The Lord has heard my supplication. The Lord will receive my prayer. Psalm 6:9
1 Chronicles 6:31-81
The Temple Musicians
31 These are the men whom David set over the service of song in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there. 32 They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting until Solomon had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. They performed the duties of their office according to their order. 33 These are the men who served and their sons.
Of the sons of the Kohathites:
Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, 34 the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 35 the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36 the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 37 the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 38 the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
39 Heman’s relative, Asaph, served at his right hand: Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, 40 the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, 41 the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 42 the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 43 the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.
44 On the left, were their relatives, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, 45 the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 46 the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, 47 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
Descendants of Aaron
48 Their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of the Lord. 49 But only Aaron and his descendants offered on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded.
50 These are the sons of Aaron:
Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53 Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son.
Territory for the Levites
54 These were the territories assigned as settlements within their borders, to Aaron’s descendants, from the Kohathite family, who were chosen first by sacred lot.
55 They gave them Hebron in the land of Judah and its pasture lands around it, 56 but the fields of the city and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57 To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge, Hebron; Libnah also with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, 58 Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, 59 Ashan with its pasture lands, and Beth Shemesh with its pasture lands.
60 From the tribe of Benjamin, they were given Geba with its pasture lands, Allemeth with its pasture lands, and Anathoth with its pasture lands. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.
61 The rest of Kohath’s descendants of the tribe were given ten cities by lot, from the half-tribe of Manasseh.
62 To the descendants of Gershom, according to their families, from the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribe of Asher, and from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
63 To the descendants of Merari were given by lot, according to their families, from the tribe of Reuben, and from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
64 The Israelites gave to the Levites these cities with their pasture lands. 65 They gave by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. These cities which are mentioned by name.
66 Some of the families of the descendants of Kohath had cities of their borders from the tribe of Ephraim.
67 They gave to them the cities of refuge, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim with its pasture lands, and Gezer with its pasture lands, 68 Jokmeam with its pasture lands, Beth Horon with its pasture lands, 69 Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath Rimmon with its pasture lands.
70 And from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Aner with its pasture lands, and Bileam with its pasture lands, were given to the rest of the family of the descendants of Kohath.
71 To the descendants of Gershom were given:
From the family of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasture lands, and Ashtaroth with its pasture lands.
72 And from the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands, 73 Ramoth with its pasture lands, and Anem with its pasture lands.
74 And from the tribe of Asher, Mashal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands, 75 Hukok with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands;
76 And from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasture lands, Hammon with its pasture lands, and Kiriathaim with its pasture lands.
77 To the Merarites (the rest of the Levites) were given:
From the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmono with its pasture lands, Tabor with its pasture lands.
78 And beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, were given them, from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with its pasture lands, and Jahzah with its pasture lands, 79 Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands.
80 And from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasture lands, Mahanaim with its pasture lands, 81 Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands.
Acts 26
Paul’s Testimony to Agrippa
1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.”
Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense.
2 “I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that it is before you that I am to make my defense today, concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews, 3 especially because of your expertise in all the customs and controversies among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
4 Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life, from my youth up, which, from my earliest days was spent among my own nation and in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me from the first and can testify that I lived as a Pharisee, of the strictest sect of our religion.
6 Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa! 8 Why does it seem incredible to you, that God could raise the dead?
9 I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 I also did this in Jerusalem. I shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them. 11 Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being greatly enraged against them, I persecuted them, even to foreign cities.
12 Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 at noon, O king, I saw on the way, a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me. 14 When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you as a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you, 17 delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, 18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19 Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 Having obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen, 23 how the Messiah must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”
Festus Interrupts Paul’s Defense
24 As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
25 But Paul said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and good sense. 26 For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”
28 Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”
29 Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”
30 The king rose up with the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them. 31 When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.” 32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Psalm 6
Do Not Rebuke Me in Your Anger
For the Chief Musician, on stringed instruments, upon the eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm by David.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint.
Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
3 My soul is also in great anguish.
But you, Lord—how long?
4 Turn, Lord. Deliver my soul
and save me for the sake of your loving kindness.
5 For in the domain of the dead,
there is no memory of you.
In Sheol, who shall give you thanks?
6 I am weary with my groaning.
Every night I flood my bed.
I drench my couch with my tears.
7 My eye wastes away because of grief.
It grows old because of all my adversaries.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication.
The Lord will receive my prayer.
10 May all my enemies be ashamed and dismayed.
They shall turn back. They shall be disgraced suddenly.
Proverbs 18:20-21
20 A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth.
With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue;
those who love it will eat its fruit.