Aug 20th

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.

All the Levites in the holy city were 284.

Now the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their relatives who kept watch at the gates, were 172.

The rest of Israel, of the priests and of the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each on his own inheritance.

But the temple servants were living in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were over the temple servants.

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.

For there was a commandment from the king concerning them and a firm regulation for the song leaders day by day.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

So the sons of the singers were gathered from the district around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites,

from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem.

The priests and the Levites cleansed themselves; they also cleansed the people, the gates, and the wall.

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.

I say then, did they stumble so as to fall? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness be!

But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.

For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

And if the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became a partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,

do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast against them, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.

You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”

Quite right! They were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be haughty, but fear,

for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.

Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

For I do not want you, brothers, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;

and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;

for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,

so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.

For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?

Or who has first given to Him that it might be repaid to him?

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.