9 So all Israel were listed by genealogies; and behold,^[a] they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. Judah was carried away captive to Babylon for their disobedience. ² Now the first inhabitants who lived in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants. ³ In Jerusalem lived of the children of Judah, of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim and Manasseh: ⁴ Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the children of Perez the son of Judah. ⁵ Of the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons. ⁶ Of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel and their brothers, six hundred ninety. ⁷ Of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah, ⁸ and Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah; ⁹ and their brothers, according to their generations, nine hundred fifty-six. All these men were heads of fathers’ households by their fathers’ houses.

¹⁰ Of the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jachin, ¹¹ and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of God’s house; ¹² and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer; ¹³ and their brothers, heads of their fathers’ houses, one thousand seven hundred sixty; very able men for the work of the service of God’s house.

¹⁴ Of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari; ¹⁵ and Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph, ¹⁶ and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

¹⁷ The gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their brothers (Shallum was the chief), ¹⁸ who previously served in the king’s gate eastward. They were the gatekeepers for the camp of the children of Levi. ¹⁹ Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brothers, of his father’s house, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent. Their fathers had been over Yahweh’s camp, keepers of the entry. ²⁰ Phinehas the son of Eleazar was ruler over them in time past, and Yahweh was with him. ²¹ Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper of the door of the Tent of Meeting. ²² All these who were chosen to be gatekeepers in the thresholds were two hundred twelve. These were listed by genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer ordained in their office of trust. ²³ So they and their children had the oversight of the gates of Yahweh’s house, even the house of the tent, as guards. ²⁴ On the four sides were the gatekeepers, toward the east, west, north, and south. ²⁵ Their brothers, in their villages, were to come in every seven days from time to time to be with them: ²⁶ for the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were in an office of trust, and were over the rooms and over the treasuries in God’s house. ²⁷ They stayed around God’s house, because that duty was on them; and to their duty was its opening morning by morning. ²⁸ Certain of them were in charge of the vessels of service; for these were brought in by count, and these were taken out by count. ²⁹ Some of them also were appointed over the furniture, and over all the vessels of the sanctuary, over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the frankincense, and the spices.

³⁰ Some of the sons of the priests prepared the mixing of the spices. ³¹ Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the office of trust over the things that were baked in pans. ³² Some of their brothers, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the show bread, to prepare it every Sabbath. ³³ These are the singers, heads of fathers’ households of the Levites, who lived in the rooms and were free from other service; for they were employed in their work day and night. ³⁴ These were heads of fathers’ households of the Levites, throughout their generations, chief men. These lived at Jerusalem. ³⁵ Jeiel the father of Gibeon, whose wife’s name was Maacah, lived in Gibeon with ³⁶ his firstborn son Abdon, Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, ³⁷ Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. ³⁸ Mikloth became the father of Shimeam. They also lived with their brothers in Jerusalem, near their brothers. ³⁹ Ner became the father of Kish. Kish became the father of Saul. Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. ⁴⁰ The son of Jonathan was Merib Baal. Merib Baal became the father of Micah. ⁴¹ The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. ⁴² Ahaz became the father of Jarah. Jarah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri became the father of Moza. ⁴³ Moza became the father of Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son. ⁴⁴ Azel had six sons, whose names are these: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.

10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines followed hard after Saul and after his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. ³ The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was distressed by reason of the archers. ⁴ Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me.”

But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it. ⁵ When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died. ⁶ So Saul died with his three sons; and all his house died together. ⁷ When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.

⁸ On the next 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, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to their idols, and to the people. ¹⁰ They put his armor in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the house of Dagon. ¹¹ When all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all the valiant men arose, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days. ¹³ So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Yahweh, because of Yahweh’s word, which he didn’t keep; and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire, ¹⁴ and didn’t inquire of Yahweh. Therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

12 Therefore let’s also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls. ⁴ You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin. ⁵ You have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children,

⁷ It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline? ⁸ But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then you are illegitimate, and not children. ⁹ Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? ¹⁰ For they indeed, for a few days, punished us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. ¹¹ All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. ¹² Therefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees, Isaiah 35:3 ¹³ and make straight paths for your feet,Proverbs 4:26 so what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

¹⁴ Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord, ¹⁵ looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it, ¹⁶ lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal. ¹⁷ For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears.

¹⁸ For you have not come to a mountain that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and to blackness, darkness, storm, ¹⁹ the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which those who heard it begged that not one more word should be spoken to them, ²⁰ for they could not stand that which was commanded, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned”.^[a]Exodus 19:12-13 ²¹ So fearful was the appearance that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.”Deuteronomy 9:19

²² But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable multitudes of angels, ²³ to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, ²⁴ to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,Jeremiah 31:31 and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel.

²⁵ See that you don’t refuse him who speaks. For if they didn’t escape when they refused him who warned on the earth, how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven, ²⁶ whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.”Haggai 2:6 ²⁷ This phrase, “Yet once more” signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. ²⁸ Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can’t be shaken, let’s have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our God is a consuming fire.Deuteronomy 4:24

6 Woe to those who are at ease in Zion,

¹⁰ “When a man’s relative carries him, even he who burns him, to bring bodies out of the house, and asks him who is in the innermost parts of the house, ‘Is there yet any with you?’ And he says, ‘No;’ then he will say, ‘Hush! Indeed we must not mention Yahweh’s name.’

A Psalm by the sons of Korah; a Song.

A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Suffering of Affliction.” A contemplation by Heman, the Ezrahite.