Monday, 25 March

1.   The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. And their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah. 2.   They had in their inheritance Beersheba (Sheba), Moladah, 3.   Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, 4.   Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, 5.   Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, 6.   Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen: thirteen cities and their villages; 7.   Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan: four cities and their villages; 8.   and all the villages that were all around these cities as far as Baalath Beer, Ramah of the South. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. 9.   The inheritance of the children of Simeon was included in the share of the children of Judah, for the share of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of that people. 10.   The third lot came out for the children of Zebulun according to their families, and the border of their inheritance was as far as Sarid. 11.   Their border went toward the west and to Maralah, went to Dabbasheth, and extended along the brook that is east of Jokneam. 12.   Then from Sarid it went eastward toward the sunrise along the border of Chisloth Tabor, and went out toward Daberath, bypassing Japhia. 13.   And from there it passed along on the east of Gath Hepher, toward Eth Kazin, and extended to Rimmon, which borders on Neah. 14.   Then the border went around it on the north side of Hannathon, and it ended in the Valley of Jiphthah El. 15.   Included were Kattath, Nahallal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages. 16.   This was the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages. 17.   The fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families. 18.   And their territory went to Jezreel, and included Chesulloth, Shunem, 19.   Haphraim, Shion, Anaharath, 20.   Rabbith, Kishion, Abez, 21.   Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez. 22.   And the border reached to Tabor, Shahazimah, and Beth Shemesh; their border ended at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages. 23.   This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages. 24.   The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families. 25.   And their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, 26.   Alammelech, Amad, and Mishal; it reached to Mount Carmel westward, along the Brook Shihor Libnath. 27.   It turned toward the sunrise to Beth Dagon; and it reached to Zebulun and to the Valley of Jiphthah El, then northward beyond Beth Emek and Neiel, bypassing Cabul which was on the left, 28.   including Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. 29.   And the border turned to Ramah and to the fortified city of Tyre; then the border turned to Hosah, and ended at the sea by the region of Achzib. 30.   Also Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob were included : twenty–two cities with their villages. 31.   This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages. 32.   The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, for the children of Naphtali according to their families. 33.   And their border began at Heleph, enclosing the territory from the terebinth tree in Zaanannim, Adami Nekeb, and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum; it ended at the Jordan. 34.   From Heleph the border extended westward to Aznoth Tabor, and went out from there toward Hukkok; it adjoined Zebulun on the south side and Asher on the west side, and ended at Judah by the Jordan toward the sunrise. 35.   And the fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, 36.   Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, 37.   Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, 38.   Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh: nineteen cities with their villages. 39.   This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages. 40.   The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families. 41.   And the territory of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, 42.   Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Jethlah, 43.   Elon, Timnah, Ekron, 44.   Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, 45.   Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, 46.   Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the region near Joppa. 47.   And the border of the children of Dan went beyond these, because the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem and took it; and they struck it with the edge of the sword, took possession of it, and dwelt in it. They called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father. 48.   This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages. 49.   When they had made an end of dividing the land as an inheritance according to their borders, the children of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun. 50.   According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked for, Timnath Serah in the mountains of Ephraim; and he built the city and dwelt in it. 51.   These were the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel divided as an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So they made an end of dividing the country.

1.   The LORD also spoke to Joshua, saying, 2.   "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, 3.   ‘that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. 4.   ‘And when he flees to one of those cities, and stands at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declares his case in the hearing of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city as one of them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. 5.   ‘Then if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand. 6.   ‘And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.’" 7.   So they appointed Kedesh in Galilee, in the mountains of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron) in the mountains of Judah. 8.   And on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness on the plain, from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. 9.   These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger who dwelt among them, that whoever killed a person accidentally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the congregation.

1.   Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel. 2.   And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "The LORD commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with their common–lands for our livestock." 3.   So the children of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their common–lands: 4.   Now the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin. 5.   The rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half–tribe of Manasseh. 6.   And the children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half–tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. 7.   The children of Merari according to their families had twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun. 8.   And the children of Israel gave these cities with their common–lands by lot to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses. 9.   So they gave from the tribe of the children of Judah and from the tribe of the children of Simeon these cities which are designated by name, 10.   which were for the children of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for the lot was theirs first. 11.   And they gave them Kirjath Arba ( Arba was the father of Anak), which is Hebron, in the mountains of Judah, with the common–land surrounding it. 12.   But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession. 13.   Thus to the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its common–land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Libnah with its common–land, 14.   Jattir with its common–land, Eshtemoa with its common–land, 15.   Holon with its common–land, Debir with its common–land, 16.   Ain with its common–land, Juttah with its common–land, and Beth Shemesh with its common–land: nine cities from those two tribes; 17.   and from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its common–land, Geba with its common–land, 18.   Anathoth with its common–land, and Almon with its common–land: four cities. 19.   All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their common–lands. 20.   And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, the rest of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot from the tribe of Ephraim. 21.   For they gave them Shechem with its common–land in the mountains of Ephraim (a city of refuge for the slayer), Gezer with its common–land, 22.   Kibzaim with its common–land, and Beth Horon with its common–land: four cities; 23.   and from the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with its common–land, Gibbethon with its common–land, 24.   Aijalon with its common–land, and Gath Rimmon with its common–land: four cities; 25.   and from the half–tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with its common–land and Gath Rimmon with its common–land: two cities. 26.   All the ten cities with their common–lands were for the rest of the families of the children of Kohath. 27.   Also to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, from the other half–tribe of Manasseh, they gave Golan in Bashan with its common–land (a city of refuge for the slayer), and Be Eshterah with its common–land: two cities; 28.   and from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its common–land, Daberath with its common–land, 29.   Jarmuth with its common–land, and En Gannim with its common–land: four cities; 30.   and from the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its common–land, Abdon with its common–land, 31.   Helkath with its common–land, and Rehob with its common–land: four cities; 32.   and from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its common–land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Hammoth Dor with its common–land, and Kartan with its common–land: three cities. 33.   All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their common–lands. 34.   And to the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its common–land, Kartah with its common–land, 35.   Dimnah with its common–land, and Nahalal with its common–land: four cities; 36.   and from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its common–land, Jahaz with its common–land, 37.   Kedemoth with its common–land, and Mephaath with its common–land: four cities; 38.   and from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its common–land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Mahanaim with its common–land, 39.   Heshbon with its common–land, and Jazer with its common–land: four cities in all. 40.   So all the cities for the children of Merari according to their families, the rest of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities. 41.   All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty–eight cities with their common–lands. 42.   Every one of these cities had its common–land surrounding it; thus were all these cities. 43.   So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. 44.   The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. 45.   Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

1.   "Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now." 2.   And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said: 3.   "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. 4.   "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, 5.   "as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. 6.   "Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. 7.   "And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8.   "So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 9.   "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. 10.   "So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ 11.   "And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. 12.   "Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there , 13.   "came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him. 14.   "Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. 15.   ‘For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16.   ‘And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ 17.   "Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 18.   "and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ 19.   "So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20.   ‘And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ 21.   "Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’" 22.   And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!" 23.   Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, 24.   the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. 25.   And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?" 26.   When the centurion heard that , he went and told the commander, saying, "Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman." 27.   Then the commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" He said, "Yes." 28.   The commander answered, "With a large sum I obtained this citizenship." And Paul said, "But I was born a citizen ." 29.   Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 30.   The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.