July 8 Reading through the Bible

1 CHRONICLES 5:18-6:81
ACTS 26:1-32
PSALM 6:1-10
PROVERBS 18:20-21

1 CHRONICLES 5:18-6:81
There were 44,760 skilled warriors in the armies of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. They were all skilled in combat and armed with shields, swords, and bows. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, the Jeturites, the Naphishites, and the Nodabites. 20 They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him. So the Hagrites and all their allies were defeated. 21 The plunder taken from the Hagrites included 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 captives. 22 Many of the Hagrites were killed in the battle because God was fighting against them. So they lived in their land until they were taken away into exile. 23 The half-tribe of Manasseh spread through the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. They were very numerous. 24 These were the leaders of their clans: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. Each of these men had a great reputation as a warrior and leader. 25 But they were unfaithful and violated their covenant with the God of their ancestors. They worshiped the gods of the nations that God had destroyed. 26 So the God of Israel caused King Pul of Assyria (also known as Tiglath-pileser) to invade the land and lead away the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh as captives. The Assyrians exiled them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan River, where they remain to this day. 6:1 THE sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2 The descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 3 The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.4 Eleazar was the father of Phinehas. Phinehas was the father of Abishua. 5 Abishua was the father of Bukki. Bukki was the father of Uzzi. 6 Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the father of Meraioth. 7 Meraioth was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. 8 Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Ahimaaz. 9 Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah. Azariah was the father of Johanan. 10 Johanan was the father of Azariah, the high priest at the Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem. 11 Azariah was the father of Amariah. Amariah was the father of Ahitub. 12 Ahitub was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Shallum. 13 Shallum was the father of Hilkiah. Hilkiah was the father of Azariah. 14 Azariah was the father of Seraiah. Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak, 15 who went into exile when the LORD sent the people of Judah and Jerusalem into captivity under Nebuchadnezzar. 16 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 17 The descendants of Gershon included Libni and Shimei. 18 The descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 19 The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi.The following were the Levite clans, listed according to their ancestral descent: 20 The descendants of Gershon included Libni, Jahath, Zimmah, 21 Joah, Iddo, Zerah, and Jeatherai. 22 The descendants of Kohath included Amminadab, Korah, Assir, 23 Elkanah, Abiasaph, Assir, 24 Tahath, Uriel, Uzziah, and Shaul. 25 The descendants of Elkanah included Amasai, Ahimoth, 26 Elkanah, Zophai, Nahath, 27 Eliab, Jeroham, Elkanah, and Samuel. 28 The sons of Samuel were Joel (the older) and Abijah (the second). 29 The descendants of Merari included Mahli, Libni, Shimei, Uzzah, 30 Shimea, Haggiah, and Asaiah.31 David assigned the following men to lead the music at the house of the LORD after he put the Ark there. 32 They ministered with music there at the Tabernacle until Solomon built the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. Then they carried on their work there, following all the regulations handed down to them. 33 These are the men who served, along with their sons: Heman the musician was from the clan of Kohath. His genealogy was traced back through Joel, Samuel, 34 Elkanah, Jeroham, Eliel, Toah, 35 Zuph, Elkanah, Mahath, Amasai, 36 Elkanah, Joel, Azariah, Zephaniah, 37 Tahath, Assir, Abiasaph, Korah, 38 Izhar, Kohath, Levi, and Israel. 39 Heman's first assistant was Asaph from the clan of Gershon. Asaph's genealogy was traced back through Berekiah, Shimea, 40 Michael, Baaseiah, Malkijah, 41 Ethni, Zerah, Adaiah, 42 Ethan, Zimmah, Shimei, 43 Jahath, Gershon, and Levi. 44 Heman's second assistant was Ethan from the clan of Merari. Ethan's genealogy was traced back through Kishi, Abdi, Malluch, 45 Hashabiah, Amaziah, Hilkiah, 46 Amzi, Bani, Shemer, 47 Mahli, Mushi, Merari, and Levi.48 Their relatives, also Levites, were appointed to various other tasks in the Tabernacle, the house of God. 49 Only Aaron and his descendants served as priests. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offering and the altar of incense, and they performed all the other duties related to the Most Holy Place. They made atonement for Israel by following all the commands that Moses, the servant of God, had given them. 50 The descendants of Aaron were Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua, 51 Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, 52 Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, 53 Zadok, and Ahimaaz.54 This is a record of the towns and territory assigned by means of sacred lots to the descendants of Aaron who were from the clan of Kohath. 55 This included Hebron and its surrounding pasturelands in Judah, 56 but the fields and outlying areas were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. 57 So the descendants of Aaron were given the following towns, each with its surrounding pasturelands: Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, 58 Holon, Debir, 59 Ain, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh. 60 And from the territory of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth, each with its pasturelands. So a total of thirteen towns was given to the descendants of Aaron. 61 The remaining descendants of Kohath received ten towns from the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh by means of sacred lots. 62 The descendants of Gershon received by sacred lots thirteen towns from the territories of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and from the Bashan area of Manasseh, east of the Jordan. 63 The descendants of Merari received by sacred lots twelve towns from the territories of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 64 So the people of Israel assigned all these towns and pasturelands to the Levites. 65 The towns in the territories of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, mentioned above, were also assigned by means of sacred lots. 66 The descendants of Kohath received from the territory of Ephraim these towns, each with its surrounding pasturelands: 67 Shechem (a city of refuge in the hill country of Ephraim), Gezer, 68 Jokmeam, Beth-horon, 69 Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon. 70 The remaining descendants of Kohath were assigned these towns from the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Aner and Bileam, each with its pasturelands. 71 The descendants of Gershon received from the territory of the half-tribe of Manasseh the town of Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands and Ashtaroth with its pasturelands. 72 From the territory of Issachar, they were given Kedesh, Daberath, 73 Ramoth, and Anem, with their pasturelands. 74 From the territory of Asher, they received Mashal, Abdon, 75 Hukok, and Rehob, each with its pasturelands. 76 From the territory of Naphtali, they were given Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim, each with its pasturelands. 77 The remaining descendants of Merari received from the territory of Zebulun the towns of Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono, and Tabor, each with its pasturelands. 78 From the territory of Reuben, east of the Jordan River opposite Jericho, they received Bezer (a desert town), Jahaz, 79 Kedemoth, and Mephaath, each with its pasturelands. 80 And from the territory of Gad, they received Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, 81 Heshbon, and Jazer, each with its pasturelands.

ACTS 26:1-32
Then Agrippa said to Paul, " You may speak in your defense." So Paul, with a gesture of his hand, started his defense: 2 " I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, 3 for I know you are an expert on Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently! 4 " As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem. 5 If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion. 6 Now I am on trial because I am looking forward to the fulfillment of God's promise made to our ancestors. 7 In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, O king, they say it is wrong for me to have this hope! 8 Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead? 9 " I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many of the believers in Jerusalem to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. 11 Many times I had them whipped in the synagogues to try to get them to curse Christ. I was so violently opposed to them that I even hounded them in distant cities of foreign lands. 12 " One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. 13 About noon, Your Majesty, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. 14 We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ` Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to fight against my will.' 15 " ` Who are you, sir?' I asked. " And the Lord replied, ` I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 Now stand up! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and my witness. You are to tell the world about this experience and about other times I will appear to you. 17 And I will protect you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am going to send you to the Gentiles, 18 to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.' 19 " And so, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to that vision from heaven. 20 I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must turn from their sins and turn to God--and prove they have changed by the good things they do. 21 Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. 22 But God protected me so that I am still alive today to tell these facts to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen--23 that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead as a light to Jews and Gentiles alike." 24 Suddenly, Festus shouted, " Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!" 25 But Paul replied, " I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. I am speaking the sober truth. 26 And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak frankly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner! 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do--" 28 Agrippa interrupted him. " Do you think you can make me a Christian so quickly?" 29 Paul replied, " Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains." 30 Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. 31 As they talked it over they agreed, " This man hasn't done anything worthy of death or imprisonment." 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, " He could be set free if he hadn't appealed to Caesar!"

PSALM 6:1-10
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.
1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your rage.
2 Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak.
Heal me, LORD, for my body is in agony.
3 I am sick at heart.
How long, O LORD, until you restore me?
4 Return, O LORD, and rescue me.
Save me because of your unfailing love.
5 For in death, who remembers you?
Who can praise you from the grave?
6 I am worn out from sobbing.
Every night tears drench my bed;
my pillow is wet from weeping.
7 My vision is blurred by grief;
my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.
8 Go away, all you who do evil,
for the LORD has heard my crying.
9 The LORD has heard my plea;
the LORD will answer my prayer.
10 May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified.
May they suddenly turn back in shame.

PROVERBS 18:20-21
Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person's lips bring satisfaction. Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life.