Select: First Reading Second Reading Bible Background

First Reading: 1 Chronicles Chapter 1 and 2


1 Chronicles 1

1:1 Adam, Seth, Enosh, 2 Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, 3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah.

4 The sons of Noah:
Shem, Ham and Japheth.

5 The sons of Japheth:
Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. 6 The sons of Gomer:
Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. 7 The sons of Javan:
Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim.

8 The sons of Ham:
Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. 9 The sons of Cush:
Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah:
Sheba and Dedan. 10 Cush was the father of
Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on earth. 11 Mizraim was the father of
the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 12 Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites. 13 Canaan was the father of
Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, 14 Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 15 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 16 Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites.

17 The sons of Shem:
Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. The sons of Aram:
Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. 18 Arphaxad was the father of Shelah,
and Shelah the father of Eber. 19 Two sons were born to Eber:
One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan. 20 Joktan was the father of
Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 23 Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.
24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,
25 Eber, Peleg, Reu,
26 Serug, Nahor, Terah
27 and Abram (that is, Abraham).

28 The sons of Abraham:
Isaac and Ishmael.

29 These were their descendants:
Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.

32 The sons born to Keturah, Abraham's concubine:
Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan:
Sheba and Dedan. 33 The sons of Midian:
Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.
34 Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac:
Esau and Israel.

35 The sons of Esau:
Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam and Korah. 36 The sons of Eliphaz:
Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz;
by Timna: Amalek. 37 The sons of Reuel:
Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah.

38 The sons of Seir:
Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. 39 The sons of Lotan:
Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan's sister. 40 The sons of Shobal:
Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam. The sons of Zibeon:
Aiah and Anah. 41 The son of Anah:
Dishon. The sons of Dishon:
Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran. 42 The sons of Ezer:
Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan. The sons of Dishan:
Uz and Aran.
43 These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned:
Bela son of Beor, whose city was named Dinhabah. 44 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah succeeded him as king. 45 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king. 46 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him as king. His city was named Avith. 47 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him as king. 48 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the river succeeded him as king. 49 When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Acbor succeeded him as king. 50 When Baal-Hanan died, Hadad succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab. 51 Hadad also died.

The chiefs of Edom were:
Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 52 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 53 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 54 Magdiel and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.

1 Chronicles 2

2:1 These were the sons of Israel:
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, 2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
3 The sons of Judah:
Er, Onan and Shelah. These three were born to him by a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua. Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD put him to death. 4 Tamar, Judah's daughter-in-law, bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.

5 The sons of Perez:
Hezron and Hamul. 6 The sons of Zerah:
Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol and Darda-five in all. 7 The son of Carmi:
Achar, who brought trouble on Israel by violating the ban on taking devoted things. 8 The son of Ethan:
Azariah. 9 The sons born to Hezron were:
Jerahmeel, Ram and Caleb.

10 Ram was the father of
Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, the leader of the people of Judah. 11 Nahshon was the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, 12 Boaz the father of Obed and Obed the father of Jesse. 13 Jesse was the father of
Eliab his firstborn; the second son was Abinadab, the third Shimea, 14 the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, 15 the sixth Ozem and the seventh David. 16 Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah's three sons were Abishai, Joab and Asahel. 17 Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.

18 Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah (and by Jerioth). These were her sons: Jesher, Shobab and Ardon. 19 When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. 20 Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri the father of Bezalel. 21 Later, Hezron lay with the daughter of Makir the father of Gilead (he had married her when he was sixty years old), and she bore him Segub. 22 Segub was the father of Jair, who controlled twenty-three towns in Gilead. 23(But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth Jair, as well as Kenath with its surrounding settlements-sixty towns.) All these were descendants of Makir the father of Gilead.
24 After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Abijah the wife of Hezron bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

25 The sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron:
Ram his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem and Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. 27 The sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel:
Maaz, Jamin and Eker. 28 The sons of Onam:
Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai:
Nadab and Abishur. 29 Abishur's wife was named Abihail, who bore him Ahban and Molid. 30 The sons of Nadab:
Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children. 31 The son of Appaim:
Ishi, who was the father of Sheshan.
Sheshan was the father of Ahlai. 32 The sons of Jada, Shammai's brother:
Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children. 33 The sons of Jonathan:
Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel. 34 Sheshan had no sons-only daughters.
He had an Egyptian servant named Jarha. 35 Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore him Attai. 36 Attai was the father of Nathan,
Nathan the father of Zabad, 37 Zabad the father of Ephlal,
Ephlal the father of Obed,
38 Obed the father of Jehu,
Jehu the father of Azariah,
39 Azariah the father of Helez,
Helez the father of Eleasah,
40 Eleasah the father of Sismai,
Sismai the father of Shallum,
41 Shallum the father of Jekamiah,
and Jekamiah the father of Elishama.

42 The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel:
Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and his son Mareshah, who was the father of Hebron. 43 The sons of Hebron:
Korah, Tappuah, Rekem and Shema. 44 Shema was the father of Raham, and Raham the father of Jorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai. 45 The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth Zur. 46 Caleb's concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez. 47 The sons of Jahdai:
Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph. 48 Caleb's concubine Maacah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah. 49 She also gave birth to Shaaph the father of Madmannah and to Sheva the father of Macbenah and Gibea. Caleb's daughter was Acsah. 50 These were the descendants of Caleb.
The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah:
Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim, 51 Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader. 52 The descendants of Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim were:
Haroeh, half the Manahathites, 53 and the clans of Kiriath Jearim: the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites and Mishraites. From these descended the Zorathites and Eshtaolites. 54 The descendants of Salma:
Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites, 55 and the clans of scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, Shimeathites and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Recab.


Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians Chapter 3

2 Thessalonians 3

3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.
6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
11 We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.
14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
17 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.


Bible Background

BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

I CHRONICLES

Part 1 of 2

The author of the two books of the Chronicles is not named. Some scholars believe that Ezra, who was a scribe, was the author. The two books cover a period of time from around 1050 to 536 B.C. Like the Book of Kings, I & II Chronicles were originally one book according to Jewish tradition. However, the Chronicles are not simply a repeat of the history already recorded in the books of Samuel and Kings. The Book of Chronicles was written to remind the nation of their entire history, and of their position among other nations, emphasizing the history of priestly worship from the death of Saul to the Babylonian captivity. The Chronicles contain more detail on the organization of public worship, of religious ceremonies, of Levites and singers, and of the relationship of Kings to the worship of God, than does the Book of Kings. The history of the Northern Kingdom is omitted from the Chronicles because the Northern Kingdom had no bearing on the development of true worship of God in Jerusalem.

 

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