²¹ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²² “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' houses and by their clans. ^23 (A)From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, all who can ^(B)come to do duty, to do service in the tent of meeting. ²⁴ This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens: ^25 (C)they shall carry ^(D)the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with ^(E)its covering and the covering of goatskin that is on top of it and the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting ²⁶ and the hangings of the court and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service. And they shall do all that needs to be done with regard to them. ²⁷ All the service of the sons of the Gershonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry and in all that they have to do. And you shall assign to their charge all that they are to carry. ²⁸ This is the service of the clans of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their guard duty is to be ^(F)under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

²⁹ “As for the sons of Merari, you shall list them by their clans and their fathers' houses. ^30 (G)From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, everyone who can come on duty, to do the service of the tent of meeting. ³¹ And ^(H)this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases, ³² and the pillars around the court with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories. And you shall ^(I)list by name the objects that they are required to carry. ³³ This is the service of the clans of the sons of Merari, the whole of their service in the tent of meeting, ^(J)under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

Descendants of Judah

4 ^(A)The sons of Judah: ^(B)Perez, Hezron, ^(C)Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. ^2 (D)Reaiah the son of Shobal fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the ^(E)Zorathites. ³ These were the sons^[a] of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi, ⁴ and ^(F)Penuel fathered ^(G)Gedor, and Ezer fathered Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of ^(H)Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. ^5 (I)Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah; ⁶ Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. ⁷ The sons of Helah: Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan. ⁸ Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the clans of Aharhel, the son of Harum. ⁹ Jabez was ^(J)more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”^{[b] 10} Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm^[c] so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. ¹¹ Chelub, the brother of Shuhah, fathered Mehir, who fathered Eshton. ¹² Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah. ¹³ The sons of ^(K)Kenaz: ^(L)Othniel and Seraiah; and the sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.^{[d] 14} Meonothai fathered Ophrah; and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of Ge-harashim,^[e] so-called because they were craftsmen. ¹⁵ The sons of ^(M)Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the son^[f] of Elah: Kenaz. ¹⁶ The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. ¹⁷ The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. These are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married;^[g] and she conceived and bore^[h] Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa. ¹⁸ And his Judahite wife bore ^(N)Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. ¹⁹ The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. ²⁰ The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. ²¹ The sons of ^(O)Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the clans of the house of linen workers at Beth-ashbea; ²² and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and returned to Lehem^[i] (now the records^[j] are ancient). ²³ These were the potters who were inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the king's service.

^17 (A)In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ^18 (B)“Son of man, ^(C)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor that he had performed against her. ¹⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord God: ^(D)Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; ^(E)and he shall carry off its wealth^{[a] (F)}and despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army. ^20 (G)I have given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked for me, declares the Lord God.

²¹ “On that day ^(H)I will cause a horn to spring up for the house of Israel, and ^(I)I will open your lips among them. ^(J)Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

A Lament for Egypt

30 The word of the Lord came to me: ^2 (K)“Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God:

^5 (U)Cush, and ^(V)Put, and Lud, and ^(W)all Arabia, and Libya,^[d] and the people of the land that is in league,^[e] shall fall with them by the sword.

⁹ “On that day ^(AE)messengers shall go out from me in ships to terrify the unsuspecting ^(AF)people of Cush, and ^(AG)anguish shall come upon them on the day of Egypt's doom;^[f] for, behold, it comes!

¹⁰ “Thus says the Lord God:

¹³ “Thus says the Lord God:

Zayin

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

¹¹ And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me ^(A)the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided ^(B)his property between them. ¹³ Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in ^(C)reckless living. ¹⁴ And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to^[a] one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ And he ^(D)was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “But ^(E)when he ^(F)came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, ^(G)I have sinned against ^(H)heaven and before you. ^19 (I)I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ ²⁰ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ^(J)ran and ^(K)embraced him and ^(L)kissed him.

Final Warning and Benediction

¹¹ See with what large letters I am writing to you ^(A)with my own hand. ^12 (B)It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh ^(C)who would force you to be circumcised, and only ^(D)in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast ^(E)except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which^[a] the world ^(F)has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For ^(G)neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but ^(H)a new creation. ¹⁶ And as for all who walk by this rule, ^(I)peace and mercy be upon them, and upon ^(J)the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

^18 (K)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ^(L)with your spirit, brothers. Amen.