1
The leaders settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people drew lots to choose one family out of every ten to go and live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the rest were to live in the other cities and towns.
2
The people praised anyone else who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
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In the other towns and cities the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the Temple workers, and the descendants of Solomon's servants lived on their own property in their own towns. The following is the list of the leading citizens of the province of Judah who lived in Jerusalem:
4
Members of the tribe of Judah: Athaiah, the son of Uzziah and grandson of Zechariah. His other ancestors included Amariah, Shephatiah, and Mahalalel, descendants of Judah's son Perez.
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Maaseiah, the son of Baruch and grandson of Colhozeh. His other ancestors included Hazaiah, Adaiah, Joiarib, and Zechariah, descendants of Judah's son Shelah.
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Of the descendants of Perez, 468 outstanding soldiers lived in Jerusalem.
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Members of the tribe of Benjamin: Sallu, the son of Meshullam and grandson of Joed. His other ancestors included Pedaiah, Kolaiah, Maaseiah, Ithiel, and Jeshaiah.
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Gabbai and Sallai, close relatives of Sallu. In all, 928 Benjaminites lived in Jerusalem.
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Joel son of Zichri was their leader, and Judah son of Hassenuah was the second ranking official in the city.
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Priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, and Jachin.
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Seraiah, the son of Hilkiah and grandson of Meshullam. His ancestors included Zadok, Meraioth, and Ahitub, who was the High Priest.
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In all, 822 members of this clan served in the Temple. Adaiah, the son of Jeroham and grandson of Pelaliah. His ancestors included Amzi, Zechariah, Pashhur, and Malchijah.
13
In all, 242 members of this clan were heads of families. Amashsai, the son of Azarel and grandson of Ahzai. His ancestors included Meshillemoth and Immer.
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There were 128 members of this clan who were outstanding soldiers. Their leader was Zabdiel, a member of a leading family.
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Levites: Shemaiah, the son of Hasshub and grandson of Azrikam. His ancestors included Hashabiah and Bunni.
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Shabbethai and Jozabad, prominent Levites in charge of the work outside the Temple.
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Mattaniah, the son of Mica and grandson of Zabdi, a descendant of Asaph. He led the Temple choir in singing the prayer of thanksgiving. Bakbukiah, who was Mattaniah's assistant. Abda, the son of Shammua and grandson of Galal, a descendant of Jeduthun.
18
In all, 284 Levites lived in the holy city of Jerusalem.
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Temple guards: Akkub, Talmon, and their relatives, 172 in all.
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The rest of the people of Israel and the remaining priests and Levites lived on their own property in the other cities and towns of Judah.
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The Temple workers lived in the part of Jerusalem called Ophel and worked under the supervision of Ziha and Gishpa.
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The supervisor of the Levites who lived in Jerusalem was Uzzi, the son of Bani and grandson of Hashabiah. His ancestors included Mattaniah and Mica, and he belonged to the clan of Asaph, the clan that was responsible for the music in the Temple services.
23
There were royal regulations stating how the clans should take turns in leading the Temple music each day.
24
Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the clan of Zerah and the tribe of Judah, represented the people of Israel at the Persian court.
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Many of the people lived in towns near their farms. Those who were of the tribe of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba, Dibon, and Jekabzeel, and in the villages near these cities.
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They also lived in the cities of Jeshua, Moladah, Bethpelet,
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and Hazarshual, and in Beersheba and the villages around it.
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They lived in the city of Ziklag, in Meconah and its villages,
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in Enrimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth,
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in Zanoah, in Adullam, and in the villages near these towns. They lived in Lachish and on the farms nearby, and in Azekah and its villages. That is to say, the people of Judah lived in the territory between Beersheba in the south and Hinnom Valley in the north.
31
The people of the tribe of Benjamin lived in Geba, Michmash, Ai, Bethel and the nearby villages,
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Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
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Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
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Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
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Lod, and Ono, and in Craftsmen's Valley.
36
Some groups of Levites that had lived in the territory of Judah were assigned to live with the people of Benjamin.
1
The following is a list of the priests and Levites who returned from exile with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with the High Priest Joshua:
2
Priests: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These men were leaders among all their fellow priests in the days of Joshua.
8
Levites: The following were in charge of the singing of hymns of thanksgiving: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah.
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The following formed the choir that sang the responses: Bakbukiah, Unno, and their fellow Levites.
10
Joshua was the father of Joiakim; Joiakim was the father of Eliashib; Eliashib was the father of Joiada;
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Joiada was the father of Jonathan; and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.
12
When Joiakim was High Priest, the following priests were the heads of the priestly clans: (Priest: Clan); Meraiah: Seraiah; Hananiah: Jeremiah; Meshullam: Ezra; Jehohanan: Amariah; Jonathan: Malluchi; Joseph: Shebaniah; Adna: Harim; Helkai: Meraioth; Zechariah: Iddo; Meshullam: Ginnethon; Zichri: Abijah; ...: Miniamin; Piltai: Moadiah; Shammua: Bilgah; Jehonathan: Shemaiah; Mattenai: Joiarib; Uzzi: Jedaiah; Kallai: Sallai; Eber: Amok; Hashabiah: Hilkiah; Nethanel: Jedaiah
22
A record was kept of the heads of the Levite families and of the priestly families during the lifetimes of the following High Priests: Eliashib, Joiada, Jonathan, and Jaddua. This record was finished when Darius was emperor of Persia.
23
The heads of the Levite families, however, were recorded in the official records only until the time of Jonathan, the grandson of Eliashib.
24
Under the direction of Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, and Kadmiel, the Levites were organized into groups. Two groups at a time praised God responsively and gave thanks to him, in accordance with the instructions given by King David, the man of God.
25
The following Temple guards were in charge of guarding the storerooms by the gates to the Temple: Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub.
26
These people lived during the time of Joiakim, the son of Joshua and grandson of Jehozadak, and the time of Nehemiah the governor, and the time of Ezra, the priest who was a scholar of the Law.
27
When the city wall of Jerusalem was dedicated, the Levites were brought in from wherever they were living, so that they could join in celebrating the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals and harps.
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The Levite families of singers gathered from the area where they had settled around Jerusalem and from the towns around Netophah,
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and from Bethgilgal, Geba, and Azmaveth.
30
The priests and the Levites performed ritual purification for themselves, the people, the gates, and the city wall.
31
I assembled the leaders of Judah on top of the wall and put them in charge of two large groups to march around the city, giving thanks to God. The first group went to the right on top of the wall toward the Rubbish Gate.
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Hoshaiah marched behind the singers, followed by half the leaders of Judah.
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The following priests, blowing trumpets, marched next: Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. Next came Zechariah, the son of Jonathan and grandson of Shemaiah. (His ancestors also included Mattaniah, Micaiah, and Zaccur, of the clan of Asaph.)
36
He was followed by other members of his clan---Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani---all of whom carried musical instruments of the kind played by King David, the man of God. Ezra the scholar led this group in the procession.
37
At the Fountain Gate they went up the steps that led to David's City, past David's palace, and back to the wall at the Water Gate, on the east side of the city.
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The other group of those who gave thanks went to the left along the top of the wall, and I followed with half of the people. We marched past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,
39
and from there we went past Ephraim Gate, Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate. We ended our march near the gate to the Temple.
40
So both the groups that were giving thanks to God reached the Temple area. In addition to the leaders who were with me,
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my group included the following priests, blowing trumpets: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah;
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and they were followed by Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers, led by Jezrahiah, sang at the top of their voices.
43
That day many sacrifices were offered, and the people were full of joy because God had made them very happy. The women and the children joined in the celebration, and the noise they all made could be heard for miles.
44
At that time men were put in charge of the storerooms where contributions for the Temple were kept, including the tithes and the first grain and fruit that ripened each year. These men were responsible for collecting from the farms near the various cities the contributions for the priests and the Levites which the Law required. All the people of Judah were pleased with the priests and the Levites,
45
because they performed the ceremonies of purification and the other rituals that God had commanded. The Temple musicians and the Temple guards also performed their duties in accordance with the regulations made by King David and his son Solomon.
46
From the time of King David and the musician Asaph long ago, the musicians have led songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
47
In the time of Zerubbabel and also in the time of Nehemiah, all the people of Israel gave daily gifts for the support of the Temple musicians and the Temple guards. The people gave a sacred offering to the Levites, and the Levites gave the required portion to the priests.
1
One day Peter and John went to the Temple at three o'clock in the afternoon, the hour for prayer.
2
There at the Beautiful Gate, as it was called, was a man who had been lame all his life. Every day he was carried to the gate to beg for money from the people who were going into the Temple.
3
When he saw Peter and John going in, he begged them to give him something.
4
They looked straight at him, and Peter said, "Look at us!"
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So he looked at them, expecting to get something from them.
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But Peter said to him, "I have no money at all, but I give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I order you to get up and walk!"
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Then he took him by his right hand and helped him up. At once the man's feet and ankles became strong;
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he jumped up, stood on his feet, and started walking around. Then he went into the Temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.
9
The people there saw him walking and praising God,
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and when they recognized him as the beggar who had sat at the Beautiful Gate, they were all surprised and amazed at what had happened to him.
11
As the man held on to Peter and John in Solomon's Porch, as it was called, the people were amazed and ran to them.
12
When Peter saw the people, he said to them, "Fellow Israelites, why are you surprised at this, and why do you stare at us? Do you think that it was by means of our own power or godliness that we made this man walk?
13
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has given divine glory to his Servant Jesus. But you handed him over to the authorities, and you rejected him in Pilate's presence, even after Pilate had decided to set him free.
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He was holy and good, but you rejected him, and instead you asked Pilate to do you the favor of turning loose a murderer.
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You killed the one who leads to life, but God raised him from death---and we are witnesses to this.
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It was the power of his name that gave strength to this lame man. What you see and know was done by faith in his name; it was faith in Jesus that has made him well, as you can all see.
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"And now, my friends, I know that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was due to your ignorance.
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God announced long ago through all the prophets that his Messiah had to suffer; and he made it come true in this way.
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Repent, then, and turn to God, so that he will forgive your sins. If you do,
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times of spiritual strength will come from the Lord, and he will send Jesus, who is the Messiah he has already chosen for you.
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He must remain in heaven until the time comes for all things to be made new, as God announced through his holy prophets of long ago.
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For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will send you a prophet, just as he sent me, and he will be one of your own people. You are to obey everything that he tells you to do.
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Anyone who does not obey that prophet shall be separated from God's people and destroyed.'
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And all the prophets who had a message, including Samuel and those who came after him, also announced what has been happening these days.
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The promises of God through his prophets are for you, and you share in the covenant which God made with your ancestors. As he said to Abraham, 'Through your descendants I will bless all the people on earth.'
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And so God chose his Servant and sent him to you first, to bless you by making every one of you turn away from your wicked ways."
