5 The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn; but, because he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; and the genealogy is not to be listed according to the birthright. ² For Judah prevailed above his brothers, and from him came the prince; but the birthright was Joseph’s)— ³ the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. ⁴ The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, ⁵ Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, ⁶ and Beerah his son, whom Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria carried away captive. He was prince of the Reubenites. ⁷ His brothers by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was listed: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah, ⁸ and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in Aroer, even to Nebo and Baal Meon; ⁹ and he lived eastward even to the entrance of the wilderness from the river Euphrates, because their livestock were multiplied in the land of Gilead.

¹⁰ In the days of Saul, they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they lived in their tents throughout all the land east of Gilead. ¹¹ The sons of Gad lived beside them, in the land of Bashan to Salecah: ¹² Joel the chief, Shapham the second, Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan. ¹³ Their brothers of their fathers’ houses: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber, seven. ¹⁴ These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz; ¹⁵ Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of their fathers’ houses. ¹⁶ They lived in Gilead in Bashan, and in its towns, and in all the pasture lands of Sharon, as far as their borders. ¹⁷ All these were listed by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

¹⁸ The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skillful in war, were forty-four thousand seven hundred sixty, that were able to go out to war. ¹⁹ They made war with the Hagrites, with Jetur, and Naphish, and Nodab. ²⁰ They were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them; for they cried to God in the battle, and he answered them, because they put their trust in him. ²¹ They took away their livestock; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred fifty thousand, and of donkeys two thousand, and of men one hundred thousand. ²² For many fell slain, because the war was of God. They lived in their place until the captivity. ²³ The children of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land: they increased from Bashan to Baal Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. ²⁴ These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: even Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valor, famous men, heads of their fathers’ houses. ²⁵ They trespassed against the God of their fathers, and played the prostitute after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God destroyed before them. ²⁶ So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and to the river of Gozan, to this day.

6 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ² The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. ³ The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ⁴ Eleazar became the father of Phinehas, Phinehas became the father of Abishua, ⁵ Abishua became the father of Bukki. Bukki became the father of Uzzi. ⁶ Uzzi became the father of Zerahiah. Zerahiah became the father of Meraioth. ⁷ Meraioth became the father of Amariah. Amariah became the father of Ahitub. ⁸ Ahitub became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Ahimaaz. ⁹ Ahimaaz became the father of Azariah. Azariah became the father of Johanan. ¹⁰ Johanan became the father of Azariah, who executed the priest’s office in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem. ¹¹ Azariah became the father of Amariah. Amariah became the father of Ahitub. ¹² Ahitub became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Shallum. ¹³ Shallum became the father of Hilkiah. Hilkiah became the father of Azariah. ¹⁴ Azariah became the father of Seraiah. Seraiah became the father of Jehozadak. ¹⁵ Jehozadak went into captivity, when Yahweh carried Judah and Jerusalem away by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

¹⁶ The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. ¹⁷ These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. ¹⁸ The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. ¹⁹ The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households. ²⁰ Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, ²¹ Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son. ²² The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, ²³ Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, ²⁴ Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. ²⁵ The sons of Elkanah: Amasai and Ahimoth. ²⁶ As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah: Zophai his son, Nahath his son, ²⁷ Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. ²⁸ The sons of Samuel: the firstborn, Joel, and the second, Abijah. ²⁹ The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, ³⁰ Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son. ³¹ These are they whom David set over the service of song in Yahweh’s house, after the ark came to rest there. ³² They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon had built Yahweh’s house in Jerusalem. They performed the duties of their office according to their order. ³³ These are those who served, and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, ³⁴ the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, ³⁵ the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, ³⁶ the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, ³⁷ the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, ³⁸ the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. ³⁹ His brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, ⁴⁰ the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, ⁴¹ the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, ⁴² the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, ⁴³ the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. ⁴⁴ On the left hand their brothers the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, ⁴⁵ the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, ⁴⁶ the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, ⁴⁷ the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. ⁴⁸ Their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of God’s house. ⁴⁹ But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

⁵⁰ These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, ⁵¹ Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, ⁵² Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, ⁵³ Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son. ⁵⁴ Now these are their dwelling places according to their encampments in their borders: to the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the first lot), ⁵⁵ to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah, and its pasture lands around it; ⁵⁶ but the fields of the city, and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. ⁵⁷ To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge, Hebron; Libnah also with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, ⁵⁸ Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, ⁵⁹ Ashan with its pasture lands, and Beth Shemesh with its pasture lands; ⁶⁰ and out of the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its pasture lands, Allemeth with its pasture lands, and Anathoth with its pasture lands. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.

⁶¹ To the rest of the sons of Kohath were given by lot, out of the family of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities. ⁶² To the sons of Gershom, according to their families, out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. ⁶³ To the sons of Merari were given by lot, according to their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. ⁶⁴ The children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their pasture lands. ⁶⁵ They gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities which are mentioned by name. ⁶⁶ Some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their borders out of the tribe of Ephraim. ⁶⁷ They gave to them the cities of refuge, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its pasture lands, and Gezer with its pasture lands, ⁶⁸ Jokmeam with its pasture lands, Beth Horon with its pasture lands, ⁶⁹ Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath Rimmon with its pasture lands; ⁷⁰ and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Aner with its pasture lands, and Bileam with its pasture lands, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.

⁷¹ To the sons of Gershom were given, out of the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, and Ashtaroth with its pasture lands; ⁷² and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, ⁷³ Ramoth with its pasture lands, and Anem with its pasture lands; ⁷⁴ and out of the tribe of Asher, Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, ⁷⁵ Hukok with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands; ⁷⁶ and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Hammon with its pasture lands, and Kiriathaim with its pasture lands.

⁷⁷ To the rest of the Levites, the sons of Merari, were given, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmono with its pasture lands, Tabor with its pasture lands; ⁷⁸ and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, were given them, out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with its pasture lands, and Jahzah with its pasture lands, ⁷⁹ Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands; ⁸⁰ and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, ⁸¹ Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands.

10 For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. ² Or else wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins? ³ But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. ⁴ For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. ⁵ Therefore when he comes into the world, he says,

⁸ Previously saying, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire, neither had pleasure in them” (those which are offered according to the law), ⁹ then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second, ¹⁰ by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹ Every priest indeed stands day by day serving and offering often the same sacrifices which can never take away sins, ¹² but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, ¹³ from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet. ¹⁴ For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. ¹⁵ The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,

then he says,

¹⁸ Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

¹⁹ Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, ²¹ and having a great priest over God’s house, ²² let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water, ²³ let’s hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful.

²⁴ Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

²⁶ For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries. ²⁸ A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him who said, “Vengeance belongs to me. I will repay,” says the Lord.Deuteronomy 32:35 Again, “The Lord will judge his people.”Deuteronomy 32:36; Psalm 135:14 ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

³² But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings; ³³ partly, being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions; and partly, becoming partakers with those who were treated so. ³⁴ For you both had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens. ³⁵ Therefore don’t throw away your boldness, which has a great reward. ³⁶ For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

³⁹ But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul.

4 Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husbands, “Bring us drinks!”

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah.