7th October

¹ So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.² And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.³ Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.⁴ Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:⁵ Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.⁶ And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.⁷ Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.⁸ The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.⁹ The sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.¹⁰ And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.¹¹ And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house.¹² The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.¹³ The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever.¹⁴ Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.¹⁵ The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.¹⁶ Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.¹⁷ And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.¹⁸ Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.¹⁹ Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.²⁰ Of the sons of Uzziel; Micah the first and Jesiah the second.²¹ The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.²² And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them.²³ The sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.²⁴ These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.²⁵ For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:²⁶ And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.²⁷ For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above:²⁸ Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God;²⁹ Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;³⁰ And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even:³¹ And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD:³² And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.

¹ Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,² Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:³ If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;⁴ Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.⁵ He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.⁶ But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.⁷ So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.⁸ When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.⁹ Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.¹⁰ Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?¹¹ Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?¹² Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.¹³ When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.¹⁴ Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;¹⁵ If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.¹⁶ None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.¹⁷ Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.¹⁸ When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.¹⁹ But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.²⁰ Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.²¹ And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten.²² Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.²³ Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²⁴ Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.²⁵ Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?²⁶ Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land?²⁷ Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.²⁸ For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.²⁹ Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.³⁰ Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.³¹ And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.³² And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.³³ And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.

¹ Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;² And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.³ But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;⁴ Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.⁵ For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.⁶ Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.⁷ Be not ye therefore partakers with them.⁸ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:⁹ (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)¹⁰ Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.¹¹ And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.¹² For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.¹³ But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.¹⁴ Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.¹⁵ See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,¹⁶ Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.¹⁷ Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.¹⁸ And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;¹⁹ Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;²⁰ Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;²¹ Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.²² Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.²⁴ Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;²⁶ That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,²⁷ That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.²⁸ So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.²⁹ For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:³⁰ For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.³¹ For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.³² This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.³³ Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.² Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;³ That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.⁴ And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.⁵ Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;⁶ Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;⁷ With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:⁸ Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.⁹ And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;¹⁶ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:¹⁸ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;¹⁹ And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,²⁰ For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.²¹ But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:²² Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.²³ Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.²⁴ Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.