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First Reading: 1 Chronicles Chapter 5 and 61 Chronicles 5
1 And the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel (for he was the first-born; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's couch, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
2 For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the prince; but the birthright was Joseph's:)
3 the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4 The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,
5 Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son,
6 Beerah his son, whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried away captive: he was prince of the Reubenites.
7 And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah,
8 and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, even unto Nebo and Baal-meon:
9 and eastward he dwelt even unto the entrance of the wilderness from the river Euphrates, because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead.
10 And in the days of Saul, they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the `land' east of Gilead.
11 And the sons of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salecah:
12 Joel the chief, and Shapham the second, and Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan.
13 And their brethren of their fathers' houses: Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jacan, and Zia, and Eber, seven.
14 These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;
15 Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of their fathers' houses.
16 And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in its towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, as far as their borders.
17 All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.
18 The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were forty and four thousand seven hundred and threescore, that were able to go forth to war.
19 And they made war with the Hagrites, with Jetur, and Naphish, and Nodab.
20 And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them; for they cried to God in the battle, and he was entreated of them, because they put their trust in him.
21 And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand.
22 For there fell many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their stead until the captivity.
23 And the children of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they increased from Bashan unto Baal-hermon and Senir and mount Hermon.
24 And these were the heads of their fathers' houses: even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valor, famous men, heads of their fathers' houses.
25 And they trespassed against the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God destroyed before them.
26 And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river of Gozan, unto this day.
1 Chronicles 6
1 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
2 And the sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.
3 And the children of Amram: Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron: Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
4 Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua,
5 and Abishua begat Bukki, and Bukki begat Uzzi,
6 and Uzzi begat Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begat Meraioth,
7 Meraioth begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub,
8 and Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz,
9 and Ahimaaz begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Johanan,
10 and Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priest's office in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem),
11 and Azariah begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub,
12 and Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Shallum,
13 and Shallum begat Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begat Azariah,
14 and Azariah begat Seraiah, and Seraiah begat Jehozadak;
15 And Jehozadak went `into captivity', when Jehovah carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.
16 The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
17 And these are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei.
18 And the sons of Kohath were Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.
19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers' `houses'.
20 Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son,
21 Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son.
22 The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,
23 Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son,
24 Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son.
25 And the sons of Elkanah: Amasai, and Ahimoth.
26 As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah: Zophai his son, and Nahath his son,
27 Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son.
28 And the sons of Samuel: the first-born `Joel', and the second Abijah.
29 The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son,
30 Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.
31 And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of Jehovah, after that the ark had rest.
32 And they ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem: and they waited on their office according to their order.
33 And these are they that waited, and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel,
34 the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,
35 the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,
36 the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,
37 the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,
38 the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
39 And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea,
40 the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah,
41 the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,
42 the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,
43 the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.
44 And on the left hand their brethren the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,
45 the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,
46 the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer,
47 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
48 And their brethren the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.
49 But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of burnt-offering, and upon the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.
50 And these are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son,
51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son,
52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son,
53 Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.
54 Now these are their dwelling-places according to their encampments in their borders: to the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the `first' lot),
55 to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it;
56 but the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
57 And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge, Hebron; Libnah also with its suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa with its suburbs,
58 and Hilen with its suburbs, Debir with its suburbs,
59 and Ashan with its suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with its suburbs;
60 and out of the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its suburbs, and Allemeth with its suburbs, and Anathoth with its suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.
61 And unto the rest of the sons of Kohath `were given' by lot, out of the family of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities.
62 And to the sons of Gershom, according to their families, out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
63 Unto the sons of Merari `were given' by lot, according to their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
64 And the children of Israel gave to the Levites the cities with their suburbs.
65 And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities which are mentioned by name.
66 And some of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their borders out of the tribe of Ephraim.
67 And they gave unto them the cities of refuge, Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim with its suburbs; Gezer also with its suburbs,
68 and Jokmeam with its suburbs, and Beth-horon with its suburbs,
69 and Aijalon with its suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with its suburbs;
70 and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Aner with its suburbs, and Bileam with its suburbs, for the rest of the family of the sons of Kohath.
71 Unto the sons of Gershom `were given', out of the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its suburbs, and Ashtaroth with its suburbs;
72 and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh with its suburbs, Daberath with its suburbs,
73 and Ramoth with its suburbs, and Anem with its suburbs;
74 and out of the tribe of Asher, Mashal with its suburbs, and Abdon with its suburbs,
75 and Hukok with its suburbs, and Rehob with its suburbs;
76 and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, and Hammon with its suburbs, and Kiriathaim with its suburbs.
77 Unto the rest of `the Levites', the sons of Merari, `were given', out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmono with its suburbs, Tabor with its suburbs;
78 and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, `were given them', out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with its suburbs, and Jahzah with its suburbs,
79 and Kedemoth with its suburbs, and Mephaath with its suburbs;
80 and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its suburbs, and Mahanaim with its suburbs,
81 and Heshbon with its suburbs, and Jazer with its suburbs.
Second Reading: Psalms Chapter 103
Psalms 103
1 Bless Jehovah, O my soul; And all that is within me, `bless' his holy name.
2 Bless Jehovah, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy desire with good things, `So that' thy youth is renewed like the eagle.
6 Jehovah executeth righteous acts, And judgments for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, His doings unto the children of Israel.
8 Jehovah is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness.
9 He will not always chide; Neither will he keep `his anger' for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins, Nor rewarded us after our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is his lovingkindness toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, So Jehovah pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; And the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the lovingkindness of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children's children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, And to those that remember his precepts to do them.
19 Jehovah hath established his throne in the heavens; And his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless Jehovah, ye his angels, That are mighty in strength, that fulfil his word, Hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21 Bless Jehovah, all ye his hosts, Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22 Bless Jehovah, all ye his works, In all places of his dominion: Bless Jehovah, O my soul.
WHO IS JESUS?
THE LAMB OF GOD
Jesus, the Messiah, is called the Lamb of God. In Revelation 5:11-12 thousands of angels sing the song: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise."
John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Lamb of God in John 1:29 when he said "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
Isaiah the prophet told of the coming of the Lamb of God in Isaiah 53:
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
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