Chapter 8

Benjamin. ^1 [a]Benjamin became the father of Bela, his firstborn, Ashbel, the second son, Aharah, the third,^{(A) 2} Nohah, the fourth, and Rapha, the fifth. ³ The sons of Bela were Addar and Gera, the father of Ehud. ⁴ The sons of Ehud were Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah,^{(B) 5} Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. ⁶ These were the sons of Ehud, family heads over those who dwelt in Geba and were deported to Manahath. ⁷ Also Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera. The last, who led them into exile, became the father of Uzza and Ahihud. ⁸ Shaharaim became a father on the Moabite plateau after he had put away his wives Hushim and Baara. ⁹ By his wife Hodesh he begot Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, ¹⁰ Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, family heads. ¹¹ By Hushim he begot Abitub and Elpaal. ¹² The sons of Elpaal were Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono and Lod with its nearby towns),^{(C) 13} and Beriah, and Shema. They were family heads of those who dwelt in Aijalon, and they put the inhabitants of Gath to flight. ¹⁴ Their relatives were Elpaal, Shashak, and Jeremoth. ¹⁵ Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, ¹⁶ Michael, Ishpah, and Joha were the sons of Beriah. ¹⁷ Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, ¹⁸ Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal. ¹⁹ Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi, ²⁰ Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, ²¹ Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei. ²² Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, ²³ Abdon, Zichri, Hanan, ²⁴ Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, ²⁵ Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. ²⁶ Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, ²⁷ Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham. ²⁸ These were family heads in their generations, chiefs who dwelt in Jerusalem.

^29 (D)In Gibeon dwelt Jeiel, the founder of Gibeon, whose wife’s name was Maacah; ³⁰ also his firstborn son, Abdon, and Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ³¹ Gedor, Ahio, Zecher, and Mikloth. ³² Mikloth became the father of Shimeah. These, too, dwelt with their relatives in Jerusalem, opposite their fellow tribesmen. ^33 (E)Ner became the father of Kish, and Kish became the father of Saul. Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.^{(F) 34} The son of Jonathan was Meribbaal, and Meribbaal became the father of Micah.^{(G) 35} The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz. ³⁶ Ahaz became the father of Jehoaddah, and Jehoaddah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri became the father of Moza.^{(H) 37} Moza became the father of Binea, whose son was Raphah, whose son was Eleasah, whose son was Azel. ³⁸ Azel had six sons, whose names were Azrikam, his firstborn, Ishmael, Sheariah, Azariah, Obadiah, and Hanan; all these were the sons of Azel.^{(I) 39} The sons of Eshek, his brother, were Ulam, his firstborn, Jeush, the second son, and Eliphelet, the third. ⁴⁰ The sons of Ulam were warriors, skilled with the bow, and they had many sons and grandsons: one hundred and fifty. All these were the sons of Benjamin.

Chapter 9

¹ Thus all Israel was listed in family lists, and these are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.^(J)

Now Judah had been exiled to Babylon because of its treachery. ^2 [b](K)The first to settle again in their cities and dwell there were certain Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.^(L)

Jerusalemites. ³ In Jerusalem lived Judahites and Benjaminites; also Ephraimites and Manassites. ⁴ Among the Judahites was Uthai, son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, one of the sons of Perez, son of Judah. ⁵ Among the Shelanites were Asaiah, the firstborn, and his sons. ⁶ Among the Zerahites were Jeuel and six hundred and ninety of their relatives. ⁷ Among the Benjaminites were Sallu, son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah, ⁸ as well as Ibneiah, son of Jeroham; Elah, son of Uzzi, son of Michri; Meshullam, son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah. ⁹ Their kindred of various families were nine hundred and fifty-six. All those named were heads of their ancestral houses.

¹⁰ Among the priests were Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jachin; ¹¹ Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God; ¹² Adaiah, son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah; Maasai, son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer. ¹³ Their brothers, heads of their ancestral houses, were one thousand seven hundred and sixty, valiant in the work of the service of the house of God.

¹⁴ Among the Levites were Shemaiah, son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, one of the sons of Merari; ¹⁵ Bakbakkar; Heresh; Galal; Mattaniah, son of Mica, son of Zichri, a descendant of Asaph; ¹⁶ Obadiah, son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, a descendant of Jeduthun; and Berechiah, son of Asa, son of Elkanah, whose family lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

¹⁷ The gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brothers; Shallum was the chief. ¹⁸ Previously they had stood guard at the king’s gate on the east side; now they became gatekeepers for the encampments of the Levites. ¹⁹ Shallum, son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, a descendant of Korah, and his brothers of the same ancestral house of the Korahites had as their assigned task the guarding of the threshold of the tent, just as their fathers had guarded the entrance to the encampment of the Lord. ²⁰ Phinehas, son of Eleazar, had been their chief in times past; the Lord was with him.^{(M) 21} Zechariah, son of Meshelemiah, guarded the gate of the tent of meeting.^{(N) 22} In all, those who were chosen for gatekeepers at the threshold were two hundred and twelve. They were inscribed in the family records of their villages. David and Samuel the seer had established them in their position of trust. ²³ Thus they and their sons kept guard over the gates of the house of the Lord, the house which was then a tent. ²⁴ The gatekeepers were stationed at the four sides, to the east, the west, the north, and the south.^{(O) 25} Their brothers who lived in their own villages took turns in assisting them for seven-day periods,^{(P) 26} while the four chief gatekeepers were on permanent duty. These were the Levites who also had charge of the chambers and treasures of the house of God. ²⁷ They would spend the night near the house of God, for it was in their charge and they had the duty of opening it each morning.

²⁸ Some of them had charge of the vessels used there, tallying them as they were brought in and taken out. ²⁹ Others were appointed to take care of the utensils and all the sacred vessels, as well as the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the frankincense, and the spices. ³⁰ It was the sons of priests, however, who mixed the spiced ointments.^{(Q) 31 (R)}Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with preparing the cakes. ³² Benaiah the Kohathite, one of their brothers, was in charge of setting out the showbread each sabbath.^(S)

³³ These were the singers and the gatekeepers, family heads over the Levites. They stayed in the chambers when free of duty, for day and night they had to be ready for service. ³⁴ These were the levitical family heads by their generations, chiefs who dwelt in Jerusalem.

II. The History of David

Genealogy of Saul. ^35 (T)Jeiel, the founder of Gibeon, dwelt in Gibeon; his wife’s name was Maacah. ³⁶ His firstborn son was Abdon; then came Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ³⁷ Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. ³⁸ Mikloth became the father of Shimeam. These, too, with their relatives, dwelt opposite their relatives in Jerusalem. ³⁹ Ner became the father of Kish, and Kish became the father of Saul. Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. ⁴⁰ The son of Jonathan was Meribbaal, and Meribbaal became the father of Micah. ⁴¹ The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. ⁴² Ahaz became the father of Jehoaddah, and Jehoaddah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri became the father of Moza. ⁴³ Moza became the father of Binea, whose son was Rephaiah, whose son was Eleasah, whose son was Azel. ⁴⁴ Azel had six sons, whose names were Azrikam, his firstborn, Ishmael, Sheariah, Azariah, Obadiah, and Hanan; these were the sons of Azel.

Chapter 10

Death of Saul and His Sons. ^1 (U)Now the Philistines went to war against Israel, and Israel fled before them, and they fell, slain on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons. When the Philistines had struck down Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, sons of Saul, ³ the fury of the battle converged on Saul. Then the archers hit him, and he was severely wounded.

⁴ Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through; otherwise these uncircumcised will come and abuse me.” But the armor-bearer, badly frightened, refused, so Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. ⁵ When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell upon his sword and died. ⁶ Thus Saul, and his three sons, his whole house, died together. ⁷ When all the Israelites in the valley saw that Saul and his sons had fled and that they had died, they abandoned their cities and fled. Then the Philistines came and lived in those cities.

⁸ On the following day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They stripped him, and took his head and his armor; these they sent throughout the land of the Philistines to bring the good news to their idols and to the people. ¹⁰ They put his armor in the temple of their gods, but his skull they impaled at the temple of Dagon.

Burial of Saul. ¹¹ When all the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their warriors set out, recovered the corpses of Saul and his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. They buried their bones under the oak of Jabesh, and fasted for seven days.^(V)

^13 [c]Thus Saul died because of his treason against the Lord in disobeying his word, and also because he had sought counsel from a ghost,^{(W) 14} rather than from the Lord. Therefore the Lord took his life, and turned his kingdom over to David, the son of Jesse.^(X)

Chapter 13

IV. Paul’s Defense of His Ministry^[a]

Chapter 10

Accusation of Weakness.^{[b] 1} Now I myself, Paul, urge you through the gentleness and clemency of Christ,^[c] I who am humble when face to face with you, but brave toward you when absent, ^2 [d](A)I beg you that, when present, I may not have to be brave with that confidence with which I intend to act boldly against some who consider us as acting according to the flesh. ³ For, although we are in the flesh, we do not battle according to the flesh,^{[e] 4} for the weapons of our battle are not of flesh but are enormously powerful, capable of destroying fortresses. We destroy arguments^{(B) 5} and every pretension raising itself against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive in obedience to Christ, ⁶ and we are ready to punish every disobedience, once your obedience is complete.^(C)

^7 (D)Look at what confronts you. Whoever is confident of belonging to Christ should consider that as he belongs to Christ, so do we.^{[f] 8 (E)}And even if I should boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I shall not be put to shame. ^9 [g]May I not seem as one frightening you through letters. ¹⁰ For someone will say, “His letters are severe and forceful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”^{(F) 11} Such a person must understand that what we are in word through letters when absent, that we also are in action when present.^(G)

^12 [h]Not that we dare to class or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.^{(H) 13} But we will not boast beyond measure but will keep to the limits^[i] God has apportioned us, namely, to reach even to you. ¹⁴ For we are not overreaching ourselves, as though we did not reach you; we indeed first came to you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ We are not boasting beyond measure, in other people’s labors; yet our hope is that, as your faith increases, our influence among you may be greatly enlarged, within our proper limits, ¹⁶ so that we may preach the gospel even beyond you, not boasting of work already done in another’s sphere.^{(I) 17 (J)}“Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.”^{[j] 18} For it is not the one who recommends himself who is approved,^[k] but the one whom the Lord recommends.^(K)