The Ephraimites did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites live among the Ephraimites to this very day and do hard labor as their servants.

In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strength and the strength of your father’s house. There will not be an old man in your house!

Then the king arranged for a meeting with the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and all the priests of his father’s house who were at Nob. They all came to the king.

She arose, bowed her face toward the ground, and said, “Your female servant, like a lowly servant, will wash the feet of the servants of my lord.”

So Ahab assembled the 232 servants of the district governors. After that he assembled all the Israelite army, numbering 7,000.

The servants of the district governors led the march. When Ben Hadad sent messengers, they reported back to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.”

‘Some of your very own descendants whom you father will be taken away and will be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”

Benaiah son of Jehoiada supervised the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were the king’s leading officials.

David said, “Of these, 24,000 are to direct the work of the Lord’s temple; 6,000 are to be officials and judges;

Their descendants remained in the land (the Israelites were unable to wipe them out). Solomon conscripted them for his work crews and they continue in that role to this very day.

This is what you must do. One third of you priests and Levites who are on duty during the Sabbath will guard the doors.

They searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but did not find them. They were therefore excluded from the priesthood.

They appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their divisions over the worship of God at Jerusalem, in accord with the book of Moses.

They searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but none were found. They were therefore excluded from the priesthood.

Your people willingly follow you when you go into battle. On the holy hills at sunrise the dew of your youth belongs to you.

The dead do not come back to life, the spirits of the dead do not rise. That is because you came in judgment and destroyed them, you wiped out all memory of them.

Now go, write it down on a tablet in their presence, inscribe it on a scroll, so that it might be preserved for a future time as an enduring witness.

‘Some of your very own descendants whom you father will be taken away and will be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”

I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah people to take possession of my mountains. My chosen ones will take possession of the land; my servants will live there.

“‘Sure to be judged is the king who builds his palace using injustice and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms. He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor.