John 1:19-34; 1 Chronicles 7; 1 Chronicles 8; Zephaniah 3

John 1:19-34

19 This is John's testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, "Who are you?"

20 He did not refuse to answer, but he declared: "I am not the Messiah."

21 "What then?" they asked him. "Are you Elijah?" "I am not," he said. "Are you the Prophet?" "No," he answered.

22 "Who are you, then?" they asked. "We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?"

23 He said, "I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord -just as Isaiah the prophet said."

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.

25 So they asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you aren't the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?"

26 "I baptize with water," John answered them. "Someone stands among you, but you don't know [Him].

27 He is the One coming after me, whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to untie."

28 All this happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is the One I told you about: 'After me comes a man who has surpassed me, because He existed before me.'

31 I didn't know Him, but I came baptizing with water so He might be revealed to Israel."

32 And John testified, "I watched the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He rested on Him.

33 I didn't know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The One you see the Spirit descending and resting on-He is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

34 I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God!"

1 Chronicles 7

1 Issachar's sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron-four.

2 Tola's sons: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, the heads of their ancestral houses. During David's reign, 22,600 descendants of Tola were recorded as warriors in their genealogies.

3 Uzzi's son: Izrahiah. Izrahiah's sons: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, Isshiah. All five of them were chiefs.

4 Along with them, they had 36,000 troops for battle according to the genealogical records of their ancestral houses, for they had many wives and children.

5 Their tribesmen who were warriors belonging to all the families of Issachar totalled 87,000 in their genealogies.

6 Three of Benjamin's [sons]: Bela, Becher, and Jediael.

7 Bela's sons: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri-five. They were warriors and heads of their ancestral houses; 22,034 were listed in their genealogies.

8 Becher's sons: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth; all these were Becher's sons.

9 Their genealogies were recorded according to the heads of their ancestral houses-20,200 warriors.

10 Jediael's son: Bilhan. Bilhan's sons: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar.

11 All these sons of Jediael listed by heads of families were warriors; there were 17,200 who could serve in the army.

12 Shuppim and Huppim were sons of Ir, and the Hushim were the sons of Aher.

13 Naphtali's sons: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum-Bilhah's sons.

14 Manasseh's sons through his Aramean concubine: Asriel and Machir the father of Gilead.

15 Machir took wives from Huppim and Shuppim. The name of his sister was Maacah. Another descendant was named Zelophehad, but he had only daughters.

16 Machir's wife Maacah gave birth to a son, and she named [him] Peresh. His brother was named Sheresh, and his sons were Ulam and Rekem.

17 Ulam's son: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead son of Machir, son of Manasseh.

18 His sister Hammolecheth gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah.

19 Shemida's sons: Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

20 Ephraim's sons: Shuthelah, and his son Bered, his son Tahath, his son Eleadah, his son Tahath,

21 his son Zabad, his son Shuthelah, Ezer, and Elead. The men of Gath who were born in the land killed Ezer and Elead because they went down to raid their cattle.

22 Their father Ephraim mourned a long time, and his relatives came to comfort him.

23 He slept with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. So he named him Beriah, because there had been misfortune in his home.

24 His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah,

25 his son Rephah, his son Resheph, his son Telah, his son Tahan,

26 his son Ladan, his son Ammihud, his son Elishama,

27 his son Nun, and his son Joshua.

28 Their holdings and settlements were Bethel and its villages; Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its villages as far as Ayyah and its villages,

29 and along the borders of the sons of Manasseh, Beth-shean and its villages, Taanach and its villages, Megiddo and its villages, and Dor and its villages. The sons of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.

30 Asher's sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, with their sister Serah.

31 Beriah's sons: Heber, and Malchiel, who fathered Birzaith.

32 Heber fathered Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham, with their sister Shua.

33 Japhlet's sons: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These were Japhlet's sons.

34 Shemer's sons: Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram.

35 His brother Helem's sons: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal.

36 Zophah's sons: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah,

37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera.

38 Jether's sons: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara.

39 Ulla's sons: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.

40 All these were Asher's sons. They were the heads of their ancestral houses, chosen men, warriors, and chiefs among the leaders. The number of men listed in their genealogies for military service was 26,000.

1 Chronicles 8

1 Benjamin fathered Bela, his firstborn; Ashbel was [born] second, Aharah third,

2 Nohah fourth, and Rapha fifth.

3 Bela's sons: Addar, Gera, Abihud,

4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah,

5 Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram.

6 These were Ehud's sons, who were the heads of the families living in Geba and who were deported to Manahath:

7 Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera. Gera deported them and was the father of Uzza and Ahihud.

8 Shaharaim had sons in the country of Moab after he had divorced his wives Hushim and Baara.

9 His sons by his wife Hodesh: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam,

10 Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of families.

11 He also had sons by Hushim: Abitub and Elpaal.

12 Elpaal's sons: Eber, Misham, and Shemed who built Ono and Lod and its villages,

13 Beriah and Shema, who were the heads of families of Aijalon's residents and who drove out the residents of Gath,

14 Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth.

15 Zebadiah, Arad, Eder,

16 Michael, Ishpah, and Joha were Beriah's sons.

17 Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber,

18 Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were Elpaal's sons.

19 Jakim, Zichri, Zabdi,

20 Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel,

21 Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were Shimei's sons.

22 Ishpan, Eber, Eliel,

23 Abdon, Zichri, Hanan,

24 Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah,

25 Iphdeiah, and Penuel were Shashak's sons.

26 Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah,

27 Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zichri were Jeroham's sons.

28 These were heads of families, chiefs according to their genealogies, and lived in Jerusalem.

29 [Jeiel], fathered Gibeon and lived in Gibeon. His wife's name was Maacah.

30 Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Nadab,

31 Gedor, Ahio, Zecher,

32 and Mikloth who fathered Shimeah. These also lived opposite their relatives in Jerusalem, with their [other] relatives.

33 Ner fathered Kish, Kish fathered Saul, and Saul fathered Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

34 Jonathan's son was Merib-baal, and Merib-baal fathered Micah.

35 Micah's sons: Pithon, Melech, Tarea, and Ahaz.

36 Ahaz fathered Jehoaddah, Jehoaddah fathered Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri, and Zimri fathered Moza.

37 Moza fathered Binea. His son was Raphah, his son Eleasah, and his son Azel.

38 Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were Azel's sons.

39 His brother Eshek's sons: Ulam was his firstborn, Jeush second, and Eliphelet third.

40 Ulam's sons were warriors and archers. They had many sons and grandsons-150 of them. All these were among Benjamin's sons.

Zephaniah 3

1 Woe to the city that is rebellious and defiled, the oppressive city!

2 She has not obeyed; she has not accepted discipline. She has not trusted in the Lord; she has not drawn near to her God.

3 The princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the night, which leave nothing for the morning.

4 Her prophets are reckless- treacherous men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to instruction.

5 The righteous Lord is in her; He does no wrong. He applies His justice morning by morning; He does not fail at dawn, yet the one who does wrong knows no shame.

6 I have cut off nations; their corner towers are destroyed. I have laid waste their streets, with no one to pass through. Their cities lie devastated, without a person, without an inhabitant.

7 I thought: You will certainly fear Me and accept correction. Then her dwelling place would not be cut off [based on] all that I had allocated to her. However, they became more corrupt in all their actions.

8 Therefore, wait for Me- the Lord's declaration- until the day I rise up for plunder. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, in order to pour out My indignation on them, all My burning anger; for the whole earth will be consumed by the fire of My jealousy.

9 For I will then restore pure speech to the peoples so that all of them may call on the name of Yahweh and serve Him with a single purpose.

10 From beyond the rivers of Cush My supplicants, My dispersed people, will bring an offering to Me.

11 On that day you will not be put to shame because of everything you have done in rebelling against Me. For then I will remove your boastful braggarts from among you, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain.

12 I will leave a meek and humble people among you, and they will trust in the name of Yahweh.

13 The remnant of Israel will no longer do wrong or tell lies; a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. But they will pasture and lie down, with nothing to make [them] afraid.

14 Sing for joy, Daughter Zion; shout loudly, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all [your] heart, Daughter Jerusalem!

15 The Lord has removed your punishment; He has turned back your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is among you; you need no longer fear harm.

16 On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, do not let your hands grow weak.

17 The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will bring [you] quietness with His love. He will delight in you with shouts of joy."

18 I will gather those who have been driven from the appointed festivals; [They will be] a tribute from you, and reproach [on her].

19 Yes, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you. I will save the lame and gather the scattered; I will make those who were disgraced throughout the earth receive praise and fame.

20 At that time I will bring you back, yes, at the time I will gather you. I will make you famous and praiseworthy among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes. Yahweh has spoken.