The Levites

Levi’s(A) sons: Gershom,[a] Kohath, and Merari.

Kohath’s sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

Amram’s children: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam.

Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Eleazar fathered Phinehas;(B)

Phinehas fathered Abishua;

Abishua fathered Bukki;

Bukki fathered Uzzi;

Uzzi fathered Zerahiah;

Zerahiah fathered Meraioth;

Meraioth fathered Amariah;

Amariah fathered Ahitub;

Ahitub fathered Zadok;

Zadok fathered Ahimaaz;

Ahimaaz fathered Azariah;

Azariah fathered Johanan;

10 Johanan fathered Azariah, who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem;

11 Azariah fathered Amariah;

Amariah fathered Ahitub;

12 Ahitub fathered Zadok;

Zadok fathered Shallum;

13 Shallum fathered Hilkiah;

Hilkiah fathered Azariah;

14 Azariah fathered Seraiah;

and Seraiah fathered Jehozadak.

15 Jehozadak went into exile when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.(C)

16 Levi’s(D) sons: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

17 These are the names of Gershom’s sons: Libni and Shimei.

18 Kohath’s sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

19 Merari’s sons: Mahli and Mushi.

These are the Levites’ families according to their fathers:

20 Of Gershom: his son Libni,

his son Jahath, his son Zimmah,

21 his son Joah, his son Iddo,

his son Zerah, and his son Jeatherai.

22 Kohath’s sons: his son Amminadab,

his son Korah, his son Assir,

23 his son Elkanah, his son Ebiasaph,

his son Assir, 24 his son Tahath,

his son Uriel, his son Uzziah,

and his son Shaul.

25 Elkanah’s sons: Amasai and Ahimoth,

26 his son Elkanah, his son Zophai,

his son Nahath, 27 his son Eliab,

his son Jeroham, and his son Elkanah.

28 Samuel’s sons: his firstborn Joel,[b](E)

and his second son Abijah.

29 Merari’s sons: Mahli, his son Libni,

his son Shimei, his son Uzzah,

30 his son Shimea, his son Haggiah,

and his son Asaiah.

The Musicians

31 These are the men David put in charge of the music in the Lord’s temple(F) after the ark came to rest there.(G) 32 They ministered with song in front of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, and they performed their task according to the regulations given to them. 33 These are the men who served with their sons.

From the Kohathites: Heman the singer,

son of Joel, son of Samuel,

34 son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham,

son of Eliel, son of Toah,

35 son of Zuph, son of Elkanah,

son of Mahath, son of Amasai,

36 son of Elkanah, son of Joel,

son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah,

37 son of Tahath, son of Assir,

son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah,

38 son of Izhar, son of Kohath,

son of Levi, son of Israel.

39 Heman’s relative was Asaph, who stood at his right hand:

Asaph son of Berechiah, son of Shimea,

40 son of Michael, son of Baaseiah,

son of Malchijah, 41 son of Ethni,

son of Zerah, son of Adaiah,

42 son of Ethan, son of Zimmah,

son of Shimei, 43 son of Jahath,

son of Gershom, son of Levi.

44 On the left, their relatives were Merari’s sons:

Ethan son of Kishi, son of Abdi,

son of Malluch, 45 son of Hashabiah,

son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah,

46 son of Amzi, son of Bani,

son of Shemer, 47 son of Mahli,

son of Mushi, son of Merari,

son of Levi.

Aaron’s Descendants

48 Their relatives, the Levites, were assigned to all the service of the tabernacle, God’s temple. 49 But Aaron and his sons did all the work of the most holy place. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offerings(H) and on the altar of incense(I) to make atonement for Israel according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.(J)

50 These(K) are Aaron’s sons: his son Eleazar,

his son Phinehas, his son Abishua,

51 his son Bukki, his son Uzzi,

his son Zerahiah, 52 his son Meraioth,

his son Amariah, his son Ahitub,

53 his son Zadok, and his son Ahimaaz.

The Settlements of the Levites

54 These were the places assigned to Aaron’s descendants from the Kohathite family for their settlements in their territory, because the first lot was for them.(L) 55 They(M) were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands, 56 but the fields and settlements around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. 57 Aaron’s descendants were given:(N)

Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah and its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa and its pasturelands, 58 Hilen[c] and its pasturelands, Debir and its pasturelands, 59 Ashan and its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh and its pasturelands. 60 From the tribe of Benjamin they were given Geba and its pasturelands, Alemeth and its pasturelands, and Anathoth and its pasturelands. They had thirteen towns in all among their families.

61 To the rest of the Kohathites, ten towns from half the tribe of Manasseh were assigned by lot.(O)

62 The Gershomites were assigned thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan according to their families.

63 The Merarites were assigned by lot twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun according to their families.(P) 64 So the Israelites gave these towns and their pasturelands to the Levites.(Q) 65 They assigned by lot the towns named above(R) from the tribes of the descendants of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

66 Some(S) of the families of the Kohathites were given towns from the tribe of Ephraim for their territory:

67 Shechem (a city of refuge) with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer and its pasturelands, 68 Jokmeam and its pasturelands, Beth-horon and its pasturelands, 69 Aijalon and its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon and its pasturelands. 70 From half the tribe of Manasseh, Aner and its pasturelands, and Bileam and its pasturelands were given to the rest of the families of the Kohathites.

71 The Gershomites received:

Golan in Bashan and its pasturelands, and Ashtaroth and its pasturelands from the families of half the tribe of Manasseh. 72 From the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh and its pasturelands, Daberath and its pasturelands, 73 Ramoth and its pasturelands, and Anem and its pasturelands. 74 From the tribe of Asher they received Mashal and its pasturelands, Abdon and its pasturelands, 75 Hukok and its pasturelands, and Rehob and its pasturelands. 76 From the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee and its pasturelands, Hammon and its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim and its pasturelands.

77 The rest of the Merarites received:

From the tribe of Zebulun they received Rimmono and its pasturelands and Tabor and its pasturelands. 78 From the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan at Jericho, to the east of the Jordan, they received Bezer in the desert and its pasturelands, Jahzah and its pasturelands, 79 Kedemoth and its pasturelands, and Mephaath and its pasturelands. 80 From the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead and its pasturelands, Mahanaim and its pasturelands, 81 Heshbon and its pasturelands, and Jazer and its pasturelands.

Footnotes

  1. 6:1 In Hb Levi’s son’s name is spelled “Gershon” here and many other places
  2. 6:28 Some LXX mss, Syr, Arabic; other Hb mss omit Joel; 1Sm 8:2
  3. 6:58 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read Hilez

Psalm 81

A Call to Obedience

For the choir director: on the Gittith. Of Asaph.(A)

Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.(B)
Lift up a song—play the tambourine,
the melodious lyre, and the harp.(C)
Blow the ram’s horn on the day of our feasts[a]
during the new moon(D)
and during the full moon.
For this is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.(E)
He set it up as a decree for Joseph
when he went throughout[b] the land of Egypt.(F)
I heard an unfamiliar language:
“I relieved his shoulder from the burden;
his hands were freed from carrying the basket.(G)
You called out in distress, and I rescued you;
I answered you from the thundercloud.(H)
I tested you at the Waters of Meribah.(I)Selah
Listen, my people, and I will admonish you.
Israel, if you would only listen to me!(J)
There must not be a strange god among you;
you must not bow down to a foreign god.(K)
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up from the land of Egypt.(L)
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.(M)

11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel did not obey me.(N)
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own plans.(O)
13 If only my people would listen to me
and Israel would follow my ways,(P)
14 I would quickly subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.”(Q)
15 Those who hate the Lord
would cower to him;(R)
their doom would last forever.(S)
16 But he would feed Israel[c] with the best wheat.
“I would satisfy you with honey from the rock.”(T)

Footnotes

  1. 81:3 Lit feast
  2. 81:5 Or he gained authority over
  3. 81:16 Lit him

Psalm 88

A Cry of Desperation

A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choir director: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.(A)

Lord, God of my salvation,
I cry out before you day and night.(B)
May my prayer reach your presence;
listen to my cry.(C)

For I have had enough troubles,
and my life is near Sheol.(D)
I am counted among those going down to the Pit.(E)
I am like a man without strength,(F)
abandoned[a] among the dead.
I am like the slain lying in the grave,(G)
whom you no longer remember,
and who are cut off from your care.[b](H)

You have put me in the lowest part of the Pit,
in the darkest places, in the depths.(I)
Your wrath weighs heavily on me;(J)
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.(K)Selah
You have distanced my friends from me;
you have made me repulsive to them.(L)
I am shut in and cannot go out.
My eyes are worn out from crying.(M)
Lord, I cry out to you all day long;(N)
I spread out my hands to you.(O)

10 Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do departed spirits rise up to praise you?(P)Selah
11 Will your faithful love be declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Abaddon?(Q)
12 Will your wonders be known in the darkness
or your righteousness in the land of oblivion?(R)

13 But I call to you for help, Lord;
in the morning my prayer meets you.(S)
14 Lord, why do you reject me?(T)
Why do you hide your face from me?(U)
15 From my youth,
I have been suffering and near death.
I suffer your horrors; I am desperate.(V)
16 Your wrath sweeps over me;
your terrors destroy me.(W)
17 They surround me like water all day long;
they close in on me from every side.(X)
18 You have distanced loved one and neighbor from me;
darkness is my only friend.[c](Y)

Footnotes

  1. 88:5 Or set free
  2. 88:5 Or hand
  3. 88:18 Or from me, my friends. Oh darkness!

Psalm 92

God’s Love and Faithfulness

A psalm. A song for the Sabbath day.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,(A)
to declare your faithful love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,(B)
with a ten-stringed harp[a]
and the music of a lyre.(C)

For you have made me rejoice, Lord,
by what you have done;
I will shout for joy
because of the works of your hands.(D)
How magnificent are your works, Lord,
how profound your thoughts!(E)
A stupid person does not know,
a fool does not understand this:(F)
though the wicked sprout like grass(G)
and all evildoers flourish,
they will be eternally destroyed.(H)
But you, Lord, are exalted forever.(I)
For indeed, Lord, your enemies—
indeed, your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.(J)
10 You have lifted up my horn(K)
like that of a wild ox;
I have been anointed[b] with the finest oil.(L)
11 My eyes look at my enemies;
when evildoers rise against me,
my ears hear them.(M)

12 The righteous thrive like a palm tree
and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon.(N)
13 Planted in the house of the Lord,
they thrive in the courts of our God.(O)
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
healthy and green,(P)
15 to declare, “The Lord is just;
he is my rock,
and there is no unrighteousness in him.”(Q)

Psalm 93

God’s Eternal Reign

The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed, enveloped in strength.
The world is firmly established;
it cannot be shaken.(R)
Your throne has been established
from the beginning;[c]
you are from eternity.(S)
The floods have lifted up, Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their pounding waves.(T)
Greater than the roar of a huge torrent—
the mighty breakers of the sea—
the Lord on high is majestic.(U)

Lord, your testimonies are completely reliable;(V)
holiness adorns your house
for all the days to come.(W)

Footnotes

  1. 92:3 Or ten-stringed instrument and a harp
  2. 92:10 Syr reads you have anointed me
  3. 93:2 Lit from then

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