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18-19 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh were skillful warriors who carried shields, wielded swords, and shot arrows. There were 44,760 who conquered the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 They defeated the Hagrites and all who were with them because they asked for God’s help during the battle and trusted in Him, and their plea was granted. 21 They seized 100,000 men and their herds: 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys. 22 Many of the enemies died because the men were fighting God’s battle. The tribes then lived in these conquered lands until the exile.
23 The numerous members of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived between Bashan and Baal-hermon, between Senir and Mount Hermon. 24 The clan leaders were famous and glorious men: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. 25 But they disobeyed the God of their fathers, prostituting themselves to the pagan gods whom God had destroyed in front of them. 26 So the God of Israel awakened the king of Assyria, Pul or Tilgath-pilneser,[a] to exile the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The people were taken from Israel to live in Halah, in Habor, in Hara, and by the river of Gozan, where they remain today.
6 Levi fathered Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2 Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 3 The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. Aaron fathered Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 4 Eleazar’s lineage descended 21 generations until the exile: Phinehas, Abishua, 5 Bukki, Uzzi, 6 Zerahiah, Meraioth, 7 Amariah, Ahitub, 8 Zadok, Ahimaaz, 9 Azariah, Johanan, 10 Azariah (he was priest in Solomon’s temple which was constructed in Jerusalem), 11 Amariah, Ahitub, 12 Zadok, Shallum, 13 Hilkiah, Azariah, 14 Seraiah, and Jehozadak 15 (one of those from Jerusalem and Judah whom the Eternal One exiled by Nebuchadnezzar).
While the tribe of Judah boasts the kingly lineage, specifically Israel’s beloved kings David and Solomon, the tribe of Levi is the priestly tribe. These men are at the center of the worship of the Lord, performing the daily rituals and sacrifices required in the law.
16 These are the Levite clans according to their patronage: Levi fathered Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 17 Gershom’s sons were Libni and Shimei. 18 Kohath’s sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 19 Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi. These are the Levitical clans. 20 Gershom’s lineage descended seven generations: Libni, Jahath, Zimmah, 21 Joah, Iddo, Zerah, and Jeatherai. 22 Kohath’s lineage descended ten generations: Amminadab, Korah, Assir, 23 Elkanah, Ebiasaph, Assir, 24 Tahath, Uriel, Uzziah, and Shaul. 25 The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth. 26 Elkanah’s lineage descended six generations: Zophai, Nahath, 27 Eliab, Jeroham, Elkanah, and Samuel. 28 Samuel’s sons were Joel (the firstborn) and Abijah (the second). 29 Merari’s lineage descended seven generations: Mahli, Libni, Shimei, Uzzah, 30 Shimea, Haggiah, and Asaiah.
31 After the chest of the covenant came to rest in the tent of the congregation, King David appointed the following Levites to be the musicians in the temple. 32 They ministered with songs with respect to their responsibilities outlined for them at the congregation tent until our king Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem. 33 These served with their sons: From the Kohathites was 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 On Heman’s right stood his cousin 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 Heman’s left stood their cousin from the Merarites, 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).
48 Their cousins from other Levitical clans served the congregation tent of the house of God. 49 Aaron and his sons performed the holiest work: they gave burnt offerings and incense offerings. These offerings atoned for Israel, according to all God’s servant Moses had commanded. 50 The lineage of Aaron descended 11 generations: Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua, 51 Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, 52 Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, 53 Zadok, and Ahimaaz.
64 Because the Levites were a priestly tribe without their own land, the other tribes each gave them cities and pastures.[b] 54 These are their territories and the pasturelands in these settlements: To the descendants of Aaron of the Kohathite clan (the highest clan) 65 the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin gave 9 cities 55 including Hebron in the territory of Judah and those cities’ surrounding pastures. 56 But the fields of Hebron and its villages still belonged to Caleb (son of Jephunneh). 57-59 The descendants of Aaron received Hebron, a city of escape, and they also lived in the cities of Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, and Beth-shemesh with their surrounding pastures. 60 The tribe of Benjamin gave 4 cities and their pastures including Gibeon,[c] Geba, Allemeth, and Anathoth. The descendants of Aaron held 13 cities; 61 the half-tribe of Manasseh gave 10 cities to the remaining Kohathite clan.
62 The tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh gave 13 cities in Bashan to the Gershomites.
63 The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun gave 12 cities to the Merarites.
66-69 The tribe of Ephraim also gave cities and surrounding pastures to the Kohathites. These cities of refuge included Shechem (in the hill country of Ephraim), Gezer, Jokmeam, Beth-horon, Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon. 70 The half-tribe of Manasseh gave the cities and pastures of Aner and Bileam to the rest of the Kohathites.
71 The half-tribe of Manasseh gave these cities and surrounding pastures to the Gershomites: Golan in Bashan and Ashtaroth. 72-73 The tribe of Issachar gave Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, and Anem. 74-75 The tribe of Asher gave these cities and their pastures: Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, and Rehob. 76 The tribe of Naphtali gave the cities and pastures of Kedesh (in Galilee), Hammon, and Kiriathaim.
77 The tribe of Zebulun gave these cities and pastures to the Merarites: Rimmono, Tabor, 78-79 and Jericho (beyond the Jordan River on the east side). The tribe of Reuben gave the cities and pastures of Bezer, Jahzah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath. 80-81 The tribe of Gad gave the cities and pastures of Ramoth (in Gilead), Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer.
26 Agrippa (to Paul): Go ahead. You may speak for yourself.
Paul (extending his hand): 2 I am indeed fortunate to be standing before you, King Agrippa, to humbly defend myself against accusations from my Jewish opponents. 3 You are extraordinarily familiar with Jewish customs and controversies, so I beg your patience as I begin. 4 My way of life is well known to the whole Jewish community, how I have lived in the Jewish community abroad and in Jerusalem. 5 If they are willing to speak, they themselves will tell you something they have long known—that I was a member of the strictest sect of our religion and lived for many years as a Pharisee. 6 But now I am on trial here for this simple reason: I have hope. I have hope rooted in a promise God made to our ancestors. 7 All our twelve tribes have hope in this promise—they express their hope as they worship day and night. How strange it is, then, Your Excellency, that I am accused by the Jews of having hope! 8 Why would any of you think it is absurd to have hope that God raises the dead? 9 As you know, we’re talking specifically about Jesus of Nazareth. For a long time, I was convinced that I should work against that name. 10 I opposed it in Jerusalem. I received authorization from the chief priests to lock many of His followers in prison. When they were threatened with execution, I voted against them. 11 I would find them in synagogues across Jerusalem and try to force them to blaspheme. My fury drove me to pursue them to foreign cities as well.
The importance of Paul’s conversion experience on the way to Damascus is highlighted as he recounts it in his defense.
12 On one occasion, I was traveling to Damascus, authorized and commissioned by the chief priests to find and imprison more of His followers. 13 It was about midday, Your Excellency, when I saw a light from heaven—brighter than the noonday sun—shining around my companions and me. 14 We all fell to the ground in fear, and I then heard a voice. The words were in Aramaic: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? When you kick against the cattle prods, you’re only hurting yourself.” 15 I asked, “Lord, who are You?” and the Lord answered, “I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting. 16 Get up now, and stand upright on your feet. I have appeared to you for a reason. I am appointing you to serve Me. You are to tell My story and how you have now seen Me, and you are to continue to tell the story in the future. 17 I will rescue you from your Jewish opponents and from the outsiders—for it is to the outsiders I am sending you. 18 It will be your mission to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of God. This is so that they may receive forgiveness of all their sins and have a place among those who are set apart for a holy purpose through having faith in Me.”
19 King Agrippa, I did not disobey this vision from heaven. 20 I began in Damascus, then continued in Jerusalem, then throughout the Judean countryside, then among the outsiders—telling everyone they must turn from their past and toward God and align their deeds and way of life with this new direction. 21 So then, this is my crime. This is why my Jewish opponents seized me that day in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 God has helped me right up to this very moment, so I can stand here telling my story to both the humble and the powerful alike. I only say what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Anointed One must suffer, and then, by being the first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light to both Jews and outsiders.
Festus (interrupting): 24 You’ve gone crazy, Paul! You’ve read one book too many and have gone insane!
Paul: 25 No, most excellent Festus, I am not insane. I am telling the sane and sober truth. 26 The king understands what I’m talking about, which is why I could speak so freely to him. None of these things have been covered up and hidden away in a corner, so I’m sure none of these things have escaped his notice. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you must believe.
Agrippa: 28 Paul, have you so quickly moved on from defending yourself to trying to persuade me to become a Christian?
Paul: 29 Whether I have done so quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but also everyone who is listening to me today might become what I am—minus these chains.
30 The king stood to leave at this point, along with Festus, Bernice, and all those who had been seated; 31 and as they left, everyone was saying the same thing: “This man isn’t doing anything deserving death—he shouldn’t even be in prison.”
Agrippa (to Festus): 32 This man could have been released completely if he had not appealed to the emperor.
Psalm 6
For the worship leader. A song of David accompanied by the lyre.[a]
1 O Eternal One, don’t punish me in Your anger
or harshly correct me.
2 Show me grace, Eternal God. I am completely undone.
Bring me back together, Eternal One. Mend my shattered bones.
3 My soul is drowning in darkness.
How long can You, the Eternal, let things go on like this?
4 Come back, Eternal One, and lead me to Your saving light.
Rescue me because I know You are truly compassionate.
5 I’m alive for a reason—I can’t worship You if I’m dead.
If I’m six feet under, how can I thank You?
6 I’m exhausted. I cannot even speak, my voice fading as sighs.
Every day ends in the same place—lying in bed, covered in tears,
my pillow wet with sorrow.
7 My eyes burn, devoured with grief;
they grow weak as I constantly watch for my enemies.
8 All who are evil, stay away from me
because the Eternal hears my voice, listens as I cry.
9 The Eternal God hears my simple prayers;
He receives my request.
10 All who seek to destroy me will be humiliated;
they will turn away and suddenly crumble in shame.
20 Good words satisfy like a fine meal;
yes, good conversations are sure to satisfy.
21 Words have power in matters of life and death,
and those who love them will savor their fruit.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.