1 Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the remaining nine were to dwell in their own towns. 2And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

3 These are the heads of the provinces who settled in Jerusalem. (In the villages of Judah, however, each lived on his own property in their towns— the Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants— 4while some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem.)

From the descendants of Judah:

7 From the descendants of Benjamin:

10 From the priests:

15 From the Levites:

19 And the gatekeepers:

20 The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the villages of Judah, each on his own inheritance. 21The temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, with Ziha and Gishpa over them.

22 Now the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. He was one of Asaph’s descendants, who were the singers in charge of the service of the house of God. 23For there was a command from the king concerning the singers, an ordinance regulating their daily activities. 24Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah son of Judah, was the king’s agent in every matter concerning the people.

25 As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba, Dibon, Jekabzeel, and their villages; 26in Jeshua, Moladah, and Beth-pelet; 27in Hazar-shual; in Beersheba and its villages; 28in Ziklag; in Meconah and its villages; 29in En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, 30Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages; in Lachish and its fields; and in Azekah and its villages. So they settled from Beersheba all the way to the Valley of Hinnom.

31 The descendants of Benjamin from Geba lived in Michmash, Aija, and Bethel with its villages; 32in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, 33Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, 34Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, 35Lod, and Ono; and in the Valley of the Craftsmen.

36 And some divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin.

1 Now these are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua:

8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who, with his associates, led the songs of thanksgiving. 9Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood across from them in the services.

12 In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families:

22 In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, during the reign of Darius the Persian, the heads of the families of the Levites and priests were recorded.

23 As for the descendants of Levi, the family heads up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles. 24The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, along with their associates, who stood across from them to give praise and thanksgiving as one section alternated with the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.

25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. 26They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15I speak to reasonable people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf.

18 Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar? 19Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too. 22Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

23“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying. 24No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.

25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”

27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience. 28But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience — 29the other one’s conscience , I mean, not your own. For why should my freedom be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30If I partake in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?

31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. 32Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God— 33as I also try to please everyone in all I do. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved.