2 SAMUEL 23:24-24:25
ACTS 3:1-26
PSALM 123:1-4
PROVERBS 16:21-23
2 SAMUEL 23:24-24:25
Other members of the Thirty included: Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem; 25 Shammah from Harod; Elika from Harod; 26 Helez from Pelon; Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; 27 Abiezer from Anathoth; Sibbecai from Hushah; 28 Zalmon from Ahoah; Maharai from Netophah; 29 Heled son of Baanah from Netophah; Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah (from the tribe of Benjamin); 30 Benaiah from Pirathon; Hurai from Nahale-gaash; 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth from Bahurim; 32 Eliahba from Shaalbon; the sons of Jashen; 33 Jonathan son of Shagee from Harar; Ahiam son of Sharar from Harar; 34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai from Maacah; Eliam son of Ahithophel from Giloh; 35 Hezro from Carmel; Paarai from Arba; 36 Igal son of Nathan from Zobah; Bani from Gad; 37 Zelek from Ammon; Naharai from Beeroth (Joab's armor bearer); 38 Ira from Jattir; Gareb from Jattir; 39 Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all. 24:1 ONCE again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. " Go and count the people of Israel and Judah," the LORD told him. 2 So the king said to Joab, the commander of his army, " Take a census of all the people in the land--from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south--so that I may know how many people there are." 3 But Joab replied to the king, " May the LORD your God let you live until there are a hundred times as many people in your kingdom as there are now! But why do you want to do this?" 4 But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab and his officers went out to count the people of Israel. 5 First they crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, south of the town in the valley, in the direction of Gad. Then they went on to Jazer, 6 then to Gilead in the land of Tahtim-hodshi and to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon. 7 Then they came to the stronghold of Tyre, and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went south to Judah as far as Beersheba. 8 Having gone through the entire land, they completed their task in nine months and twenty days and then returned to Jerusalem. 9 Joab reported the number of people to the king. There were 800,000 men of military age in Israel and 500,000 in Judah. 10 But after he had taken the census, David's conscience began to bother him. And he said to the LORD, " I have sinned greatly and shouldn't have taken the census. Please forgive me, LORD, for doing this foolish thing." 11 The next morning the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, who was David's seer. This was the message: 12 " Go and say to David, ` This is what the LORD says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will do it.' " 13 So Gad came to David and asked him, " Will you choose three years of famine throughout the land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and let me know what answer to give the LORD." 14 " This is a desperate situation!" David replied to Gad. " But let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands." 15 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel that morning, and it lasted for three days. Seventy thousand people died throughout the nation. 16 But as the death angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented and said to the angel, " Stop! That is enough!" At that moment the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 When David saw the angel, he said to the LORD, " I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are innocent--what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family." 18 That day Gad came to David and said to him, " Go and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." 19 So David went to do what the LORD had commanded him. 20 When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came forward and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. 21 " Why have you come, my lord?" Araunah asked. And David replied, " I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the LORD there, so that the LORD will stop the plague." 22 " Take it, my lord, and use it as you wish," Araunah said to David. " Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing tools and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. 23 I will give it all to you, and may the LORD your God accept your sacrifice." 24 But the king replied to Araunah, " No, I insist on buying it, for I cannot present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing." So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen. 25 David built an altar there to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the LORD answered his prayer, and the plague was stopped.
ACTS 3:1-26
Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o'clock prayer service. 2 As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. 4 Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, " Look at us!" 5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting a gift. 6 But Peter said, " I don't have any money for you. But I'll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!" 7 Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man's feet and anklebones were healed and strengthened. 8 He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. 9 All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10 When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11 They all rushed out to Solomon's Colonnade, where he was holding tightly to Peter and John. Everyone stood there in awe of the wonderful thing that had happened. 12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. " People of Israel," he said, " what is so astounding about this? And why look at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power and godliness? 13 For it is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of all our ancestors who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate's decision to release him. 14 You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him to life. And we are witnesses of this fact! 16 " The name of Jesus has healed this man--and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus' name has caused this healing before your very eyes. 17 " Friends, I realize that what you did to Jesus was done in ignorance; and the same can be said of your leaders. 18 But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had declared about the Messiah beforehand--that he must suffer all these things. 19 Now turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins. 20 Then wonderful times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will send Jesus your Messiah to you again. 21 For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his prophets. 22 Moses said, ` The Lord your God will raise up a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.' 23 Then Moses said, ` Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be cut off from God's people and utterly destroyed.' 24 " Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. 25 You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ` Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.' 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways."
PSALM 123:1-4
A song for the ascent to Jerusalem.
1 I lift my eyes to you,
O God, enthroned in heaven.
2 We look to the LORD our God for his mercy,
just as servants keep their eyes on their master,
as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.
3 Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy,
for we have had our fill of contempt.
4 We have had our fill of the scoffing of the proud
and the contempt of the arrogant.
PROVERBS 16:21-23
The wise are known for their understanding, and instruction is appreciated if it's well presented. Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted on fools. From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive.
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