24 Now these were the divisions of the sons of Aaron.

The sons of Aaron were Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ² But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as kohanim. ³ David, with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them into their offices according to their avodah. ⁴ More leading men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, so they divided them: the sons of Eleazar had 16 leaders of clans and the sons of Ithamar had eight leaders of clans. ⁵ Thus, they were impartially divided by lot for there were officials of the Holy Place and officials of God, both from the sons of Eleazar and from the sons of Ithamar.

⁶ The scribe Shemaiah, son of Nethanel from the Levites, recorded them in the presence of the king, the princes, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the clans of the kohanim and of the Levites: one clan taken for Eleazar and one for Ithamar.

⁷ Now the first lot came for Jehoiarib, the second for Jedaiah, ⁸ the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim, ⁹ the fifth for Malchijah, the sixth for Mijamin, ¹⁰ the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for Abijah, ¹¹ the ninth for Jeshua, the tenth for Shecaniah, ¹² the eleventh for Eliashib, the twelfth for Jakim, ¹³ the thirteenth for Huppah, the fourteenth for Heshebeab, ¹⁴ the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer, ¹⁵ the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Hapizzez, ¹⁶ the nineteenth for Petahiah the twentieth for Jehezkel, ¹⁷ the twentyfirst for Jachin, the twentysecond for Gamul, ¹⁸ the twentythird for Delaiah, the twentyfourth for Maaziah.

¹⁹ These were their duties for their avodah upon entering into the House of Adonai according to the ordinance given to them by the hand of Aaron their father, just as Adonai the God of Israel had commanded him.

²⁰ As for the rest of the sons of Levi:

from the sons of Amram: Shubael;

from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.

²¹ As for Rehabiah, from the sons of Rehabiah

Isshiah was the first.

²² From the Izharites: Shelomoth;

from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath.

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

²⁴ The sons of Uzziel: Micah;

from the sons of Micah: Shamir.

²⁵ The brother of Micah, Ishiah;

from the sons of Ishiah: Zechariah.

²⁶ The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi;

the sons of Jaaziah: Beno.

²⁷ The sons of Merari:

from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur and Ibri.

²⁸ From Mahli:

Eleazar, who had no sons.

²⁹ From Kish, the sons of Kish: Jerahmeel.

³⁰ The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth.

These were the sons of the Levites by their clans. ³¹ These also cast lots even as their kinsmen the sons of Aaron did in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech and the heads of the clans of the kohanim and the Levites—the families of the oldest just like those of his youngest brother.

Orders of Prophetic Levites

25 Moreover, David and the commanders of the army, set apart for avodah the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun who prophesied with lyres, harps and cymbals. The list of those who performed this work according to their service was: ² from the sons of Asaph:

Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the hand of the king.

³ As for Jeduthun, from Jeduthun’s sons:

Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Hashabiah and Mattithiah—six, under the charge of their father Jeduthun—who prophesied with the harp, giving thanks and praise to Adonai.

⁴ As for Heman, from Heman’s sons:

Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. ⁵ All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer according to the promise of God to lift up a horn. God gave Heman 14 sons and three daughters.

⁶ All these were under the direction of their father for singing in the House of Adonai with cymbals, harps and lyres for the avodah of the House of God under the hand of the king. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman along with ⁷ with their kinsmen all trained and skillfull singers of Adonai, numbered 288. ⁸ They cast lots for their divisions on the principal of small and great alike, teacher as well as student.

⁹ Now the first lot went to Asaph’s son Joseph—12

the second to Gedaliah, his brothers and sons—12;

¹⁰ the third to Zaccur, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹¹ the fourth to Izri, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹² the fifth to Nethaniah, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹³ the sixth to Bukkiah, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹⁴ the seventh to Jesarelah, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹⁵ the eighth to Jeshaiah, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹⁶ the ninth to Mattaniah, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹⁷ the tenth to Shimei, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹⁸ the 11^th to Azarel, his sons and his brothers—12;

¹⁹ the 12^th to Hashabiah, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁰ the 13^th to Shubael, his sons and his brothers—12;

²¹ the 14^th to Mattithiah, his sons and his brothers—12;

²² the 15^th to Jeremoth, his sons and his brothers—12;

²³ the 16^th to Hananiah, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁴ the 17^th to Joshbekashah, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁵ the 18^th to Hanani, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁶ the 19^th to Mallothi, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁷ the 20^th to Eliathah, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁸ the 21^st to Hothir, his sons and his brothers—12;

²⁹ the 22^nd to Giddalti, his sons and his brothers—12;

³⁰ the 23^rd to Mahazioth, his sons and his brothers—12;

³¹ the 24^th to Romamti-ezer, his sons and his brothers—12.

Gatekeepers and Treasurers

26 The divisions of the gatekeepers:

of the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph.

² Meshelemiah had sons:

Zechariah the firstborn,

Jediael the second,

Zebadiah the third,

Jathniel the fourth,

³ Elam the fifth,

Jehohanan the sixth,

and Eliehoenai the seventh.

⁴ Obed-edom had sons:

Shemaiah the firstborn,

Jehozabad the second,

Joah the third,

Sacar the fourth,

Nethanel the fifth,

⁵ Ammiel the sixth,

Issachar the seventh,

and Peullethai the eighth,

(for God had blessed him).

⁶ To his son Shemaiah were born sons who were leaders of their clans, for they were men of great ability. ⁷ The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad. His brothers Elihu and Semachiah were also valiant men. ⁸ All these were descendants of Obed-edom. They and their sons and their kinsmen were capable men with the strength to do the work—62 of Obed-edom.

⁹ Meshelemiah had sons and brothers—18 able men.

¹⁰ Also Hosah, a descendant of Merari, had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father made him the first), ¹¹ Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth. All the sons and brothers of Hosah were 13.

Abraham Set Right by Faith

4 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? ² For if Abraham was set right by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God. ³ For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” ^{[a] 4} Now to the one who works, the pay is not credited as a gift, but as what is due. ⁵ But to the one who does not work, but trusts in Him who justifies the ungodly, his trust is credited as righteousness— ⁶ just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁷ “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered.

⁸ Blessed is the man whose sin Adonai will never count against him.”^[b]

⁹ Is this blessing then only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? For we say, “trust was credited to Abraham as righteousness.”^[c]

¹⁰ In what state then was it credited? While circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised! ¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness of the trust he had while he was uncircumcised, so he might be the father of all who are trusting while uncircumcised—that righteousness might be credited to them as well. ¹² Also he is the father of the circumcised, to those not only circumcised but also walking in the footsteps of the trust of our father Abraham before his circumcision.^[d]

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Trust in His Chesed

Psalm 13

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