John 1:1-18; 1 Chronicles 5; 1 Chronicles 6; Zephaniah 2

John 1:1-18

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.

4 Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men.

5 That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man named John who was sent from God.

7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.

8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him.

11 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.

12 But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name,

13 who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

14 The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning Him and exclaimed, "This was the One of whom I said, 'The One coming after me has surpassed me, because He existed before me.' ")

16 Indeed, we have all received grace after grace from His fullness,

17 for although the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son- the One who is at the Father's side- He has revealed Him.

1 Chronicles 5

1 [These were] the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel. He was the firstborn, but his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, because Reuben defiled his father's bed. He is not listed in the genealogy according to birthright.

2 Although Judah became strong among his brothers and a ruler came from him, the birthright was given to Joseph.

3 The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

4 Joel's sons: his son Shemaiah, his son Gog, his son Shimei,

5 his son Micah, his son Reaiah, his son Baal,

6 and his son Beerah. Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites, and Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria took him into exile.

7 His relatives by their families as they are recorded in their genealogy: Jeiel the chief, Zechariah,

8 and Bela son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel. They settled in Aroer as far as Nebo and Baal-meon.

9 They also settled in the east as far as the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because their herds had increased in the land of Gilead.

10 During Saul's reign they waged war against the Hagrites, who were defeated by their power. And they lived in their tents throughout the region east of Gilead.

11 The sons of Gad lived next to them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah:

12 Joel the chief, Shapham the second [in command], Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan.

13 Their relatives according to their ancestral houses: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber-seven.

14 These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, son of Jaroah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jeshishai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz.

15 Ahi son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was head of their ancestral houses.

16 They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its towns, and throughout the pasturelands of Sharon.

17 All of them were registered in the genealogies during the reigns of Judah's King Jotham and Israel's King Jeroboam.

18 The sons of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 warriors who could serve in the army-men who carried shield and sword, drew the bow, and were trained for war.

19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab.

20 They received help against these enemies, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them, because they cried out to God in battle. He granted their request because they trusted in Him.

21 They captured the Hagrites' livestock-50,000 of their camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys-as well as 100,000 people.

22 Many of the Hagrites were killed because it was God's battle. And they lived there in the Hagrites' place until the exile.

23 The sons of half the tribe of Manasseh settled in the land from Bashan to Baal-hermon (that is, Senir or Mount Hermon). They were numerous.

24 These were the heads of their ancestral houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their patriarchal families.

25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They prostituted themselves with the gods of the nations God had destroyed before them.

26 So the God of Israel put it into the mind of Pul (that is, Tiglath-pileser) king of Assyria to take the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and Gozan's river, [where they are] until today.

1 Chronicles 6

1 Levi's sons: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

2 Kohath's sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

3 Amram's children: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. Aaron's sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

4 Eleazar fathered Phinehas; Phinehas fathered Abishua;

5 Abishua fathered Bukki; Bukki fathered Uzzi;

6 Uzzi fathered Zerahiah; Zerahiah fathered Meraioth;

7 Meraioth fathered Amariah; Amariah fathered Ahitub;

8 Ahitub fathered Zadok; Zadok fathered Ahimaaz;

9 Ahimaaz fathered Azariah; Azariah fathered Johanan;

10 Johanan fathered Azariah, who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem;

11 Azariah fathered Amariah; Amariah fathered Ahitub;

12 Ahitub fathered Zadok; Zadok fathered Shallum;

13 Shallum fathered Hilkiah; Hilkiah fathered Azariah;

14 Azariah fathered Seraiah; and Seraiah fathered Jehozadak.

15 Jehozadak went into exile when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.

16 Levi's sons: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

17 These are the names of Gershom's sons: Libni and Shimei.

18 Kohath's sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

19 Merari's sons: Mahli and Mushi. These are the Levites' families according to their fathers:

20 Of Gershom: his son Libni, his son Jahath, his son Zimmah,

21 his son Joah, his son Iddo, his son Zerah, and his son Jeatherai.

22 Kohath's sons: his son Amminadab, his son Korah, his son Assir,

23 his son Elkanah, his son Ebiasaph, his son Assir,

24 his son Tahath, his son Uriel, his son Uzziah, and his son Shaul.

25 Elkanah's sons: Amasai and Ahimoth,

26 his son Elkanah, his son Zophai, his son Nahath,

27 his son Eliab, his son Jeroham, and his son Elkanah.

28 Samuel's sons: his firstborn Joel, and his second son Abijah.

29 Merari's sons: Mahli, his son Libni, his son Shimei, his son Uzzah,

30 his son Shimea, his son Haggiah, and his son Asaiah.

31 These are the men David put in charge of the music in the Lord's temple after the ark came to rest there.

32 They ministered with song in front of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the Lord's temple in Jerusalem, and they performed their task according to the regulations [given] to them.

33 These are the men who served with their sons. From the Kohathites: Heman the singer, son of Joel, son of Samuel,

34 son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah,

35 son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasai,

36 son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah,

37 son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah,

38 son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel.

39 Heman's relative was Asaph, who stood at his right hand: Asaph son of Berechiah, son of Shimea,

40 son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malchijah,

41 son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah,

42 son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei,

43 son of Jahath, son of Gershom, son of Levi.

44 On the left, their relatives were Merari's sons: Ethan son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch,

45 son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah,

46 son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer,

47 son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi.

48 Their relatives the Levites were assigned to all the service of the tabernacle, God's temple.

49 But Aaron and his sons did all the work of the most holy place. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offerings and on the altar of incense to make atonement for Israel according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

50 These are Aaron's sons: his son Eleazar, his son Phinehas, his son Abishua,

51 his son Bukki, his son Uzzi, his son Zerahiah,

52 his son Meraioth, his son Amariah, his son Ahitub,

53 his son Zadok, and his son Ahimaaz.

54 These were the places assigned to Aaron's sons from the Kohathite family for their settlements in their territory, because the [first] lot was for them.

55 They were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands,

56 but the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh.

57 Aaron's sons were given: Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah and its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa and its pasturelands,

58 Hilen and its pasturelands, Debir and its pasturelands,

59 Ashan and its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh and its pasturelands.

60 From the tribe of Benjamin [they were given] Geba and its pasturelands, Alemeth and its pasturelands, and Anathoth and its pasturelands. They had 13 towns in all among their families.

61 To the rest of the Kohathites, 10 towns from the half tribe of Manasseh [were assigned] by lot.

62 The Gershomites [were assigned] 13 towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan according to their families.

63 The Merarites [were assigned] by lot 12 towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun according to their families.

64 So the Israelites gave these towns and their pasturelands to the Levites.

65 They assigned by lot the towns named above from the tribes of the Judahites, Simeonites, and Benjaminites.

66 Some of the families of the Kohathites were given towns from the tribe of Ephraim for their territory:

67 Shechem (a city of refuge) with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer and its pasturelands,

68 Jokmeam and its pasturelands, Beth-horon and its pasturelands,

69 Aijalon and its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon and its pasturelands.

70 From half the tribe of Manasseh, Aner and its pasturelands, and Bileam and its pasturelands [were given] to the rest of the families of the Kohathites.

71 The Gershomites [received]: Golan in Bashan and its pasturelands, and Ashtaroth and its pasturelands from the families of half the tribe of Manasseh.

72 From the tribe of Issachar [they received] Kedesh and its pasturelands, Daberath and its pasturelands,

73 Ramoth and its pasturelands, and Anem and its pasturelands.

74 From the tribe of Asher [they received] Mashal and its pasturelands, Abdon and its pasturelands,

75 Hukok and its pasturelands, and Rehob and its pasturelands.

76 From the tribe of Naphtali [they received] Kedesh in Galilee and its pasturelands, Hammon and its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim and its pasturelands.

77 The rest of the Merarites [received]: From the tribe of Zebulun, [they received] Rimmono and its pasturelands and Tabor and its pasturelands.

78 From the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan at Jericho, to the east of the Jordan, [they received] Bezer in the desert and its pasturelands, Jahzah and its pasturelands,

79 Kedemoth and its pasturelands, and Mephaath and its pasturelands.

80 From the tribe of Gad [they received] Ramoth in Gilead and its pasturelands, Mahanaim and its pasturelands,

81 Heshbon and its pasturelands, and Jazer and its pasturelands.

Zephaniah 2

1 Gather yourselves together; gather together, undesirable nation,

2 before the decree takes effect and the day passes like chaff, before the burning of the Lord's anger overtakes you, before the day of the Lord's anger overtakes you.

3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth, who carry out what He commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be concealed on the day of the Lord's anger.

4 For Gaza will be abandoned, and Ashkelon will become a ruin. Ashdod will be driven out at noon, and Ekron will be uprooted.

5 Woe, inhabitants of the seacoast, nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines: I will destroy you until there is no one left.

6 The seacoast will become pasturelands with caves for shepherds and folds for sheep.

7 The coastland will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; they will find pasture there. They will lie down in the evening among the houses of Ashkelon, for the Lord their God will return to them and restore their fortunes.

8 I have heard the taunting of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, who have taunted My people and threatened their territory.

9 Therefore, as I live- the declaration of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel- Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah- a place overgrown with weeds, a salt pit, and a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.

10 This is what they get for their pride, because they have taunted and acted arrogantly against the people of the Lord of Hosts.

11 The Lord will be terrifying to them when He starves all the gods of the earth. Then all the distant coastlands of the nations will bow in worship to Him, each in its own place.

12 You Cushites will also be slain by My sword.

13 He will also stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolate ruin, dry as the desert.

14 Herds will lie down in the middle of it, every kind of wild animal. Both the desert owl and the screech owl will roost in the capitals of its pillars. [Their] calls will sound from the window, but devastation will be on the threshold, for He will expose the cedar work.

15 This is the self-assured city that lives in security, that thinks to herself: I am, and there is no one besides me. What a desolation she has become, a place for wild animals to lie down! Everyone who passes by her jeers and shakes his fist.