First Chronicles 8
(American Standard Version)

1 And Benjamin begat Bela his first-born, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third,

2 Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.

3 And Bela had sons: Addar, and Gera, and Abihud,

4 and Abishua, and Naaman, and Ahoah,

5 and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.

6 And these are the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of fathers' houses of the inhabitants of Geba, and they carried them captive to Manahath:

7 and Naaman, and Ahijah, and Gera, he carried them captive: and he begat Uzza and Ahihud.

8 And Shaharaim begat children in the field of Moab, after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.

9 And he begat of Hodesh his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcam,

10 and Jeuz, and Shachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of fathers' houses.

11 And of Hushim he begat Abitub and Elpaal.

12 And the sons of Elpaal: Eber, and Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod, with the towns thereof;

13 and Beriah, and Shema, who were heads of fathers' houses of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath;

14 and Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth,

15 and Zebadiah, and Arad, and Eder,

16 and Michael, and Ishpah, and Joha, the sons of Beriah,

17 and Zebadiah, and Meshullam, and Hizki, and Heber,

18 and Ishmerai, and Izliah, and Jobab, the sons of Elpaal,

19 and Jakim, and Zichri, and Zabdi,

20 and Elienai, and Zillethai, and Eliel,

21 and Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimei,

22 and Ishpan, and Eber, and Eliel,

23 and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,

24 and Hananiah, and Elam, and Anthothijah,

25 and Iphdeiah, and Penuel, the sons of Shashak,

26 and Shamsherai, and Shehariah, and Athaliah,

27 and Jaareshiah, and Elijah, and Zichri, the sons of Jeroham.

28 These were heads of fathers' houses throughout their generations, chief men: these dwelt in Jerusalem.

29 And in Gibeon there dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, whose wife's name was Maacah;

30 and his first-born son Abdon, and Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab,

31 and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zecher.

32 And Mikloth begat Shimeah. And they also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, over against their brethren.

33 And Ner begat Kish; and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchi-shua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.

34 And the son of Jonathan was Merib-baal; and Merib-baal begat Micah.

35 And the sons of Micah: Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz.

36 And Ahaz begat Jehoaddah; and Jehoaddah begat Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begat Moza.

37 And Moza begat Binea; Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.

38 And Azel had six sons, whose names are these: Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.

39 And the sons of Eshek his brother: Ulam his first-born, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third.

40 And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and had many sons, and sons' sons, a hundred and fifty. All these were of the sons of Benjamin.


God's Plan of Salvation

You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

You must believe and have faith in God because “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)

You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called “Sinner’s Prayer” that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)

You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus “Lord of your life.” Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just “accept Jesus as your personal savior.” We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)

Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God’s grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God’s grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)