Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant— I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.
These were the clans descended from the sons of Zebulun:
The Seredite clan, named after their ancestor Sered. The Elonite clan, named after their ancestor Elon. The Jahleelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahleel.
These were the clans of Zebulun. Their registered troops numbered 60,500.
Two clans were descended from Joseph through Manasseh and Ephraim.
These were the clans descended from Manasseh:
The Makirite clan, named after their ancestor Makir. The Gileadite clan, named after their ancestor Gilead, Makir’s son.
These were the subclans descended from the Gileadites:
The Iezerites, named after their ancestor Iezer. The Helekites, named after their ancestor Helek. The Asrielites, named after their ancestor Asriel. The Shechemites, named after their ancestor Shechem. The Shemidaites, named after their ancestor Shemida. The Hepherites, named after their ancestor Hepher. (One of Hepher’s descendants, Zelophehad, had no sons, but his daughters’ names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.)
These were the clans of Manasseh. Their registered troops numbered 52,700.
These were the clans descended from the sons of Ephraim:
The Shuthelahite clan, named after their ancestor Shuthelah. The Bekerite clan, named after their ancestor Beker. The Tahanite clan, named after their ancestor Tahan.
This was the subclan descended from the Shuthelahites:
The Eranites, named after their ancestor Eran.
These were the clans of Ephraim. Their registered troops numbered 32,500.
These clans of Manasseh and Ephraim were all descendants of Joseph.
These were the clans descended from the sons of Benjamin:
The Belaite clan, named after their ancestor Bela. The Ashbelite clan, named after their ancestor Ashbel. The Ahiramite clan, named after their ancestor Ahiram. The Shuphamite clan, named after their ancestor Shupham. The Huphamite clan, named after their ancestor Hupham.
These were the subclans descended from the Belaites:
The Ardites, named after their ancestor Ard. The Naamites, named after their ancestor Naaman.
These were the clans of Benjamin. Their registered troops numbered 45,600.
These were the clans descended from the sons of Dan:
The Shuhamite clan, named after their ancestor Shuham.
These were the Shuhamite clans of Dan. Their registered troops numbered 64,400.
These were the clans descended from the sons of Asher:
The Imnite clan, named after their ancestor Imnah. The Ishvite clan, named after their ancestor Ishvi. The Beriite clan, named after their ancestor Beriah.
These were the subclans descended from the Beriites:
The Heberites, named after their ancestor Heber. The Malkielites, named after their ancestor Malkiel.
Asher also had a daughter named Serah.
These were the clans of Asher. Their registered troops numbered 53,400.
These were the clans descended from the sons of Naphtali:
The Jahzeelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahzeel. The Gunite clan, named after their ancestor Guni. The Jezerite clan, named after their ancestor Jezer. The Shillemite clan, named after their ancestor Shillem.
These were the clans of Naphtali. Their registered troops numbered 45,400.
In summary, the registered troops of all Israel numbered 601,730.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Divide the land among the tribes, and distribute the grants of land in proportion to the tribes’ populations, as indicated by the number of names on the list. Give the larger tribes more land and the smaller tribes less land, each group receiving a grant in proportion to the size of its population. But you must assign the land by lot, and give land to each ancestral tribe according to the number of names on the list. Each grant of land must be assigned by lot among the larger and smaller tribal groups.”
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! ”
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail. ”
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.