ACTS 20:1-38
PSALM 148:1-14
PROVERBS 18:6-7
2 KINGS 17:1-18:12
Hoshea son of Elah began to rule over Israel in the twelfth year of King Ahaz's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria nine years. 2 He did what was evil in the LORD's sight, but not as much as the kings of Israel who ruled before him. 3 King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked and defeated King Hoshea, so Israel was forced to pay heavy annual tribute to Assyria. 4 Then Hoshea conspired against the king of Assyria by asking King So of Egypt to help him shake free of Assyria's power and by refusing to pay the annual tribute to Assyria. When the king of Assyria discovered this treachery, he arrested him and put him in prison for his rebellion. 5 Then the king of Assyria invaded the entire land, and for three years he besieged Samaria. 6 Finally, in the ninth year of King Hoshea's reign, Samaria fell, and the people of Israel were exiled to Assyria. They were settled in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and among the cities of the Medes. 7 This disaster came upon the nation of Israel because the people worshiped other gods, sinning against the LORD their God, who had brought them safely out of their slavery in Egypt. 8 They had imitated the practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land before them, as well as the practices the kings of Israel had introduced. 9 The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not pleasing to the LORD their God. They built pagan shrines for themselves in all their towns, from the smallest outpost to the largest walled city. 10 They set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles at the top of every hill and under every green tree. 11 They burned incense at the shrines, just like the nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of them. So the people of Israel had done many evil things, arousing the LORD's anger. 12 Yes, they worshiped idols, despite the LORD's specific and repeated warnings. 13 Again and again the LORD had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: " Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and laws, which are contained in the whole law that I commanded your ancestors and which I gave you through my servants the prophets."14 But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors and refused to believe in the LORD their God. 15 They rejected his laws and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols and became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the LORD's command not to imitate them. 16 They defied all the commands of the LORD their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven. 17 They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and used sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the LORD's anger. 18 And because the LORD was angry, he swept them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained in the land. 19 But even the people of Judah refused to obey the commands of the LORD their God. They walked down the same evil paths that Israel had established. 20 So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He punished them by handing them over to their attackers until they were destroyed. 21 For when the LORD tore Israel away from the kingdom of David, they chose Jeroboam son of Nebat as their king. Then Jeroboam drew Israel away from following the LORD and made them commit a great sin. 22 And the people of Israel persisted in all the evil ways of Jeroboam. They did not turn from these sins of idolatry 23 until the LORD finally swept them away, just as all his prophets had warned would happen. So Israel was carried off to the land of Assyria, where they remain to this day. 24 And the king of Assyria transported groups of people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and resettled them in the towns of Samaria, replacing the people of Israel. So the Assyrians took over Samaria and the other towns of Israel. 25 But since these foreign settlers did not worship the LORD when they first arrived, the LORD sent lions among them to kill some of them. 26 So a message was sent to the king of Assyria: " The people whom you have resettled in the towns of Israel do not know how to worship the God of the land. He has sent lions among them to destroy them because they have not worshiped him correctly." 27 The king of Assyria then commanded, " Send one of the exiled priests from Samaria back to Israel. Let him teach the new residents the religious customs of the God of the land." 28 So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria returned to Bethel and taught the new residents how to worship the LORD. 29 But these various groups of foreigners also continued to worship their own gods. In town after town where they lived, they placed their idols at the pagan shrines that the people of Israel had built. 30 Those from Babylon worshiped idols of their god Succoth-benoth. Those from Cuthah worshiped their god Nergal. And those from Hamath worshiped Ashima. 31 The Avvites worshiped their gods Nibhaz and Tartak. And the people from Sepharvaim even burned their own children as sacrifices to Adrammelech and Anammelech.32 These new residents worshiped the LORD, but they appointed from among themselves priests to offer sacrifices at the pagan shrines. 33 And though they worshiped the LORD, they continued to follow the religious customs of the nations from which they came. 34 And this is still going on among them today. They follow their former practices instead of truly worshiping the LORD and obeying the laws, regulations, instructions, and commands he gave the descendants of Jacob, whose name he changed to Israel. 35 For the LORD had made a covenant with the descendants of Jacob and commanded them: " Do not worship any other gods or bow before them or serve them or offer sacrifices to them. 36 Worship only the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt with such mighty miracles and power. You must worship him and bow before him; offer sacrifices to him alone. 37 Be careful to obey all the laws, regulations, instructions, and commands that he wrote for you. You must not worship any other gods. 38 Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39 You must worship only the LORD your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies." 40 But the people would not listen and continued to follow their old ways. 41 So while these new residents worshiped the LORD, they also worshiped their idols. And to this day their descendants do the same.18:1 HEZEKIAH son of Ahaz began to rule over Judah in the third year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 3 He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, just as his ancestor David had done. 4 He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and knocked down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had begun to worship it by burning incense to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan. 5 Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was never another king like him in the land of Judah, either before or after his time. 6 He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses. 7 So the LORD was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. He revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute. 8 He also conquered the Philistines as far distant as Gaza and its territory, from their smallest outpost to their largest walled city. 9 During the fourth year of Hezekiah's reign, which was the seventh year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked Israel and began a siege on the city of Samaria. 10 Three years later, during the sixth year of King Hezekiah's reign and the ninth year of King Hoshea's reign in Israel, Samaria fell. 11 At that time the king of Assyria deported the Israelites to Assyria and put them in colonies in Halah, along the banks of the Habor River in Gozan, and among the cities of the Medes. 12 For they had refused to listen to the LORD their God. Instead, they had violated his covenant--all the laws the LORD had given through his servant Moses.
ACTS 20:1-38
When it was all over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia. 2 Along the way, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece, 3 where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus; Aristarchus and Secundus, from Thessalonica; Gaius, from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus, who were from the province of Asia. 5 They went ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 As soon as the Passover season ended, we boarded a ship at Philippi in Macedonia and five days later arrived in Troas, where we stayed a week. 7 On the first day of the week, we gathered to observe the Lord's Supper. Paul was preaching; and since he was leaving the next day, he talked until midnight. 8 The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. 9 As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he sank into a deep sleep and fell three stories to his death below. 10 Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. " Don't worry," he said, " he's alive!" 11 Then they all went back upstairs and ate the Lord's Supper together. And Paul continued talking to them until dawn; then he left. 12 Meanwhile, the young man was taken home unhurt, and everyone was greatly relieved. 13 Paul went by land to Assos, where he had arranged for us to join him, and we went on ahead by ship. 14 He joined us there and we sailed together to Mitylene. 15 The next day we passed the island of Kios. The following day, we crossed to the island of Samos. And a day later we arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided against stopping at Ephesus this time because he didn't want to spend further time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, for the Festival of Pentecost. 17 But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come down to meet him. 18 When they arrived he declared, " You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now 19 I have done the Lord's work humbly--yes, and with tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. 20 Yet I never shrank from telling you the truth, either publicly or in your homes. 21 I have had one message for Jews and Gentiles alike--the necessity of turning from sin and turning to God, and of faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 " And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit, not knowing what awaits me, 23 except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. 24 But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus--the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love. 25 " And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Let me say plainly that I have been faithful. No one's damnation can be blamed on me, 27 for I didn't shrink from declaring all that God wants for you. 28 " And now beware! Be sure that you feed and shepherd God's flock--his church, purchased with his blood--over whom the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders. 29 I know full well that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. 30 Even some of you will distort the truth in order to draw a following. 31 Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you--my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you. 32 " And now I entrust you to God and the word of his grace--his message that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself. 33 " I have never coveted anyone's money or fine clothing. 34 You know that these hands of mine have worked to pay my own way, and I have even supplied the needs of those who were with me. 35 And I have been a constant example of how you can help the poor by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ` It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " 36 When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. 37 They wept aloud as they embraced him in farewell, 38 sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they accompanied him down to the ship.
PSALM 148:1-14
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens!
Praise him from the skies!
2 Praise him, all his angels!
Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
3 Praise him, sun and moon!
Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
4 Praise him, skies above!
Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
5 Let every created thing give praise to the LORD,
for he issued his command, and they came into being.
6 He established them forever and forever.
His orders will never be revoked.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
you creatures of the ocean depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and storm,
wind and weather that obey him,
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all livestock,
reptiles and birds,
11 kings of the earth and all people,
rulers and judges of the earth,
12 young men and maidens,
old men and children.
13 Let them all praise the name of the LORD.
For his name is very great;
his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
14 He has made his people strong,
honoring his godly ones--
the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the LORD!
PROVERBS 18:6-7
Fools get into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating. The mouths of fools are their ruin; their lips get them into trouble.
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