1 Chronicles 23

• 1. When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel.
• 2. David summoned all the political leaders of Israel, together with the priests and Levites, for the coronation ceremony.
• 3. All the Levites who were thirty years old or older were counted, and the total came to thirty-eight thousand.
• 4. Then David said, "Twenty-four thousand of them will supervise the work at the Temple of the LORD. Six thousand are to serve as officials and judges.
• 5. Four thousand will work as gatekeepers, and another four thousand will praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have made."
• 6. Then David divided the Levites into divisions named after the clans descended from the three sons of Levi--Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
• 7. The Gershonite family units were defined by their lines of descent from Libni and Shimei, the sons of Gershon.
• 8. Three of the descendants of Libni were Jehiel (the family leader), Zetham, and Joel.
• 9. These were the leaders of the family of Libni. Three of the descendants of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran.
• 10. Four other descendants of Shimei were Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah.
• 11. Jahath was the family leader, and Ziza was next. Jeush and Beriah were counted as a single family because neither had many sons.
• 12. The descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
• 13. The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart to dedicate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices in the LORD's presence, to serve the LORD, and to pronounce blessings in his name forever.
• 14. As for Moses, the man of God, his sons were included with the tribe of Levi.
• 15. The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.
• 16. The descendants of Gershom included Shebuel, the family leader.
• 17. Eliezer had only one son, Rehabiah, the family leader. Rehabiah had numerous descendants.
• 18. The descendants of Izhar included Shelomith, the family leader.
• 19. The descendants of Hebron included Jeriah (the family leader), Amariah (the second), Jahaziel (the third), and Jekameam (the fourth).
• 20. The descendants of Uzziel included Micah (the family leader) and Isshiah (the second).
• 21. The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish.
• 22. Eleazar died with no sons, only daughters. His daughters married their cousins, the sons of Kish.
• 23. The three sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.
• 24. These were the descendants of Levi by clans, the leaders of their family groups, registered carefully by name. Each had to be twenty years old or older to qualify for service in the house of the LORD.
• 25. For David said, "The LORD, the God of Israel, has given us peace, and he will always live in Jerusalem.
• 26. Now the Levites will no longer need to carry the Tabernacle and its utensils from place to place."
• 27. It was according to David's final instructions that all the Levites twenty years old or older were registered for service.
• 28. The work of the Levites was to assist the priests, the descendants of Aaron, as they served at the house of the LORD. They also took care of the courtyards and side rooms, helped perform the ceremonies of purification, and served in many other ways in the house of God.
• 29. They were in charge of the sacred bread that was set out on the table, the choice flour for the grain offerings, the wafers made without yeast, the cakes cooked in olive oil, and the other mixed breads. They were also responsible to check all the weights and measures.
• 30. And each morning and evening they stood before the LORD to sing songs of thanks and praise to him.
• 31. They assisted with the burnt offerings that were presented to the LORD on Sabbath days, at new moon celebrations, and at all the appointed festivals. The proper number of Levites served in the LORD's presence at all times, following all the procedures they had been given.
• 32. And so, under the supervision of the priests, the Levites watched over the Tabernacle and the Temple and faithfully carried out their duties of service at the house of the LORD.

1 Chronicles 24

• 1. This is how Aaron's descendants, the priests, were divided into groups for service. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
• 2. But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no sons. So only Eleazar and Ithamar were left to carry on as priests.
• 3. With the help of Zadok, who was a descendant of Eleazar, and of Ahimelech, who was a descendant of Ithamar, David divided Aaron's descendants into groups according to their various duties.
• 4. Eleazar's descendants were divided into sixteen groups and Ithamar's into eight, for there were more family leaders among the descendants of Eleazar.
• 5. All tasks were assigned to the various groups by means of sacred lots so that no preference would be shown, for there were many qualified officials serving God in the sanctuary from among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.
• 6. Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, acted as secretary and wrote down the names and assignments in the presence of the king, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the family leaders of the priests and Levites. The descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar took turns casting lots.
• 7. The first lot fell to Jehoiarib. The second lot fell to Jedaiah.
• 8. The third lot fell to Harim. The fourth lot fell to Seorim.
• 9. The fifth lot fell to Malkijah. The sixth lot fell to Mijamin.
• 10. The seventh lot fell to Hakkoz. The eighth lot fell to Abijah.
• 11. The ninth lot fell to Jeshua. The tenth lot fell to Shecaniah.
• 12. The eleventh lot fell to Eliashib. The twelfth lot fell to Jakim.
• 13. The thirteenth lot fell to Huppah. The fourteenth lot fell to Jeshebeab.
• 14. The fifteenth lot fell to Bilgah. The sixteenth lot fell to Immer.
• 15. The seventeenth lot fell to Hezir. The eighteenth lot fell to Happizzez.
• 16. The nineteenth lot fell to Pethahiah. The twentieth lot fell to Jehezkel.
• 17. The twenty-first lot fell to Jakin. The twenty-second lot fell to Gamul.
• 18. The twenty-third lot fell to Delaiah. The twenty-fourth lot fell to Maaziah.
• 19. Each group carried out its duties in the house of the LORD according to the procedures established by their ancestor Aaron in obedience to the commands of the LORD, the God of Israel.
• 20. These were the other family leaders descended from Levi: From the descendants of Amram, the leader was Shebuel. From the descendants of Shebuel, the leader was Jehdeiah.
• 21. From the descendants of Rehabiah, the leader was Isshiah.
• 22. From the descendants of Izhar, the leader was Shelomith. From the descendants of Shelomith, the leader was Jahath.
• 23. From the descendants of Hebron, Jeriah was the leader, Amariah was second-in-command, Jahaziel was third, and Jekameam was fourth.
• 24. From the descendants of Uzziel, the leader was Micah. From the descendants of Micah, the leader was Shamir,
• 25. along with Isshiah, the brother of Micah. From the descendants of Isshiah, the leader was Zechariah.
• 26. From the descendants of Merari, the leaders were Mahli and Mushi. From the descendants of Jaaziah, the leader was Beno.
• 27. From the descendants of Merari through Jaaziah, the leaders were Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.
• 28. From the descendants of Mahli, the leader was Eleazar, though he had no sons.
• 29. From the descendants of Kish, the leader was Jerahmeel.
• 30. From the descendants of Mushi, the leaders were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the descendants of Levi in their various families.
• 31. Like the descendants of Aaron, they were assigned to their duties by means of sacred lots, without regard to age or rank. It was done in the presence of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the family leaders of the priests and the Levites.

1 Peter 4

• 1. So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you are willing to suffer for Christ, you have decided to stop sinning.
• 2. And you won't spend the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.
• 3. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy--their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
• 4. Of course, your former friends are very surprised when you no longer join them in the wicked things they do, and they say evil things about you.
• 5. But just remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead.
• 6. That is why the Good News was preached even to those who have died--so that although their bodies were punished with death, they could still live in the spirit as God does.
• 7. The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.
• 8. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
• 9. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
• 10. God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you.
• 11. Are you called to be a speaker? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ. All glory and power belong to him forever and ever. Amen.
• 12. Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.
• 13. Instead, be very glad--because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world.
• 14. Be happy if you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God will come upon you.
• 15. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people's affairs.
• 16. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his wonderful name!
• 17. For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin first among God's own children. And if even we Christians must be judged, what terrible fate awaits those who have never believed God's Good News?
• 18. And "If the righteous are barely saved, what chance will the godless and sinners have?"
• 19. So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you.

Micah 2

• 1. How terrible it will be for you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans. You rise at dawn and hurry to carry out any of the wicked schemes you have power to accomplish.
• 2. When you want a certain piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone's house, you take it by fraud and violence. No one's family or inheritance is safe with you around!
• 3. But this is what the LORD says: "I will reward your evil with evil; you won't be able to escape! After I am through with you, none of you will ever again walk proudly in the streets."
• 4. In that day your enemies will make fun of you by singing this song of despair about your experience: "We are finished, completely ruined! God has confiscated our land, taking it from us. He has given our fields to those who betrayed us. "
• 5. Others will set your boundaries then, and the LORD's people will have no say in how the land is divided.
• 6. "Don't say such things," the people say. "Don't prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!"
• 7. Should you talk that way, O family of Israel? Will the LORD have patience with such behavior? If you would do what is right, you would find my words to be good.
• 8. Yet to this very hour my people rise against me! You steal the shirts right off the backs of those who trusted you, making them as ragged as men who have just come home from battle.
• 9. You have evicted women from their homes and stripped their children of all their God-given rights.
• 10. Up! Begone! This is no longer your land and home, for you have filled it with sin and ruined it completely.
• 11. Suppose a prophet full of lies were to say to you, "I'll preach to you the joys of wine and drink!" That's just the kind of prophet you would like!
• 12. "Someday, O Israel, I will gather the few of you who are left. I will bring you together again like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture. Yes, your land will again be filled with noisy crowds!
• 13. Your leader will break out and lead you out of exile. He will bring you through the gates of your cities of captivity, back to your own land. Your king will lead you; the LORD himself will guide you."

New Living Translation: 331 of 365 days.