John 6:1-21; 1 Chronicles 22; 1 Chronicles 23; Zechariah 9

John 6:1-21

1 After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias).

2 And a huge crowd was following Him because they saw the signs that He was performing on the sick.

3 So Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with His disciples.

4 Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near.

5 Therefore, when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward Him, He asked Philip, "Where will we buy bread so these people can eat?"

6 He asked this to test him, for He Himself knew what He was going to do.

7 Philip answered, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn't be enough for each of them to have a little."

8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him,

9 "There's a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish-but what are they for so many?"

10 Then Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. The men numbered about 5,000.

11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were seated-so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.

12 When they were full, He told His disciples, "Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted."

13 So they collected them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.

14 When the people saw the sign He had done, they said, "This really is the Prophet who was to come into the world!"

15 Therefore, when Jesus knew that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He withdrew again to the mountain by Himself.

16 When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. Darkness had already set in, but Jesus had not yet come to them.

18 Then a high wind arose, and the sea began to churn.

19 After they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea. He was coming near the boat, and they were afraid.

20 But He said to them, "It is I. Don't be afraid!"

21 Then they were willing to take Him on board, and at once the boat was at the shore where they were heading.

1 Chronicles 22

1 Then David said, "This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel."

2 So David gave orders to gather the foreigners that were in the land of Israel, and he appointed stonemasons to cut finished stones for building God's house.

3 David supplied a great deal of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, together with an immeasurable quantity of bronze,

4 and innumerable cedar logs, because the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large quantity of cedar logs to David.

5 David said, "My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly great and famous and glorious in all the lands. Therefore, I must make provision for it." So David made lavish preparations for it before his death.

6 Then he summoned his son Solomon and instructed him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel.

7 "My son," David said to Solomon, "It was in my heart to build a house for the name of the Lord my God,

8 but the word of the Lord came to me: 'You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for My name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before Me.

9 But a son will be born to you; he will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies, for his name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign.

10 He is the one who will build a house for My name. He will be My son, and I will be his father. I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.'

11 "Now, my son, may the Lord be with you, and may you succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as He said about you.

12 Above all, may the Lord give you insight and understanding when He puts you in charge of Israel so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.

13 Then you will succeed if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Don't be afraid or discouraged.

14 "Notice I have taken great pains to provide for the house of the Lord-3,775 tons of gold, 37,750 tons of silver, and bronze and iron that can't be weighed because there is so much of it. I have also provided timber and stone, but you will need to add more to them.

15 You also have many workers: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and people skilled in every kind of work

16 in gold, silver, bronze, and iron-beyond number. Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you."

17 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon:

18 "The Lord your God is with you, isn't He? And hasn't He given you rest on every side? For He has handed the land's inhabitants over to me, and the land has been subdued before the Lord and His people.

19 Now determine in your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Get started building the Lord God's sanctuary so that you may bring the ark of the Lord's covenant and the holy articles of God to the temple that is to be built for the name of the Lord."

1 Chronicles 23

1 When David was old and full of days, he installed his son Solomon as king over Israel.

2 Then he gathered all the leaders of Israel, the priests, and the Levites.

3 The Levites 30 years old and above were counted; the total number of men was 38,000 by headcount.

4 "Of these," [David said], "24,000 are to be in charge of the work on the Lord's temple, 6,000 are to be officers and judges

5 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments that I have made for worship."

6 Then David divided them into divisions according to Levi's sons: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

7 The Gershomites: Ladan and Shimei.

8 Ladan's sons: Jehiel was the first, then Zetham, and Joel-three.

9 Shimei's sons: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran-three. Those were the heads of the families of Ladan.

10 Shimei's sons: Jahath, Zizah, Jeush, and Beriah. Those were Shimei's sons-four.

11 Jahath was the first and Zizah was the second; however, Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became an ancestral house [and received] a single assignment.

12 Kohath's sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel-four.

13 Amram's sons: Aaron and Moses. Aaron, along with his descendants, was set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense in the presence of the Lord, to minister to Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever.

14 As for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

15 Moses' sons: Gershom and Eliezer.

16 Gershom's sons: Shebuel first.

17 Eliezer's sons were Rehabiah, first; Eliezer did not have any other sons, but Rehabiah's sons were very numerous.

18 Izhar's sons: Shelomith was first.

19 Hebron's sons: Jeriah was first, Amariah second, Jahaziel third, and Jekameam fourth.

20 Uzziel's sons: Micah was first, and Isshiah second.

21 Merari's sons: Mahli and Mushi. Mahli's sons: Eleazar and Kish.

22 Eleazar died having no sons, only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.

23 Mushi's sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth-three.

24 These were the sons of Levi by their ancestral houses-the heads of families, according to their registration by name in the headcount-20 years old or more, who worked in the service of the Lord's temple.

25 For David said, "The Lord God of Israel has given rest to His people, and He has come to stay in Jerusalem forever.

26 Also, the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the equipment for its service"-

27 for according to the last words of David, the Levites 20 years old or more were to be counted-

28 "but their duty will be to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the Lord's temple, being responsible for the courts and the chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of God's temple-

29 as well as the rows [of the bread of the Presence], the fine flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baking, the mixing, and all measurements of volume and length.

30 They are also to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the Lord, and likewise in the evening.

31 Whenever burnt offerings are offered to the Lord on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed festivals, they are to do so regularly in the Lord's presence according to the number prescribed for them.

32 They are to carry out their responsibilities to the tent of meeting, to the holy place, and to their relatives, the sons of Aaron, in the service of the Lord's temple."

Zechariah 9

1 An Oracle The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach, and Damascus is its resting place- for the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord -

2 and also against Hamath, which borders it, as well as Tyre and Sidon, though they are very shrewd.

3 Tyre has built herself a fortress; she has heaped up silver like dust and gold like the dirt of the streets.

4 Listen! The Lord will impoverish her and cast her wealth into the sea; she herself will be consumed by fire.

5 Ashkelon will see it and be afraid; Gaza too, and will writhe in great pain, as will Ekron, for her hope will fail. There will cease to be a king in Gaza, and Ashkelon will become uninhabited.

6 A mongrel people will live in Ashdod, and I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.

7 I will remove the blood from their mouths and the detestable things from between their teeth. Then they too will become a remnant for our God; they will become like a clan in Judah and Ekron like the Jebusites.

8 I will set up camp at My house against an army, against those who march back and forth, and no oppressor will march against them again, for now I have seen with My own eyes.

9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The bow of war will be removed, and He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

11 As for you, because of the blood of your covenant, I will release your prisoners from the waterless cistern.

12 Return to a stronghold, you prisoners who have hope; today I declare that I will restore double to you.

13 For I will bend Judah [as My bow]; I will fill that bow with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece. I will make you like a warrior's sword.

14 Then the Lord will appear over them, and His arrow will fly like lightning. The Lord God will sound the trumpet and advance with the southern storms.

15 The Lord of Hosts will defend them. They will consume and conquer with slingstones; they will drink and be rowdy as if with wine. They will be as full as the sprinkling basin, like [those] at the corners of the altar.

16 The Lord their God will save them on that day as the flock of His people; for they are like jewels in a crown, sparkling over His land.

17 How lovely and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the young women.