Day 279: Blessings and Burdens (2026)

Fr. Mike Schmitz (0:04)

Hi, my name is Fr. Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to The Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using The Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story. Today, it is day 279 We are reading from Nehemiah 11, Esther 8, 16, as well as Proverbs 21, 17-20. As always, the Bible translation that I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, 2nd Catholic Edition. I'm using The Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com/bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on subscribe to receive daily episodes and daily updates. I'm just wondering how many people listen to this every single day, you know, and don't skip ahead. I don't know, it makes me wonder because today is day 279 and you already know where to get the Bible Timeline reading plan, you already know how to subscribe. I just wonder, that's just one of the things that will remain a mystery. It is day 279, we're reading Nehemiah chapter 11, Esther chapter 8 and 16 and Proverbs chapter 21 verses 17 through 20

The Book of Nehemiah chapter 11, The Inhabitants of Jerusalem. Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem and the rest of the people asked lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the Holy City, while nine-tenths remained in the other towns. And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem. These are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem, but in the towns of Judah, everyone lived on his property in their towns. Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants. And in Jerusalem lived a certain of the sons of Judah and of the sons of Benjamin. Of the sons of Judah, Athiah, the son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shaphatiah, son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez. And Messiah, the son of Baruch, son of Kolchozah, son of Haziah, son of Adiah, son of Joyarib, son of Zechariah, son of the Sholanite. All of the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were 468 valiant men. And these are the sons of Benjamin, Selu, the son of Mosulam, son of Joed, son of Padaiah, son of Koliah, son of Maasaiah, son of Ethael, son of Jeshaiah. And after him, Gabbai, Salai, 928

Joel, the son of Zikri, was their overseer, and Judah, the son of Hasunah, was second over the city. Of the priests, Jadaiah, the son of Joyarib, Jaquin, Saraiah, the son of Hilkiah, son of Mosulam, son of Zadok, son of Marrioth, son of Ahitub, ruler of the house of God, and the brethren who did the work of the house, 822 And Adiah, the son of Jeroham, son of Pellaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Paschur, son of Melchizedekh and his brethren, heads of father's houses, 242 And Amashthai, the son of Azarel, son of Azai, son of Mishmulath, son of Imr and their brethren, mighty men of Valor, 128 Their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of Hagedalim, and of the Levites, Shemaiah, the son of Hasshub, son of Azirakam, son of Hashabiah, son of Buni, and Shabbatai, and Jozebad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who were over the outside work of the house of God, and Mataniah, the son of Micah, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, who was the leader to begin the thanksgiving in prayer, and Bakbukayah, the second among his brethren, and Abda, the son of Shamuah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. All the Levites in the holy city were 284

The gatekeepers, Akub, Talman, and their brethren, who kept watch at the gates, were 172 And the rest of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, everyone in his inheritance. But the temple servants lived on Ophel, and Zihah and Gishba were over the temple servants. The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzi, the son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mataniah, son of Micah, of the sons of Asaph, the singers, over the work of the house of God. For there was a command from the king concerning them, and a settled provision for the singers as every day required. And Pethahiah, the son of Meshazzabel, of the sons of Zerah, the son of Judah, was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people.