALM 127

¹Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

²In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for he grants sleep to those he loves.

³Sons are a heritage from the Lord , children a reward from him.

⁴Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.

⁵Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

Psalm 131, 138-139, 143-145

PSALM 131

¹My heart is not proud, O Lord , my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.

²But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

³O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.

PSALM 138

¹I will praise you, O Lord , with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise.

²I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

³When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.

⁴May all the kings of the earth praise you, O Lord , when they hear the words of your mouth.

⁵May they sing of the ways of the Lord , for the glory of the Lord is great.

⁶Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar.

⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.

⁸The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord , endures forever- do not abandon the works of your hands.

PSALM 139

¹O Lord , you have searched me and you know me.

²You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

³You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

⁴Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord .

⁵You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

⁷Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

⁸If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

¹⁰even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”

¹²even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

¹³For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

¹⁶your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

¹⁸Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

¹⁹If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

²⁰They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.

²¹Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord , and abhor those who rise up against you?

²²I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

²⁴See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

PSALM 143

¹O Lord , hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.

²Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.

³The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead.

⁴So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.

⁵I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

⁶I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

⁷Answer me quickly, O Lord ; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

⁸Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

⁹Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord , for I hide myself in you.

¹⁰Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

¹¹For your name’s sake, O Lord , preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.

¹²In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

PSALM 144

¹Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

²He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

³O Lord , what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?

⁴Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.

⁵Part your heavens, O Lord , and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke.

⁶Send forth lightning and scatter [the enemies]; shoot your arrows and rout them.

⁷Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners

⁸whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

⁹I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,

¹⁰to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant David from the deadly sword.

¹¹Deliver me and rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

¹²Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace.

¹³Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields;

¹⁴our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets.

¹⁵Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the Lord .

PSALM 145

¹I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.

²Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

³Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

⁴One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.

⁵They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

⁶They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.

⁷They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

⁸The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

⁹The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

¹⁰All you have made will praise you, O Lord ; your saints will extol you.

¹¹They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,

¹²so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

¹⁴The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

¹⁵The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.

¹⁶You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

¹⁷The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.

¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

¹⁹He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

²⁰The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord . Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

1. What do I learn about God?
2. What do I learn about man?
3. Is there an example to follow?
4. What does God want me to believe?

1 Chronicles 23-25

23When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

²He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.

³The Levites thirty years old or more were counted, and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.

⁴David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to supervise the work of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges.

⁵Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.”

⁶David divided the Levites into groups corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

⁷Belonging to the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

⁸The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham and Joel-three in all.

⁹The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel and Haran-three in all. These were the heads of the families of Ladan.

¹⁰And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei-four in all.

¹¹Jahath was the first and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons; so they were counted as one family with one assignment.

¹²The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel-four in all.

¹³The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart, he and his descendants forever, to consecrate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices before the Lord , to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in his name forever.

¹⁴The sons of Moses the man of God were counted as part of the tribe of Levi.

¹⁵The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

¹⁶The descendants of Gershom: Shubael was the first.

¹⁷The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah was the first. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.

¹⁸The sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the first.

¹⁹The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.

²⁰The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first and Isshiah the second.

²¹The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

²²Eleazar died without having sons: he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.

²³The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth-three in all.

²⁴These were the descendants of Levi by their families-the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more who served in the temple of the Lord .

²⁵For David had said, “Since the Lord , the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever,

²⁶the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service.”

²⁷According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more.

²⁸The duty of the Levites was to help Aaron’s descendants in the service of the temple of the Lord : to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the house of God.

²⁹They were in charge of the bread set out on the table, the flour for the grain offerings, the unleavened wafers, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size.

³⁰They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord . They were to do the same in the evening

³¹and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the Lord on Sabbaths and at New Moon festivals and at appointed feasts. They were to serve before the Lord regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them.

³²And so the Levites carried out their responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting, for the Holy Place and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, for the service of the temple of the Lord .

24These were the divisions of the sons of Aaron: The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

²But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests.

³With the help of Zadok a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelech a descendant of Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering.

⁴A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than among Ithamar’s, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar’s descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar’s descendants.

⁵They divided them impartially by drawing lots, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.

⁶The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites-one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

⁷The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,

⁸the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

⁹the fifth to Malkijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

¹⁰the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,

¹¹the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,

¹²the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

¹³the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

¹⁴the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

¹⁵the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez,

¹⁶the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel,

¹⁷the twenty-first to Jakin, the twenty-second to Gamul,

¹⁸the twenty-third to Delaiah and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

¹⁹This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the Lord , according to the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather Aaron, as the Lord , the God of Israel, had commanded him.

²⁰As for the rest of the descendants of Levi: from the sons of Amram: Shubael; from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.

²¹As for Rehabiah, from his sons: Isshiah was the first.

²²From the Izharites: Shelomoth; from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath.

²³The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth.

²⁴The son of Uzziel: Micah; from the sons of Micah: Shamir.

²⁵The brother of Micah: Isshiah; from the sons of Isshiah: Zechariah.

²⁶The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno.

²⁷The sons of Merari: from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri.

²⁸From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.

²⁹From Kish: the son of Kish: Jerahmeel.

³⁰And the sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth. These were the Levites, according to their families.

³¹They also cast lots, just as their brothers the descendants of Aaron did, in the presence of King David and of Zadok, Ahimelech, and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated the same as those of the youngest.

25David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service:

²From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision.

³As for Jeduthun, from his sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six in all, under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied, using the harp in thanking and praising the Lord .

⁴As for Heman, from his sons: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-Ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth.

⁵All these were sons of Heman the king’s seer. They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

⁶All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the Lord , with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king.

⁷Along with their relatives-all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord -they numbered 288.

⁸Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties.

⁹The first lot, which was for Asaph, fell to Joseph, his sons and relatives, 12 the second to Gedaliah, he and his relatives and sons, 12

¹⁰the third to Zaccur, his sons and relatives, 12

¹¹the fourth to Izri, his sons and relatives, 12

¹²the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and relatives, 12

¹³the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and relatives, 12

¹⁴the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons and relatives, 12

¹⁵the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and relatives, 12

¹⁶the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and relatives, 12

¹⁷the tenth to Shimei, his sons and relatives, 12

¹⁸the eleventh to Azarel, his sons and relatives, 12

¹⁹the twelfth to Hashabiah, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁰the thirteenth to Shubael, his sons and relatives, 12

²¹the fourteenth to Mattithiah, his sons and relatives, 12

²²the fifteenth to Jerimoth, his sons and relatives, 12

²³the sixteenth to Hananiah, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁴the seventeenth to Joshbekashah, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁵the eighteenth to Hanani, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁶the nineteenth to Mallothi, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁷the twentieth to Eliathah, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁸the twenty-first to Hothir, his sons and relatives, 12

²⁹the twenty-second to Giddalti, his sons and relatives, 12

³⁰the twenty-third to Mahazioth, his sons and relatives, 12

³¹the twenty-fourth to Romamti-Ezer, his sons and relatives, 12