June 30 Reading through the Bible

2 KINGS 17:1-18:12
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.

June 29 Reading through the Bible

2 KINGS 15:1-16:20
ACTS 19:13-41
PSALM 147:1-20
PROVERBS 18:4-5

2 KINGS 15:1-16:20
Uzziah son of Amaziah began to rule over Judah in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel. 2 He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother was Jecoliah, from Jerusalem. 3 He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done. 4 But he did not destroy the pagan shrines, where the people offered sacrifices and burned incense. 5 The LORD struck the king with leprosy, which lasted until the day of his death; he lived in a house by himself. The king's son Jotham was put in charge of the royal palace, and he governed the people of the land. 6 The rest of the events in Uzziah's reign and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. 7 When Uzziah died, he was buried near his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Jotham became the next king. 8 Zechariah son of Jeroboam II began to rule over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Uzziah's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria six months. 9 Zechariah did what was evil in the LORD's sight, as his ancestors had done. He refused to turn from the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. 10 Then Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah, assassinated him in public, and became the next king. 11 The rest of the events in Zechariah's reign are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 12 So the LORD's message to Jehu came true: " Your descendants will be kings of Israel down to the fourth generation." 13 Shallum son of Jabesh began to rule over Israel in the thirty-ninth year of King Uzziah's reign in Judah. Shallum reigned in Samaria only one month. 14 Then Menahem son of Gadi went to Samaria from Tirzah and assassinated him, and he became the next king. 15 The rest of the events in Shallum's reign, including his conspiracy, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 16 At that time Menahem destroyed the town of Tappuah and all the surrounding countryside as far as Tirzah, because its citizens refused to surrender the town. He killed the entire population and ripped open the pregnant women. 17 Menahem son of Gadi began to rule over Israel in the thirty-ninth year of King Uzziah's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria ten years. 18 But Menahem did what was evil in the LORD's sight. During his entire reign, he refused to turn from the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. 19 Then King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria invaded the land. But Menahem paid him thirty-seven tons of silver to gain his support in tightening his grip on royal power. 20 Menahem extorted the money from the rich of Israel, demanding that each of them pay twenty ounces of silver in the form of a special tax. So the king of Assyria turned from attacking Israel and did not stay in the land. 21 The rest of the events in Menahem's reign and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 22 When Menahem died, his son Pekahiah became the next king. 23 Pekahiah son of Menahem began to rule over Israel in the fiftieth year of King Uzziah's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria two years. 24 But Pekahiah did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He refused to turn from the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. 25 Then Pekah son of Remaliah, the commander of Pekahiah's army, conspired against him. With fifty men from Gilead, Pekah assassinated the king, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the palace at Samaria. Pekah then became the next king of Israel. 26 The rest of the events in Pekahiah's reign and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 27 Pekah son of Remaliah began to rule over Israel in the fifty-second year of King Uzziah's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria twenty years. 28 But Pekah did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He refused to turn from the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. 29 During his reign, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria attacked Israel again, and he captured the towns of Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor. He also conquered the regions of Gilead, Galilee, and Naphtali, and he took the people to Assyria as captives. 30 Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah and assassinated him. He began to rule over Israel in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah. 31 The rest of the events in Pekah's reign and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 32 Jotham son of Uzziah began to rule over Judah in the second year of King Pekah's reign in Israel. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. 34 Jotham did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, just as his father Uzziah had done. 35 But he did not destroy the pagan shrines, where the people offered sacrifices and burned incense. He was the one who rebuilt the upper gate of the Temple of the LORD.36 The rest of the events in Jotham's reign and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. 37 In those days the LORD began to send King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel to attack Judah. 38 When Jotham died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Ahaz became the next king. 16:1 AHAZ son of Jotham began to rule over Judah in the seventeenth year of King Pekah's reign in Israel. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had done. 3 Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son in the fire. He imitated the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree. 5 Then King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel declared war on Ahaz. They besieged Jerusalem but did not conquer it. 6 At that time the king of Edom recovered the town of Elath for Edom. He drove out the people of Judah and sent Edomites to live there, as they do to this day. 7 King Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria with this message: " I am your servant and your vassal. Come up and rescue me from the attacking armies of Aram and Israel." 8 Then Ahaz took the silver and gold from the Temple of the LORD and the palace treasury and sent it as a gift to the Assyrian king. 9 So the Assyrians attacked the Aramean capital of Damascus and led its population away as captives, resettling them in Kir. They also killed King Rezin.10 King Ahaz then went to Damascus to meet with King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. While he was there, he noticed an unusual altar. So he sent a model of the altar to Uriah the priest, along with its design in full detail. 11 Uriah built an altar just like it by following the king's instructions, and it was ready for the king when he returned from Damascus. 12 When the king returned, he inspected the altar and made offerings on it. 13 The king presented a burnt offering and a grain offering, poured a drink offering over it, and sprinkled the blood of peace offerings on it. 14 Then King Ahaz removed the old bronze altar from the front of the LORD's Temple, which had stood between the entrance and the new altar, and placed it on the north side of the new altar. 15 He said to Uriah the priest, " Use the new altar for the morning sacrifices of burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king's burnt offering and grain offering, and the offerings of the people, including their drink offerings. The blood from the burnt offerings and sacrifices should be sprinkled over the new altar. The old bronze altar will be only for my personal use." 16 Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz instructed him. 17 Then the king removed the side panels and basins from the portable water carts. He also removed the Sea from the backs of the bronze oxen and placed it on the stone pavement. 18 In deference to the king of Assyria, he also removed the canopy that had been constructed inside the palace for use on the Sabbath day, as well as the king's outer entrance to the Temple of the LORD. 19 The rest of the events in Ahaz's reign and his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. 20 When Ahaz died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Hezekiah became the next king.

ACTS 19:13-41
A team of Jews who were traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus. The incantation they used was this: " I command you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!" 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15 But when they tried it on a man possessed by an evil spirit, the spirit replied, " I know Jesus, and I know Paul. But who are you?" 16 And he leaped on them and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and badly injured. 17 The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored. 18 Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. 19 A number of them who had been practicing magic brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. 20 So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect. 21 Afterward Paul felt impelled by the Holy Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before returning to Jerusalem. " And after that," he said, " I must go on to Rome!" 22 He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, on ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia. 23 But about that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. 24 It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy. 25 He called the craftsmen together, along with others employed in related trades, and addressed them as follows: " Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. 26 As you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren't gods at all. And this is happening not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province! 27 Of course, I'm not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I'm also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis--this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world--will be robbed of her prestige!" 28 At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, " Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 29 A crowd began to gather, and soon the city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia. 30 Paul wanted to go in, but the believers wouldn't let him. 31 Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater. 32 Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn't even know why they were there. 33 Alexander was thrust forward by some of the Jews, who encouraged him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak in defense. 34 But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for two hours: " Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 35 At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. " Citizens of Ephesus," he said. " Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. 36 Since this is an indisputable fact, you shouldn't be disturbed, no matter what is said. Don't do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess. 38 If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the judges can take the case at once. Let them go through legal channels. 39 And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. 40 I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won't know what to say." 41 Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.

PSALM 147:1-20
Praise the LORD!
How good it is to sing praises to our God!
How delightful and how right!
2 The LORD is rebuilding Jerusalem
and bringing the exiles back to Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted,
binding up their wounds.
4 He counts the stars
and calls them all by name.
5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!
His understanding is beyond comprehension!
6 The LORD supports the humble,
but he brings the wicked down into the dust.
7 Sing out your thanks to the LORD;
sing praises to our God, accompanied by harps.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds,
provides rain for the earth,
and makes the green grass grow in mountain pastures.
9 He feeds the wild animals,
and the young ravens cry to him for food.
10 The strength of a horse does not impress him;
how puny in his sight is the strength of a man.
11 Rather, the LORD's delight is in those who honor him,
those who put their hope in his unfailing love.
12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he has fortified the bars of your gates
and blessed your children within you.
14 He sends peace across your nation
and satisfies you with plenty of the finest wheat.
15 He sends his orders to the world--
how swiftly his word flies!
16 He sends the snow like white wool;
he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes.
17 He hurls the hail like stones.
Who can stand against his freezing cold?
18 Then, at his command, it all melts.
He sends his winds, and the ice thaws.
19 He has revealed his words to Jacob,
his principles and laws to Israel.
20 He has not done this with any other nation;
they do not know his laws.
Praise the LORD!

PROVERBS 18:4-5
A person's words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook. It is wrong for a judge to favor the guilty or condemn the innocent.

June 28 Reading through the Bible

2 KINGS 13:1-14:29
ACTS 18:23-19:12
PSALM 146:1-10
PROVERBS 18:2-3

2 KINGS 13:1-14:29
Jehoahaz son of Jehu began to rule over Israel in the twenty-third year of King Joash's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria seventeen years. 2 But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, continuing the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. 3 So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and he allowed King Hazael of Aram and his son Ben-hadad to defeat them time after time. 4 Then Jehoahaz prayed for the LORD's help, and the LORD heard his prayer. The LORD could see how terribly the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. 5 So the LORD raised up a deliverer to rescue the Israelites from the tyranny of the Arameans. Then Israel lived in safety again as they had in former days. 6 But they continued to sin, following the evil example of Jeroboam. They even set up an Asherah pole in Samaria. 7 Finally, Jehoahaz's army was reduced to fifty mounted troops, ten chariots, and ten thousand foot soldiers. The king of Aram had killed the others like they were dust under his feet. 8 The rest of the events in Jehoahaz's reign and all his deeds, including the extent of his power, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 9 When Jehoahaz died, he was buried in Samaria with his ancestors. Then his son Jehoash became the next king.10 Jehoash son of Jehoahaz began to rule over Israel in the thirty-seventh year of King Joash's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria sixteen years. 11 But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He refused to turn from the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. 12 The rest of the events in Jehoash's reign and all his deeds, including the extent of his power and his war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 13 When Jehoash died, he was buried with his ancestors in Samaria. Then his son Jeroboam II became the next king. 14 When Elisha was in his last illness, King Jehoash of Israel visited him and wept over him. " My father! My father! The chariots and charioteers of Israel!" he cried. 15 Elisha told him, " Get a bow and some arrows." And the king did as he was told. 16 Then Elisha told the king of Israel to put his hand on the bow, and Elisha laid his own hands on the king's hands. 17 Then he commanded, " Open that eastern window," and he opened it. Then he said, " Shoot!" So he did. Then Elisha proclaimed, " This is the LORD's arrow, full of victory over Aram, for you will completely conquer the Arameans at Aphek. 18 Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground." So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times. 19 But the man of God was angry with him. " You should have struck the ground five or six times!" he exclaimed. " Then you would have beaten Aram until they were entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times." 20 Then Elisha died and was buried. Groups of Moabite raiders used to invade the land each spring. 21 Once when some Israelites were burying a man, they spied a band of these raiders. So they hastily threw the body they were burying into the tomb of Elisha. But as soon as the body touched Elisha's bones, the dead man revived and jumped to his feet! 22 King Hazael of Aram had oppressed Israel during the entire reign of King Jehoahaz. 23 But the LORD was gracious to the people of Israel, and they were not totally destroyed. He pitied them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day he still has not completely destroyed them or banished them from his presence.24 King Hazael of Aram died, and his son Ben-hadad became the next king. 25 Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the towns that Hazael had taken from Jehoash's father, Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad on three occasions, and so recovered the Israelite towns. 14:1 AMAZIAH son of Joash began to rule over Judah in the second year of the reign of King Jehoash of Israel. 2 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin, from Jerusalem. 3 Amaziah did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, but not like his ancestor David. Instead, he followed the example of his father, Joash. 4 Amaziah did not destroy the pagan shrines, where the people offered sacrifices and burned incense. 5 When Amaziah was well established as king, he executed the men who had assassinated his father. 6 However, he did not kill the children of the assassins, for he obeyed the command of the LORD written in the Book of the Law of Moses: " Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor the children for the sins of their parents. Those worthy of death must be executed for their own crimes." 7 It was Amaziah who killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He also conquered Sela and changed its name to Joktheel, as it is called to this day. 8 One day Amaziah sent this challenge to Israel's king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: " Come and meet me in battle!" 9 But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: " Out in the Lebanon mountains a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: ` Give your daughter in marriage to my son.' But just then a wild animal came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it! 10 You have indeed destroyed Edom and are very proud about it. Be content with your victory and stay at home! Why stir up trouble that will bring disaster on you and the people of Judah?"11 But Amaziah refused to listen, so King Jehoash of Israel mobilized his army against King Amaziah of Judah. The two armies drew up their battle lines at Beth-shemesh in Judah. 12 Judah was routed by the army of Israel, and its army scattered and fled for home. 13 King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah at Beth-shemesh and marched on to Jerusalem. Then Jehoash ordered his army to demolish six hundred feet of Jerusalem's wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 14 He carried off all the gold and silver and all the utensils from the Temple of the LORD, as well as from the palace treasury. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria. 15 The rest of the events in Jehoash's reign, including the extent of his power and his war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 16 When Jehoash died, he was buried with his ancestors in Samaria. Then his son Jeroboam II became the next king. 17 King Amaziah of Judah lived on for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel. 18 The rest of the events in Amaziah's reign are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. 19 There was a conspiracy against Amaziah's life in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But his enemies sent assassins after him, and they killed him there. 20 They brought him back to Jerusalem on a horse, and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. 21 The people of Judah then crowned Amaziah's sixteen-year-old son, Uzziah, as their next king. 22 After his father's death, Uzziah rebuilt the town of Elath and restored it to Judah. 23 Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, began to rule over Israel in the fifteenth year of King Amaziah's reign in Judah. Jeroboam reigned in Samaria forty-one years. 24 He did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He refused to turn from the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. 25 Jeroboam II recovered the territories of Israel between Lebo-hamath and the Dead Sea, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had promised through Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. 26 For the LORD saw the bitter suffering of everyone in Israel, and how they had absolutely no one to help them. 27 And because the LORD had not said he would blot out the name of Israel completely, he used Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, to save them. 28 The rest of the events in the reign of Jeroboam II and all his deeds, including the extent of his power, his wars, and how he recovered for Israel both Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 29 When Jeroboam II died, he was buried with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. Then his son Zechariah became the next king.

ACTS 18:23-19:12
After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back to Galatia and Phrygia, visiting all the believers, encouraging them and helping them to grow in the Lord. 24 Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had just arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. 25 He had been taught the way of the Lord and talked to others with great enthusiasm and accuracy about Jesus. However, he knew only about John's baptism. 26 When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God more accurately. 27 Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him in this. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God's grace, had believed. 28 He refuted all the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them, " The Messiah you are looking for is Jesus."19:1 WHILE Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces. Finally, he came to Ephesus, where he found several believers. 2 " Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" he asked them. " No," they replied, " we don't know what you mean. We haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 " Then what baptism did you experience?" he asked. And they replied, " The baptism of John." 4 Paul said, " John's baptism was to demonstrate a desire to turn from sin and turn to God. John himself told the people to believe in Jesus, the one John said would come later." 5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all. 8 Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. 9 But some rejected his message and publicly spoke against the Way, so Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he began preaching daily at the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia--both Jews and Greeks--heard the Lord's message. 11 God gave Paul the power to do unusual miracles, 12 so that even when handkerchiefs or cloths that had touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and any evil spirits within them came out.

PSALM 146:1-10
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, I tell myself.
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath.
3 Don't put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
4 When their breathing stops, they return to the earth,
and in a moment all their plans come to an end.
5 But happy are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the LORD their God.
6 He is the one who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them.
He is the one who keeps every promise forever,
7 who gives justice to the oppressed
and food to the hungry.
The LORD frees the prisoners.
8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts the burdens of those bent beneath their loads.
The LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD protects the foreigners among us.
He cares for the orphans and widows,
but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
10 The LORD will reign forever.
O Jerusalem, your God is King in every generation!
Praise the LORD!

PROVERBS 18:2-3
Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. When the wicked arrive, contempt, shame, and disgrace are sure to follow.

June 27 Reading through the Bible

2 KINGS 10:32-12:21
ACTS 18:1-22
PSALM 145:1-21
PROVERBS 18:1

2 KINGS 10:32-12:21
At about that time the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel's territory. King Hazael conquered several sections of the country 33 east of the Jordan River, including all of Gilead, Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh. He conquered the area from the town of Aroer by the Arnon Gorge to as far north as Gilead and Bashan. 34 The rest of the events in Jehu's reign and all his deeds and achievements are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 35 When Jehu died, he was buried with his ancestors in Samaria. Then his son Jehoahaz became the next king. 36 In all, Jehu reigned over Israel from Samaria for twenty-eight years.11:1 WHEN Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she set out to destroy the rest of the royal family. 2 But Ahaziah's sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah's infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king's children, who were about to be killed. Jehosheba put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, so the child was not murdered. 3 Joash and his nurse remained hidden in the Temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land. 4 In the seventh year of Athaliah's reign, Jehoiada the priest summoned the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, and the guards to come to the Temple of the LORD. He made a pact with them and made them swear an oath of loyalty there in the LORD's Temple; then he showed them the king's son. 5 Jehoiada told them, " This is what you must do. A third of you who are on duty on the Sabbath are to guard the royal palace itself. 6 Another third of you are to stand guard at the Sur Gate. And the final third must stand guard behind the palace guard. These three groups will all guard the palace. 7 The other two units who are off duty on the Sabbath must stand guard for the king at the LORD's Temple. 8 Form a bodyguard for the king and keep your weapons in hand. Any unauthorized person who approaches you must be killed. Stay right beside the king at all times."9 So the commanders did everything just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. They brought them all to Jehoiada the priest, 10 and he supplied them with the spears and shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of the LORD. 11 The guards stationed themselves around the king, with their weapons ready. They formed a line from the south side of the Temple around to the north side and all around the altar. 12 Then Jehoiada brought out Joash, the king's son, and placed the crown on his head. He presented Joash with a copy of God's covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and all the people clapped their hands and shouted, " Long live the king!" 13 When Athaliah heard all the noise made by the guards and the people, she hurried to the LORD's Temple to see what was happening. 14 And she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar, as was the custom at times of coronation. The officers and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. When Athaliah saw all this, she tore her clothes in despair and shouted, " Treason! Treason!" 15 Then Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders who were in charge of the troops, " Take her out of the Temple, and kill anyone who tries to rescue her. Do not kill her here in the Temple of the LORD." 16 So they seized her and led her out to the gate where horses enter the palace grounds, and she was killed there. 17 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. 18 And all the people of the land went over to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They demolished the altars and smashed the idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Jehoiada the priest stationed guards at the Temple of the LORD. 19 Then the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, the guards, and all the people of the land escorted the king from the Temple of the LORD. They went through the gate of the guards and into the palace, and the king took his seat on the royal throne. 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed at the king's palace. 21 Joash was seven years old when he became king.12:1 JOASH began to rule over Judah in the seventh year of King Jehu's reign in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah, from Beersheba. 2 All his life Joash did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Yet even so, he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there. 4 One day King Joash said to the priests, " Collect all the money brought as a sacred offering to the LORD's Temple, whether it is a regular assessment, a payment of vows, or a voluntary gift. 5 Let the priests take some of that money to pay for whatever repairs are needed at the Temple."6 But by the twenty-third year of Joash's reign, the priests still had not repaired the Temple. 7 So King Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, " Why haven't you repaired the Temple? Don't use any more gifts for your own needs. From now on, it must all be spent on getting the Temple into good condition." 8 So the priests agreed not to collect any more money from the people, and they also agreed not to undertake the repairs of the Temple themselves. 9 Then Jehoiada the priest bored a hole in the lid of a large chest and set it on the right-hand side of the altar at the entrance of the Temple of the LORD. The priests guarding the entrance put all of the people's contributions into the chest. 10 Whenever the chest became full, the court secretary and the high priest counted the money that had been brought to the LORD's Temple and put it into bags. 11 Then they gave the money to the construction supervisors, who used it to pay the people working on the LORD's Temple--the carpenters, the builders, 12 the masons, and the stonecutters. They also used the money to buy timber and cut stone for repairing the LORD's Temple, and they paid any other expenses related to the Temple's restoration.13 The money brought to the Temple was not used for making silver cups, lamp snuffers, basins, trumpets, or other articles of gold or silver for the Temple of the LORD. 14 It was paid out to the workmen, who used it for the Temple repairs. 15 No accounting was required from the construction supervisors, because they were honest and faithful workers. 16 However, the money that was contributed for guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the LORD's Temple. It was given to the priests for their own use. 17 About this time King Hazael of Aram went to war against Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. 18 King Joash collected all the sacred objects that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the previous kings of Judah, had dedicated, along with what he himself had dedicated. He sent them all to Hazael, along with all the gold in the treasuries of the LORD's Temple and the royal palace. So Hazael called off his attack on Jerusalem. 19 The rest of the events in Joash's reign and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. 20 But his officers plotted against him and assassinated him at Beth-millo on the road to Silla. 21 The assassins were Jozabad> son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer--both trusted advisers. Joash was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Amaziah became the next king.

ACTS 18:1-22
Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had been expelled from Italy as a result of Claudius Caesar's order to deport all Jews from Rome. 3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was. 4 Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. 5 And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent his full time preaching and testifying to the Jews, telling them, " The Messiah you are looking for is Jesus." 6 But when the Jews opposed him and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his robe and said, " Your blood be upon your own heads--I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."7 After that he stayed with Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and all his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also became believers and were baptized. 9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, " Don't be afraid! Speak out! Don't be silent! 10 For I am with you, and no one will harm you because many people here in this city belong to me." 11 So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.12 But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose in concerted action against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment. 13 They accused Paul of " persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law." 14 But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul's accusers and said, " Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would be obliged to listen to you. 15 But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish laws, you take care of it. I refuse to judge such matters." 16 And he drove them out of the courtroom. 17 The mob had grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and had beaten him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention. 18 Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that and then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters* and sailed for the coast of Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. (Earlier, at Cenchrea, Paul had shaved his head according to Jewish custom, for he had taken a vow.) 19 When they arrived at the port of Ephesus, Paul left the others behind. But while he was there, he went to the synagogue to debate with the Jews. 20 They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. 21 So he left, saying, " I will come back later, God willing." Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem and then went back to Antioch.

PSALM 145:1-21
A psalm of praise of David.
1 I will praise you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 I will bless you every day,
and I will praise you forever.
3 Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!
His greatness is beyond discovery!
4 Let each generation tell its children
of your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
and your wonderful miracles.
6 Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;
I will proclaim your greatness.
7 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;
they will sing with joy of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is kind and merciful,
slow to get angry, full of unfailing love.
9 The LORD is good to everyone.
He showers compassion on all his creation.
10 All of your works will thank you, LORD,
and your faithful followers will bless you.
11 They will talk together about the glory of your kingdom;
they will celebrate examples of your power.
12 They will tell about your mighty deeds
and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
You rule generation after generation.
The LORD is faithful in all he says;
he is gracious in all he does.
14 The LORD helps the fallen
and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.
15 All eyes look to you for help;
you give them their food as they need it.
16 When you open your hand,
you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness.
18 The LORD is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him sincerely.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
20 The LORD protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.
21 I will praise the LORD,
and everyone on earth will bless his holy name
forever and forever.

PROVERBS 18:1
A recluse is self-indulgent, snarling at every sound principle of conduct.

June 26 Reading through the Bible

2 KINGS 9:14-10:31
ACTS 17:1-34
PSALM 144:1-15
PROVERBS 17:27-28

2 KINGS 9:14-10:31
So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi formed a conspiracy against King Joram. (Now Joram had been with the army at Ramoth-gilead, defending Israel against the forces of King Hazael of Aram. 15 But Joram had been wounded in the fighting and had returned to Jezreel to recover from his wounds.) So Jehu told the men with him, " Since you want me to be king, don't let anyone escape to Jezreel to report what we have done." 16 Then Jehu got into a chariot and rode to Jezreel to find King Joram, who was lying there wounded. King Ahaziah of Judah was there, too, for he had gone to visit him. 17 The watchman on the tower of Jezreel saw Jehu and his company approaching, so he shouted to Joram, " I see a company of troops coming!" " Send out a rider to find out if they are coming in peace," King Joram shouted back. 18 So a rider went out to meet Jehu and said, " The king wants to know whether you are coming in peace." Jehu replied, " What do you know about peace? Get behind me!" The watchman called out to the king, " The rider has met them, but he is not returning." 19 So the king sent out a second rider. He rode up to them and demanded, " The king wants to know whether you come in peace." Again Jehu answered, " What do you know about peace? Get behind me!" 20 The watchman exclaimed, " The rider has met them, but he isn't returning either! It must be Jehu son of Nimshi, for he is driving so recklessly." 21 " Quick! Get my chariot ready!" King Joram commanded. Then King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah rode out in their chariots to meet Jehu. They met him at the field that had belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. 22 King Joram demanded, " Do you come in peace, Jehu?" Jehu replied, " How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?" 23 Then King Joram reined the chariot horses around and fled, shouting to King Ahaziah, " Treason, Ahaziah!" 24 Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart, and he sank down dead in his chariot. 25 Jehu said to Bidkar, his officer, " Throw him into the field of Naboth of Jezreel. Do you remember when you and I were riding along behind his father, Ahab? The LORD pronounced this message against him: 26 ` I solemnly swear that I will repay him here on Naboth's property, says the LORD, for the murder of Naboth and his sons that I saw yesterday.' So throw him out on Naboth's field, just as the LORD said." 27 When King Ahaziah of Judah saw what was happening, he fled along the road to Beth-haggan. Jehu rode after him, shouting, " Shoot him, too!" So they shot Ahaziah in his chariot at the Ascent of Gur, near Ibleam. He was able to go on as far as Megiddo, but he died there. 28 His officials took him by chariot to Jerusalem, where they buried him with his ancestors in the City of David. 29 Ahaziah's reign over Judah had begun in the eleventh year of King Joram's reign in Israel. 30 When Jezebel, the queen mother, heard that Jehu had come to Jezreel, she painted her eyelids and fixed her hair and sat at a window. 31 When Jehu entered the gate of the palace, she shouted at him, " Have you come in peace, you murderer? You are just like Zimri, who murdered his master!" 32 Jehu looked up and saw her at the window and shouted, " Who is on my side?" And two or three eunuchs looked out at him. 33 " Throw her down!" Jehu yelled. So they threw her out the window, and some of her blood spattered against the wall and on the horses. And Jehu trampled her body under his horses' hooves. 34 Then Jehu went into the palace and ate and drank. Afterward he said, " Someone go and bury this cursed woman, for she is the daughter of a king." 35 But when they went out to bury her, they found only her skull, her feet, and her hands. 36 When they returned and told Jehu, he stated, " This fulfills the message from the LORD, which he spoke through his servant Elijah from Tishbe: ` At the plot of land in Jezreel, dogs will eat Jezebel's flesh. 37 Her body will be scattered like dung on the field of Jezreel, so that no one will be able to recognize her.' "10:1 NOW Ahab had seventy sons living in the city of Samaria. So Jehu wrote a letter and sent copies to Samaria, to the officials of the city, to the leaders of the people, and to the guardians of King Ahab's sons. The letter said, 2 " The king's sons are with you, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons. As soon as you receive this letter, 3 select the best qualified of King Ahab's sons to be your king, and prepare to fight for Ahab's dynasty." 4 But they were paralyzed with fear and said, " Two kings couldn't stand against this man! What can we do?" 5 So the palace and city administrators, together with the other leaders and the guardians of the king's sons, sent this message to Jehu: " We are your servants and will do anything you tell us. We will not make anyone king; do whatever you think is best." 6 Jehu responded with a second letter: " If you are on my side and are going to obey me, bring the heads of the king's sons to me at Jezreel at about this time tomorrow." Now the seventy sons of the king were being cared for by the leaders of Samaria, where they had been raised since childhood. 7 When the letter arrived, the leaders killed all seventy of the king's sons. They placed their heads in baskets and presented them to Jehu at Jezreel. 8 A messenger went to Jehu and said, " They have brought the heads of the king's sons." So Jehu ordered, " Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate, and leave them there until morning." 9 In the morning he went out and spoke to the crowd that had gathered around them. " You aren't to blame," he told them. " I am the one who conspired against my master and killed him. But who killed all these? 10 You can be sure that the message of the LORD that was spoken concerning Ahab's family will not fail. The LORD declared through his servant Elijah that this would happen." 11 Then Jehu killed all of Ahab's relatives living in Jezreel and all his important officials, personal friends, and priests. So Ahab was left without a single survivor. 12 Then Jehu set out for Samaria. Along the way, while he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, 13 he met some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. " Who are you?" he asked them. And they replied, " We are relatives of King Ahaziah. We are going to visit the sons of King Ahab and the queen mother." 14 " Take them alive!" Jehu shouted to his men. And they captured all forty-two of them and killed them at the well of Beth-eked. None of them escaped.15 When Jehu left there, he met Jehonadab son of Recab, who was coming to meet him. After they had greeted each other, Jehu said to him, " Are you as loyal to me as I am to you?" " Yes, I am," Jehonadab replied. " If you are," Jehu said, " then give me your hand." So Jehonadab put out his hand, and Jehu helped him into the chariot. 16 Then Jehu said, " Now come with me, and see how devoted I am to the LORD." So Jehonadab rode along with him. 17 When Jehu arrived in Samaria, he killed everyone who was left there from Ahab's family, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah. 18 Then Jehu called a meeting of all the people of the city and said to them, " Ahab hardly worshiped Baal at all compared to the way I will worship him! 19 Summon all the prophets and worshipers of Baal, and call together all his priests. See to it that every one of them comes, for I am going to offer a great sacrifice to Baal. Any of Baal's worshipers who fail to come will be put to death." But Jehu's plan was to destroy all the worshipers of Baal. 20 Then Jehu ordered, " Prepare a solemn assembly to worship Baal!" So they did. 21 He sent messengers throughout all Israel summoning those who worshiped Baal. They all came and filled the temple of Baal from one end to the other. 22 And Jehu instructed the keeper of the wardrobe, " Be sure that every worshiper of Baal wears one of these robes." So robes were given to them. 23 Then Jehu went into the temple of Baal with Jehonadab son of Recab. Jehu said to the worshipers of Baal, " Make sure that only those who worship Baal are here. Don't let anyone in who worships the LORD!" 24 So they were all inside the temple to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had surrounded the building with eighty of his men and had warned them, " If you let anyone escape, you will pay for it with your own life." 25 As soon as Jehu had finished sacrificing the burnt offering, he commanded his guards and officers, " Go in and kill all of them. Don't let a single one escape!" So they killed them all with their swords, and the guards and officers dragged their bodies outside. Then Jehu's men went into the fortress of the temple of Baal. 26 They dragged out the sacred pillar used in the worship of Baal and destroyed it. 27 They broke down the sacred pillar of Baal and wrecked the temple of Baal, converting it into a public toilet. That is what it is used for to this day. 28 Thus, Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel. 29 He did not, however, destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan, the great sin that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. 30 Nonetheless the LORD said to Jehu, " You have done well in following my instructions to destroy the family of Ahab. Because of this I will cause your descendants to be the kings of Israel down to the fourth generation." 31 But Jehu did not obey the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He refused to turn from the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.

ACTS 17:1-34
Now Paul and Silas traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was Paul's custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he interpreted the Scriptures to the people. 3 He was explaining and proving the prophecies about the sufferings of the Messiah and his rising from the dead. He said, " This Jesus I'm telling you about is the Messiah." 4 Some who listened were persuaded and became converts, including a large number of godly Greek men and also many important women of the city. 5 But the Jewish leaders were jealous, so they gathered some worthless fellows from the streets to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. 6 Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. " Paul and Silas have turned the rest of the world upside down, and now they are here disturbing our city," they shouted. 7 " And Jason has let them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, Jesus." 8 The people of the city, as well as the city officials, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. 9 But the officials released Jason and the other believers after they had posted bail.10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the synagogue. 11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did some of the prominent Greek women and many men. 13 But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. 14 The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. 15 Those escorting Paul went with him to Athens; then they returned to Berea with a message for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him. 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. 17 He went to the synagogue to debate with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. 18 He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, " This babbler has picked up some strange ideas." Others said, " He's pushing some foreign religion." 19 Then they took him to the Council of Philosophers. " Come and tell us more about this new religion," they said. 20 " You are saying some rather startling things, and we want to know what it's all about." 21 (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.) 22 So Paul, standing before the Council, addressed them as follows: " Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many altars. And one of them had this inscription on it--` To an Unknown God.' You have been worshiping him without knowing who he is, and now I wish to tell you about him.24 " He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can't serve his needs--for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need there is. 26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand which should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. 27 " His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him--though he is not far from any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As one of your own poets says, ` We are his offspring.' 29 And since this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. 30 God overlooked people's former ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone everywhere to turn away from idols and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead." 32 When they heard Paul speak of the resurrection of a person who had been dead, some laughed, but others said, " We want to hear more about this later." 33 That ended Paul's discussion with them, 34 but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Council, a woman named Damaris, and others.

PSALM 144:1-15
A psalm of David.
1 Bless the LORD, who is my rock.
He gives me strength for war
and skill for battle.
2 He is my loving ally and my fortress,
my tower of safety, my deliverer.
He stands before me as a shield, and I take refuge in him.
He subdues the nations under me.
3 O LORD, what are mortals that you should notice us,
mere humans that you should care for us?
4 For we are like a breath of air;
our days are like a passing shadow.
5 Bend down the heavens, LORD, and come down.
Touch the mountains so they billow smoke.
6 Release your lightning bolts and scatter your enemies!
Release your arrows and confuse them!
7 Reach down from heaven and rescue me;
deliver me from deep waters,
from the power of my enemies.
8 Their mouths are full of lies;
they swear to tell the truth, but they lie.
9 I will sing a new song to you, O God!
I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp.
10 For you grant victory to kings!
You are the one who rescued your servant David.
11 Save me from the fatal sword!
Rescue me from the power of my enemies.
Their mouths are full of lies;
they swear to tell the truth, but they lie.
12 May our sons flourish in their youth
like well-nurtured plants.
May our daughters be like graceful pillars,
carved to beautify a palace.
13 May our farms be filled
with crops of every kind.
May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands,
even tens of thousands,
14 and may our oxen be loaded down with produce.
May there be no breached walls, no forced exile,
no cries of distress in our squares.
15 Yes, happy are those who have it like this!
Happy indeed are those whose God is the LORD.

PROVERBS 17:27-28
A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

June 25 Reading through the Bible

2 KINGS 8:1-9:13
ACTS 16:16-40
PSALM 143:1-12
PROVERBS 17:26

2 KINGS 8:1-9:13
Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, " Take your family and move to some other place, for the LORD has called for a famine on Israel that will last for seven years." 2 So the woman did as the man of God instructed. She took her family and lived in the land of the Philistines for seven years. 3 After the famine ended she returned to the land of Israel, and she went to see the king about getting back her house and land. 4 As she came in, the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. The king had just said, " Tell me some stories about the great things Elisha has done." 5 And Gehazi was telling the king about the time Elisha had brought a boy back to life. At that very moment, the mother of the boy walked in to make her appeal to the king. " Look, my lord!" Gehazi exclaimed. " Here is the woman now, and this is her son--the very one Elisha brought back to life!" 6 " Is this true?" the king asked her. And she told him that it was. So he directed one of his officials to see to it that everything she had lost was restored to her, including the value of any crops that had been harvested during her absence. 7 Now Elisha went to Damascus, the capital of Aram, where King Ben-hadad lay sick. Someone told the king that the man of God had come. 8 When the king heard the news, he said to Hazael, " Take a gift to the man of God. Then tell him to ask the LORD if I will get well again." 9 So Hazael loaded down forty camels with the finest products of Damascus as a gift for Elisha. He went in to him and said, " Your servant Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, has sent me to ask you if he will recover." 10 And Elisha replied, " Go and tell him, ` You will recover.' But the LORD has shown me that he will actually die!" 11 Elisha stared at Hazael with a fixed gaze until Hazael became uneasy. Then the man of God started weeping. 12 " What's the matter, my lord?" Hazael asked him. Elisha replied, " I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will burn their fortified cities, kill their young men, dash their children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women!" 13 Then Hazael replied, " How could a nobody like me ever accomplish such a great feat?" But Elisha answered, " The LORD has shown me that you are going to be the king of Aram." 14 When Hazael went back, the king asked him, " What did Elisha tell you?" And Hazael replied, " He told me that you will surely recover." 15 But the next day Hazael took a blanket, soaked it in water, and held it over the king's face until he died. Then Hazael became the next king of Aram. 16 Jehoram son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah began to rule over Judah in the fifth year of King Joram's reign in Israel. Joram was the son of Ahab. 17 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 18 But Jehoram followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked as King Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab's daughters. So Jehoram did what was evil in the LORD's sight. 19 But the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah, for he had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule forever. 20 During Jehoram's reign, the Edomites revolted against Judah and crowned their own king. 21 So Jehoram went with all his chariots to attack the town of Zair. The Edomites surrounded him and his charioteers, but he escaped at night under cover of darkness. Jehoram's army, however, deserted him and fled. 22 Edom has been independent from Judah to this day. The town of Libnah revolted about that same time. 23 The rest of the events in Jehoram's reign and all his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. 24 When Jehoram died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Ahaziah became the next king. 25 Ahaziah son of Jehoram began to rule over Judah in the twelfth year of King Joram's reign in Israel. King Joram was the son of Ahab. 26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother was Athaliah, a granddaughter of King Omri of Israel. 27 Ahaziah followed the evil example of King Ahab's family, doing what was evil in the LORD's sight, because he was related by marriage to the family of Ahab. 28 Ahaziah joined King Joram of Israel in his war against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. When King Joram was wounded in the battle, 29 he returned to Jezreel to recover from his wounds. While Joram was there, King Ahaziah of Judah went to visit him.9:1 MEANWHILE, Elisha the prophet had summoned a member of the group of prophets. " Get ready to go to Ramoth-gilead," he told him. " Take this vial of olive oil with you, 2 and find Jehu son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi. Call him into a back room away from his friends, 3 and pour the oil over his head. Say to him, ` This is what the LORD says: I anoint you to be the king over Israel.' Then open the door and run for your life!" 4 So the young prophet did as he was told and went to Ramoth-gilead. 5 When he arrived there, he found Jehu sitting in a meeting with the other army officers. " I have a message for you, Commander," he said. " For which one of us?" Jehu asked. " For you, Commander," he replied. 6 So Jehu left the others and went into the house. Then the young prophet poured the oil over Jehu's head and said, " This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anoint you king over the LORD's people, Israel. 7 You are to destroy the family of Ahab, your master. In this way, I will avenge the murder of my prophets and all the LORD's servants who were killed by Jezebel. 8 The entire family of Ahab must be wiped out--every male, slave and free alike, in Israel. 9 I will destroy the family of Ahab as I destroyed the families of Jeroboam son of Nebat and of Baasha son of Ahijah. 10 Dogs will eat Ahab's wife, Jezebel, at the plot of land in Jezreel, and no one will bury her." Then the young prophet opened the door and ran. 11 Jehu went back to his fellow officers, and one of them asked him, " What did that crazy fellow want? Is everything all right?" " You know the way such a man babbles on," Jehu replied. 12 " You're lying," they said. " Tell us." So Jehu told them what the man had said and that at the LORD's command he had been anointed king over Israel. 13 They quickly spread out their cloaks on the bare steps and blew a trumpet, shouting, " Jehu is king!"

ACTS 16:16-40
One day as we [Luke, Paul, and their companions] were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters. 17 She followed along behind us shouting, " These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved." 18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and spoke to the demon within her. " I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her," he said. And instantly it left her. 19 Her masters' hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 " The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!" they shouted. 21 " They are teaching the people to do things that are against Roman customs." 22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape. 24 So he took no chances but put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. 25 Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, " Don't do it! We are all here!" 29 Trembling with fear, the jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 He brought them out and asked, " Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They replied, " Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with your entire household." 32 Then they shared the word of the Lord with him and all who lived in his household. 33 That same hour the jailer washed their wounds, and he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 Then he brought them into his house and set a meal before them. He and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. 35 The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, " Let those men go!" 36 So the jailer told Paul, " You and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace." 37 But Paul replied, " They have publicly beaten us without trial and jailed us--and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!" 38 When the police made their report, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 They came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. 40 Paul and Silas then returned to the home of Lydia, where they met with the believers and encouraged them once more before leaving town.

PSALM 143:1-12
A psalm of David.
1 Hear my prayer, O LORD;
listen to my plea!
Answer me because you are faithful and righteous.
2 Don't bring your servant to trial!
Compared to you, no one is perfect.
3 My enemy has chased me.
He has knocked me to the ground.
He forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave.
4 I am losing all hope;
I am paralyzed with fear.
5 I remember the days of old.
I ponder all your great works.
I think about what you have done.
6 I reach out for you.
I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.
Interlude7 Come quickly, LORD, and answer me,
for my depression deepens.
Don't turn away from me,
or I will die.
8 Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning,
for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk,
for I have come to you in prayer.
9 Save me from my enemies, LORD;
I run to you to hide me.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward
on a firm footing.
11 For the glory of your name, O LORD, save me.
In your righteousness, bring me out of this distress.
12 In your unfailing love, cut off all my enemies
and destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.

PROVERBS 17:26
It is wrong to fine the godly for being good or to punish nobles for being honest!

June 24 Reading through the Bible!

2 KINGS 6:1-7:20
ACTS 15:36-16:15
PSALM 142:1-7
PROVERBS 17:24-25

2 KINGS 6:1-7:20
One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, " As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. 2 Let's go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet." " All right," he told them, " go ahead." 3 " Please come with us," someone suggested. " I will," he said. 4 When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees. 5 But as one of them was chopping, his ax head fell into the river. " Ah, my lord!" he cried. " It was a borrowed ax!" 6 " Where did it fall?" the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water. Then the ax head rose to the surface and floated. 7 " Grab it," Elisha said to him. And the man reached out and grabbed it. 8 When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, " We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place." 9 But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, " Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there." 10 So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God, warning the people there to be on their guard. This happened several times. 11 The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called in his officers and demanded, " Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?" 12 " It's not us, my lord," one of the officers replied. " Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!" 13 The king commanded, " Go and find out where Elisha is, and we will send troops to seize him." And the report came back: " Elisha is at Dothan." 14 So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. " Ah, my lord, what will we do now?" he cried out to Elisha. 16 " Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. " For there are more on our side than on theirs!" 17 Then Elisha prayed, " O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!" The LORD opened his servant's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. 18 As the Aramean army advanced toward them, Elisha prayed, " O LORD, please make them blind." And the LORD did as Elisha asked. 19 Then Elisha went out and told them, " You have come the wrong way! This isn't the right city! Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria. 20 As soon as they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, " O LORD, now open their eyes and let them see." And the LORD did, and they discovered that they were in Samaria. 21 When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, " My father, should I kill them?" 22 " Of course not!" Elisha told him. " Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master." 23 So the king made a great feast for them and then sent them home to their king. After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel. 24 Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mobilized his entire army and besieged Samaria. 25 As a result there was a great famine in the city. After a while even a donkey's head sold for two pounds of silver, and a cup of dove's dung cost about two ounces of silver. 26 One day as the king of Israel was walking along the wall of the city, a woman called to him, " Please help me, my lord the king!" 27 " If the LORD doesn't help you, what can I do?" he retorted. " I have neither food nor wine to give you." 28 But then the king asked, " What is the matter?" She replied, " This woman proposed that we eat my son one day and her son the next. 29 So we cooked my son and ate him. Then the next day I said, ` Kill your son so we can eat him,' but she had hidden him." 30 When the king heard this, he tore his clothes in despair. And as the king walked along the wall, the people could see that he was wearing sackcloth underneath next to his skin. 31 " May God kill me if I don't execute Elisha son of Shaphat this very day," the king vowed. 32 Elisha was sitting in his house at a meeting with the leaders of Israel when the king sent a messenger to summon him. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the leaders, " A murderer has sent a man to kill me. When he arrives, shut the door and keep him out. His master will soon follow him." 33 While Elisha was still saying this, the messenger arrived. And the king said, " It is the LORD who has brought this trouble on us! Why should I wait any longer for the LORD?"7:1 ELISHA replied, " Hear this message from the LORD! This is what the LORD says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, five quarts of fine flour will cost only half an ounce of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain will cost only half an ounce of silver." 2 The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, " That couldn't happen even if the LORD opened the windows of heaven!" But Elisha replied, " You will see it happen, but you won't be able to eat any of it!" 3 Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. " Why should we sit here waiting to die?" they asked each other. 4 " We will starve if we stay here, and we will starve if we go back into the city. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway." 5 So that evening they went out to the camp of the Arameans, but no one was there! 6 For the Lord had caused the whole army of Aram to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. " The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!" they cried out. 7 So they panicked and fled into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, and they fled for their lives. 8 When the lepers arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating, drinking wine, and carrying out silver and gold and clothing and hiding it. 9 Finally, they said to each other, " This is not right. This is wonderful news, and we aren't sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some terrible calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let's go back and tell the people at the palace." 10 So they went back to the city and told the gatekeepers what had happened--that they had gone out to the Aramean camp and no one was there! The horses and donkeys were tethered and the tents were all in order, but there was not a single person around. 11 Then the gatekeepers shouted the news to the people in the palace. 12 The king got out of bed in the middle of the night and told his officers, " I know what has happened. The Arameans know we are starving, so they have left their camp and have hidden in the fields. They are expecting us to leave the city, and then they will take us alive and capture the city." 13 One of his officers replied, " We had better send out scouts to check into this. Let them take five of the remaining horses. If something happens to them, it won't be a greater loss than if they stay here and die with the rest of us." 14 So two chariots with horses were prepared, and the king sent scouts to see what had happened to the Aramean army. 15 They went all the way to the Jordan River, following a trail of clothing and equipment that the Arameans had thrown away in their mad rush to escape. The scouts returned and told the king about it. 16 Then the people of Samaria rushed out and plundered the Aramean camp. So it was true that five quarts of fine flour were sold that day for half an ounce of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain were sold for half an ounce of silver, just as the LORD had promised. 17 The king appointed his officer to control the traffic at the gate, but he was knocked down and trampled to death as the people rushed out.So everything happened exactly as the man of God had predicted when the king came to his house. 18 The man of God had said to the king, " By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, five quarts of fine flour will cost half an ounce of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain will cost half an ounce of silver." 19 The king's officer had replied, " That couldn't happen even if the LORD opened the windows of heaven!" And the man of God had said, " You will see it happen, but you won't be able to eat any of it!" 20 And so it was, for the people trampled him to death at the gate!

ACTS 15:36-16:15
After some time Paul said to Barnabas, " Let's return to each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are getting along." 37 Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. 38 But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not shared in their work. 39 Their disagreement over this was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. 40 Paul chose Silas, and the believers sent them off, entrusting them to the Lord's grace. 41 So they traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia to strengthen the churches there. 16:1 PAUL and Silas went first to Derbe and then on to Lystra. There they met Timothy, a young disciple whose mother was a Jewish believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2 Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, 3 so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Then they went from town to town, explaining the decision regarding the commandments that were to be obeyed, as decided by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew daily in numbers. 6 Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had told them not to go into the province of Asia at that time. 7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go. 8 So instead, they went on through Mysia to the city of Troas. 9 That night Paul had a vision. He saw a man from Macedonia in northern Greece, pleading with him, " Come over here and help us." 10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, for we could only conclude that God was calling us to preach the Good News there. 11 We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis. 12 From there we reached Philippi, a major city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony; we stayed there several days. 13 On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we supposed that some people met for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had come together. 14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. 15 She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. " If you agree that I am faithful to the Lord," she said, " come and stay at my home." And she urged us until we did.

PSALM 142:1-7
A psalm of David, regarding his experience in the cave. A prayer.
1 I cry out to the LORD;
I plead for the LORD's mercy.
2 I pour out my complaints before him
and tell him all my troubles.
3 For I am overwhelmed,
and you alone know the way I should turn.
Wherever I go,
my enemies have set traps for me.
4 I look for someone to come and help me,
but no one gives me a passing thought!
No one will help me;
no one cares a bit what happens to me.
5 Then I pray to you, O LORD.
I say, " You are my place of refuge.
You are all I really want in life.
6 Hear my cry,
for I am very low.
Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring me out of prison
so I can thank you.
The godly will crowd around me,
for you treat me kindly."

PROVERBS 17:24-25
Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth. A foolish child brings grief to a father and bitterness to a mother.