2 Chronicles 35 Cross References - VIN

¹ Josiah celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem. The Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month. ² Josiah appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them to serve in the LORD's Temple. ³ and saith to the Levites—who are teaching all Israel—who are sanctified to the LORD, `Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon son of David king of Israel built; it is not to you a burden on the shoulder. `Now, serve the LORD your God, and His people Israel, ⁴ and be ready according to the houses of your families, and according to your courses, as prescribed by David, king of Israel, and by his son Solomon; ⁵ And serve ye in the sanctuary by the families and companies of Levi. ⁶ Now slaughter the Passover, consecrate yourselves, and prepare your relatives to obey the word of the LORD given by Moses" ⁷ Josiah contributed 30,000 animals from the flocks of lambs and young goats, giving Passover offerings to all of the people who were present, plus an additional 3,000 bulls from the king's private possessions. ⁸ And his officials contributed a freewill offering to the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, commanders of the house of God, gave to the priests two thousand six hundred Passover lambs and three hundred bulls. ⁹ And Conaniah with Shemaiah and Nethanel his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, lords of the Levites, gave unto the Levites five thousand Passover offerings, and five hundred oxen. ¹⁰ So everything was made ready and the priests took their places with the Levites in their divisions, as the king had said. ¹¹ They slaughtered the Passover lambs. The priests sprinkled the blood with their hands while the Levites skinned the lambs. ¹² And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer to the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen. ¹³ They roasted the Passover in fire, as required by the ordinances, and boiled the holy things in pots, kettles, and pans, and delivered them quickly to all the people. ¹⁴ And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron were offering up the burnt offerings and the fat until nightfall. And the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. ¹⁵ The singers, as descendants of Asaph, remained at their stations as David, Asaph, Heman, and the king's seer Juduthun required, and the gatekeepers did not have to leave their posts because their Levite relatives prepared the Passover for them. ¹⁶ So everything needed for the worship of the Lord was made ready that same day, for the keeping of the Passover and the offering of burned offerings on the altar of the Lord, as King Josiah had given orders. ¹⁷ The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover that day, as well as the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. ¹⁸ And there was no Passover like that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet. Yea, none of the kings of Israel kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were found, and the people of Jerusalem. ¹⁹ This was the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign. ²⁰ After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. ²¹ And he sent messengers to him, saying, "What is there between us, O king of Judah? I am not against you yourself this day, but against the house making war against me. And God has commanded me to make haste. Stop opposing God, who is with me that he will not destroy you." ²² Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself to fight against him, and did not listen to the words of Necho from the mouth of God; and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. ²³ Some archers shot King Josiah. The king told his officers: "Take me away because I am badly wounded." ²⁴ So his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. ²⁵ And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah; and all the singing men and the singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day and made them an ordinance in Israel, which are written in the lamentations. ²⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his good deeds, according to what is written in the law of the LORD, ²⁷ and his deeds, first and last, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

⁶ "You will keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and all the assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter it at twilight.

³ On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight at its appointed time, you shall observe it. Keep it according to all its decrees and laws.

¹ "Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God. It was in the month of Abib that the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night. ² "Sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God from the flock and the herd, in the place where the LORD chooses to establish his name. ³ "Do not eat leavened bread with it. Eat unleavened bread for seven days. It is the bread of affliction. You should remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt in haste. ⁴ Let no yeast be seen with you in all your territory seven days. And let none of the flesh that you shall sacrifice in the evening on the first day lodge until morning. ⁵ You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates, which the LORD your God gives you; ⁶ But at the place where your God will choose to establish his name, you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at dusk, at the time of day you left Egypt. ⁷ "Cook and eat it in the place the LORD your God chooses. In the morning you are to return to your tents. ⁸ Six days you will eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day will be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God. You will do no work.

²¹ The king commanded all the people saying, Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant. ²² For from the days of the Judges who judged Israel, there had not been during all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Juda, ²³ but in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was held to the LORD in Jerusalem.

¹ Then Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah, and sent letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, requesting them to come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. ² The king, his officials, and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. ³ but they had been unable to celebrate it then because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not yet been gathered together in Jerusalem. ⁴ The thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly. ⁵ They decided to send an announcement throughout Israel from Beersheba to Dan. They summoned everyone to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the LORD God of Israel. These people had not celebrated it in large numbers as the written instructions said they should. ⁶ Messengers carried letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah. The king's order said: "Israelites should return to the LORD the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Then he will return to the few of you who escaped from the power of the kings of Assyria. ⁷ Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were sinners against the Lord, the God of their fathers, so that he made them a cause of fear, as you see. ⁸ Now, do not stiffen your neck as your fathers, but give a hand to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God that his fierce anger may turn away from you. ⁹ For when you return to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion before their captors and return to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and he will not turn away his face from you if you return to him." ¹⁰ So the runners went from town to town through all the country of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun: but they were laughed at and made sport of. ¹¹ Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. ¹² Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, according to the word of the LORD. ¹³ And much people were assembled to Jerusalem to celebrate the solemnity of the unleavened bread in the second month: ¹⁴ They arose and removed the altars in Jerusalem. They also removed all the incense altars and cast them into the Kidron Brook. ¹⁵ And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were disgraced, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. ¹⁶ And they stood in their place in their manner, according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood from the hand of the Levites. ¹⁷ Many people in the assembly had not made themselves holy. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all who were not clean and could not make their lambs holy for the LORD. ¹⁸ For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon everyone ¹⁹ who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even if they aren't clean according to the purification of the sanctuary." ²⁰ And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. ²¹ Thus the Israelites in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. Each day the Levites and priests praised the LORD in song. They played the LORD's instruments loudly. ²² Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of the LORD. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD, the God of their fathers. ²³ Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate the festival for seven more days. So they joyfully celebrated for seven more days. ²⁴ for Hezekiah the king of Judah had provided one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the princes provided one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep for the assembly. And many priests consecrated themselves. ²⁵ Everyone in the assembly of Judah rejoiced, as did the priests, the Levites, and the people who gathered together from throughout Israel, including whose who came from the land of Israel and those who lived in Judah. ²⁶ So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was nothing like this in Jerusalem. ²⁷ And the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer went up unto his holy dwelling place heaven.

¹⁹ On the fourteenth day of the first month the returned exiles observed the Passover feast.

²¹ In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the Passover, a feast lasting for seven days, when you shall eat unleavened breads.

⁵ You are to be responsible for the holy place and the altar, so that wrath may never again come on the children of Israel. ⁶ Behold, I myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the children of Israel. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. ⁷ You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil; and you shall serve. I give you the priesthood as a gift, and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

¹⁹ "Devote your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God. That way you may bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the Temple that will be built for the name of the LORD."

¹ These were the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ² And Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and they had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests. ³ And David, with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their appointments for their service. ⁴ More leaders were located among Eleazar's descendants than among those of Ithamar, so sixteen leaders were appointed from the leaders of the ancestral households of Eleazar's descendants and eight from those of Ithamar. ⁵ And thus were they divided impartially by drawing lots; for there were officiers of the sanctuary, and officiers of God, both of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar. ⁶ And Shemaiah the son of Nethanel the scribe, who was of the Levites, wrote them in the presence of the king and the princes and Zadok the priest and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar and the heads of the fathers of the priests and of the Levites, one fathers' house being taken for Eleazar and one taken for Ithamar. ⁷ The first lot fell to Jehoiarib. The second to Jedaiah. ⁸ the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, ⁹ the fifth to Malkijah, the sixth to Mijamin, ¹⁰ the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, ¹¹ the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, ¹² the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, ¹³ the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, ¹⁴ the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, ¹⁵ the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, ¹⁶ the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, ¹⁷ the twenty-first to Jakin, the twenty-second to Gamul, ¹⁸ the twenty-third to Delaiah, and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah. ¹⁹ This was their ordering in their service, to come into the house of the LORD according to the ordinance given to them by Aaron their father, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him. ²⁰ And as for the rest of the sons of Levi: of the sons of Amram, Shubael; of the sons of Shubael, Jehdeiah. ²¹ Of Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, Isshiah the chief. ²² Of the Izharites, Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth, Jahath. ²³ And the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth. ²⁴ The sons of Uzziel: Micah; of the sons of Micah, Shamir. ²⁵ The brother of Micah: Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah. ²⁶ The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno. ²⁷ The sons of Merari: of Jaaziah, Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri. ²⁸ For Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons; ²⁹ Of Kish, the son of Kish: Jerahmeel. ³⁰ And the sons of Mushi: Mahli and Eder and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites by their families. ³¹ They drew lots as their relatives, Aaron's descendants, had done. They drew them in front of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the families of the priests and Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated the same way as those of the youngest.

⁸ So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And they took every man his men, those who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath. For Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the divisions.

¹⁸ Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the LORD to the hands of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David.

⁵ And he said to them, "Hear me, O Levites! Sanctify yourselves now, and sanctify the house of the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and bring out the defilement from the sanctuary. ⁶ "Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what the LORD our God considered evil. They deserted him. They turned away from the LORD's tent and turned their backs on him. ⁷ They also shut the doors of the portico and extinguished the lamps. And they did not burn incense or offer burnt offerings in the sanctuary to the God of Israel. ⁸ That's why the LORD was angry with Judah and Jerusalem and made them an object of terror, horror, and derision, as you've seen with your own eyes. ⁹ For, see, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. ¹⁰ Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us. ¹¹ My sons, do not be negligent now. For the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense.

² Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the LORD's camp.

¹⁸ And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their separate orders, for the services of God in Jerusalem, according to the writing of the Book of Moses

¹⁵ »When Aaron and his sons finished covering the holy things and the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites will come to carry all the holy articles. They must never touch the holy things, or they will die. The Kohathites will carry all the things from the tent of meeting. ¹⁶ "Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron, will be in charge of the oil for the lamps, the sweet-smelling incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He is in charge of the whole tent and everything in it, the holy place and its contents." ¹⁷ And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ¹⁸ Do not let the family of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites; ¹⁹ "This is what you must do so that they will not die when they come near the most holy things: Aaron and his sons will go into the holy place and tell each man what he will do and what he will carry. ²⁰ "However the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die." ²¹ the LORD said to Moses: ²² "Take a census of the Gershonites. List them by households and families. ²³ All those from thirty to fifty years old who are able to do the work of the Tent of meeting. ²⁴ This is the service of the Gershonite families, to serve and to carry loads. ²⁵ they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, the covering of sealskin that is on it, the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, ²⁶ the curtains for the courtyard around the tent and the altar, the screen for the entrance to the courtyard, the ropes, and all the equipment used to set up the curtains. The Gershonites will do everything that needs to be done with these things. ²⁷ "All their work, whatever they carry and all their duties, will be done under the direction of Aaron and his sons. You are in charge of telling them everything they are to carry. ²⁸ This is the work of the family of the Gershonites in the Tent of meeting, and they will be under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. ²⁹ "Register the Merarites by families and households. ³⁰ Every one from thirty to fifty years old who is able to do the work of the Tent of meeting. ³¹ "These are their duties as they work at the tent of meeting: They will carry the framework for the inner tent, the crossbars, posts, and sockets, ³² the posts for the surrounding courtyard, the bases, pegs, and ropes. They must take care of all this equipment. Tell each man by name the things he will carry. ³³ This is the work which the sons of Merari are to do in connection with the Tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. ³⁴ Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation registered the Kohathites by their families and households. ³⁵ Numbering all those from thirty to fifty years old who were able to do the work in the Tent of meeting; ³⁶ Those numbered according to their clan were 2,750. ³⁷ This was the total of all those in the Kohathite families who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded Moses and registered the Kohathites. ³⁸ The Gershonites were registered by families and households. ³⁹ All those from thirty to fifty years old who were able to do the work in the Tent of meeting, ⁴⁰ Those numbered according to their clans and ancestral house were 2,630. ⁴¹ This was the total of all those in the Gershonite families who worked at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded Moses and registered the Gershonites. ⁴² The Merarites were registered by families and households. ⁴³ All those from thirty to fifty years old who did the work in the Tent of meeting, ⁴⁴ Those numbered according to their clans were 3,200. ⁴⁵ This was the muster of the community of the Merarites, whom Moses and Aaron reviewed, at the command of the Lord, by the hand of Moses. ⁴⁶ All those numbered, whom Moses and Aaron and the rulers of Israel numbered, of the Levites, by their families, and by their fathers' house, ⁴⁷ Those from thirty to fifty years old who were able to do the work of the Tent of meeting and of its transport, ⁴⁸ Those who were numbered were 8,580. ⁴⁹ At the LORD's command through Moses each man was registered and told what to do and what to carry. So they were registered as the LORD commanded Moses.

¹⁹ And I have given the Levites; they are given to Aaron and his sons from the midst of the Israelites to do the work of the Israelites in the tent of the assembly and to make atonement for the Israelites, so a plague will not be among the Israelites when the Israelites come near the sanctuary."

⁹ Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the LORD's tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; ¹⁰ "He brought you and all the other Levites near. But now you demand to be priests.

¹⁰ "They will teach your ordinances to Jacob, and your Law to Israel. They will burn incense before you, and whole burnt offerings on your altar.

²⁶ the Levites no longer need to carry the Tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service."

⁷ The priests brought in the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.

¹¹ Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the City of David to the house that he had built for her; for he said, "My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places where the ark of the LORD has come are holy."

⁸ With them were the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, Tob Adonijah, and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. ⁹ and they taught throughout Judah, and, with them, was the book of the law of the LORD,—so they went round throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.

²² Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of the LORD. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

¹⁴ While they were bringing out the money that had come in as gifts to the LORD's temple, Hilkiah the priest discovered the Book of the Law of the LORD that had been handed down by Moses.

⁷ Furthermore, Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites taught the Law to the people while the people remained standing. ⁸ So they read the book from the law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that they could understand the reading.

⁷ For the lips of the priest should guard knowledge, and they should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

⁵ For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

¹⁰ Of the priests: Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jakin; ¹¹ Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the official in charge of the house of God; ¹² Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah; and Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer. ¹³ The priests, who were heads of families, numbered one thousand seven hundred and sixty. They were able men, responsible for ministering in the house of God. ¹⁴ Of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a Merarite; ¹⁵ Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal and Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zicri, the son of Asaph; ¹⁶ Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berekiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites. ¹⁷ The gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and their brothers, Shallum their chief ¹⁸ being stationed at the King's Gate on the east, up to the present time. These were the gatekeepers belonging to the camp of the Levites. ¹⁹ Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his fellow gatekeepers from his family, the Korahites, were responsible for guarding the thresholds of the tent just as their fathers had been responsible for guarding the entrance to the dwelling of the LORD. ²⁰ In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar was in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him. ²¹ Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ²² Altogether, those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds numbered two hundred and twelve. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had assigned the gatekeepers to their positions of trust. ²³ They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the LORD, the house called the tent. ²⁴ The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north and south. ²⁵ Their brothers in their villages had to come from time to time and share their duties for seven-day periods. ²⁶ But the four principal gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the responsibility for the rooms and treasuries in the house of God. ²⁷ They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning. ²⁸ Some of them were in charge of the articles used in the temple service; they counted them when they were brought in and when they were taken out. ²⁹ Others were assigned to take care of the furnishings and all the other articles of the sanctuary, as well as the flour and wine, and the oil, incense and spices. ³⁰ But some of the priests took care of mixing the spices. ³¹ A Levite named Mattithiah, the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with the responsibility for baking the offering bread. ³² Some of their Kohathite brothers were in charge of preparing for every Sabbath the bread set out on the table. ³³ Those who were musicians, heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night. ³⁴ All these were heads of Levite families, chiefs as listed in their genealogy, and they lived in Jerusalem.

¹ When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. ² He also gathered all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. ³ The Levites thirty years old or older were counted, and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand. ⁴ David said: Of these, twenty-four thousand are to supervise the work of the LORD’s Temple and six thousand are to be officials and judges. ⁵ Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the LORD with musical instruments I have provided for that purpose. ⁶ David divided the Levites into groups corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. ⁷ Belonging to the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. ⁸ The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the first, Zetham and Joel, three in all. ⁹ The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel and Haran, three in all. These were the heads of the families of Ladan. ¹⁰ The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush and Beriah. These were the sons of Shimei, four in all. ¹¹ Jahath was the first and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons so they were counted as one family with one assignment. ¹² The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel, four in all. ¹³ The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart, he and his descendants from generation to generation, to consecrate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices before the LORD, to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in his name as long as they live. ¹⁴ The sons of Moses the man of God were counted as part of the tribe of Levi. ¹⁵ The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. ¹⁶ The descendants of Gershom: Shubael was the first. ¹⁷ The descendants of Eliezer: Rehabiah was the first. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous. ¹⁸ The sons of Izhar: Shelomith was the first. ¹⁹ The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth. ²⁰ The sons of Uzziel: Micah the first and Isshiah the second. ²¹ The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. ²² Eleazar died without having sons: he had only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them. ²³ The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder and Jerimoth, three in all. ²⁴ These were the descendants of Levi by their families, the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more who served in the Temple of the LORD. ²⁵ For David had said: "Since the LORD, the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem from generation to generation, ²⁶ the Levites no longer need to carry the Tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service."

¹ These were the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

¹⁴ And according to the order of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; and the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for so David the man of God had commanded.

¹⁰ Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin, ¹¹ Seraiah the son of Hilkiah the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, was prince in the house of God: ¹² Their associates who performed the work of the temple numberedc 822. Jeroham's son Adaiah, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, ¹³ along with his associates, the leaders of the families, numbered 242, along with Amashsai, the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, ¹⁴ along with their relatives, 128 mighty, valiant men, and their overseer Zabdiel son of Haggedolim. ¹⁵ From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni, ¹⁶ and Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, [who were] over the outward work of the house of God; ¹⁷ and Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who led the thanksgiving prayer, and Bakbukiah, second among his relatives, and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. ¹⁸ All of the Levites in the holy city numbered 284. ¹⁹ The Gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their relatives, who kept watch at the gates, numbered 172. ²⁰ The rest of Israel the priests and the Levites lived in all the cities of Judah, each on his own property,

¹ Behold, praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand by night in the house of the LORD.

² you who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.

² Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods that are in your midst and purify yourselves and change your garments.

²¹ Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Choose sheep for your families, and slaughter the Passover lamb. ²² Take a bundle of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and apply some of the blood in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts. None of you is to go out of the doorway of his house until morning,

¹⁰ And the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes,

¹⁵ And he said to the people, Be ready for the third day; do not come near [your] wives.

¹¹ He that touches the dead body of any man, shall be unclean for seven days. ¹² He shall purify himself with water on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean; but if he doesn’t purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. ¹³ Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and doesn't purify himself, defiles the LORD's tabernacle; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is yet on him. ¹⁴ This is the law when a man dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent, will be unclean seven days. ¹⁵ »‘Every container without a lid fastened on it is unclean. ¹⁶ "‘Whoever is outdoors and touches someone who was killed or has died naturally or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave will be unclean for seven days. ¹⁷ For the unclean person they will take from the powder of the burnt purification offering, and they will put running water into a container. ¹⁸ »‘A person who is clean will take a sprig of hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle the tent, all the furnishings, and all the people who were in the tent with the dead body. He must also sprinkle any person who has touched a human bone or a grave and any person who has touched someone who has been killed or who has died naturally. ¹⁹ The clean person will spatter the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he will purify him, and he will wash his garments; he will bathe in the waters, and in the evening he will be clean. ²⁰ But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean.

⁵ And he said to them, "Hear me, O Levites! Sanctify yourselves now, and sanctify the house of the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and bring out the defilement from the sanctuary.

¹⁵ And they gathered their brothers and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the command of the king, by the words of the LORD, to clean the house of the LORD.

³⁴ But the priests were few, and could not slay the whole burnt offering, so their brethren the Levites helped them, until the work was finished, and until the priests had purified themselves; for the Levites more zealously purified themselves than the priests.

³ but they had been unable to celebrate it then because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not yet been gathered together in Jerusalem.

¹⁵ And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were disgraced, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. ¹⁶ And they stood in their place in their manner, according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood from the hand of the Levites. ¹⁷ Many people in the assembly had not made themselves holy. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all who were not clean and could not make their lambs holy for the LORD. ¹⁸ For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon everyone ¹⁹ who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even if they aren't clean according to the purification of the sanctuary."

²⁰ for the priests and the Levites, had purified themselves, as one man, all of them, were pure,—so they slaughtered the passover for all the Sons of the Exile, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. ²¹ So the Israelites who had returned from captivity ate the Passover with all who had consecrated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land in order to seek the LORD God of Israel.

⁵ When their time of feasting had concluded, Job would rise early in the morning to send for them and consecrate them to God. He would offer a burnt offering for each one, because Job thought, "Perhaps my children sinned by cursing God in their hearts." Job did this time and again.

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

¹⁶ Gather the people. Sanctify the assembly. Assemble the elders. Gather the children, and those who suck the breasts. Let the bridegroom go forth from his room, and the bride out of her chamber.

¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!

⁶³ Solomon sacrificed the fellowship offerings which he offered to the LORD: twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep; and the king and all of the Israelites dedicated the house of the LORD.

³ And moreover, in my affection for the house of my God I have given of my own property of gold and silver, for the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the house of the sanctuary:

⁸ So Solomon held the feast at that time seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. ⁹ On the eighth day, they held a solemn assembly; for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. ¹⁰ And on the twenty third day of the seventh month, he sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and glad of heart, for the goodness that the LORD had done to David, and to Solomon, and to His people Israel.

²⁴ for Hezekiah the king of Judah had provided one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the princes provided one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep for the assembly. And many priests consecrated themselves.

³ And the king assigned a part of his substance for the morning and evening whole burnt offerings, and for the whole burnt offerings on the sabbaths, and at the new moons, and at the festivals prescribed in the law of the Lord.

⁸ But the noble thinks noble things; and by noble things he shall stand.

¹⁷ It shall be the prince’s part to give the burnt offerings, the meal offerings, and the drink offerings, in the feasts, and on the new moons, and on the Sabbaths, in all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He shall prepare the sin offering, the meal offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel.”

²⁰ In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar was in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him.

⁴ More leaders were located among Eleazar's descendants than among those of Ithamar, so sixteen leaders were appointed from the leaders of the ancestral households of Eleazar's descendants and eight from those of Ithamar. ⁵ And thus were they divided impartially by drawing lots; for there were officiers of the sanctuary, and officiers of God, both of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.

⁶ Then the leaders of the ancestral houses, and the leaders of the tribes of Israel, and the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with the officers over the king's work, offered willingly; ⁷ And they gave for the service of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. ⁸ And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD under the authority of Jehiel the Gershonite. ⁹ Then the people rejoiced, for they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

¹⁷ And I know, my God, that You try the heart and are pleased with uprightness; I, in the uprightness of my heart, have offered willingly all these things; and now I have watched with joy Your people who are present here offering willingly to You.

³¹ Then Hezekiah answered and said, "Now you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD!" And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all who were willing in heart brought burnt offerings. ³² The number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. ³³ And they consecrated to the Lord six hundred oxen, and three thousand sheep.

¹⁴ While they were bringing out the money that had come in as gifts to the LORD's temple, Hilkiah the priest discovered the Book of the Law of the LORD that had been handed down by Moses. ¹⁵ And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD," and gave the book to Shaphan. ¹⁶ Shaphan took the book to the king and reported: »We are doing everything you told us to do. ¹⁷ They've removed the money that was found in the Lord's temple and have passed it on to the supervisors and the workmen." ¹⁸ And Shaphan the scribe informed the king saying, Hilkijah the priest has given me a book. And Shaphan read out of it before the king. ¹⁹ When the king had heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes. ²⁰ The king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying,

⁶ And all of their neighbors helped them with objects of silver, gold, possessions, domestic animals, and with valuable gifts—besides all of the freewill offering.

⁶⁸ When they arrived at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families contributed toward building the temple of God on its former site. ⁶⁹ According to their fortune they gave to the treasury of the work:gold--61,000 darics, silver--5,000 minas, and tunics for priests--100.

¹⁶ together with all of the silver and gold that you can raise in the province of Babylon, plus the freewill offerings given by the people and the priests, contributed for the temple of their God, which is in Jerusalem.

²⁵ And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the articles, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, and his counselors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered: ²⁶ I divided among them 650 silver talents, silver utensils weighing 100 talents, 7,500 gold talents, ²⁷ Also twenty bowls of gold, worth a thousand darics; and two vessels of fine polished bronze, as precious as gold. ²⁸ I said to them, "You are holy to the LORD, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD, the God of your fathers. ²⁹ Be alert and guard them until you weigh them out in the rooms of the House of the LORD before the priests' chiefs and the Levites and the heads of the fathers' houses of Israel in Jerusalem. ³⁰ So the priests and the Levites took the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the articles, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God. ³¹ On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the river of Ahava to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushing on the way. ³² We arrived in Jerusalem and remained there three days. ³³ On the fourth day, the silver, gold, and vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of priest Meremoth, the son of Uriah, and with him Eleazar son of Phinehas. With them were the Levites, Jehozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. ³⁴ Everything was checked by number and by weight; and the entire weight was listed. At that time ³⁵ The exiles that returned from captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel; twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve goats as a sin offering. All was a burnt offering to the LORD.

⁷⁰ Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor contributed 1,000 gold drachmas to the treasury, along with 50 basins, and 530 priestly garments. ⁷¹ Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver units for the work. ⁷² The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold drachmas, 2,000 silver units, and 67 priestly garments.

¹² The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift. The rich among the people will seek your favor.

²⁵ 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "You sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. These letters said: ²⁶ 'the LORD made you priest instead of Jehoiada so that there would be officials for the LORD's temple. You should put every madman who acts like a prophet in prison and in shackles.

⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need.

¹ And as they were speaking to the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple,

³⁴ There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, ³⁵ and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

²⁶ At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles—but not by force, for fear the people would stone them.

¹² For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

⁷ Each one should give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

¹² They faithfully brought in the gifts, tithes, and consecrated materials, and Connie the Levite was placed in charge of them. His brother Shimei was second in command,

¹⁰ Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom, listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah. ¹¹ What is the abundance of your sacrifices to me? says the LORD. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened animals and I do not delight in the blood of bulls and ram-lambs and goats. ¹² When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts? ¹³ Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me; new moons, Sabbaths, and convocations: I can't bear with evil assemblies. ¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are become a burden unto me; I am weary to bear them, ¹⁵ "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen because your hands are full of blood.

¹⁰ Yet even in all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense," declares the LORD.

²¹ Thus says the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, "Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. ²² But when I brought your fathers out of Egypt, I spake no word unto them of burnt offerings and sacrifices: ²³ but I did give them this command: Obey me and I'll be your God, and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you so it will go well for you. ²⁴ But they did not listen, nor bow their ear, but walked in their own plans, in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. ²⁵ From the day your ancestors left the land of Egypt to this present time, I've sent all my servants, the prophets, to you, again and again. ²⁶ Yet they did not listen to Me nor bow their ear, but they stiffened their neck. They did more evil than their fathers. ²⁷ And speak thou to them all these words, and they will not hear to thee: and call to them, and they will not answer. ²⁸ "You will say to them: 'This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God or accept correction. Truth has perished and truth has been removed from their mouth.

⁶ With what shall I come before the LORD and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? ⁷ Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? ⁸ He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

¹⁶ And they stood in their place in their manner, according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood from the hand of the Levites.

⁴ and be ready according to the houses of your families, and according to your courses, as prescribed by David, king of Israel, and by his son Solomon; ⁵ And serve ye in the sanctuary by the families and companies of Levi.

⁵ He must slaughter the young bull before the LORD, then Aaron's sons, the priests, will present the blood and sprinkle the blood all around the altar that is at the door of the tent of assembly. ⁶ He shall skin the burnt offering, and cut it into pieces.

³ They will keep your responsibility and the responsibility of all the tent, only they may not come near the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, so both you and they will not die.

⁷ You and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil; and you shall serve. I give you the priesthood as a gift, and the stranger who comes near shall be put to death.

²² And they slaughtered the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar; and they slaughtered the rams, and sprinkled the blood on the altar; and they slaughtered the lambs, and sprinkled the blood on the altar. ²³ They brought near the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly; and they laid their hands on them. ²⁴ and then the priests slaughtered them and purged the altar with their blood as a sin offering to atone for all Israel, because the king ordered that the burnt offering and the sin offering be made for all Israel.

²¹ In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in worship. ²² In fact, under the law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of the blood there is no forgiveness.

³ And they shall offer of the peace offering, to be a sacrifice unto the LORD: the fat that covereth the inwards and all the fat that is upon the inwards;

⁵ Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar on the burnt offering, which is on the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

⁹ "'Take the fat from the fellowship offering and offer it by fire to the LORD. Remove all the fat from the tail and the fat that covers the internal organs. ¹⁰ and the two kidneys with the suet on them and on the loin and the lobe of the liver with the kidneys ¹¹ "'The priest must burn the offering on the altar. It is food, an offering by fire to the LORD.

¹⁴ And he shall offer of it a burnt-offering to the Lord, even the fat that covers the belly, and all the fat that is on the belly. ¹⁵ "'Also the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys. ¹⁶ The priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat is the LORD's.

⁸ That very night they're to eat the meat, roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ⁹ Don't eat any of it raw or boiled in water. Instead, roast it over the fire, with its head, legs, and internal organs.

²⁸ But the earthen vessel wherein it is cooked shall be broken; and if it is cooked in a brazen pot, it shall be both scoured and rinsed in water.

¹⁹ And the priest will take the cooked leg of the sheep and one unleavened cake and one thin cake out of the basket, and put them on the hands of the separate one after his hair has been cut,

⁷ "Cook and eat it in the place the LORD your God chooses. In the morning you are to return to your tents.

¹³ And the custom of the priests with the people was this: When any man brought a sacrifice, as the meat was boiling, the servant of the priest would take a three-pronged meat fork in his hand ¹⁴ and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. ¹⁵ But even before they burned the fat, the servant of the priest would come and say to the person offering the sacrifice, "Give me meat to roast for the priest. He won't accept boiled meat from you, but only raw."

¹⁴ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is melted within me.

¹² Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which is brought on me, with which the LORD has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. ¹³ From on high He sends fire; into my bones He makes it descend; He spreads a net for my feet; He turns me back; He makes me desolate, languishing all the day."

¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

² So the Twelve summoned all the disciples and said, “It is unacceptable for us to neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. ³ Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint this responsibility to them ⁴ and we will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.

¹⁷ The gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman and their brothers, Shallum their chief ¹⁸ being stationed at the King's Gate on the east, up to the present time. These were the gatekeepers belonging to the camp of the Levites. ¹⁹ Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his fellow gatekeepers from his family, the Korahites, were responsible for guarding the thresholds of the tent just as their fathers had been responsible for guarding the entrance to the dwelling of the LORD.

⁴¹ With them were Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His grace endures forever; ⁴² and with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those making a sound, and instruments of the song of God; and the sons of Jeduthun were at the gate.

⁵ Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the LORD with musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.

¹ David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service some of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who were to prophesy with lyres, harps and cymbals; and the number of those who performed their service was: ² of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah. The sons of Asaph were under the hand of Asaph, who prophesied at the order of the king. ³ Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising the LORD. ⁴ Of Heman: the sons of Heman; Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamtiezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth: ⁵ All these were sons of Heman, the king's seer in the words of God. And to make great his power God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. ⁶ All these were under the direction of their father to sing in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, harps and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman under the direction of the king. ⁷ They and their relatives who had been skillfully trained in singing to the LORD, numbered 288.

¹² These divisions of the gatekeepers, through their chief men, had duties for ministering in the Temple of the LORD, just as their relatives had. ¹³ Lots were cast for each gate, according to their families, young and old alike. ¹⁴ The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah. Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him. ¹⁵ The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-Edom, and the lot for the storehouse fell to his sons. ¹⁶ The lots for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah. Guard was alongside of guard: ¹⁷ There were six Levites a day on the east, four a day on the north, four a day on the south and two at a time at the storehouse. ¹⁸ As for the court to the west, there were four at the road and two at the court itself. ¹⁹ These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari.

²⁵ And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with lutes, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king`s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was of the LORD through his prophets. ²⁶ The Levites stood with David's instruments, and the priests with the trumpets.

¹ To the director: To Jeduthun. A psalm of Asaph.. I cry out to God! I cry out to God and he hears me.

¹ A maskil of Asaph. Listen, O my people, to my teaching. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

¹ A psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have entered your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have reduced Jerusalem to ruins.

¹⁵ "You will eat unleavened bread for seven days. The first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day will be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶ And the first day is a holy convocation and the seventh day becomes a holy convocation to you; work not therein, except what every soul eat - only work that: ¹⁷ "And you will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on this very day I brought out your divisions from the land of Egypt, and you will keep this day for your generations as a lasting statute. ¹⁸ On the first day, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you will eat unleavened bread until the evening of the twenty-first day of the month. ¹⁹ For seven days yeast must not be found in your houses, because anyone eating food with yeast will be cut off from the community of Israel—whether an alien or a native of the land. ²⁰ You will eat no food with yeast; in all of your dwellings you will eat unleavened bread."

⁶ Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened, and in the seventh day a festival to the LORD. ⁷ Unleavened bread will be eaten the seven days; food with yeast will not be seen for you; and yeast will not be seen for you in all your territory.

¹⁵ You will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you will eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you at the appointed time, the month of Abib, because in it you came out from Egypt, and no one will appear before me empty-handed.

¹⁸ Keep the feast of unleavened bread; for seven days your food is to be bread without leaven, as I gave you orders, at the regular time in the month Abib; for in that month you came out of Egypt.

⁵ "'The Passover, celebrated to honor the LORD, begins at sunset on the fourteenth day of the first month. ⁶ And on the fifteenth day of this month is the LORD's Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. ⁷ In the first day you shall have a holy assembly. You shall do no regular work, ⁸ but you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD seven days. In the seventh day is a holy assembly: you shall do no regular work'.

¹⁶ And the fourteenth day of the first month shall be Passover unto the LORD. ¹⁷ On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a feast; for seven days let your food be unleavened cakes. ¹⁸ In the first day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work, ¹⁹ but you shall offer an offering made by fire, a burnt offering to Yahweh: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old. They shall be without defect, ²⁰ And their gift fine flour mingled with oil: three tenths for a bullock, and two tenths for the ram, ye shall do. ²¹ and eight cups for each of the seven lambs. ²² and one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. ²³ "‘Offer these in addition to the morning burnt offering. ²⁴ In this way, every day for seven days, give the food of the offering made by fire, a sweet smell to the Lord: it is to be offered in addition to the regular burned offering, and its drink offering. ²⁵ "'On the seventh day you must have a holy assembly. You must not do any regular work.

³ "Do not eat leavened bread with it. Eat unleavened bread for seven days. It is the bread of affliction. You should remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt in haste. ⁴ Let no yeast be seen with you in all your territory seven days. And let none of the flesh that you shall sacrifice in the evening on the first day lodge until morning.

⁸ Six days you will eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day will be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God. You will do no work.

²¹ Thus the Israelites in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. Each day the Levites and priests praised the LORD in song. They played the LORD's instruments loudly. ²² Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of the LORD. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD, the God of their fathers. ²³ Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate the festival for seven more days. So they joyfully celebrated for seven more days.

⁷ Get rid of the old yeast, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. ⁸ Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

⁵ They decided to send an announcement throughout Israel from Beersheba to Dan. They summoned everyone to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the LORD God of Israel. These people had not celebrated it in large numbers as the written instructions said they should.

²⁹ During his reign, Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, marched out toward the Euphrates River to meet the king of Assyria. King Josiah went out to engage him in battle, but Pharaoh Neco killed him at Megiddo as soon as he saw him. ³⁰ So his servants drove him dead in a chariot from Megiddo, and they brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his tomb. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.

⁹ Is not, Calno, like Carchemish? Is not, Hamath, like Arpad? Is not, Samaria, like Damascus?

² To Egypt against the army of Pharaoh-Necho, king of Egypt, that was upon the river Phrath in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel smote in the fourth year to Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. ³ Prepare you the buckler and shield and draw near to battle. ⁴ Harness the horses and mount the steeds! And take your stand with helmets! Polish the spears! Put on the body armor! ⁵ "What do I see in them? They are terrified. They are retreating. Their warriors are defeated. They flee without looking back. Terror is all around them!" declares the LORD. ⁶ "The swift cannot flee, nor can the strong escape. In the north, beside the Euphrates River, they stumble and fall. ⁷ Who is this that rises like the Nile, like the rivers whose waters surge? ⁸ Egypt is rising like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge. He says, 'I'll rise and cover the land. I'll destroy city and its inhabitants.' ⁹ Horses, get up! Chariots, drive furiously! Let the warriors go forward, Ethiopia and Put who carry shields, and the Lydians who handle and bend the bow. ¹⁰ That day belongs to the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. It is a day of vengeance to take vengeance on his foes. The sword will devour and be satisfied, and will drink its fill of their blood. For the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies will hold a sacrifice in the land of the north, by the Euphrates river. ¹¹ Go up to Gilead and get balm, virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you multiply remedies, but there is no healing for you. ¹² The nations have heard of your shame. Your cry fills the earth. One warrior will stumble over another, and both will fall together.

¹⁰ The king said, "What do we have in common, sons of Zeruiah? If he curses because the LORD has said to him 'Curse David,' who can say, "Why have you done this?"

²⁵ Furthermore, Have I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it.

¹⁹ You say to yourself that you have struck Edom; and your heart lifts you up to boast. Now stay at home. Why should you meddle with trouble, that you should fall, even you, and Judah with you?'"

¹⁰ And now have I come up against this land to destroy it without the LORD? the LORD said to me, Go up to this land and destroy it.

²⁹ “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the proper time?”

⁴ “Woman, why does this concern us?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

¹⁴ The men sampled their provisions but did not ask for counsel from the LORD.

¹⁹ Kings came; they fought; then the kings of Canaan fought in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of silver.

² And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou not be known to be the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh, for Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that I should be king over this people.

³⁰ The king of Israel suggested to Jehoshaphat, "I'll go into battle in disguise, but you keep your royal uniform on." So the king of Israel disguised himself and they both went into the battle.

³⁴ But a man drew his bow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the joints and the armor; wherefore he said unto his chariot-driver. Turn about, and carry me out of the camp; for I am wounded.

²⁷ But when Ahaziah king of Judah saw it, he fled by the way of Beth Haggan. And Jehu pursued after him, and said, Slay him also. So one shot him in the chariot at the Ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

³⁰ So his servants drove him dead in a chariot from Megiddo, and they brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his tomb. Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.

⁴ But Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, "Ask, I pray thee, the word of the LORD." ⁵ And the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, and God will give it into the king`s hand. ⁶ But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we may inquire of him?

²⁹ The king of Israel suggested to Jehoshaphat, "I'll go into battle in disguise, but you keep your royal uniform on." So the king of Israel disguised himself and they both went into the battle.

²¹ And he sent messengers to him, saying, "What is there between us, O king of Judah? I am not against you yourself this day, but against the house making war against me. And God has commanded me to make haste. Stop opposing God, who is with me that he will not destroy you."

¹¹ In that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be great, like the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo.

¹⁶ And they gathered them together at the place which in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

²³ The archers have fiercely attacked him, and shot at him, and hated him:

²⁹ And king Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

²⁴ Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between his shoulders so that the arrow went out from his heart, and he slumped down in his chariot.

³³ One man aimed his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between his scale armor and his breastplate. Ahab told the chariot driver: "Turn around, and get me away from these troops for I am badly wounded."

¹³ He poured into my reins the darts of his quiver.

⁴³ He had him ride in his second chariot. They proclaimed before him: "Bow the knee!" Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt.

²⁸ “Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes won’t see all the evil that I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.”’” They brought back word to the king.

⁶ Your righteousness is like the great mountains; your judgments are a great deep: O LORD, you preserve man and beast.

¹⁴ There is a vanity that happens on earth: sometimes the righteous suffer what the wicked deserve, and sometimes the wicked receive what the righteous deserve. I said, "This also is vanity!"

¹ I considered all this in my heart and declared that the righteous and their works are in the hand of God. No man knows if love or hatred awaits him in the future. ² The same fate comes to everyone: to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good and to the wicked, to the clean and to the unclean, to those who sacrifice and to those who do not sacrifice. As with the good man, so also to the sinner; as with those who swear an oath, so also those who fear oaths.

⁸ Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse Leviathan;

⁵ They are afraid of heights, and terrors are on the road. The almond tree blossoms, and the grasshopper draws itself along, and desire fails because man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about in the streets.

¹⁷ Thus says the LORD Almighty: "Consider closely, and call for the wailing women, so that they come, and for the skillful women, so that they come. ¹⁸ And let them make haste and take up a lament over us, so that our eyes may run down with tears, and waters flow from our eyelids. ¹⁹ For a sound of mourning is heard from Zion: 'How we're ruined! Our shame is very great, because we have left the land, because our houses are torn down.'" ²⁰ For hear, O women, the word of the LORD, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters a lamentation, and each woman her neighbor a lament. ²¹ For death has come into our windows, it has entered into our fortresses, to cut off the children from the streets, the young men from the public squares.

¹⁰ "Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him. Weep continually for the one who goes away. For he will never return or see his native land.

²⁰ Go up to Lebanon and cry. And lift up your voice in Bashan, and cry out from Abarim; for all your lovers are destroyed.

²⁰ The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Yahweh, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, under his shadow we will live among the nations.

²³ When Jesus entered the ruler’s house, He saw the flute players and the noisy crowd.

²⁰ This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what was good and right and true to the LORD his God.

³² And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

³⁴ Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

¹⁹ And the rest of the acts of Ahaz, what he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

²⁰ Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the pool, and the conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah

²⁵ And the rest of the acts of Amon, what he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

³⁴ Everything else about Jehoshaphat from first to last is written in the records of Jehu, son of Hanani, which is included in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

²⁷ And as for his sons, the many oracles against him, and his repair of the foundation of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the scroll of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

²⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?

²² Everything else about Uzziah is recorded by the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz.

¹⁹ And his prayer, and how he responded to him, all his sin and his unfaithful acts, and the places where he built the high places and set up Asherahs and idols before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the words of the seers.