M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
23 When David was old, full of years, and near death, he appointed his son Solomon to succeed him as king over Israel. 2 Then David gathered together all the leaders of Israel, including the priests and the Levites.
The Israelites can now be blessed by David’s organization in two ways. First, as they begin rebuilding the temple, his preparations are practical: they explain what tools and artisans and materials are needed to build God’s house. But his organization blesses the Israelites another way: he shows what consistent devotion to God looks like. Even though David knows he won’t see the temple with his own eyes, he is no less committed to doing God’s work.
The process of rebuilding Jerusalem is an arduous one, one that will take more than one lifetime to complete. So the Israelites cannot become complacent about God’s work just because they may not see it come to fruition themselves. They must work for the advancement of His kingdom because that is what He desires.
3 At that time, there were 38,000 Levites 30 years of age and older, an employable age. 4 Of these, 24,000 directed the work of the temple of the Eternal, 6,000 were officers and judges, 5 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 were musicians, praising Him with the instruments David made. 6 David divided the Levites into their families, the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
7 The Gershonites had two families: Ladan and Shimei. 8 Ladan had three sons: Jehiel (the first), Zetham, and Joel. 9 Shimei had three sons also: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. These men were the chiefs of Ladan’s family. 10 Shimei’s other four sons were Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. 11 Jahath was the first and Zizah the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have strong lineages. Eventually their families combined to make one family.
12 The Kohathites had four families: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 13 Amram had two sons: Aaron and Moses. Aaron’s lineage was chosen to ordain and cleanse themselves as the most holy among the Levites forever. They were charged with burning incense before the Eternal, ministering to Him, and blessing in His name forever. Because they were set apart, their lineage is not included in this genealogy. 14 Moses, the man of God, had two sons whose family lineages were included in this genealogy of the tribe of Levi. 15 Moses’ sons were Gershom and Eliezer. 16 Gershom’s son was Shebuel (the chief). 17 Eliezer had only one son: Rehabiah (the chief). Rehabiah had many sons. 18 Izhar (the son of Kohath) had one son: Shelomith (the chief). 19 Hebron (the son of Kohath) had four sons: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. 20 Uzziel (the son of Kohath) had two sons: Micah the first and Isshiah the second.
21 The Merarites had two families: Mahli and Mushi. Mahli had two sons: Eleazar and Kish. 22 When Eleazar died he had no sons, only daughters. These women maintained their father’s line by marrying their relatives, the sons of Kish. 23 Mushi had three sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth.
24 This is the genealogy of Levi according to their families. The leaders of the families were counted along with all those working for the Eternal who were 20 years of age and older.
David: 25 Since the Eternal God now lives in His tent in Jerusalem forever and has given rest to His people Israel, 26 the Levites will no longer need to carry the congregation tent and all the vessels for its service. The tent will rest in Jerusalem along with God’s people.
27 These final words of King David changed who was included in the census. From this point forward, the sons of Levi who were 20 years of age and older were included in the genealogies.
This alteration of age from 30 years in 1 Chronicles 23:3 to 20 years of age here may indicate that more workers were needed from the Levite tribe for the temple since the change from a moveable tent for worship to the continual service in the permanent structure.
28 The Levites help Aaron’s family with their duties in the temple of the Eternal, purifying all the things dedicated to spiritual service in the courts and in the chambers of the temple, and preparing for services in the temple: 29 making the loaves of unleavened bread, selecting the fine flour for a grain offering, making the unleavened wafers, or preparing anything else that is baked in the pan or well-mixed, regardless of the amount and size. 30 They stand and testify about the Eternal regularly, every morning and evening. 31 They offer all the burnt offerings to Him on the Sabbath days, the new moons, and the holidays according to the law given to Moses. 32 In these ways, they are responsible for the congregation tent and the holy utensils within the sanctuary. They are helpers of Aaron’s family, and they help maintain the temple of the Eternal.
4 Since the Anointed suffered in the flesh, prepare yourselves to do the same—anyone who has suffered in the flesh for the Lord is no longer in the grip of sin— 2 so that you may live the rest of your life on earth controlled not by earthly desires but by the will of God.
The reality of suffering in the world causes many to question the existence of an all-powerful and all-loving God. A God of power and love is expected to be both able and willing to remove suffering from our lives. Ultimately, God will make all things new and end suffering, but for now God allows it and calls us to rejoice in the midst of it. Though we may not understand it, pain and suffering have a purpose in God’s plan, and our Creator is not immune to it. Through Jesus God enters into our suffering; now we are called to enter into His.
3 You have already wasted enough time living like those outsiders in the society around you: losing yourselves in sex, in addictions and desires, in drinking and lawless idolatry, in giving your time and allegiance to things that are not godly. 4 When you don’t play the same games they do, they notice that you are living by different rules. That’s why they say such terrible things about you. 5 Someday they, too, will have to give an account of themselves to the One who judges the living and the dead. 6 (This is why the good news had to be brought to those who are dead so that although they are judged in the flesh, they might live in the spirit in the way that pleases God.)
7 We are coming to the end of all things, so be serious and keep your wits about you in order to pray more forcefully. 8 Most of all, love each other steadily and unselfishly, because love makes up for many faults. 9 Show hospitality to each other without complaint. 10 Use whatever gift you’ve received for the good of one another so that you can show yourselves to be good stewards of God’s grace in all its varieties. 11 If you’re called upon to talk, speak as though God put the words in your mouth; if you’re called upon to serve others, serve as though you had the strength of God behind you. In these ways, God may be glorified in all you do through Jesus the Anointed, to whom belongs glory and power, now and forever. Amen.
12 Dear ones, don’t be surprised when you experience your trial by fire. It is not something strange and unusual, 13 but it is something you should rejoice in. In it you share the Anointed’s sufferings, and you will be that much more joyful when His glory is revealed. 14 If anyone condemns you for following Jesus as the Anointed One, consider yourself blessed. The glorious Spirit of God rests on you. 15 But none of you should ever merit suffering like those who have murdered or stolen, meddled in the affairs of others or done evil things. 16 But if you should suffer for being a Christian, don’t think of it as a disgrace, as it would be if you had done wrong. Praise God that you’re permitted to carry this name.
People often suffer because of poor decisions that result in shame, but the people of God face persecution for their faithfulness that leads to honor and glory.
17 For the time for judgment has come, and it is beginning with the household of God. If it is starting with us, what will happen to those who have rejected God’s good news? 18 It is written in Proverbs,
If it is hard for the righteous ones to be saved,
what will happen to the ungodly and the sinners?[a]
19 So even if you should suffer now for doing God’s will, continue doing good and trust your futures to the judgment and mercy of a faithful Creator.
2 Beware, for disaster is coming to those who plan wickedness,
who lie on their beds plotting evil.
When morning shines on them, they carry out their plans
simply because they have the power to do so.
2 They see fields they want and take them.
They see houses, and they grab them up.
They persecute each landowner, taking all that belongs to him—
including his freedom and his children’s inheritance.
3 Eternal One: Look at what I am doing:
I am preparing a calamity for you people,
A yoke from which you will not be able to free your necks.
You will not be able to walk with your noses in the air
Because the times will be disastrous indeed.
4 On that day, you will be a subject of parodies;
each of you land stealers will sing a dirge and say,
“Oh no! We’re completely ruined!
God has divided up my family’s inheritance.
And how has He taken it out of my hands?
He has given my land to the conquerors.”
5 Because of this, you will have no descendant
who can measure out your share in the Eternal’s community.
6 They say,
“Don’t rattle on like this,”
But those same people preach falsehood themselves:
“Calamity is not coming in our direction.”
7 Should it be said to the people of Jacob,
“Has the Spirit of Eternal lost His patience with us?
Is this how He works?”
Eternal One: When I speak, don’t good things happen
to the ones who uprightly follow My fair path?
8 But recently My people became their own enemy.
You strip the mantles off the clothes
Of those just passing through, those who thought themselves safe,
those who are opposed to war.
9 You drive the women of My people from the homes they love.
You steal My glory from their young children.
10 Get up and go! This is no place for you to rest,
because when something is contaminated with evil,
It destroys people painfully and completely.
11 If someone going on about nothing of worth wanders by and says,
“I’ve come to preach to you of whiskey and wine,”
Then these selfish people would hire him
as their official speaker just because they like his message.
12 I will certainly gather you all together, people of Jacob;
I will surely bring you together with the survivors of Israel’s decimation.
I will gather them like sheep in a fold,
and like a flock trapped in the center of their pasture,
They will make a great noise, there will be so many of them.
13 Their leader breaks out first,
then all break through the gate and escape.
Their king will show the way, and the Eternal One will lead them.
11 Another time Jesus was praying, and when He finished, one of His disciples approached Him.
Disciple: Teacher, would You teach us Your way of prayer? John taught his disciples his way of prayer, and we’re hoping You’ll do the same.
Jesus: 2 Here’s how to pray:
Father [in heaven], may Your name be revered.
May Your kingdom come.
[May Your will be accomplished on earth
as it is in heaven.]
3 Give us the food we need for tomorrow,
4 And forgive us for our wrongs,
for we forgive those who wrong us.
And lead us away from temptation.
[And save us from the evil one.][a]
5 Imagine that one of your friends comes over at midnight. He bangs on the door and shouts, “Friend, will you lend me three loaves of bread? 6 A friend of mine just showed up unexpectedly from a journey, and I don’t have anything to feed him.” 7 Would you shout out from your bed, “I’m already in bed, and so are the kids. I already locked the door. I can’t be bothered”? 8 You know this as well as I do: even if you didn’t care that this fellow was your friend, if he keeps knocking long enough, you’ll get up and give him whatever he needs simply because of his brash persistence!
9 So listen: Keep on asking, and you will receive. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you. 10 All who keep asking will receive, all who keep seeking will find, and doors will open to those who keep knocking.
11 Some of you are fathers, so ask yourselves this: if your son comes up to you and asks for a fish for dinner, will you give him a snake instead? 12 If your boy wants an egg to eat, will you give him a scorpion? 13 Look, all of you are flawed in so many ways, yet in spite of all your faults, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to all who ask!
14 Picture this:
Jesus is exorcising a demon that has long kept a man from speaking. When the demon is expelled, the man starts talking and the people are amazed. 15 But then controversy erupts.
Some People: Do you know why He can cast out demons? It’s because He’s in league with the demon prince, Beelzebul.
16 Other people want to see more, so they challenge Jesus to give them another miraculous sign. 17 Jesus knows what they’re thinking.
Jesus: People, be logical. If a kingdom is divided against itself, it will collapse. If a ruling family is divided against itself, it will fall apart.
18 So if Satan’s kingdom is divided against itself, won’t his whole enterprise collapse? Does it make any sense to say I’m casting out demons by Beelzebul? 19 Besides, if you’re saying it takes satanic power to cast out Satan, by whose power do your own exorcists work? If you condemn Me for an exorcism, you’ll have to condemn them. 20 But if I by the power of God cast out demonic spirits, then face this fact: the kingdom of God is here, just as I’ve been saying.
21 When a man of power with his full array of weapons guards his own palace, everything inside is secure. 22 But when a new man who is stronger and better armed attacks the palace, the old ruler will be overcome, his weapons and trusted defenses will be removed, and his treasures will be plundered. 23 Can you see that I’m asking you to choose whose side you’re on—working with Me or fighting against Me?
These people think they are experts on demonic spirits, but Jesus instructs them in how these things actually work.
24 When a demonic spirit is expelled from someone, he wanders through waterless wastelands seeking rest. But there is no rest for him anywhere, so he says, “I’m going back to my old house.” 25 He returns and finds the old house has been swept clean and fixed up again. 26 So he goes and finds seven other spirits even worse than he is, and they make themselves at home in the man’s life so that he’s worse off now than he was before.
27 As He is speaking, a woman shouts out from the crowd and interrupts Him.
Woman: How blessed is Your mother’s womb for bearing You! How blessed are her 28 breasts for nursing You!
Jesus: No, how blessed are those who hear God’s voice and make God’s message their way of life.
29 Jesus was becoming more and more popular, and the crowds swelled wherever He went. He wasn’t impressed.
Jesus: This generation is evil. These people are seeking signs and spectacles, but I’m not going to play their game. The only sign they will be given is the sign of Jonah. 30 Just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
31 The queen of Ethiopia will stand to condemn the people of this generation on the day of judgment. She, an outsider, came from so far away to hear the wisdom given to Solomon, but now, something greater than Solomon is here: how are the people of this generation responding?
32 Similarly, the people of Nineveh will stand to condemn the people of this generation on the day of judgment. They, outsiders, responded and changed because of the preaching of Jonah, but now, something greater than Jonah is here: how are the people of this generation responding?
33 You need a light to see. Only an idiot would light a lamp and then put it beneath the floor or under a bucket. No, any intelligent person would put the lamp on a table so everyone who comes in the house can see. 34 Listen, your eye, your outlook, the way you see is your lamp. If your way of seeing is functioning well, then your whole life will be enlightened. But if your way of seeing is darkened, then your life will be a dark, dark place. 35 So be careful, people, because your light may be malfunctioning. 36 If your outlook is good, then your whole life will be bright, with no shadowy corners, as when a radiant lamp brightens your home.
Jesus is fearless with Pharisees and scholars. To get through to them He agrees to eat in the home of a Pharisee where a religious scholar has also been invited.
37 A Pharisee interrupted His speech with an invitation to dinner. Jesus accepted the invitation and took His place at his table. 38 The Pharisee was offended that Jesus didn’t perform the ceremonial handwashing before eating—something Pharisees were fastidious about doing.
Jesus: 39 You Pharisees are a walking contradiction. You are so concerned about external things—like someone who washes the outside of a cup and bowl but never cleans the inside, which is what counts! Beneath your fastidious exterior is a mess of extortion and filth.
40 You guys don’t get it. Did the potter make the outside but not the inside too? 41 If you were full of goodness within, you could overflow with generosity from within, and if you did that, everything would be clean for you.
42 Woe to you, Pharisees! Judgment will come on you! You are fastidious about tithing—keeping account of every little leaf of mint and herb—but you neglect what really matters: justice and the love of God! If you’d get straight on what really matters, then your fastidiousness about little things would be worth something.
43 Woe to you, Pharisees! Judgment will come on you! What you really love is having people fawn over you when you take the seat of honor in the synagogue or when you are greeted in the public market.
44 Wake up! See what you’ve become! Woe to you; you’re like a field full of unmarked graves. People walk on the field and have no idea of the corruption that’s a few inches beneath their feet.
Scholar (sitting at Jesus’ table): 45 Rabbi, if You insult the Pharisees, then You insult us too.
Jesus: 46 Well, now that you mention it, watch out, all you religious scholars! Judgment will come on you too! You load other people down with unbearable burdens of rules and regulations, but you don’t lift a finger to help others. 47-48 Woe to you; you don’t fool anybody! You seem very religious—honoring the prophets by building them elaborate memorial tombs. Come to think of it, that’s very fitting, since you’re so much like the people who killed the prophets! They killed the prophets; you build their tombs—you’re all in the same family business!
49 This is why the Wisdom of God said, “I will send these people My prophets and emissaries,[b] and these people will kill and persecute many of them.” 50 As a result, this generation will be held accountable for the blood of all the prophets shed from the very beginning of time, 51 from Abel’s blood to Zechariah’s blood, who was killed in the temple itself between the altar and the holy place. I’m serious: this generation will be held accountable.
52 So, religious scholars, judgment will come on you! You’re supposed to be teachers, unlocking the door of knowledge and guiding people through it. But the fact is, you’ve never even passed through the doorway yourselves. You’ve taken the key, left the door locked tight, and stood in the way of everyone who sought entry.
53 After that dinner, things were never the same. The religious scholars and Pharisees put constant pressure on Jesus, 54 trying to trap Him and trick Him into saying things they could use to bring Him down.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.