But the Lord was unwilling to destroy David’s dynasty because of the promise he had made to give David a perpetual dynasty.

The people who do this will be blessed, the people who commit themselves to obedience, who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it, who refrain from doing anything that is wrong.

He will act like a refiner and purifier of silver and will cleanse the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will offer the Lord a proper offering.

When I was with them I kept them safe and watched over them in your name that you have given me. Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the scripture could be fulfilled.

Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, Heth,

His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore him children – Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

Judah acquired a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar.

Joseph’s descendants, Manasseh and Ephraim, were assigned their land.

So the Israelites marched toward the Benjaminites the next day.

The five others were Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed.

By his wife Hodesh he fathered Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malkam,

Some from Benjamin and Judah also came to David’s stronghold.

From Simeon there were 7,100 warriors.

“And now I have become their taunt song; I have become a byword among them.

You make mankind return to the dust, and say, “Return, O people!”

O children of Abraham, God’s servant, you descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen ones!

So, watch out!” says the Lord. “The time will soon come when people will no longer call those places Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom. But they will call that valley the Valley of Slaughter and they will bury so many people in Topheth they will run out of room.

So the officials took Jeremiah and put him in the cistern of Malkijah, one of the royal princes, that was in the courtyard of the guardhouse. There was no water in the cistern, only mud. So when they lowered Jeremiah into the cistern with ropes he sank in the mud.

As it turned out, among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

“Look, I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites belong to me,