Nehemiah 11 - 12

The Heads of the Provinces in Jerusalem

And the officials of the people lived in Jerusalem, but the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while nine-tenths remained in the other cities. 2 And the people blessed all the men who freely offered to live in Jerusalem. 3 Now these are the heads of the provinces who lived in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah each lived in his own possession in their cities—the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the sons of Solomon’s servants. 4 And some of the sons of Judah and some of the sons of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. From the sons of Judah:

Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, from the sons of Perez;

and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite.

All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were 468 valiant men.

7 Now these are the sons of Benjamin:

Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah;

and after him Gabbai and Sallai, 928.

Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer,

and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second in command of the city.

10 From the priests:

Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin,

Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the leader of the house of God,

and their relatives who did the work of the house, 822;

and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,

and his relatives, heads of fathers’ households, 242; and Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

and their relatives, mighty men of valor, 128.

And their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of Haggedolim.

15 Now from the Levites:

Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the chiefs of the Levites, who were over the outside work of the house of God;

and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the chief in beginning the thanksgiving in prayer,

and Bakbukiah, the second among his relatives;

and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

18 All the Levites in the holy city were 284. 19 Now the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their relatives who kept watch at the gates, were 172.

Villages Outside Jerusalem

20 The rest of Israel, of the priests and of the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each on his own inheritance. 21 But the temple servants were living in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were over the temple servants. 22 Now the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph, who were the singers over the work of the house of God. 23 For there was a commandment from the king concerning them and a firm regulation for the song leaders day by day. 24 Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was the king’s representative in all matters concerning the people. 25 Now as for the villages with their fields,

some of the sons of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its towns, in Dibon and its towns, and in Jekabzeel and its villages,

and in Jeshua, in Moladah and Beth-pelet,

and in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its towns,

and in Ziklag, in Meconah and in its towns,

and in En-rimmon, in Zorah and in Jarmuth,

Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its towns. So they encamped from Beersheba as far as the valley of Hinnom.

The sons of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash and Aija, at Bethel and its towns,

at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

Lod and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.

From the Levites, some divisions in Judah belonged to Benjamin.

Priests and Levites Come Up with Zerubbabel

Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua:

Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.

These were the heads of the priests and their relatives in the days of Jeshua.

8 The Levites were

Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who was over of the songs of thanksgiving, he and his brothers.

Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood opposite them in keeping their responsibilities.

Jeshua became the father of Joiakim,

and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib,

and Eliashib became the father of Joiada,

and Joiada became the father of Jonathan,

and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua.

12 Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of fathers’ households were:

of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

The Heads of the Levites

22 As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan and Jaddua, the heads of fathers’ households were written down; the priests were also in the reign of Darius the Persian. 23 The sons of Levi, the heads of fathers’ households, were written down in the Book of the Chronicles up to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. 24

The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, to praise and give thanks, by the commandment of David the man of God, watch by watch.

Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping watch at the storerooms of the gates.

26 These served in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

Dedication of the Wall

27 Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres. 28 So the sons of the singers were gathered from the district around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites, 29 from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30 The priests and the Levites cleansed themselves; they also cleansed the people, the gates, and the wall.

The Choirs in the House of God

31 Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I had two great choirs of thanksgiving stand, the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward the Dung Gate. 32

Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them,

with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets; and Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,

and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.

37 At the Spring Gate they went directly up the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east. 38 The second choir proceeded to the left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, above the Tower of Furnaces, to the Broad Wall, 39 and above the Gate of Ephraim, by the Old Gate, by the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stood at the Gate of the Guard. 40 Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me; 41 and the priests:

Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets;

and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers made their voices heard, with Jezrahiah their overseer,

43 and on that day they offered great sacrifices and were glad because God had given them great gladness, even the women and children were glad, so that the gladness of Jerusalem was heard from afar. 44 On that day men were also appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah was glad over the priests and Levites who stood to minister. 45 And they kept their responsibility given by their God and the responsibility of cleansing, together with the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David and his son Solomon. 46 For in the days of David and Asaph, in ancient times, there were chiefs of the singers, songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God. 47 So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah were giving the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers as each day required, and set apart the holy portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the holy portion for the sons of Aaron.

Revelation 7

The 144,000

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the slaves of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of those having been sealed, 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5

from the tribe of Judah, 12,000 having been sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,

from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

from the tribe of Asher 12,000,

from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,

from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,

from the tribe of Levi 12,000,

from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,

from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,

from the tribe of Benjamin, 12,000 having been sealed.

A Multitude from Every Nation

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen, the blessing and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the strength, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These, clothed in the white robes, who are they, and from where have they come?” 14 And I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His sanctuary; and He who sits on the throne will dwell over them. 16 They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will shepherd them and will guide them to springs of the water of life. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Ecclesiastes 7

Wisdom and Folly Contrasted

Better is a good name than good oil,

And better is the day of one’s death than the day of one’s birth.

Better to go to a house of mourning

Than to go to a house of feasting

Because that is the end of all mankind,

And the living puts this in his heart.

Better is vexation than laughter,

For when a face is sad a heart may be merry.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

While the heart of fools is in the house of gladness.

Better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man

Than for one to listen to the song of fools.

For as the crackling sound of thorn bushes under a pot,

So is the laughter of the fool;

And this too is vanity.

For oppression gives a wise man over to madness,

And a bribe destroys the heart.

Better is the end of a matter than its beginning;

Better is patience of spirit than haughtiness of spirit.

Do not be eager in your spirit to be vexed,

For vexation rests in the bosom of fools.

Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?”

For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.

Wisdom along with an inheritance is good

And an advantage to those who see the sun.

For wisdom is a shadow of protection as money is a shadow of protection,

And the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its masters.

See the work of God,

For who is able to straighten what He has bent?

In the day when there is good be of good cheer,

But in the day when there is evil see—

God has made the one as well as the other

So that man will not find out anything that will be after him.

15 I have seen everything during my days of vanity; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Do not be excessively righteous, and do not be overly wise. Why should you make yourself desolate? 17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a simpleminded fool. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you seize one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them. 19 Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten men with power who are in a city. 20 Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. 21 Also, do not give your heart to all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your slave cursing you. 22 For your heart also knows that you likewise have many times cursed others. 23 I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 What has been is far away and exceedingly deep. Who can find it? 25 I turned my heart to know, to explore, and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the wickedness of foolishness and the simpleminded folly of madness. 26 And I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is good before God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her. 27 “See, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “adding one thing to another to find an explanation, 28 which my soul still seeks but has not found. I have found one man out of a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these. 29 See, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”