1 Chron. 4:24–43

4:24 The descendants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul, 25his son Shallum, his son Mibsam, and his son Mishma.

26The descendants of Mishma: his son Hammuel, his son Zaccur, and his son Shimei.

27Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters. But his brothers did not have many sons, so their whole clan was not as numerous as the sons of Judah. 28They lived in Beer Sheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, 29Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. These were their towns until the reign of David. 32Their settlements also included Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five towns, 33along with all their settlements that surrounded these towns as far as Baal. These were the places where they lived; they kept genealogical records.

34Their clan leaders were: Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, 35Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah (son of Seraiah, son of Asiel), 36Eleoenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37Ziza son of Shipi (son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah). 38These who are named above were the leaders of their clans.

Their extended families increased greatly in numbers. 39They went to the entrance of Gedor, to the east of the valley, looking for pasture for their sheep. 40They found fertile and rich pasture; the land was very broad, undisturbed, and peaceful. Indeed some Hamites had been living there before that. 41The men whose names are listed came during the time of King Hezekiah of Judah and attacked the Hamites’ settlements, as well as the Meunites they discovered there, and they wiped them out, as can be seen to this very day. They dispossessed them, for they found pasture for their sheep there. 42Five hundred men of Simeon, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, went to the hill country of Seir 43and defeated the rest of the Amalekite refugees; they live there to this very day.

Ps. 106:1–23

106:1 Praise the Lord.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

and his loyal love endures.

2Who can adequately recount the Lord’s mighty acts

or relate all his praiseworthy deeds?

3How blessed are those who promote justice

and do what is right all the time.

4Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people.

Pay attention to me, when you deliver,

5so I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,

rejoice along with your nation,

and boast along with the people who belong to you.

6We have sinned like our ancestors;

we have done wrong, we have done evil.

7Our ancestors in Egypt failed to appreciate your miraculous deeds.

They failed to remember your many acts of loyal love,

and they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea.

8Yet he delivered them for the sake of his reputation

that he might reveal his power.

9He shouted at the Red Sea and it dried up;

he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.

10He delivered them from the power of the one who hated them

and rescued them from the power of the enemy.

11The water covered their enemies;

not even one of them survived.

12They believed his promises;

they sang praises to him.

13They quickly forgot what he had done;

they did not wait for his instructions.

14In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving for meat;

they challenged God in the wastelands.

15He granted their request,

then struck them with a disease.

16In the camp they resented Moses

and Aaron the Lord’s holy priest.

17The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;

it engulfed the group led by Abiram.

18Fire burned their group;

the flames scorched the wicked.

19They made an image of a calf at Horeb

and worshiped a metal idol.

20They traded their majestic God

for the image of an ox that eats grass.

21They rejected the God who delivered them,

the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,

22amazing feats in the land of Ham,

mighty acts by the Red Sea.

23He threatened to destroy them,

but Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him

and turned back his destructive anger.

Mark 8:22–9:1

8:22 Then they came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to Jesus and asked him to touch him. 23He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the village. Then he spit on his eyes, placed his hands on his eyes and asked, “Do you see anything?” 24Regaining his sight he said, “I see people, but they look like trees walking.” 25Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again. And he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26Jesus sent him home, saying, “Do not even go into the village.”

27Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28They said, “John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others, one of the prophets.” 29He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

31Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He spoke openly about this. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But after turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.”

34Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and because of the gospel will save it. 36For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life? 37What can a person give in exchange for his life? 38For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” 9:1 And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”