July 16 Reading through the Bible

 

1 CHRONICLES 22:1-23:32
ROMANS 3:9-31
PSALM 12:1-8
PROVERBS 19:13-14

1 CHRONICLES 22:1-23:32
Then David said, " This will be the location for the Temple of the LORD God and the place of the altar for Israel's burnt offerings!" 2 So David gave orders to call together the foreigners living in Israel, and he assigned them the task of preparing blocks of stone for building the Temple of God. 3 David provided large amounts of iron for the nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps, and more bronze than they could ever weigh. 4 He also provided innumerable cedar logs, for the men of Tyre and Sidon had brought vast amounts of cedar to David. 5 David said, " My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced, and the Temple of the LORD must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world. So I will begin making preparations for it now." So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death. 6 Then David sent for his son Solomon and instructed him to build a Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel. 7 " I wanted to build a Temple to honor the name of the LORD my God," David told him. 8 " But the LORD said to me, ` You have killed many men in the great battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood before me, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name. 9 But you will have a son who will experience peace and rest. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. 10 He is the one who will build a Temple to honor my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.' 11 " Now, my son, may the LORD be with you and give you success as you follow his instructions in building the Temple of the LORD your God. 12 And may the LORD give you wisdom and understanding, that you may obey the law of the LORD your God as you rule over Israel. 13 For if you carefully obey the laws and regulations that the LORD gave to Israel through Moses, you will be successful. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart! 14 " I have worked hard to provide materials for building the Temple of the LORD--nearly four thousand tons of gold, nearly forty thousand tons of silver, and so much iron and bronze that it cannot be weighed. I have also gathered lumber and stone for the walls, though you may need to add more. 15 You have many skilled stonemasons and carpenters and craftsmen of every kind available to you. 16 They are expert goldsmiths and silversmiths and workers of bronze and iron. Now begin the work, and may the LORD be with you!"17 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to assist Solomon in this project. 18 " The LORD your God is with you," he declared. " He has given you peace with the surrounding nations. He has handed them over to me, and they are now subject to the LORD and his people. 19 Now seek the LORD your God with all your heart. Build the sanctuary of the LORD God so that you can bring the Ark of the LORD's covenant and the holy vessels of God into the Temple built to honor the LORD's name." 23:1 WHEN David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel. 2 David summoned all the political leaders of Israel, together with the priests and Levites, for the coronation ceremony. 3 All the Levites who were thirty years old or older were counted, and the total came to thirty-eight thousand. 4 Then David said, " Twenty-four thousand of them will supervise the work at the Temple of the LORD. Six thousand are to serve as officials and judges. 5 Four thousand will work as gatekeepers, and another four thousand will praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have made." 6 Then David divided the Levites into divisions named after the clans descended from the three sons of Levi--Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 7 The Gershonite family units were defined by their lines of descent from Libni and Shimei, the sons of Gershon. 8 Three of the descendants of Libni were Jehiel (the family leader), Zetham, and Joel. 9 These were the leaders of the family of Libni. Three of the descendants of Shimei were Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. 10 Four other descendants of Shimei were Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah. 11 Jahath was the family leader, and Ziza was next. Jeush and Beriah were counted as a single family because neither had many sons. 12 The descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 13 The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart to dedicate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices in the LORD's presence, to serve the LORD, and to pronounce blessings in his name forever. 14 As for Moses, the man of God, his sons were included with the tribe of Levi. 15 The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.16 The descendants of Gershom included Shebuel, the family leader. 17 Eliezer had only one son, Rehabiah, the family leader. Rehabiah had numerous descendants. 18 The descendants of Izhar included Shelomith, the family leader. 19 The descendants of Hebron included Jeriah (the family leader), Amariah (the second), Jahaziel (the third), and Jekameam (the fourth). 20 The descendants of Uzziel included Micah (the family leader) and Isshiah (the second). 21 The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. 22 Eleazar died with no sons, only daughters. His daugh-ters married their cousins, the sons of Kish. 23 The three sons of Mushi were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.24 These were the descendants of Levi by clans, the leaders of their family groups, registered carefully by name. Each had to be twenty years old or older to qualify for service in the house of the LORD. 25 For David said, " The LORD, the God of Israel, has given us peace, and he will always live in Jerusalem. 26 Now the Levites will no longer need to carry the Tabernacle and its utensils from place to place." 27 It was according to David's final instructions that all the Levites twenty years old or older were registered for service. 28 The work of the Levites was to assist the priests, the descendants of Aaron, as they served at the house of the LORD. They also took care of the courtyards and side rooms, helped perform the ceremonies of purification, and served in many other ways in the house of God. 29 They were in charge of the sacred bread that was set out on the table, the choice flour for the grain offerings, the wafers made without yeast, the cakes cooked in olive oil, and the other mixed breads. They were also responsible to check all the weights and measures. 30 And each morning and evening they stood before the LORD to sing songs of thanks and praise to him. 31 They assisted with the burnt offerings that were presented to the LORD on Sabbath days, at new moon celebrations, and at all the appointed festivals. The proper number of Levites served in the LORD's presence at all times, following all the procedures they had been given. 32 And so, under the supervision of the priests, the Levites watched over the Tabernacle and the Temple and faithfully carried out their duties of service at the house of the LORD.

ROMANS 3:9-31
Well then, are we Jews better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say, " No one is good--
not even one.
11 No one has real understanding;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away from God;
all have gone wrong.
No one does good,
not even one."
13 " Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their speech is filled with lies."
" The poison of a deadly snake drips from their lips."
14 " Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
15 " They are quick to commit murder.
16 Wherever they go, destruction and misery follow them.
17 They do not know what true peace is."
18 " They have no fear of God to restrain them."
19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses and to bring the entire world into judgment before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right in God's sight by doing what his law commands. For the more we know God's law, the clearer it becomes that we aren't obeying it. 21 But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight--not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. 22 We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. 23 For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. 24 Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. 25 For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. 26 And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. 29 After all, God is not the God of the Jews only, is he? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and there is only one way of being accepted by him. He makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

PSALM 12:1-8
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument.
1 Help, O LORD, for the godly are fast disappearing!
The faithful have vanished from the earth!
2 Neighbors lie to each other,
speaking with flattering lips and insincere hearts.
3 May the LORD bring their flattery to an end
and silence their proud tongues.
4 They say, " We will lie to our hearts' content.
Our lips are our own--who can stop us?"
5 The LORD replies, " I have seen violence done to the helpless,
and I have heard the groans of the poor.
Now I will rise up to rescue them,
as they have longed for me to do."
6 The LORD's promises are pure,
like silver refined in a furnace,
purified seven times over.
7 Therefore, LORD, we know you will protect the oppressed,
preserving them forever from this lying generation,
8 even though the wicked strut about,
and evil is praised throughout the land.

PROVERBS 19:13-14
A foolish child is a calamity to a father; a nagging wife annoys like a constant dripping. Parents can provide their sons with an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the LORD can give an understanding wife.

July 15 Reading through the Bible

1 CHRONICLES 19:1-21:30
ROMANS 2:25-3:8
PSALM 11:1-7
PROVERBS 19:10-12

1 CHRONICLES 19:1-21:30
Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king. 2 David said, " I am going to show complete loyalty to Hanun because his father, Nahash, was always completely loyal to me." So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun about his father's death. But when David's ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon, 3 Hanun's advisers said to him, " Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the land so that they can come in and conquer it!" 4 So Hanun seized David's ambassadors and shaved their beards, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame. 5 When David heard what had happened, he sent messengers to tell the men to stay at Jericho until their beards grew out, for they were very embarrassed by their appearance. 6 Now the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, so Hanun and the Ammonites sent thirty-eight tons of silver to hire chariots and troops from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. 7 They also hired thirty-two thousand chariots and secured the support of the king of Maacah and his army. These forces camped at Medeba, where they were joined by the Ammonite troops that Hanun had recruited from his own towns. 8 When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all his warriors to fight them. 9 The Ammonite troops drew up their battle lines at the gate of the city, while the other kings positioned themselves to fight in the open fields. 10 When Joab saw that he would have to fight on two fronts, he chose the best troops in his army. He placed them under his personal command and led them out to fight the Arameans in the fields. 11 He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites. 12 " If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me," Joab told his brother. " And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. 13 Be courageous! Let us fight bravely to save our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD's will be done." 14 When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away. 15 And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem. 16 The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel, so they summoned additional Aramean troops from the other side of the Euphrates River. These troops arrived under the command of Shobach, the commander of all Hadadezer's forces. 17 When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and positioned his troops in battle formation. Then he engaged the enemy troops in battle, and they fought against him. 18 But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David's forces killed seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army. 19 When the servants of Hadadezer realized they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to David and became his subjects. After that, the Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.20:1 THE following spring, the time of year when kings go to war, Joab led the Israelite army in successful attacks against the towns and villages of the Ammonites. In the process they laid siege to the city of Rabbah and destroyed it. But David had stayed behind in Jerusalem. 2 When David arrived at Rabbah, he removed the crown from the king's head, and it was placed on David's own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and it weighed about seventy-five pounds. David took a vast amount of plunder from the city. 3 He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, picks, and axes. That is how he dealt with the people of all the Ammonite cities. Then David and his army returned to Jerusalem. 4 After this, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, a descendant of the giants, and so the Philistines were subdued. 5 During another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of Lahmi's spear was as thick as a weaver's beam! 6 In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot--a descendant of the giants--7 defied and taunted Israel. But he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David's brother Shimea. 8 These Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but they were killed by David and his warriors.21:1 SATAN rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the Israelites. 2 David gave these orders to Joab and his commanders: " Take a census of all the people in the land--from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north--and bring me the totals so I may know how many there are." 3 But Joab replied, " May the LORD increase the number of his people a hundred times over! But why, my lord, do you want to do this? Are they not all your servants? Why must you cause Israel to sin?" 4 But the king insisted that Joab take the census, so Joab traveled throughout Israel to count the people. Then he returned to Jerusalem 5 and reported the number of people to David. There were 1,100,000 men of military age in Israel, and 470,000 in Judah. 6 But Joab did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census because he was so distressed at what the king had made him do. 7 God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it. 8 Then David said to God, " I have sinned greatly and shouldn't have taken the census. Please forgive me for doing this foolish thing." 9 Then the LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer. This was the message: 10 " Go and say to David, ` This is what the LORD says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will do it.' " 11 So Gad came to David and said, " These are the choices the LORD has given you. 12 You may choose three years of famine, three months of destruction by your enemies, or three days of severe plague as the angel of the LORD brings devastation throughout the land of Israel. Think this over and let me know what answer to give the LORD." 13 " This is a desperate situation!" David replied to Gad. " But let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great. Do not let me fall into human hands." 14 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand people died as a result. 15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But just as the angel was preparing to destroy it, the LORD relented and said to the death angel, " Stop! That is enough!" At that moment the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 16 David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the leaders of Israel put on sackcloth to show their distress and fell down with their faces to the ground. 17 And David said to God, " I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are innocent--what have they done? O LORD my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people." 18 Then the angel of the LORD told Gad to instruct David to build an altar to the LORD at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 So David obeyed the instructions the LORD had given him through Gad. 20 Araunah, who was busy threshing wheat at the time, turned and saw the angel there. His four sons, who were with him, ran away and hid. 21 When Araunah saw the king approaching, he left his threshing floor and bowed to the ground before David. 22 David said to Araunah, " Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the LORD there, so that he will stop the plague." 23 " Take it, my lord, and use it as you wish," Araunah said to David. " Here are oxen for the burnt offerings, and you can use the threshing tools for wood to build a fire on the altar. And take the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you." 24 But the king replied to Araunah, " No, I insist on paying what it is worth. I cannot take what is yours and give it to the LORD. I will not offer a burnt offering that has cost me nothing!" 25 So David gave Araunah six hundred pieces of gold in payment for the threshing floor. 26 David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the LORD answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar. 27 Then the LORD spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath. 28 When David saw that the LORD had answered his prayer, he offered sacrifices there at Araunah's threshing floor. 29 At that time, the Tabernacle of the LORD and the altar that Moses made in the wilderness were located at the hill of Gibeon. 30 But David was not able to go there to inquire of God, because he was terrified by the drawn sword of the angel of the LORD.

ROMANS 2:25-3:8
The Jewish ceremony of circumcision is worth something only if you obey God's law. But if you don't obey God's law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. 26 And if the Gentiles obey God's law, won't God give them all the rights and honors of being his own people? 27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God's law will be much better off than you Jews who are circumcised and know so much about God's law but don't obey it. 28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not a cutting of the body but a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. Whoever has that kind of change seeks praise from God, not from people.3:1 THEN what's the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the Jewish ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, being a Jew has many advantages. First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God. 3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they broke their promises, does that mean God will break his promises? 4 Of course not! Though everyone else in the world is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say, " He will be proved right in what he says, and he will win his case in court." 5 " But," some say, " our sins serve a good purpose, for people will see God's goodness when he declares us sinners to be innocent. Isn't it unfair, then, for God to punish us?" (That is actually the way some people talk.) 6 Of course not! If God is not just, how is he qualified to judge the world? 7 " But," some might still argue, " how can God judge and condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?" 8 If you follow that kind of thinking, however, you might as well say that the more we sin the better it is! Those who say such things deserve to be condemned, yet some slander me by saying this is what I preach!

PSALM 11:1-7
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 I trust in the LORD for protection.
So why do you say to me,
" Fly to the mountains for safety!
2 The wicked are stringing their bows
and setting their arrows in the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows at those who do right.
3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do?"
4 But the LORD is in his holy Temple;
the LORD still rules from heaven.
He watches everything closely,
examining everyone on earth.
5 The LORD examines both the righteous and the wicked.
He hates everyone who loves violence.
6 He rains down blazing coals on the wicked,
punishing them with burning sulfur and scorching winds.
7 For the LORD is righteous, and he loves justice.
Those who do what is right will see his face.

PROVERBS 19:10-12
It isn't right for a fool to live in luxury or for a slave to rule over princes! People with good sense restrain their anger; they earn esteem by overlooking wrongs. The king's anger is like a lion's roar, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

July 14 Reading through the Bible

 

1 CHRONICLES 16:37-18:17
ROMANS 2:1-24
PSALM 10:16-18
PROVERBS 19:8-9

1 CHRONICLES 16:37-18:17
David arranged for Asaph and his fellow Levites to minister regularly before the Ark of the LORD's covenant, doing whatever needed to be done each day. 38 This group included Obed-edom (son of Jeduthun), Hosah, and sixty-eight other Levites as gatekeepers. 39 Meanwhile, David stationed Zadok the priest and his fellow priests at the Tabernacle of the LORD on the hill of Gibeon, where they continued to minister before the LORD. 40 They sacrificed the regular burnt offerings to the LORD each morning and evening on the altar set aside for that purpose, obeying everything written in the law of the LORD, which he had given to Israel. 41 David also appointed Heman, Jeduthun, and the others chosen by name to give thanks to the LORD, " for his faithful love endures forever." 42 They used their trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments to accompany the songs of praise to God. And the sons of Jeduthun were appointed as gatekeepers. 43 Then all the people returned to their homes, and David returned home to bless his family.17:1 NOW when David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, " Here I am living in this beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of the LORD's covenant is out in a tent!" 2 Nathan replied, " Go ahead with what you have in mind, for God is with you." 3 But that same night God said to Nathan, 4 " Go and tell my servant David, ` This is what the LORD says: You are not the one to build me a temple to live in. 5 I have never lived in a temple, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until now. My home has always been a tent, moving from one place to another. 6 And I never once complained to Israel's leaders, the shepherds of my people. I have never asked them, " Why haven't you built me a beautiful cedar temple?"' 7 " Now go and say to my servant David, ` This is what the LORD Almighty says: I chose you to lead my people Israel when you were just a shepherd boy, tending your sheep out in the pasture. 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies. Now I will make your name famous throughout the earth! 9 And I have provided a permanent homeland for my people Israel, a secure place where they will never be disturbed. It will be their own land where wicked nations won't oppress them as they did in the past, 10 from the time I appointed judges to rule my people. And I will subdue all your enemies. " ` And now I declare that the LORD will build a house for you--a dynasty of kings! 11 For when you die, I will raise up one of your sons, and I will make his kingdom strong. 12 He is the one who will build a house--a temple--for me. And I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not take my unfailing love from him as I took it from Saul, who ruled before you. 14 I will establish him over my dynasty and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever.' "15 So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the LORD had said. 16 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, " Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 17 And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving me a lasting dynasty! You speak as though I were someone very great, O LORD God! 18 What more can I say about the way you have honored me? You know what I am really like. 19 For my sake, O LORD, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.20 " O LORD, there is no one like you--there is no other God. We have never even heard of another god like you! 21 What other nation on earth is like Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you rescued your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations that stood in their way. 22 You chose Israel to be your people forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God. 23 " And now, O LORD, do as you have promised concerning me and my family. May it be a promise that will last forever. 24 And may your name be established and honored forever so that all the world will say, ` The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And may the dynasty of your servant David be established in your presence.25 " O my God, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer because you have revealed that you will build a house for me--an eternal dynasty! 26 For you are God, O LORD. And you have promised these good things to me, your servant. 27 And now, it has pleased you to bless me and my family so that our dynasty will continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing, O LORD, it is an eternal blessing!" 18:1 AFTER this, David subdued and humbled the Philistines by conquering Gath and its surrounding towns. 2 David also conquered the land of Moab, and the Moabites became David's subjects and brought him tribute money. 3 Then David destroyed the forces of King Hadadezer of Zobah, as far as Hamath, when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the Euphrates River. 4 David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Then he crippled all but one hundred of the chariot horses.5 When Arameans from Damascus arrived to help Hadadezer, David killed twenty-two thousand of them. 6 Then he placed several army garrisons in Damascus, the Aramean capital, and the Arameans became David's subjects and brought him tribute money. So the LORD gave David victory wherever he went. 7 David brought the gold shields of Hadadezer's officers to Jerusalem, 8 along with a large amount of bronze from Hadadezer's cities of Tebah and Cun. Later Solomon melted the bronze and used it for the Temple. He molded it into the bronze Sea, the pillars, and the various bronze utensils used at the Temple. 9 When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had destroyed the army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, 10 he sent his son Joram to congratulate David on his success. Hadadezer and Toi had long been enemies, and there had been many wars between them. Joram presented David with many gifts of gold, silver, and bronze. 11 King David dedicated all these gifts to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations he had subdued--Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek. 12 Abishai son of Zeruiah destroyed eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 He placed army garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became David's subjects. This was another example of how the LORD made David victorious wherever he went. 14 David reigned over all Israel and was fair to everyone. 15 Joab son of Zeruiah was commander of the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian. 16 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the priests. Seraiah was the court secretary. 17 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king's bodyguard. David's sons served as the king's chief assistants.

ROMANS 2:1-24
You may be saying, " What terrible people you have been talking about!" But you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you do these very same things. 2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 3 Do you think that God will judge and condemn others for doing them and not judge you when you do them, too? 4 Don't you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin? 5 But no, you won't listen. So you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself because of your stubbornness in refusing to turn from your sin. For there is going to come a day of judgment when God, the just judge of all the world, 6 will judge all people according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who persist in doing what is good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and practice evil deeds. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on sinning--for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good--for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism. 12 God will punish the Gentiles when they sin, even though they never had God's written law. And he will punish the Jews when they sin, for they do have the law. 13 For it is not merely knowing the law that brings God's approval. Those who obey the law will be declared right in God's sight. 14 Even when Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong. 15 They demonstrate that God's law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right. 16 The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone's secret life. This is my message. 17 If you are a Jew, you are relying on God's law for your special relationship with him. You boast that all is well between yourself and God. 18 Yes, you know what he wants; you know right from wrong because you have been taught his law. 19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a beacon light for people who are lost in darkness without God. 20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that in God's law you have complete knowledge and truth.21 Well then, if you teach others, why don't you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? 22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you do it? You condemn idolatry, but do you steal from pagan temples? 23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. 24 No wonder the Scriptures say, " The world blasphemes the name of God because of you."

PSALM 10:16-18
The LORD is king forever and ever!
Let those who worship other gods be swept from the land.
17 LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them.
18 You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
so people can no longer terrify them.

PROVERBS 19:8-9
To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper. A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed.

July 13 Reading through the Bible

 

1 CHRONICLES 15:1-16:36
ROMANS 1:18-32
PSALM 10:1-15
PROVERBS 19:6-7

1 CHRONICLES 15:1-16:36
David now built several buildings for himself in the City of David. He also prepared a place for the Ark of God and set up a special tent there to shelter it. 2 Then he issued these instructions: " When we transport the Ark of God this time, no one except the Levites may carry it. The LORD has chosen them to carry the Ark of the LORD and to minister before him forever." 3 Then David summoned all the Israelites to Jerusalem to bring the Ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it. 4 These are the priests and Levites who were called together: 5 There were 120 from the clan of Kohath, with Uriel as their leader. 6 There were 220 from the clan of Merari, with Asaiah as their leader. 7 There were 130 from the clan of Gershon, with Joel as their leader. 8 There were 200 descendants of Elizaphan, with Shemaiah as their leader. 9 There were 80 descendants of Hebron, with Eliel as their leader. 10 There were 112 descendants of Uzziel, with Amminadab as their leader.11 Then David summoned the priests, Zadok and Abiathar, and these Levite leaders: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 He said to them, " You are the leaders of the Levite families. You must purify yourselves and all your fellow Levites, so you can bring the Ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, the anger of the LORD our God burst out against us. We failed to ask God how to move it in the proper way." 14 So the priests and the Levites purified themselves in order to bring the Ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to Jerusalem. 15 Then the Levites carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the LORD had instructed Moses. 16 David also ordered the Levite leaders to appoint a choir of Levites who were singers and musicians to sing joyful songs to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel, Asaph son of Berekiah, and Ethan son of Kushaiah from the clan of Merari to direct the musicians. 18 The following men were chosen as their assistants: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers, Obed-edom and Jeiel. 19 Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were chosen to sound the bronze cymbals. 20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were chosen to play the lyres. 21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were chosen to play the harps. 22 Kenaniah, the head Levite, was chosen as the choir leader because of his skill. 23 Berekiah and Elkanah were chosen to guard the Ark. 24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer--all of whom were priests--were chosen to blow the trumpets as they marched in front of the Ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were chosen to guard the Ark. 25 Then David and the leaders of Israel and the generals of the army went to the home of Obed-edom to bring the Ark of the LORD's covenant up to Jerusalem with a great celebration. 26 And because God was clearly helping the Levites as they carried the Ark of the LORD's covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven lambs. 27 David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were the Levites who carried the Ark, the singers, and Kenaniah the song leader. David was also wearing a priestly tunic. 28 So all Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD's covenant to Jerusalem with shouts of joy, the blowing of horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on harps and lyres. 29 But as the Ark of the LORD's covenant entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David dancing and leaping for joy, she was filled with contempt for him.16:1 SO they brought the Ark of God into the special tent David had prepared for it, and they sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 When he had finished, David blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 Then he gave a gift of food to every man and woman in Israel: a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. 4 David appointed the following Levites to lead the people in worship before the Ark of the LORD by asking for his blessings and giving thanks and praise to the LORD, the God of Israel. 5 Asaph, the leader of this group, sounded the cymbals. His assistants were Zechariah (the second), then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They played the harps and lyres. 6 The priests, Benaiah and Jahaziel, played the trumpets regularly before the Ark of God's covenant. 7 That day David gave to Asaph and his fellow Levites this song of thanksgiving to the LORD:8 Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
9 Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his miracles.
10 Exult in his holy name;
O worshipers of the LORD, rejoice!
11 Search for the LORD and for his strength,
and keep on searching.
12 Think of the wonderful works he has done,
the miracles, and the judgments he handed down,
13 O children of Israel, God's servant,
O descendants of Jacob, God's chosen one.
14 He is the LORD our God.
His rule is seen throughout the land.
15 He always stands by his covenant--
the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
16 This is the covenant he made with Abraham
and the oath he swore to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to the people of Israel as a never-ending treaty:
18 " I will give you the land of Canaan
as your special possession."
19 He said this when they were few in number,
a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
20 They wandered back and forth between nations,
from one kingdom to another.
21 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
He warned kings on their behalf:
22 " Do not touch these people I have chosen,
and do not hurt my prophets."
23 Let the whole earth sing to the LORD!
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
24 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
25 Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be revered above all gods.
26 The gods of other nations are merely idols,
but the LORD made the heavens!
27 Honor and majesty surround him;
strength and beauty are in his dwelling.
28 O nations of the world, recognize the LORD,
recognize that the LORD is glorious and strong.
29 Give to the LORD the glory he deserves!
Bring your offering and come to worship him.
Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor.
30 Let all the earth tremble before him.
The world is firmly established and cannot be shaken.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice!
Tell all the nations that the LORD is king.
32 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the fields and their crops burst forth with joy!
33 Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise before the LORD!
For he is coming to judge the earth.
34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
35 Cry out, " Save us, O God of our salvation!
Gather and rescue us from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
and rejoice and praise you."
36 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And all the people shouted " Amen!" and praised the LORD.

ROMANS 1:18-32
But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. 19 For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. 20 From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes. 24 So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. 25 Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved.28 When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving. 32 They are fully aware of God's death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

PSALM 10:1-15
O LORD, why do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide when I need you the most?
2 Proud and wicked people viciously oppress the poor.
Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.
3 For they brag about their evil desires;
they praise the greedy and curse the LORD.
4 These wicked people are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
5 Yet they succeed in everything they do.
They do not see your punishment awaiting them.
They pour scorn on all their enemies.
6 They say to themselves, " Nothing bad will ever happen to us!
We will be free of trouble forever!"
7 Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats.
Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
8 They lurk in dark alleys,
murdering the innocent who pass by.
They are always searching
for some helpless victim.
9 Like lions they crouch silently,
waiting to pounce on the helpless.
Like hunters they capture their victims
and drag them away in nets.
10 The helpless are overwhelmed and collapse;
they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.
11 The wicked say to themselves, " God isn't watching!
He will never notice!"
12 Arise, O LORD!
Punish the wicked, O God!
Do not forget the helpless!
13 Why do the wicked get away with cursing God?
How can they think, " God will never call us to account"?
14 But you do see the trouble and grief they cause.
You take note of it and punish them.
The helpless put their trust in you.
You are the defender of orphans.
15 Break the arms of these wicked, evil people!
Go after them until the last one is destroyed!

PROVERBS 19:6-7
Many beg favors from a prince; everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts! If the relatives of the poor despise them, how much more will their friends avoid them. The poor call after them, but they are gone.

July 12 Reading through the Bible

1 CHRONICLES 12:19-14:17
ROMANS 1:1-17
PSALM 9:13-20
PROVERBS 19:4-5

1 CHRONICLES 12:19-14:17
Some men from Manasseh defected from the Israelite army and joined David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. But as it turned out, the Philistine leaders refused to let David and his men go with them. After much discussion, they sent them back, for they said, " It will cost us our lives if David switches loyalties to Saul and turns against us." 20 Here is a list of the men from Manasseh who defected to David as he was returning to Ziklag: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai. Each commanded a thousand troops from the tribe of Manasseh. 21 They helped David chase down bands of raiders, for they were all brave and able warriors who became commanders in his army. 22 Day after day more men joined David until he had a great army, like the army of God. 23 These are the numbers of armed warriors who joined David at Hebron. They were all eager to see David become king instead of Saul, just as the LORD had promised. 24 From the tribe of Judah, there were 6,800 warriors armed with shields and spears. 25 From the tribe of Simeon, there were 7,100 warriors. 26 From the tribe of Levi, there were 4,600 troops. 27 This included Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, who had 3,700 under his command. 28 This also included Zadok, a young warrior, with twenty-two members of his family who were all officers. 29 From the tribe of Benjamin, Saul's relatives, there were 3,000 warriors. Most of the men from Benjamin had remained loyal to Saul until this time. 30 From the tribe of Ephraim, there were 20,800 warriors, each famous in his own clan. 31 From the half-tribe of Manasseh west of the Jordan, 18,000 men were sent for the express purpose of helping David become king. 32 From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the temper of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. 33 From the tribe of Zebulun, there were 50,000 skilled warriors. They were fully armed and prepared for battle and completely loyal to David. 34 From the tribe of Naphtali, there were 1,000 officers and 37,000 warriors armed with shields and spears. 35 From the tribe of Dan, there were 28,600 warriors, all prepared for battle. 36 From the tribe of Asher, there were 40,000 trained warriors, all prepared for battle. 37 From the east side of the Jordan River--where the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh lived--there were 120,000 troops armed with every kind of weapon.38 All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king of Israel. In fact, all Israel agreed that David should be their king. 39 They feasted and drank with David for three days, for preparations had been made by their relatives for their arrival. 40 And people from as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food on donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. Vast supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisins, wine, olive oil, cattle, and sheep were brought to the celebration. There was great joy throughout the land of Israel. 13:1 DAVID consulted with all his officials, including the generals and captains of his army. 2 Then he addressed the entire assembly of Israel as follows: " If you approve and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send messages to all the Israelites throughout the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pasturelands. Let us invite them to come and join us. 3 It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul." 4 The whole assembly agreed to this, for the people could see it was the right thing to do. 5 So David summoned all the people of Israel, from one end of the country to the other, to join in bringing the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. 6 Then David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (also called Kiriath-jearim) to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the LORD who is enthroned between the cherubim. 7 They transported the Ark of God from the house of Abinadab on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. 8 David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, singing and playing all kinds of musical instruments--lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 9 But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the Ark. 10 Then the LORD's anger blazed out against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God. 11 David was angry because the LORD's anger had blazed out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means " outbreak against Uzzah"). It is still called that today. 12 David was now afraid of God and asked, " How can I ever bring the Ark of God back into my care?" 13 So David decided not to move the Ark into the City of David. He took it instead to the home of Obed-edom of Gath. 14 The Ark of God remained there with the family of Obed-edom for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household.14:1 NOW King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with stonemasons and carpenters to build him a palace. Hiram also sent many cedar logs for lumber. 2 And David realized that the LORD had made him king over Israel and had made his kingdom very great for the sake of his people Israel. 3 Then David married more wives in Jerusalem, and they had many sons and daughters. 4 These are the names of David's sons who were born in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 7 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he and his men marched out to meet them. 9 The Philistines had arrived in the valley of Rephaim and raided it. 10 So David asked God, " Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD replied, " Yes, go ahead. I will give you the victory." 11 So David and his troops went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. " God has done it!" David exclaimed. " He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood!" So that place was named Baal-perazim (which means " the Lord who bursts through"). 12 The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David gave orders to burn them up. 13 But after a while, the Philistines returned and raided the valley again. 14 And once again David asked God what to do. " Do not attack them straight on," God replied. " Instead, circle around behind them and attack them near the balsam trees. 15 When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the balsam trees, attack! That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistines." 16 So David did what God commanded, and he struck down the Philistine army all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. 17 So David's fame spread everywhere, and the LORD caused all the nations to fear David.

ROMANS 1:1-17
This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ's slave, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2 This Good News was promised long ago by God through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3 It is the Good News about his Son, Jesus, who came as a man, born into King David's royal family line. 4 And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. 5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. 6 You are among those who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 dear friends in Rome. God loves you dearly, and he has called you to be his very own people. May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 Let me say first of all that your faith in God is becoming known throughout the world. How I thank God through Jesus Christ for each one of you. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by telling others the Good News about his Son. 10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11 For I long to visit you so I can share a spiritual blessing with you that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12 I'm eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other.13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters,* that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see good results, just as I have done among other Gentiles. 14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in our culture and to people in other cultures,* to the educated and uneducated alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach God's Good News. 16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes--Jews first and also Gentiles. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, " It is through faith that a righteous person has life."

PSALM 9:13-20
LORD, have mercy on me.
See how I suffer at the hands of those who hate me.
Snatch me back from the jaws of death.
14 Save me, so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem's gates,
so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
They have been caught in their own trap.
16 The LORD is known for his justice.
The wicked have trapped themselves in their own snares.
Quiet Interlude17 The wicked will go down to the grave.
This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
18 For the needy will not be forgotten forever;
the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.
19 Arise, O LORD!
Do not let mere mortals defy you!
Let the nations be judged in your presence!
20 Make them tremble in fear, O LORD.
Let them know they are merely human.
Interlude

PROVERBS 19:4-5

Wealth makes many " friends"; poverty drives them away. A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape. 

July 11 Reading through the Bible

 

1 CHRONICLES 11:1-12:18
ACTS 28:1-31
PSALM 9:1-12
PROVERBS 19:1-3

1 CHRONICLES 11:1-12:18
Then all Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, " We are all members of your family. 2 For a long time, even while Saul was our king, you were the one who really led Israel. And the LORD your God has told you, ` You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be their leader.' " 3 So there at Hebron David made a covenant with the leaders of Israel before the LORD. They anointed him king of Israel, just as the LORD had promised through Samuel. 4 Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (or Jebus, as it used to be called), where the Jebusites, original inhabitants of the land, lived. 5 The people of Jebus said to David, " You will never get in here!" But David captured the fortress of Zion, now called the City of David. 6 David had said to his troops, " Whoever leads the attack against the Jebusites will become the commander of my armies!" And Joab, the son of David's sister Zeruiah, led the attack, so he became the commander of David's armies. 7 David made the fortress his home, and that is why it is called the City of David. 8 He extended the city from the Millo to the surrounding area, while Joab rebuilt the rest of Jerusalem. 9 And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him. 10 These are the leaders of David's mighty men. Together with all Israel, they determined to make David their king, just as the LORD had promised concerning Israel. 11 Here is the record of David's mightiest men: The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite, who was commander of the Three--the three greatest warriors among David's men. He once used his spear to kill three hundred enemy warriors in a single battle.12 Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai,* a descendant of Ahoah. 13 He was with David in the battle against the Philistines at Pas-dammim. The battle took place in a field full of barley, and the Israelite army fled. 14 But Eleazar and David held their ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the LORD saved them by giving them a great victory. 15 Once when David was at the rock near the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty--an elite group among David's fighting men) went down to meet him there. 16 David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem. 17 David remarked longingly to his men, " Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well in Bethlehem, the one by the gate." 18 So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out before the LORD. 19 " God forbid that I should drink this!" he exclaimed. " This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me." So David did not drink it. This is an example of the exploits of the Three. 20 Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty. He once used his spear to kill three hundred enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three. 21 Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three. 22 There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two of Moab's mightiest warriors. Another time he chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it. 23 Another time, armed with only a club, he killed an Egyptian warrior who was seven and a half feet tall and whose spear was as thick as a weaver's beam. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with it. 24 These are some of the deeds that made Benaiah as famous as the Three. 25 He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him commander of his bodyguard. 26 These were also included among David's mighty men:Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem; 27 Shammah from Harod; Helez from Pelon; 28 Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; Abiezer from Anathoth; 29 Sibbecai from Hushah; Zalmon from Ahoah; 30 Maharai from Netophah; Heled son of Baanah from Netophah; 31 Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah (from the tribe of Benjamin); Benaiah from Pirathon; 32 Hurai from near Nahale-gaash; Abi-albon the Arbathite; 33 Azmaveth from Bahurim; Eliahba from Shaalbon; 34 the sons of Jashen from Gizon; Jonathan son of Shagee from Harar; 35 Ahiam son of Sharar from Harar; Eliphal son of Ur; 36 Hepher from Mekerah; Ahijah from Pelon; 37 Hezro from Carmel; Paarai son of Ezbai; 38 Joel, the brother of Nathan; Mibhar son of Hagri; 39 Zelek from Ammon; Naharai from Beeroth (Joab's armor bearer); 40 Ira from Jattir; Gareb from Jattir; 41 Uriah the Hittite; Zabad son of Ahlai; 42 Adina son of Shiza, the Reubenite leader who had thirty men with him; 43 Hanan son of Maacah; Joshaphat from Mithna; 44 Uzzia from Ashtaroth; Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham, from Aroer; 45 Jediael son of Shimri; Joha, his brother, from Tiz; 46 Eliel from Mahavah; Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam; Ithmah from Moab; 47 Eliel and Obed; Jaasiel from Zobah. 12:1 THE following men joined David at Ziklag while he was hiding from Saul son of Kish. They were among the warriors who fought beside David in battle. 2 All of them were expert archers, and they could shoot arrows or sling stones with their left hand as well as their right. They were all relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. 3 Their leader was Ahiezer son of Shemaah from Gibeah; his brother Joash was second-in-command. These were the other warriors: Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; Beracah and Jehu from Anathoth; 4 Ishmaiah from Gibeon, a famous warrior and leader among the Thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad from Gederah; 5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah from Haruph; 6 Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites; 7 Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham from Gedor. 8 Some brave and experienced warriors from the tribe of Gad also defected to David while he was at the stronghold in the wilderness. They were expert with both shield and spear, as fierce as lions and as swift as deer on the mountains. 9 Ezer was their leader. Obadiah was second. Eliab was third. 10 Mishmannah was fourth. Jeremiah was fifth. 11 Attai was sixth. Eliel was seventh. 12 Johanan was eighth. Elzabad was ninth. 13 Jeremiah was tenth. Macbannai was eleventh. 14 These warriors from Gad were army commanders. The weakest among them could take on a hundred regular troops, and the strongest could take on a thousand! 15 They crossed the Jordan River during its seasonal flooding at the beginning of the year and drove out all the people living in the lowlands on both the east and west banks. 16 Others from Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. 17 David went out to meet them and said, " If you have come in peace to help me, we are friends. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when I am innocent, then may the God of our ancestors see and judge you." 18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who later became a leader among the Thirty, and he said, " We are yours, David!
We are on your side, son of Jesse.
Peace and prosperity be with you,
and success to all who help you,
for your God is the one who helps you."
So David let them join him, and he made them officers over his troops.

ACTS 28:1-31
Once we [Luke, Paul, and his companions] were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. 2 The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us and warm us. 3 As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, fastened itself onto his hand. 4 The people of the island saw it hanging there and said to each other, " A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live." 5 But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. 6 The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. 7 Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us courteously and fed us for three days. 8 As it happened, Publius's father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. 9 Then all the other sick people on the island came and were cured. 10 As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people put on board all sorts of things we would need for the trip. 11 It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island--an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods as its figurehead. 12 Our first stop was Syracuse, where we stayed three days. 13 From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli. 14 There we found some believers, who invited us to stay with them seven days. And so we came to Rome.15 The brothers and sisters* in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. 16 When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier.17 Three days after Paul's arrival, he called together the local Jewish leaders. He said to them, " Brothers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government, even though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. 18 The Romans tried me and wanted to release me, for they found no cause for the death sentence. 19 But when the Jewish leaders protested the decision, I felt it necessary to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no desire to press charges against my own people. 20 I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could tell you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel--the Messiah--has already come." 21 They replied, " We have heard nothing against you. We have had no letters from Judea or reports from anyone who has arrived here. 22 But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about these Christians is that they are denounced everywhere."23 So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul's house. He told them about the Kingdom of God and taught them about Jesus from the Scriptures--from the five books of Moses and the books of the prophets. He began lecturing in the morning and went on into the evening. 24 Some believed and some didn't. 25 But after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: " The Holy Spirit was right when he said to our ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, 26 ` Go and say to my people,
You will hear my words,
but you will not understand;
you will see what I do,
but you will not perceive its meaning.
27 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes--
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.'
28 So I want you to realize that this salvation from God is also available to the Gentiles, and they will accept it." 30 For the next two years, Paul lived in his own rented house. He welcomed all who visited him, 31 proclaiming the Kingdom of God with all boldness and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.

PSALM 9:1-12
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune " Death of the Son."
1 I will thank you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
3 My enemies turn away in retreat;
they are overthrown and destroyed before you.
4 For you have judged in my favor;
from your throne, you have judged with fairness.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have wiped out their names forever.
6 My enemies have met their doom;
their cities are perpetual ruins.
Even the memory of their uprooted cities is lost.
7 But the LORD reigns forever,
executing judgment from his throne.
8 He will judge the world with justice
and rule the nations with fairness.
9 The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O LORD, have never abandoned anyone who searches for you.
11 Sing praises to the LORD who reigns in Jerusalem.
Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
12 For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless.
He does not ignore those who cry to him for help.

PROVERBS 19:1-3
It is better to be poor and honest than to be a fool and dishonest. Zeal without knowledge is not good; a person who moves too quickly may go the wrong way. People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.

July 10 Reading through the Bible

 

1 CHRONICLES 9:1-10:14
ACTS 27:21-44
PSALM 8:1-9
PROVERBS 18:23-24

1 CHRONICLES 9:1-10:14
All Israel was listed in the genealogical record in The Book of the Kings of Israel. The people of Judah were exiled to Babylon because they were unfaithful to the LORD. 2 The first to return to their property in their former towns were common people. With them came some of the priests, Levites, and Temple assistants. 3 People from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh came and settled in Jerusalem. 4 One family that returned was that of Uthai son of Ammihud, son of Omri, son of Imri, son of Bani, a descendant of Perez son of Judah. 5 Others returned from the Shilonite clan, including Asaiah (the oldest) and his sons. 6 From the Zerahite clan, Jeuel returned with his relatives.In all, 690 families from the tribe of Judah returned. 7 From the tribe of Benjamin came Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah; 8 Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, son of Micri; Meshullam son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah.9 These men were all leaders of clans, and they were listed in their tribal genealogy. In all, 956 families from the tribe of Benjamin returned. 10 Among the priests who returned were Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, Jakin, 11 Azariah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub. Azariah was the chief officer of the house of God. 12 Other returning priests were Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malkijah, and Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer.13 In all, 1,760 priests returned. They were heads of clans and very able men. They were responsible for ministering at the house of God. 14 The Levites who returned were Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, a descendant of Merari; 15 Bakbakkar; Heresh; Galal; Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zicri, son of Asaph; 16 Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun; and Berekiah son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the area of Netophah. 17 The gatekeepers who returned were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives. Shallum was the chief gatekeeper. 18 Prior to this time, they were responsible for the King's Gate on the east side. These men served as gatekeepers for the camps of the Levites. 19 Shallum was the son of Kore, a descendant of Abiasaph, from the clan of Korah. He and his relatives, the Korahites, were responsible for guarding the entrance to the sanctuary, just as their ancestors had guarded the Tabernacle in the camp of the LORD. 20 Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers in earlier times, and the LORD had been with him. 21 And later Zechariah son of Meshelemiah had been responsible for guarding the entrance to the Tabernacle.22 In all, there were 212 gatekeepers in those days, and they were listed by genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed their ancestors because they were reliable men. 23 These gatekeepers and their descendants, by their divisions, were responsible for guarding the entrance to the house of the LORD, the house that was formerly a tent. 24 The gatekeepers were stationed on all four sides--east, west, north, and south. 25 From time to time, their relatives in the villages came to share their duties for seven-day periods. 26 The four chief gatekeepers, all Levites, were in an office of great trust, for they were responsible for the rooms and treasuries at the house of God. 27 They would spend the night around the house of God, since it was their duty to guard it. It was also their job to open the gates every morning. 28 Some of the gatekeepers were assigned to care for the various utensils used in worship. They checked them in and out to avoid any loss. 29 Others were responsible for the furnishings, the items in the sanctuary, and the supplies such as choice flour, wine, olive oil, incense, and spices. 30 But it was the priests who prepared the spices and incense. 31 Mattithiah, a Levite and the oldest son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with baking the bread used in the offerings. 32 And some members of the clan of Kohath were in charge of preparing the bread to be set on the table each Sabbath day. 33 The musicians, all prominent Levites, lived at the Temple. They were exempt from other responsibilities there since they were on duty at all hours. 34 All these men lived in Jerusalem. They were the heads of Levite families and were listed as prominent leaders in their tribal genealogy. 35 Jeiel (the father of Gibeon) lived in Gibeon. His wife's name was Maacah, 36 and his oldest son was named Abdon. Jeiel's other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, 37 Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. 38 Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. All these families lived near each other in Jerusalem. 39 Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of Saul. Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malkishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. 40 Jonathan was the father of Meribbaal. Meribbaal was the father of Micah. 41 The sons of Micah were Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz.42 Ahaz was the father of Jadah. Jadah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza. 43 Moza was the father of Binea. Binea's son was Rephaiah. Rephaiah's son was Eleasah. Eleasah's son was Azel. 44 Azel had six sons, and their names were Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.10:1 NOW the Philistines attacked Israel, forcing the Israelites to flee. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons--Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua. 3 The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely. 4 Saul groaned to his armor bearer, " Take your sword and run me through before these pagan Philistines come and humiliate me." But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died. 6 So Saul and his three sons died there together, bringing his dynasty to an end. 7 When the Israelites in the Jezreel Valley saw that their army had been routed and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns.8 The next day when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his sons on Mount Gilboa. 9 So they stripped off Saul's armor and cut off his head. Then they proclaimed the news of Saul's death before their idols and to the people throughout the land of Philistia. 10 They placed his armor in the temple of their gods, and they fastened his head to the wall in the temple of Dagon. 11 But when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 their warriors went out and brought the bodies of Saul and his three sons back to Jabesh. Then they buried their remains beneath the oak tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days. 13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD. He failed to obey the LORD's command, and he even consulted a medium 14 instead of asking the LORD for guidance. So the LORD killed him and turned his kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

ACTS 27:21-44
No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, " Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Fair Havens. You would have avoided all this injury and loss. 22 But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. 23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, 24 and he said, ` Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.' 25 So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. 26 But we will be shipwrecked on an island." 27 About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, the sailors sensed land was near. 28 They took soundings and found the water was only 120 feet deep. A little later they sounded again and found only 90 feet. 29 At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the prow. 31 But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, " You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard." 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the boat fall off. 33 As the darkness gave way to the early morning light, Paul begged everyone to eat. " You haven't touched food for two weeks," he said. 34 " Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish." 35 Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. 36 Then everyone was encouraged, 37 and all 276 of us began eating--for that is the number we had aboard. 38 After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard. 39 When morning dawned, they didn't recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get between the rocks and get the ship safely to shore. 40 So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore. 41 But the ship hit a shoal and ran aground. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart. 42 The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn't swim ashore and escape. 43 But the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul, so he didn't let them carry out their plan. Then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land, 44 and he told the others to try for it on planks and debris from the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely ashore!

PSALM 8:1-9
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.
1 O LORD, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2 You have taught children and nursing infants
to give you praise.
They silence your enemies
who were seeking revenge.
3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers--
the moon and the stars you have set in place--
4 what are mortals that you should think of us,
mere humans that you should care for us?
5 For you made us only a little lower than God,
and you crowned us with glory and honor.
6 You put us in charge of everything you made,
giving us authority over all things--
7 the sheep and the cattle
and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean currents.
9 O LORD, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!

PROVERBS 18:23-24
The poor plead for mercy; the rich answer with insults. There are " friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

July 9 reading through the Bible

 

1 CHRONICLES 7:1-8:40
ACTS 27:1-20
PSALM 7:1-17
PROVERBS 18:22

1 CHRONICLES 7:1-8:40
The four sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron. 2 The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel. Each of them was the leader of an ancestral clan. At the time of King David, the total number of men available for military service from these families was 22,600. 3 The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah. These five became the leaders of clans. 4 The total number of men available for military service among their descendants was 36,000, for all five of them had many wives and many sons.5 The total number of men available for military service from all the clans of the tribe of Issachar was 87,000. All of them were listed in their tribal genealogy. 6 Three of Benjamin's sons were Bela, Beker, and Jediael. 7 The sons of Bela were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri. These five warriors were the leaders of clans. The total number of men available for military service among their descendants was 22,034. All of them were listed in their family genealogy. 8 The sons of Beker were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. 9 According to their family genealogy, there were 20,200 men available for military service among their descendants, in addition to their clan leaders. 10 The son of Jediael was Bilhan. The sons of Bilhan were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. 11 They were the leaders of the clans of Jediael, and their descendants included 17,200 men available for military service. 12 The sons of Ir were Shuppim and Huppim. Hushim was the son of Aher. 13 The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. They were all descendants of Jacob's wife Bilhah. 14 The sons of Manasseh, born to his Aramean concubine, were Asriel and Makir. Makir was the father of Gilead. 15 Makir found wives for Huppim and Shuppim. Makir's sister was named Maacah. One of his descendants was Zelophehad, who had only daughters. 16 Makir's wife, Maacah, gave birth to a son whom she named Peresh. His brother's name was Sheresh. The sons of Peresh were Ulam and Rakem. 17 The son of Ulam was Bedan. All these were considered Gileadites, descendants of Makir son of Manasseh. 18 Makir's sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. 19 The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam. 20 The descendants of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered, Tahath, Eleadah, Tahath, 21 Zabad, and Shuthelah. Ephraim's sons Ezer and Elead were killed trying to steal livestock from the local farmers near Gath. 22 Their father, Ephraim, mourned for them a long time, and his relatives came to comfort him. 23 Afterward Ephraim slept with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Ephraim named him Beriah because of the tragedy his family had suffered. 24 Ephraim had a daughter named Sheerah. She built the towns of Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah. 25 Ephraim's line of descent was Rephah, Resheph, Telah, Tahan, 26 Ladan, Ammihud, Elishama, 27 Nun, and Joshua.28 The descendants of Ephraim lived in the territory that included Bethel and its surrounding towns to the south, Naaran to the east, Gezer and its villages to the west, and Shechem and its surrounding villages to the north as far as Ayyah and its towns. 29 Along the border of Manasseh were the towns of Beth-shan, Taanach, Megiddo, Dor, and their surrounding villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns. 30 The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. They had a sister named Serah. 31 The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel (the father of Birzaith). 32 The sons of Heber were Japhlet, Shomer, and Hotham. They had a sister named Shua. 33 The sons of Japhlet were Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. 34 The sons of Shomer were Ahi, Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram. 35 The sons of his brother Helem were Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. 36 The sons of Zophah were Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. 38 The sons of Jether were Jephunneh, Pispah, and Ara. 39 The sons of Ulla were Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia.40 Each of these descendants of Asher was the head of an ancestral clan. They were all skilled warriors and prominent leaders. There were 26,000 men available for military service among the descendants listed in their tribal genealogy. 8:1 THE sons of Benjamin, in order of age, included Bela (the oldest), Ashbel, Aharah, 2 Nohah, and Rapha. 3 The sons of Bela were Addar, Gera, Abihud, 4 Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, 5 Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. 6 The sons of Ehud, leaders of the clans living at Geba, were driven out and moved to Manahath. 7 Ehud's sons were Naaman, Ahijah, and Gera. Gera, the father of Uzza and Ahihud, led them when they moved. 8 After Shaharaim divorced his wives Hushim and Baara, he had children in the land of Moab. 9 Hodesh, his new wife, gave birth to Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, 10 Jeuz, Sakia, and Mirmah. These sons all became the leaders of clans. 11 Shaharaim's wife Hushim had already given birth to Abitub and Elpaal. 12 The sons of Elpaal were Eber, Misham, Shemed (who built Ono and Lod and their villages), 13 Beriah, and Shema. They were the leaders of the clans living in Aijalon, and they drove out the inhabitants of Gath. 14 Ahio, Shashak, Jeremoth, 15 Zebadiah, Arad, Eder, 16 Michael, Ishpah, and Joha were the sons of Beriah. 17 Zebadiah, Meshullam, Hizki, Heber, 18 Ishmerai, Izliah, and Jobab were the sons of Elpaal. 19 Jakim, Zicri, Zabdi, 20 Elienai, Zillethai, Eliel, 21 Adaiah, Beraiah, and Shimrath were the sons of Shimei. 22 Ishpan, Eber, Eliel, 23 Abdon, Zicri, Hanan, 24 Hananiah, Elam, Anthothijah, 25 Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak. 26 Shamsherai, Shehariah, Athaliah, 27 Jaareshiah, Elijah, and Zicri were the sons of Jeroham.28 These were the leaders of the ancestral clans, and they were listed in their tribal genealogy. They all lived in Jerusalem. 29 Jeiel (the father of Gibeon) lived in Gibeon. His wife's name was Maacah, 30 and his oldest son was named Abdon. Jeiel's other sons were Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, 31 Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, 32 and Mikloth, who was the father of Shimeam. All these families lived near each other in Jerusalem. 33 Ner was the father of Kish. Kish was the father of Saul. Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malkishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal. 34 Jonathan was the father of Meribbaal. Meribbaal was the father of Micah. 35 Micah was the father of Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz.36 Ahaz was the father of Jadah. Jadah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri was the father of Moza. 37 Moza was the father of Binea. Binea was the father of Rephaiah. Rephaiah was the father of Eleasah. Eleasah was the father of Azel. 38 Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bokeru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel. 39 Azel's brother Eshek had three sons: Ulam (the oldest), Jeush (the second), and Eliphelet (the third). 40 The sons of Ulam were all skilled warriors and expert archers. They had many sons and grandsons--150 in all.All these were descendants of Benjamin.

ACTS 27:1-20
When the time came, we [Luke, Paul, and his companions] set sail for Italy. Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of an army officer named Julius, a captain of the Imperial Regiment. 2 And Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was also with us. We left on a boat whose home port was Adramyttium; it was scheduled to make several stops at ports along the coast of the province of Asia. 3 The next day when we docked at Sidon, Julius was very kind to Paul and let him go ashore to visit with friends so they could provide for his needs. 4 Putting out to sea from there, we encountered headwinds that made it difficult to keep the ship on course, so we sailed north of Cyprus between the island and the mainland. 5 We passed along the coast of the provinces of Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the province of Lycia. 6 There the officer found an Egyptian ship from Alexandria that was bound for Italy, and he put us on board. 7 We had several days of rough sailing, and after great difficulty we finally neared Cnidus. But the wind was against us, so we sailed down to the leeward side of Crete, past the cape of Salmone. 8 We struggled along the coast with great difficulty and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. 9 We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for long voyages by then because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship's officers about it. 10 " Sirs," he said, " I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on--shipwreck, loss of cargo, injuries, and danger to our lives." 11 But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner than to Paul. 12 And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor--a poor place to spend the winter--most of the crew wanted to go to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure. 13 When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed along close to shore. 14 But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (a " northeaster," they called it) caught the ship and blew it out to sea. 15 They couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale. 16 We sailed behind a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat that was being towed behind us. 17 Then we banded the ship with ropes to strengthen the hull. The sailors were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor and were thus driven before the wind. 18 The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. 19 The following day they even threw out the ship's equipment and anything else they could lay their hands on. 20 The terrible storm raged unabated for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.

PSALM 7:1-17
A psalm of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush of the tribe of Benjamin.
1 I come to you for protection, O LORD my God.
Save me from my persecutors--rescue me!
2 If you don't, they will maul me like a lion,
tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
3 O LORD my God, if I have done wrong
or am guilty of injustice,
4 if I have betrayed a friend
or plundered my enemy without cause,
5 then let my enemies capture me.
Let them trample me into the ground.
Let my honor be left in the dust.
Interlude6 Arise, O LORD, in anger!
Stand up against the fury of my enemies!
Wake up, my God, and bring justice!
7 Gather the nations before you.
Sit on your throne high above them.
8 The LORD passes judgment on the nations.
Declare me righteous, O LORD,
for I am innocent, O Most High!
9 End the wickedness of the ungodly,
but help all those who obey you.
For you look deep within the mind and heart,
O righteous God.
10 God is my shield,
saving those whose hearts are true and right.
11 God is a judge who is perfectly fair.
He is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If a person does not repent,
God will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.
13 He will prepare his deadly weapons
and ignite his flaming arrows.
14 The wicked conceive evil;
they are pregnant with trouble
and give birth to lies.
15 They dig a pit to trap others
and then fall into it themselves.
16 They make trouble,
but it backfires on them.
They plan violence for others,
but it falls on their own heads.
17 I will thank the LORD because he is just;
I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

PROVERBS 18:22
The man who finds a wife finds a treasure and receives favor from the LORD.