Thursday, 14 November

1.   The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2.   The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 3.   The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. And the sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 4.   Eleazar begot Phinehas, and Phinehas begot Abishua; 5.   Abishua begot Bukki, and Bukki begot Uzzi; 6.   Uzzi begot Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begot Meraioth; 7.   Meraioth begot Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub; 8.   Ahitub begot Zadok, and Zadok begot Ahimaaz; 9.   Ahimaaz begot Azariah, and Azariah begot Johanan; 10.   Johanan begot Azariah (it was he who ministered as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem); 11.   Azariah begot Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub; 12.   Ahitub begot Zadok, and Zadok begot Shallum; 13.   Shallum begot Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begot Azariah; 14.   Azariah begot Seraiah, and Seraiah begot Jehozadak. 15.   Jehozadak went into captivity when the LORD carried Judah and Jerusalem into captivity by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 16.   The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 17.   These are the names of the sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei. 18.   The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 19.   The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. Now these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers: 20.   Of Gershon were Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21.   Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son. 22.   The sons of Kohath were Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23.   Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, 24.   Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. 25.   The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth. 26.   As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah were Zophai his son, Nahath his son, 27.   Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. 28.   The sons of Samuel were Joel the firstborn, and Abijah the second. 29.   The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, 30.   Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.

1.   In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts. 2.   Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3.   "And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4.   "The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. 5.   "And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’ 6.   "After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7.   "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8.   "I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. 9.   "I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; 10.   A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened. 11.   "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. 12.   "As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13.   "I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14.   Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. 15.   "I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16.   "I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: 17.   ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. 18.   ‘But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’ 19.   "Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20.   "and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. 21.   "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, 22.   "until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. 23.   "Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces. 24.   The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones , And shall subdue three kings. 25.   He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time. 26.   ‘But the court shall be seated, And they shall take away his dominion, To consume and destroy it forever. 27.   Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’ 28.   "This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart."

1.   "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2.   "But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3.   "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4.   "And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5.   "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." 6.   Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. 7.   Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8.   "All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9.   "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10.   "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11.   "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12.   "But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13.   "The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14.   "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep , and am known by My own. 15.   "As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16.   "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17.   "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18.   "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." 19.   Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20.   And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?" 21.   Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"