Daily Bible Reading from BibleStudyTools.com

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Today's Bible Reading

June 25

Mark 8:1-21; 2 Samuel 19; Daniel 12 CJB

Mark 8:1-21

1 It was during that time that another large crowd gathered, and they had nothing to eat. Yeshua called his talmidim to him and said to them,

2 "I feel sorry for these people, because they have been with me three days, and now they have nothing to eat.

3 If I send them off to their homes hungry, they will collapse on the way; some of them have come a long distance."

4 His talmidim said to him, "How can anyone find enough bread to satisfy these people in a remote place like this?"

5 "How many loaves do you have?" he asked them. They answered, "Seven."

6 He then told the crowd to sit down on the ground, took the seven loaves, made a b'rakhah, broke the loaves and gave them to his talmidim to serve to the people.

7 They also had a few fish; making a b'rakhah over them he also ordered these to be served.

8 The people ate their fill; and the talmidim took up the leftover pieces, seven large basketsful.

9 About four thousand were there.

10 After sending them away, Yeshua got into the boat with his talmidim and went off to the district of Dalmanuta.

11 The P'rushim came and began arguing with him; they wanted him to give them a sign from Heaven, because they were out to trap him.

12 With a sigh that came straight from his heart, he said, "Why does this generation want a sign? Yes! I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation!"

13 With that, he left them, got into the boat again and went off to the other side of the lake.

14 Now the talmidim had forgotten to bring bread and had with them in the boat only one loaf.

15 So when Yeshua said to them, "Watch out! Guard yourselves from the hametz of the P'rushim and the hametz of Herod,"

16 they thought he had said it because they had no bread.

17 But, aware of this, he said, "Why are you talking with each other about having no bread? Don't you see or understand yet? Have your hearts been made like stone?

18 You have eyes -- don't you see? You have ears -- don't you hear? And don't you remember?

19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" "Twelve," they answered him.

20 "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" "Seven," they answered.

21 He said to them, "And you still don't understand?"

2 Samuel 19

1 Yo'av was told, "The king is weeping, mourning for Avshalom."

2 Thus the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard it said that day that the king was grieving for his son;

3 so that the people entered the city furtively that day, the way that people who are ashamed creep away when fleeing a battlefield.

4 Meanwhile, the king covered his face and cried aloud, "Oh, my son Avshalom! Oh, Avshalom, my son, my son!"

5 Yo'av went inside to the king and said, "Today you made all your servants feel ashamed. They saved your life today, and the lives of your sons, daughters, wives and concubines.

6 But you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. Today you said that princes and servants mean nothing to you - for I can see today that it would have pleased you more if Avshalom had lived today, and we had all died!

7 Now get up, go out and speak heart-to-heart with your servants. For I swear by ADONAI that if you don't go out, not one man will stay here with you tonight - and that will be worse for you than all the misfortunes you have suffered from your youth until now."

8 So the king got up and sat in the city gateway; and when all the people were told, "Now the king is sitting in the gate," they came before the king. Meanwhile, Isra'el had fled, each man to his tent;

9 and throughout all the tribes of Isra'el there was dissension among all the people. They were saying, "The king delivered us from the power of our enemies, and he saved us from the power of the P'lishtim; but now he has fled the land to escape Avshalom.

10 However, Avshalom, whom we anointed to rule us, is dead in battle. So now, why doesn't anyone suggest bringing the king back?"

11 King David sent this message to Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim: "Ask the leaders of Y'hudah, 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his palace? The king has already heard that all Isra'el wants to return him to his palace.

12 You are my kinsmen, my flesh and bone; so why are you the last to bring back the king?'

13 Also tell 'Amasa, 'You are my flesh and bone. May God bring terrible curses on me and worse ones yet if from now on you are not permanent commander of my army instead of Yo'av."

14 Thus he turned the hearts of all the men of Y'hudah around as if they were one man, so that they sent a message to the king, "Come back, you and all your servants!"

15 The king started back and arrived at the Yarden, while Y'hudah came to Gilgal in order to meet the king and bring the king over the Yarden.

16 Shim'i the son of Gera, the Binyamini from Bachurim, hurried and came down with the men of Y'hudah to meet King David.

17 There were a thousand men of Binyamin with him, also Tziva the servant of the house of Sha'ul with his fifteen sons and twenty servants; and they rushed into the Yarden ahead of the king

18 to ferry the king's household across and do whatever else the king wanted done. Shim'i the son of Gera fell down before the king when he was ready to cross the Yarden

19 and said to the king, "May my lord not hold me guilty of a crime. Don't remember the wrong your servant did on the day my lord the king left Yerushalayim. May the king not take it to heart!

20 For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, look - I am the first one of all the house of Yosef to come today and go down to meet my lord the king."

21 Avishai the son of Tz'ruyah answered, "Shouldn't Shim'i be put to death for this? After all, he cursed ADONAI's anointed ruler!"

22 But David said, "What do I have in common with you, you sons of Tz'ruyah? Why have you become my adversaries today? Should anyone in Isra'el be put to death today? Don't I know that today I am king over Isra'el?"

23 Then the king said to Shim'i, "You will not be put to death," and the king swore it to him.

24 M'fivoshet the son of Sha'ul came down to meet the king. He hadn't cared for his legs, trimmed his beard or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he came home in peace.

25 When he came to Yerushalayim to meet the king, the king said to him, "Why didn't you go with me, M'fivoshet?"

26 He answered, "My lord king, my servant deceived me. I your servant had said, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself to ride on and go with the king,' since your servant is lame.

27 But he slandered me your servant to my lord the king. However, my lord the king is like an angel of God; so do whatever seems right to you.

28 For all my father's household deserved death at the hand of my lord the king; nevertheless you placed your servant with those who eat at your own table. I deserve nothing more; so why should I come crying any more to the king?"

29 The king said to him, "Why speak any more about these matters of yours? I say: you and Tziva, divide the land."

30 M'fivoshet said to the king, "Indeed, let him take it all; for me it's enough that my lord the king has come home in peace."

31 Barzillai the Gil'adi had come down from Roglim and passed on to the Yarden with the king to bring him across the Yarden.

32 Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old; he had provided for the king's needs when he was staying at Machanayim; for he was a wealthy man.

33 The king said to Barzillai, "Come on across with me, and I will provide for your needs with me in Yerushalayim."

34 Barzillai said to the king, "How much longer can I live, that I should go up with the king to Yerushalayim?

35 I am now eighty years old. Can I tell good from bad? Can your servant even taste what he eats or drinks? Can I hear the voice of men and women singing any more? Why should your servant burden my lord the king?

36 Your servant only wants to cross the Yarden with the king; why should the king reward this so generously?

37 Please, just let your servant go back and die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Khimham; let him cross with my lord the king; and do for him whatever seems good to you."

38 The king answered, "Khimham will cross with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you. Whatever you ask of me, I will do for you."

39 So all the people crossed the Yarden; and the king crossed too. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him; then he returned to his home.

40 The king crossed over to Gilgal, and Khimham crossed with him. All the people of Y'hudah brought the king across, as did half the people of Isra'el.

41 Now all the men of Isra'el came to the king and said to him, "Why have our kinsmen, the men of Y'hudah, stolen you away and brought the king and his household across the Yarden, and all David's men with him?"

42 All the men of Y'hudah answered the men of Isra'el, "Because the king is our close relative. Why are you angry about this? Have we eaten anything at the king's expense? Has any gift been given to us?"

43 The men of Isra'el answered the men of Y'hudah, "We have ten shares in the king; also we have more right in David than you. So why did you despise us? Weren't we the first to suggest bringing our king back?" But the men of Y'hudah spoke more vehemently than the men of Isra'el.

Daniel 12

1 "When that time comes, Mikha'el, the great prince who champions your people, will stand up; and there will be a time of distress unparalleled between the time they became a nation and that moment. At that time, your people will be delivered, everyone whose name is found written in the book.

2 Many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and abhorrence.

3 But those who can discern will shine like the brightness of heaven's dome, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

4 "But you, Dani'el, keep these words secret, and seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rush here and there as knowledge increases."

5 Then I, Dani'el, looked; and I saw in front of me two others, one on this bank of the river and the other on its other bank.

6 One of them asked the man dressed in linen who was above the water of the river, "How long will these wonders last?"

7 The man dressed in linen who was above the water of the river raised his right and left hands toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times and a half, and that it will be when the the power of the holy people is no longer being shattered that all these things will end.

8 I heard this, but I couldn't understand what it meant; so I asked, "Lord, what will be the outcome of all this?"

9 But he said, "Go your way, Dani'el; for these words are to remain secret and sealed until the time of the end.

10 Many will purify, cleanse and refine themselves; but the wicked will keep on acting wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand. But those with discernment will understand.

11 From the time the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.

12 How blessed will be anyone who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days.

13 But you, go your way until the end comes. Then you will rest and rise for your reward, at the end of days."

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Today's Bible Reading

June 26

Mark 8:22-9:1; 2 Samuel 20-21; Hosea 1:1-2:1 CJB

Mark 8

22 They came to Beit-Tzaidah. Some people brought him a blind man and begged Yeshua to touch him.

23 Taking the blind man's hand, he led him outside the town. He spit in his eyes, put his hands on him and asked him, "Do you see anything?"

24 He looked up and said, "I see people, but they look like walking trees."

25 Then he put his hands on the blind man's eyes again. He peered intently, and his eyesight was restored, so that he could see everything distinctly.

26 Yeshua sent him home with the words, "Don't go into town."

27 Yeshua and his talmidim went on to the towns of Caesarea Philippi. On the way, he asked his talmidim, "Who are people saying I am?"

28 "Some say you are Yochanan the Immerser," they told him, "others say Eliyahu, and still others, one of the prophets."

29 "But you," he asked, "who do you say I am?" Kefa answered, "You are the Mashiach."

30 Then Yeshua warned them not to tell anyone about him.

31 He began teaching them that the Son of Man had to endure much suffering and be rejected by the elders, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers; and that he had to be put to death; but that after three days, he had to rise again.

32 He spoke very plainly about it. Kefa took him aside and began rebuking him.

33 But, turning around and looking at his talmidim, he rebuked Kefa. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said, "For your thinking is from a human perspective, not from God's perspective!"

34 Then Yeshua called the crowd and his talmidim to him and told them, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him say `No' to himself, take up his execution stake, and keep following me.

35 For whoever wants to save his own life will destroy it, but whoever destroys his life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will save it.

36 Indeed, what will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life?

37 What could a person give in exchange for his life?

38 For if someone is ashamed of me and of what I say in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.

Mark 9:1

1 Yes!" he went on, "I tell you that there are some people standing here who will not experience death until they see the Kingdom of God come in a powerful way!"

2 Samuel 20

1 There happened to be there a scoundrel whose name was Sheva the son of Bikhri, a Binyamini. He sounded the shofar and said, "We have no share in David, no inheritance in the son of Yishai; so, Isra'el, every man to his tent!"

2 All the men of Isra'el left off following David and went after Sheva the son of Bikhri. But the men of Y'hudah stuck with their king, from the Yarden to Yerushalayim.

3 When David arrived at his palace in Yerushalayim, the king took the ten women who were his concubines, whom he had left to care for the palace, and put them under guard. He provided for their needs but never slept with them again. They were kept in confinement until the day of their death, living like widows with their husband still alive.

4 The king said to 'Amasa, "Summon the men of Y'hudah to come to me within three days; and you, be here too."

5 'Amasa went to summon the men of Y'hudah but took longer than the time he had been given.

6 David said to Avishai, "Sheva the son of Bikhri is going to do us more harm than Avshalom. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, so that he won't take over fortified cities and escape us."

7 With him went Yo'av's men, the K'reti, the P'leti and all the experienced soldiers; they left Yerushalayim in pursuit of Sheva the son of Bikhri.

8 On arrival at the big rock in Giv'on, 'Amasa came to meet them. Yo'av was wearing his battle clothes, over which he had girded a belt with a sheathed sword; but as he came forward it fell out.

9 Yo'av said to 'Amasa, "Is it going well with you, my brother? Then, with his right hand, Yo'av took 'Amasa by the beard to kiss him.

10 'Amasa took no notice of the sword in Yo'av's hand, so Yo'av stabbed him in the groin. His insides poured out on the ground, and he died without being stabbed a second time. Yo'av and Avishai his brother continued in pursuit of Sheva the son of Bikhri.

11 One of Yo'av's young men standing by Yo'av said, "Whoever is on Yo'av's side, whoever is for David - let him follow Yo'av."

12 'Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road; so that as the troops came up, they all halted there. When the man saw that all the people were standing still, he dragged 'Amasa off the road into the field and threw a cloak over him.

13 Once he had been removed from the road, all the troops went on after Yo'av, to pursue Sheva the son of Bikhri.

14 Sheva went through all the tribes of Isra'el, to Avel and Beit-Ma'akhah, and to all the Berim; they assembled and followed him.

15 Yo'av's troops came and put him under siege in Avel of Beit-Ma'akhah - they put up a ramp in the moat against the city wall; and all the people with Yo'av battered the wall in order to bring it down.

16 Then a wise woman in the city shouted, "Listen! Listen! Please tell Yo'av, 'Come over here, so that I can speak with you.'"

17 He approached her, and the woman asked, "Are you Yo'av?" He answered, "I am." She said to him, "Listen to what your servant has to say." He answered, "I'm listening."

18 Then she said, "In the old days they used to say, 'They will ask advice at Avel'; and that would end the discussion.

19 We are among those in Isra'el who are peaceful and faithful. Why are you destroying a city and a mother in Isra'el? Why swallow up the inheritance of ADONAI?"

20 Yo'av answered, "Heaven forbid! Heaven forbid that I should swallow or destroy anything!

21 That's not how it is. Rather, a man from the hills of Efrayim, Sheva the son of Bikhri, has raised his hand against the king, against David. Just turn him over to me, and I will leave the city." The woman said to Yo'av, "All right, his head will be thrown to you over the wall."

22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise plan. They cut off the head of Sheva the son of Bikhri and threw it out to Yo'av. So he sounded the shofar, and they left the city, sending each man to his tent; while Yo'av returned to the king in Yerushalayim.

23 Once again Yo'av was commander over the whole army of Isra'el, while B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada was over the K'reti and P'leti,

24 Adoram was in charge of forced labor, Y'hoshafat the son of Achilud was secretary of state,

25 Sh'va was recorder, Tzadok and Evyatar were cohanim,

26 and 'Ira the Ya'iri was David's cohen.

2 Samuel 21

1 In David's time there was a famine that lasted three years, and David consulted ADONAI. ADONAI said, "It is because of Sha'ul and his bloodstained house, because he put to death the people of Giv'on."

2 The king summoned the Giv'onim and said to them - these Giv'onim were not part of the people of Isra'el but from the remnant of the Emori; and the people of Isra'el had sworn to them; but Sha'ul, in his zeal for the people of Isra'el and Y'hudah, had sought to exterminate them -

3 David said to the Giv'onim, "What should I do for you? With what should I make atonement, so that you will be able to bless ADONAI's heritage?"

4 The Giv'onim said to him, "Our dispute with Sha'ul can't be resolved with silver or gold; and we don't have the right to put anyone in Isra'el to death." He said, "So, what do you say that I should do for you?"

5 They answered the king, "The man who ruined us, who schemed against us so that we would cease to exist anywhere in Isra'el's territory -

6 have seven of his male descendants handed over to us, and we will put them to death by hanging before ADONAI in Giv'ah of Sha'ul, whom ADONAI chose."The king said, "I will hand them over."

7 But the king spared M'fivoshet, the son of Y'honatan the son of Sha'ul, because of the oath before ADONAI between David and Y'honatan the son of Sha'ul.

8 The king took the two sons of Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah, whom she bore to Sha'ul, Armoni and M'fivoshet; and the five sons of Mikhal the daughter of Sha'ul, whom she bore to Adri'el the son of Barzillai the Mecholati;

9 and handed them over to the Giv'onim, who hanged them on the hill before ADONAI. All seven died; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest season, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

10 Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah took sackcloth, spread it out toward a cliff for herself and stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until water was poured out on the bodies from the sky, not letting the birds land on them during the day or the wild animals at night.

11 David was told what Ritzpah the daughter of Ayah, the concubine of Sha'ul, had done.

12 So David went and took the bones of Sha'ul and the bones of Y'honatan his son from the men of Yavesh-Gil'ad, who had stolen them from the open square of Beit-Sh'an, where the P'lishtim had hanged them at the time the P'lishtim had killed Sha'ul at Gilboa;

13 and he brought up from there the bones of Sha'ul and the bones of Y'honatan his son. They also gathered the bones of those who had been hanged.

14 Then they buried the bones of Sha'ul and Y'honatan his son in the territory of Binyamin in Tzela, in the tomb of Kish his father; they did everything the king ordered. Only after that was God prevailed on to show mercy to the land.

15 Once again the P'lishtim made war on Isra'el. David went down with his servants and fought against the P'lishtim, but David began to get tired.

16 Yishbi-B'nov, one of the sons of the giant, said that he would kill David; his spear weighed seven pounds, and he was wearing new armor.

17 But Avishai the son of Tz'ruyah came to David's rescue by striking the P'lishti and killing him. Then David's men swore to him, "You must no longer go out with us to battle, in order not to quench the lamp of Isra'el."

18 A while after this there was again war with the P'lishtim, at Gov. Sibkhai the Hushati killed Saf, one of the sons of the giant.

19 There was more war with the P'lishtim at Gov; and Elchanan the son of Ya'arei-Orgim, the Beit-Lachmi, killed Golyat the Gitti, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's beam.

20 There was again war at Gat, where there was a belligerent man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot - twenty-four in all - and he too was a son of the giant.

21 When he mocked Isra'el, Y'honatan the son of Shim'ah David's brother killed him.

22 These four were sons of the giant in Gat; they fell at the hands of David and his servants.

Hosea 1

1 This is the word of ADONAI that came to Hoshea the son of Be'eri during the reigns of 'Uziyah, Yotam, Achaz and Y'chizkiyah, kings of Y'hudah, and during the reign of Yarov'am the son of Yo'ash, king of Isra'el.

2 ADONAI's opening words in speaking to Hoshea were to instruct Hoshea, "Go, marry a whore, and have children with this whore; for the land is engaged in flagrant whoring, whoring away from ADONAI."

3 So he went and married Gomer the daughter of Divlayim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

4 ADONAI said to him, "Call him Yizre'el, because in only a short time I will punish the house of Yehu for having shed blood at Yizre'el; I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Isra'el.

5 When that day comes, I will break the bow of Isra'el in the Yizre'el Valley."

6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. ADONAI said to him, "Name her Lo-Ruchamah [unpitied], for I will no longer have pity on the house of Isra'el. By no means will I forgive them.

7 But I will pity the house of Y'hudah; I will save them not by bow, sword, battle, horses or cavalry, but by ADONAI their God."

8 After weaning Lo-Ruchamah, she conceived and bore a son.

9 ADONAI said, "Name him Lo-'Ammi [not-my-people], because you are not my people, and I will not be your [God].

10 "Nevertheless, the people of Isra'el will number as many as the grains of sand by the sea, which cannot be measured or counted; so that the time will come when, instead of being told, 'You are not my people,' it will be said to them, 'You are the children of the living God.'

11 Then the people of Y'hudah and the people of Isra'el will be gathered together; they will appoint for themselves one leader; and they will go up out of the land; for that will be a great day, [the day] of Yizre'el.

Hosea 2:1

1 Say to your brothers, 'Ammi [My People]!' and to your sisters, 'Ruchamah [Pitied]!'

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Today's Bible Reading

June 27

Mark 9:2-50; 2 Samuel 22; Hosea 2:2-23 CJB

Mark 9:2-50

2 Six days later, Yeshua took Kefa, Ya`akov and Yochanan and led them up a high mountain privately. As they watched, he began to change form,

3 and his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than anyone in the world could possibly bleach them.

4 Then they saw Eliyahu and Moshe speaking with Yeshua.

5 Kefa said to Yeshua, "It's good that we're here, Rabbi! Let's put up three shelters -- one for you, one for Moshe and one for Eliyahu."

6 (He didn't know what to say, they were so fright ened.)

7 Then a cloud enveloped them; and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Yeshua.

9 As they came down the mountain, he warned them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

10 So they kept the matter to themselves; but they continued asking each other, "What is this `rising from the dead'?"

11 They also asked him, "Why do the Torah-teachers say that Eliyahu has to come first?"

12 "Eliyahu will indeed come first," he answered, "and he will restore everything. Nevertheless, why is it written in the Tanakh that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?

13 There's more to it: I tell you that Eliyahu has come, and they did whatever they pleased to him, just as the Tanakh says about him."

14 When they got back to the talmidim, they saw a large crowd around them and some Torah-teachers arguing with them.

15 As soon as the crowd saw him, they were surprised and ran out to greet him.

16 He asked them, "What's the discussion about?"

17 One of the crowd gave him the answer: "Rabbi, I brought my son to you because he has an evil spirit in him that makes him unable to talk.

18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground -- he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth and becomes stiff all over. I asked your talmidim to drive the spirit out, but they couldn't do it."

19 "People without any trust!" he responded. "How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!"

20 They brought the boy to him; and as soon as the spirit saw him, it threw the boy into a convulsion.

21 Yeshua asked the boy's father, "How long has this been happening to him?" "Ever since childhood," he said;

22 "and it often tries to kill him by throwing him into the fire or into the water. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us!"

23 Yeshua said to him, "What do you mean, `if you can'? Everything is possible to someone who has trust!"

24 Instantly the father of the child exclaimed, "I do trust -- help my lack of trust!"

25 When Yeshua saw that the crowd was closing in on them, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You deaf and dumb spirit! I command you: come out of him, and never go back into him again!"

26 Shrieking and throwing the boy into a violent fit, it came out. The boy lay there like a corpse, so that most of the people said he was dead.

27 But Yeshua took him by the hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 After Yeshua had gone indoors, his talmidim asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"

29 He said to them "This is the kind of spirit that can be driven out only by prayer."

30 After leaving that place, they went on through the Galil. Yeshua didn't want anyone to know,

31 because he was teaching his talmidim. He told them, "The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men who will put him to death; but after he has been killed, three days later he will rise."

32 But they didn't understand what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him.

33 They arrived at K'far-Nachum. When Yeshua was inside the house, he asked them, "What were you discussing as we were traveling?"

34 But they kept quiet; because on the way, they had been arguing with each other about who was the greatest.

35 He sat down, summoned the Twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all."

36 He took a child and stood him among them. Then he put his arms around him and said to them,

37 "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the One who sent me."

38 Yochanan said to him, "Rabbi, we saw a man expelling demons in your name; and because he wasn't one of us, we told him to stop."

39 But Yeshua said, "Don't stop him, because no one who works a miracle in my name will soon after be able to say something bad about me.

40 For whoever is not against us is for us.

41 Indeed, whoever gives you even a cup of water to drink because you come in the name of the Messiah -- yes! I tell you that he will certainly not lose his reward.

42 "Whoever ensnares one of these little ones who trust me -- it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and be thrown in the sea.

43 If your hand makes you sin, cut it off! Better that you should be maimed but obtain eternal life, rather than keep both hands and go to Gei-Hinnom, to unquenchable fire!

44

45 And if your foot makes you sin, cut it off! Better that you should be lame but obtain eternal life, rather than keep both feet and be thrown into Gei-Hinnom!

46

47 And if your eye makes you sin, pluck it out! Better that you should be one-eyed but enter the Kingdom of God, rather than keep both eyes and be thrown into Gei-Hinnom,

48 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

49 Indeed, everyone is going to be salted with fire.

50 Salt is excellent, but if it loses its saltiness, how will you season it? So have salt in yourselves -- that is, be at peace with each other."

2 Samuel 22

1 David said the words of this song to ADONAI on the day ADONAI delivered him from the power of all his enemies and from the power of Sha'ul.

2 He said: "ADONAI is my Rock, my fortress and deliverer,

3 the God who is my Rock, in whom I find shelter, my shield, the power that saves me, my stronghold and my refuge. My savior, you have saved me from violence.

4 I call on ADONAI, who is worthy of praise; and I am saved from my enemies.

5 "For death's breakers were closing over me, the floods of B'liya'al terrified me,

6 the ropes of Sh'ol were wrapped around me, the snares of death lay there before me.

7 In my distress I called to ADONAI; yes, I called to my God. Out of his temple he heard my voice, and my cry entered his ears.

8 "Then the earth quaked and shook, the foundations of heaven trembled. They were shaken because he was angry.

9 Smoke arose in his nostrils; and from his mouth, devouring fire, with coals blazing from it.

10 He lowered heaven and came down with thick darkness under his feet.

11 He rode on a keruv and flew, he was seen on the wings of the wind.

12 He made darkness his canopy around him, thick clouds in the skies dense with water.

13 From the brightness before him, fiery coals flamed out.

14 "ADONAI thundered from heaven, Ha'Elyon sounded his voice.

15 He sent out arrows and scattered them; with lightning he routed them.

16 The channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were exposed at ADONAI's rebuke, at the blast of breath from his nostrils.

17 "He sent from on high, he took me and pulled me out of deep water;

18 he rescued me from my powerful enemy, from those who hated me, for they were stronger than I.

19 They came against me on my day of calamity, but ADONAI was my support.

20 "He brought me out to an open place; he rescued me, because he took pleasure in me.

21 ADONAI rewarded me for my uprightness, he repaid me because my hands were clean.

22 "For I have kept the ways of ADONAI, I have not done evil by leaving my God;

23 for all his rulings were before me, I did not depart from his regulations.

24 I was pure-hearted toward him and kept myself from my sin.

25 "Hence ADONAI repaid me for my uprightness, according to my purity in his view.

26 With the merciful, you are merciful; with the champion of purity, you are pure;

27 with the honest, you are honest; but with the crooked you are cunning.

28 People afflicted, you save; but when your eyes are on the haughty, you humble them.

29 "For you, ADONAI, are my lamp; ADONAI lights up my darkness.

30 With you I can run through a whole troop of men, with my God I can leap a wall.

31 "As for God, his way is perfect, the word of ADONAI has been tested by fire; he shields all who take refuge in him.

32 For who is God but ADONAI, and who is a Rock but our God?

33 "God is my strength and protection; he makes my way go straight.

34 He makes me swift and sure-footed as a deer and enables me to stand on my high places.

35 He trains my hands for war until my arms can bend a bow of bronze;

36 You give me your shield, which is salvation; your answers make me great.

37 You lengthen the steps I can take, yet my ankles do not turn.

38 "I pursued my enemies and wiped them out, without turning back until they were destroyed.

39 I destroyed them, crushed them; they can't get up; they have fallen under my feet.

40 "For you braced me with strength for the battle and bent down my adversaries beneath me.

41 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, so that I could destroy those who hate me.

42 "They looked, but there was no one to help, even to ADONAI, but he didn't answer.

43 I pulverized them like dust on the ground, pounded and stamped on them like mud in the streets.

44 "You also freed me from the quarrels of my people. You kept me to be the head of the nations; a people I did not know now serve me.

45 Foreigners come cringing to me; the moment they hear of me, they obey me.

46 Foreigners lose heart as they stagger from their fortresses.

47 "ADONAI is alive! Blessed is my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock of my salvation,

48 the God who gives me vengeance and makes peoples submit to me.

49 He brings me out from my enemies. You raise me over those who rebel against me, you rescue me from violent men.

50 "So I give thanks to you, ADONAI, among the nations; I sing praises to your name.

51 He is a tower of salvation for his king; he displays grace to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever."

Hosea 2:2-23

2 Rebuke your mother, rebuke her; for she isn't my wife, and I'm not her husband. She must remove her whoring from her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts.

3 Otherwise, I will strip her naked and place her as she was the day she was born, make her like a desert, place her like a dry land and kill her with thirst.

4 I will have no pity on her children, for they are children of whoring

5 their mother prostituted herself, she who conceived them behaved shamelessly; she said, 'I will pursue my lovers, who give me my food and water, wool, flax, olive oil and wine.'

6 Therefore, I will block her way with thorns and put up a hedge so she can't find her paths.

7 She will pursue her lovers but not catch them. She will seek them but won't find them. Then she will say, 'I will go and return to my first husband; because things were better for me then than they are now.'

8 For she doesn't know it was I who gave her the grain, the wine and the oil; I who increased her silver and gold, which they used for Ba'al.

9 So I will take back my grain at harvest-time and my wine in its season; I will snatch away my wool and flax, given to cover her naked body.

10 Now I will uncover her shame, while her lovers watch; and no one will save her from me.

11 I will end her happiness, her festivals, Rosh-Hodesh, and shabbats, and all her designated times.

12 I will ravage her vines and fig trees, of which she says, 'These are my wages that my lovers have given me.' But I will turn them into a forest, and wild animals will eat them.

13 I will punish her for offering incense on the feast days of the ba'alim, when she decked herself with her earrings and jewels, pursuing her lovers and forgetting me," says ADONAI.

14 "But now I am going to woo her - I will bring her out to the desert and I will speak to her heart.

15 I will give her her vineyards from there and the Akhor Valley as a gateway to hope. She will respond there as she did when young, as she did when she came up from Egypt.

16 "On that day," says ADONAI "you will call me Ishi [My Husband]; you will no longer call me Ba'ali [My Master].

17 For I will remove the names of the ba'alim from her mouth; they will never again be mentioned by name.

18 When that day comes, I will make a covenant for them with the wild animals, the birds in the air and the creeping things of the earth. I will break bow and sword, sweep battle from the land, and make them lie down securely.

19 I will betroth you to me forever; yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in grace and in compassion;

20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness, and you will know ADONAI.

21 When that day comes, I will answer," says ADONAI "I will answer the sky, and it will answer the earth;

22 the earth will answer the corn, wine and oil, and they will answer Yizre'el [God will sow].

23 I will sow her for me in the land. I will have pity on Lo-Ruchamah [Unpitied]; I will say to Lo-'Ammi [Not-My-People], 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.'"

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

June 28

Mark 10:1-31; 2 Samuel 23; Hosea 3 CJB

Mark 10:1-31

1 Then Yeshua left that place and went into the regions of Y'hudah and the territory beyond the Yarden. Again crowds gathered around him; and again, as usual, he taught them. 2 Some P'rushim came up and tried to trap him by asking him, "Does the Torah permit a man to divorce his wife?" 3 He replied, "What did Moshe command you?" 4 They said, "Moshe allowed a man to hand his wife a get and divorce her." 5 But Yeshua said to them, "He wrote this commandment for you because of your hardheartedness. 6 However, at the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 7 For this reason, a man should leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, 8 and the two are to become one flesh. Thus they are no longer two, but one. 9 So then, no one should break apart what God has joined together." 10 When they were indoors once more, the talmidim asked him about this. 11 He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his wife; 12 and if a wife divorces her husband and marries another man, she too commits adultery." 13 People were bringing children to him so that he might touch them, but the talmidim rebuked those people. 14 However, when Yeshua saw it, he became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me, don't stop them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Yes! I tell you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it!" 16 And he took them in his arms, laid his hands on them, and made a b'rakhah over them. 17 As he was starting on his way, a man ran up, kneeled down in front of him and asked, "Good rabbi, what should I do to obtain eternal life?" 18 Yeshua said to him, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good except God! 19 You know the mitzvot -- `Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't give false testimony, don't defraud, honor your father and mother, . .'" 20 "Rabbi," he said, "I have kept all these since I was a boy." 21 Yeshua, looking at him, felt love for him and said to him, "You're missing one thing. Go, sell whatever you own, give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!" 22 Shocked by this word, he went away sad; because he was a wealthy man. 23 Yeshua looked around and said to his talmidim, "How hard it is going to be for people with wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!" 24 The talmidim were astounded at these words; but Yeshua said to them again, "My friends, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! 25 It's easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." 26 They were utterly amazed and said to him, "Then who can be saved?" 27 Yeshua looked at them and said, "Humanly, it is impossible, but not with God; with God, every thing is possible." 28 Kefa began saying to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you." 29 Yeshua said, "Yes! I tell you that there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, 30 who will not receive a hundred times over, now, in the `olam hazeh, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and lands -- with persecutions! -- and in the `olam haba, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first!"

2 Samuel 23

1 Here are David's last words: "This is the speech of David the son of Yishai, the speech of the man who has been raised up, the one anointed by the God of Ya'akov, the sweet singer of Isra'el. 2 "The Spirit of ADONAI spoke through me, his word was on my tongue. 3 The God of Isra'el spoke; the Rock of Isra'el said to me, 'A ruler over people must be upright, ruling in the fear of God; 4 like the morning light at sunrise on a cloudless day that makes the grass on the earth sparkle after a rain. 5 "For my house stands firm with God -he made an everlasting covenant with me. It is in order, fully assured, that he will bring to full growth all my salvation and every desire. 6 "But the ungodly are like thorn bushes to be pushed aside, every one of them. They cannot be taken in one's hand; 7 To touch them one uses pitchfork or spear-shaft, and then only to burn them where they lie." 8 Following are the names of David's warrior-heroes: Yoshev-Bashevet the Tach'kmoni, chief of the three, also known as 'Adino the 'Etzni; he is the one who came against 800 men, whom he killed in a single encounter. 9 After him was El'azar the son of Dodo the son of Achochi, one of the three warriors with David when they put their lives in jeopardy against the P'lishtim who were there assembled for battle, while the men of Isra'el had gone away. 10 He stood firm and attacked the P'lishtim until his hand went into spasm, so that he couldn't let go of his sword. ADONAI accomplished a great victory that day; but the people didn't return until he had finished, and then only to plunder the bodies of the dead. 11 After him was Shammah the son of Age the Harari. The P'lishtim had assembled at Lechi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the P'lishtim. 12 But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, killing the P'lishtim; and ADONAI brought about a great victory. 13 During harvest season three of the thirty leaders went down and came to David at the cave of 'Adulam when a company of P'lishtim had set up camp in the Refa'im Valley. 14 At that time David was in the fortress, and the garrison of the P'lishtim was in Beit-Lechem 15 David had a craving and said, "I wish someone could give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem!" 16 The three warrior-heroes broke through the army of the P'lishtim, drew water from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem, took it and brought it to David. But he wouldn't drink it. Instead, he poured it out to ADONAI 17 and said, "ADONAI! Heaven forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of men who went and put their lives in jeopardy?"- and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did. 18 Avishai the brother of Yo'av, the son of Tz'ruyah, was chief of these three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them; thus he had a reputation even among the three. 19 He had the most honor of these three and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three 20 B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada, the son of a valiant man of Kavtze'el, was a man of many exploits. He struck down two lion-hearted men of Mo'av. One day when it was snowing, he went down into a pit and killed a lion. 21 Here is how he killed an Egyptian, a man of intimidating appearance: the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, and he went down to him with only a stick, seized the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear 22 These are things that B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada did that earned him a name among the three warrior-heroes. 23 He had more honor than the thirty, but he did not achieve the status of the first three. David put him in command of his personal guard. 24 'Asah'el the brother of Yo'av was one of the thirty, Elchanan the son of Dodo of Beit-Lechem, 25 Shammah the Harodi, Elika the Harodi, 26 Heletz the Palti, 'Ira son of 'Ikesh from T'koa, 27 Avi'ezer from 'Anatot, M'vunai the Hushati, 28 Tzalmon the Achochi, Mahrai the N'tofati, 29 Helev the son of Ba'anah the N'tofati, Ittai the son of Rivai from Giv'ah, of the people of Binyamin, 30 B'nayahu from Pir'aton, Hiddai from the vadis of Ga'ash, 31 Avi-'Alvon the 'Arvati, 'Azmavet the Barchumi, 32 Elyachba the Sha'alvoni, of the sons of Yashen, Y'honatan, 33 Shammah the Harari, Achi'am the son of Sharar the Arari, 34 Elifelet the son of Achasbai the son of the Ma'akhati, Eli'am the son of Achitofel from Giloh, thirty-seven in all. 35 Hetzrai from Karmel, Pa'arai the Arbi, 36 Yig'al the son of Natan of Tzovah, Bani the Gadi 37 Tzelek the 'Amoni, Nachrai the Be'eroti, armor-bearer for Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah, 38 'Ira the Yitri, Garev the Yitri, an 39 Uriyah the Hitti

Hosea 3

1 The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.” 2 So I bou

1 ADONAI said to me, "Go once more, and show love to [this] wife [of yours] who has been loved by her boyfriend, to this adulteress - just as ADONAI loves the people of Isra'el, even though they turn to other gods and love the raisin cakes [offered to them]." 2 So I bought her back for myself with fifteen pieces of silver and eight bushels of barley . 3 Then I told her, "You are to remain in seclusion for a long time and be mine. You are not to be a prostitute, and you are not to be with any other man; and I won't come in to have sex with you either." 4 For the people of Isra'el are going to be in seclusion for a long time without a king, prince, sacrifice, standing-stone, ritual vest or household gods. 5 Afterwards, the people of Isra'el will repent and seek ADONAI their God and David their king; they will come trembling to ADONAI and his goodness in the acharit-hayamim.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

June 29

Mark 10:32-52; 2 Samuel 24; Hosea 4:1-11a CJB

Mark 10:32-52

32 They were on the road going up to Yerushalayim. Yeshua was walking ahead of them, and they were amazed -- and those following were afraid. So again taking the Twelve along with him, he began telling them what was about to happen to him.

33 "We are now going up to Yerushalayim, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers. They will sentence him to death and turn him over to the Goyim,

34 who will jeer at him, spit on him, beat him and kill him; but after three days, he will rise."

35 Ya`akov and Yochanan, the sons of Zavdai, came up to him and said, "Rabbi, we would like you to do us a favor."

36 He said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"

37 They replied, "When you are in your glory, let us sit with you, one on your right and the other on your left."

38 But Yeshua answered, "You don't know what you're asking! Can you drink the cup that I am drinking? or be immersed with the immersion that I must undergo?"

39 They said to him, "We can." Yeshua replied, "The cup that I am drinking, you will drink; and the immersion I am being immersed with, you will undergo.

40 But to sit on my right and on my left is not mine to give. Rather, it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

41 When the other ten heard about this, they became outraged at Ya`akov and Yochanan.

42 But Yeshua called them to him and said to them, "You know that among the Goyim, those who are supposed to rule them become tyrants, and their superiors become dictators.

43 But among you, it must not be like that! On the contrary, whoever among you wants to be a leader must be your servant;

44 and whoever wants to be first among you must become everyone's slave!

45 For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve -- and to give his life as a ransom for many."

46 They came to Yericho; and as Yeshua was leaving Yericho with his talmidim and a great crowd, a blind beggar, Bar-Timai (son of Timai), was sitting by the side of the road.

47 When he heard that it was Yeshua from Natzeret, he started shouting, "Yeshua! Son of David! Have pity on me!"

48 Many people scolded him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the louder, "Son of David! Have pity on me!"

49 Yeshua stopped and said, "Call him over!" They called to the blind man, "Courage! Get up! He's calling for you!"

50 Throwing down his blanket, he jumped up and came over to Yeshua.

51 "What do you want me to do for you?" asked Yeshua. The blind man said to him, "Rabbi, let me be able to see again."

52 Yeshua said to him, "Go! Your trust has healed you." Instantly he received his sight and followed him on the road.

2 Samuel 24

1 The anger of ADONAI blazed up against Isra'el, so he moved David to act against them by saying, "Go, take a census of Isra'el and Y'hudah."

2 The king said to Yo'av the commander of the army, who was with him, "Go systematically through all the tribes of Isra'el, from Dan to Be'er-Sheva; and take a census of the population; so that I can know how many people there are."

3 Yo'av said to the king, "May ADONAI your God add to the people a hundredfold, no matter how many there are; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king take pleasure in doing this?"

4 However, the king's word prevailed against Yo'av and the army officers. So Yo'av and the army officers went out from the king's presence to take a census of the people of Isra'el.

5 They crossed the Yarden and pitched camp in 'Aro'er, to the south of the city in the Vadi of Gad; went on to Ya'zer;

6 came to Gil'ad and continued to the land of Tachtim-Hodshi. Then they arrived at Dan-Ya'an, went around to Tzidon

7 and came to the stronghold of Tzor. They went on to the cities of the Hivi and of the Kena'ani, and finished in the south of Y'hudah, at Be'er-Sheva.

8 When they were done going through all the land, they came back to Yerushalayim; it had taken nine months and twenty days.

9 Yo'av reported the results of the census to the king: there were in Isra'el 800,000 valiant men who could handle a sword, while the men of Y'hudah numbered 500,000.

10 But after he had taken the census, David was conscience-stricken. David said to ADONAI, "I have greatly sinned in what I have done. But now, ADONAI, please! Put aside your servant's sin, for I have done a very foolish thing."

11 When David got up in the morning, this word of ADONAI came to the prophet Gad, David's seer:

12 "Go and say to David that this is what ADONAI says: 'I am giving you a choice of three punishments. Choose one of them, and I will execute it against you."

13 Gad came to David and told him; he said: "Do you want seven years of famine in your land? or do you want to flee before your enemies for three months while they pursue you? or do you want three days of plague in your land? Think about it, and tell me what to answer the one who sent me."

14 David said to Gad, "This is very hard for me. Let us fall into the hand of ADONAI, because his mercies are great, rather than have me fall into the hand of man."

15 So ADONAI sent a plague on Isra'el from that morning until the end of the specified time; 70,000 of the people died between Dan and Be'er-Sheva.

16 But when the angel stretched out his hand toward Yerushalayim to destroy it, ADONAI changed his mind about causing such distress and said to the angel destroying the people, "Enough! Now withdraw your hand."The angel of ADONAI was at the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Y'vusi.

17 David spoke to ADONAI when he saw the angel striking the people; he said, "Here, I have sinned, I have done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please! Let your hand be against me and against my father's family!"

18 Gad came to David that day and said to him, "Go, set up an altar to ADONAI on the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Y'vusi."

19 David went up and did what Gad had said, as ADONAI had ordered.

20 Aravnah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming toward him. Aravnah went out and prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground.

21 Then Aravnah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" David said, "To buy your threshing-floor, in order to build an altar to ADONAI, so that the plague will be lifted from the people."

22 Aravnah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up anything that seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering; you can use the threshing-sledges and the yokes for the oxen as firewood.

23 All this, O king, Aravnah gives to the king."Then Aravnah said to the king, "May ADONAI your God accept you."

24 But the king said to Aravnah, "No; I insist on buying it from you at a price. I refuse to offer to ADONAI my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for one-and-a-quarter pounds of silver shekels.

25 Then David built an altar to ADONAI there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, ADONAI took pity on the land and lifted the plague from Isra'el.

Hosea 4:1-11

1 Hear the word of ADONAI, people of Isra'el! For ADONAI has a grievance against the inhabitants of the land: there is no truth, no faithful love or knowledge of God in the land;

2 only swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery! They break all bounds, with one blood crime following another.

3 Therefore the land mourns, and everyone living there languishes, wild animals too, and the birds in the air; even the fish in the sea are removed.

4 But no one should quarrel or rebuke, because your people are having to quarrel with the cohen.

5 Therefore you will stumble by day, and the prophet will stumble with you at night. "I will destroy your mother.

6 My people are destroyed for want of knowledge. Because you rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as cohen for me. Because you forgot the Torah of your God, I will also forget your children.

7 The more they increased in number, the more they sinned against me. I will change their glory into shame.

8 They feed on the sin of my people and are greedy for their crimes.

9 But the cohen will fare no better than the people; I will punish him for his ways and pay him back for his deeds.

10 They will eat but not have enough and consort with whores but have no children, because they stopped listening to ADONAI.

11 Whoring and wine, both old and new, take away my people's wits.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

June 30

Mark 11:1-14; 1 Kings 1; Hosea 4:11b-5:4 CJB

Mark 11:1-14

1 As they were approaching Yerushalayim, near Beit-Pagei and Beit-Anyah, by the Mount of Olives, Yeshua sent two of his talmidim

2 with these instructions: "Go into the village ahead of you; and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it, and bring it here.

3 If anyone asks you, `Why are you doing this?' tell him, `The Lord needs it,' and he will send it here right away."

4 They went off and found a colt in the street tied in a doorway, and they untied it.

5 The bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying that colt?"

6 They gave the answer Yeshua had told them to give, and they let them continue.

7 They brought the colt to Yeshua and threw their robes on it, and he sat on it.

8 Many people carpeted the road with their clothing, while others spread out green branches which they had cut in the fields.

9 Those who were ahead and those behind shouted, "Please! Deliver us!"m "Blessed is he who comes in the name of ADONAI!"

10 "Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our father David!" and, "You in the highest heaven! Please! Deliver us!"

11 Yeshua entered Yerushalayim, went into the Temple courts and took a good look at everything; but since it was now late, he went out with the Twelve to Beit-Anyah.

12 The next day, as they came back from Beit-Anyah, he felt hungry.

13 Spotting in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came up to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it wasn't fig season.

14 He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And his talmidim heard what he said.

1 Kings 1

1 King David grew old, the years took their toll, and he couldn't get warm even when they covered him with bedclothes.

2 His servants said to him, "Let us try to find a young virgin for my lord the king. She can wait on the king and be a companion for him, and she can lie next to you, so that my lord the king will get some heat."

3 After looking through all of Isra'el's territory for a beautiful girl, they found Avishag the Shunamit and brought her to the king.

4 The girl was very beautiful and became a companion for the king. She took care of him, but the king did not have sexual relations with her.

5 Adoniyah the son of Haggit was beginning to claim that he would be king; to this end he organized chariots and horsemen, with fifty men to run ahead of him.

6 (His father had never in his life confronted him by asking, "Why are you behaving this way?" Moreover, he was a very handsome man; he was born next after Avshalom.)

7 He conferred with Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah and Evyatar the cohen; and they both supported Adoniyah.

8 But Tzadok the cohen, B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada, Natan the prophet, Shim'i, Re'i and David's elite guard were not on Adoniyah's side.

9 One day Adoniyah killed sheep, oxen and fattened calves at the Stone of Zochelet, by 'Ein-Rogel. He summoned all his brothers the king's sons, and all the men of Y'hudah the king's servants;

10 but he did not summon Natan the prophet, B'nayah, the elite guard or Shlomo his brother.

11 Natan went to Bat-Sheva the mother of Shlomo and said, "Haven't you heard that Adoniyah the son of Haggit has become king without the knowledge of David our lord?

12 Now, come, please let me give you advice, so that you can save both your own life and that of your son Shlomo.

13 Go, get in to see King David, and say to him, 'My lord, king, didn't you swear to your servant, "Your son Shlomo will be king after me; he will sit on my throne"? So why is Adoniyah king?'

14 Right then, while you are still talking with the king, I will also come in after you and confirm what you are saying."

15 Bat-Sheva went in to the king in his room. (The king was very old; Avishag the Shunamit was in attendance on the king.)

16 Bat-Sheva bowed, prostrating herself to the king. The king asked, "What do you want?"

17 She answered him, "My lord, you swore by ADONAI your God to your servant, 'Your son Shlomo will be king after me; he will sit on my throne.'

18 But now, here is Adoniyah ruling as king; and you, my lord the king, don't know anything about it.

19 He has killed oxen, fattened calves and sheep in great numbers; and he has summoned all the sons of the king, Evyatar the cohen and Yo'av the commander of the army; but he didn't summon Shlomo your servant.

20 As for you, my lord the king, all Isra'el is watching you; they are waiting for you to tell them who is to sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

21 If you don't, then, when my lord the king sleeps with his ancestors, I and my son Shlomo will be considered criminals."

22 Right then, while she was still talking with the king, Natan the prophet entered.

23 They told the king, "Natan the prophet is here." After coming into the king's presence, he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground.

24 Natan said, "My lord king, did you say, 'Adoniyah is to be king after me; he will sit on my throne'?

25 For he has gone down today and killed oxen, fattened calves and sheep in great numbers; and he has summoned all the king's sons, the commanders of the army and Evyatar the cohen; right now they are eating and drinking in his presence and proclaiming, 'Long live King Adoniyah!'

26 But he didn't summon me your servant, or Tzadok the cohen, or B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada or your servant Shlomo.

27 Is this authorized by my lord the king without your having told your servant who would sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"

28 King David answered by saying, "Summon Bat-Sheva to me." She entered the king's presence and stood before the king.

29 Then the king swore an oath: "As ADONAI lives, who has delivered me from all adversity,

30 as I swore to you by ADONAI the God of Isra'el, 'Your son Shlomo will be king after me; he will sit on my throne in my place,' so will I do today."

31 Bat-Sheva bowed with her face to the ground, prostrating herself to the king, and said, "Let my lord King David live forever."

32 King David said, "Summon Tzadok the cohen, Natan the prophet and B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada." They came before the king.

33 The king said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord, have Shlomo my son ride on my own mule and bring him down to Gichon.

34 There Tzadok the cohen and Natan the prophet are to anoint him king over Isra'el. Sound the shofar and say, "Long live King Shlomo!"

35 Then escort him back; he is to come and sit on my throne; for he is to take my place as king. I have appointed him to rule over Isra'el and Y'hudah."

36 B'nayah responded to the king by saying, "Amen! May ADONAI, the God of my lord the king, confirm it!

37 Just as ADONAI has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Shlomo and make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!"

38 So Tzadok the cohen, Natan the prophet, B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada and the K'reti and P'leti went down, had Shlomo ride on King David's mule and brought him to Gichon.

39 Tzadok the cohen took the horn of olive oil out of the tent and anointed Shlomo. They sounded the shofar, and all the people shouted, "Long live King Shlomo!"

40 All the people escorted him back, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly, so that the earth shook with the sound.

41 Adoniyah and all his guests heard it while they were finishing their meal; but it was Yo'av who, when he heard the blast on the shofar, asked, "That noise - what's the meaning of this uproar in the city?"

42 While he was still speaking, there came Yonatan the son of Evyatar the cohen. Adoniyah said, "Come in! You're a worthy man, so you must be bringing good news!"

43 Yonatan answered Adoniyah, "The truth is, our lord King David has made Shlomo king.

44 Moreover, the king sent with him Tzadok the cohen, Natan the prophet, B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada and the K'reti and P'leti; they had him ride on the king's mule;

45 and Tzadok the cohen and Natan the prophet anointed him king in Gichon. Then they escorted him back from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar; this is the noise you've been hearing.

46 Moreover, Shlomo is now sitting on the throne of the kingdom.

47 More than that, the king's servants came and blessed our lord King David with these words: 'May God make the name of Shlomo better than your name and his throne greater than your throne,' after which the king bowed down on the bed.

48 Finally, the king said, 'Blessed be ADONAI the God of Isra'el, who has given someone to sit on my throne today, when my own eyes can see it.'"

49 At this all Adoniyah's guests grew frightened; they got up, everyone going his own way.

50 Adoniyah too was afraid because of Shlomo; he got up, went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

51 Shlomo was told, "Here, Adoniyah is terrified of King Shlomo; he has grabbed hold of the horns of the altar and is saying, 'First let King Shlomo swear to me that he will not have his servant executed.'"

52 Shlomo said, "If he will demonstrate that he is a worthy man, not a hair of his will fall to the earth. But if he is found making trouble, he will die."

53 So King Shlomo sent, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and prostrated himself before King Shlomo; and Shlomo said to him, 'Go on home.'"

Hosea 4:11-19

11 Whoring and wine, both old and new, take away my people's wits.

12 My people consult their piece of wood, their diviner's wand speaks to them; for the spirit of whoring makes them err, they go off whoring, deserting their God.

13 They sacrifice on the mountain peaks and offer incense on the hills under oaks, poplars and pistachio trees; because they give good shade. Therefore your daughters behave like whores, And your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

14 I won't punish your daughters when they act like whores, or your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; because the men are themselves going off with whores and sacrificing with prostitutes. Yes, a people without understanding will come to ruin."

15 If you, Isra'el, prostitute yourself, still Y'hudah has no need to incur such guilt. Don't go to Gilgal or up to Beit-Aven, and don't swear, "As ADONAI lives."

16 For Isra'el is stubborn as a stubborn cow; will ADONAI now feed them like a lamb in a big pasture?

17 Efrayim is joined to idols; let him alone!

18 When they finish carousing, they start their whoring; their rulers deeply love dishonor.

19 The wind will carry them off in its wings and their sacrifices bring them nothing but shame.

Hosea 5:1-4

1 "Hear this, cohanim! Pay attention, house of Isra'el! Listen, house of the king! For judgment is coming to you. You have become a snare for Mitzpah and a net spread on Tavor.

2 The rebels have deepened their slaughter, and I am rejected by all of them.

3 "I know Efrayim; Isra'el is not hidden from me; for now, Efrayim, you are a whore; Isra'el is defiled."

4 Their deeds will not allow them to return to their God, for the spirit of whoring is in them, and they don't know ADONAI.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 1

Mark 11:15-33; 1 Kings 2; Hosea 5:5-15 CJB

Mark 11:15-33

15 On reaching Yerushalayim, he entered the Temple courts and began driving out those who were carrying on business there, both the merchants and their customers. He also knocked over the desks of the money-changers, upset the benches of the pigeon-dealers,

16 and refused to let anyone carry merchandise through the Temple courts.

17 Then, as he taught them, he said, "Isn't it written in the Tanakh, My house will be called a house of prayer for all the Goyimp But you have made it into a den of robbers!"

18 The head cohanim and the Torah-teachers heard what he said and tried to find a way to do away with him; they were afraid of him, because the crowds were utterly taken by his teaching.

19 When evening came, they left the city.

20 In the morning, as the talmidim passed by, they saw the fig tree withered all the way to its roots.

21 Kefa remembered and said to Yeshua, "Rabbi! Look! The fig tree that you cursed has dried up!"

22 He responded, "Have the kind of trust that comes from God!

23 Yes! I tell you that whoever does not doubt in his heart but trusts that what he says will happen can say to this mountain, `Go and throw yourself into the sea!' and it will be done for him.

24 Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, trust that you are receiving it, and it will be yours.

25 And when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive your offenses."

26 Some manuscripts include verse 26: But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your offenses."

27 They went back into Yerushalayim; and as he was walking in the Temple courts, there came to him the head cohanim, the Torah-teachers and the elders;

28 and they said to him, "What s'mikhah do you have that authorizes you to do these things? Who gave you this s'mikhah authorizing you to do them?"

29 Yeshua said to them, "I will ask you just one question: answer me, and I will tell you by what s'mikhah I do these things.

30 The immersion of Yochanan -- was it from Heaven or from a human source? Answer me."

31 They discussed it among themselves: "If we say, `From Heaven,' he will say, `Then why didn't you believe him?'

32 But if we say, `From a human source, . . . '" -- they were afraid of the people, for they all regarded Yochanan as a genuine prophet.

33 So they answered Yeshua, "We don't know." "Then," he replied, "I won't tell you by what s'mikhah I do these things."

1 Kings 2

1 The time came near for David to die; so he commissioned Shlomo his son as follows:

2 "I am going the way of all the earth. Therefore, be strong; show yourself a man.

3 Observe the charge of ADONAI your God to go in his ways and keep his regulations, mitzvot, rulings and instructions in accordance with what is written in the Torah of Moshe; so that you will succeed in all you do and wherever you go.

4 If you do, ADONAI will fulfill what he promised me when he said, 'If your children pay attention to how they live, conducting themselves before me honestly with all their heart and being, you will never lack a man on the throne of Isra'el.'

5 "Moreover, you are aware of what Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah did to me, that is, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Isra'el, Avner the son of Ner and 'Amasa the son of Yeter - he killed them, shedding the blood of war in peacetime, putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and the shoes on his feet.

6 Therefore, act according to your wisdom; don't let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.

7 "But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gil'adi. Include them with those who eat at your table, because they came and stood with me when I was fleeing from Avshalom your brother.

8 "Finally, you have with you Shim'i the son of Gera the Binyamini, from Bachurim. He laid a terrible curse on me when I was on my way to Machanayim; but he came down to meet me at the Yarden; so I swore to him by ADONAI that I would not have him put to death with the sword.

9 Now, however, you should not let him go unpunished. You are a wise man, and you will know what you should do to him - you will bring his gray head down to the grave with blood."

10 Then David slept with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.

11 David had ruled Isra'el for forty years - seven years in Hevron and thirty-three years in Yerushalayim.

12 Shlomo sat on the throne of David his father; and his rule had become firmly established,

13 when Adoniyah the son of Haggit came to Bat-Sheva the mother of Shlomo. She asked, "Have you come as a friend?" He answered, "Yes, as a friend."

14 Then he continued, "I have something to say to you." She said, "Go on."

15 He said, "You know that the kingdom should have been mine, that all Isra'el was looking to me to be their ruler. No matter; the kingdom has turned around and become my brother's, because ADONAI gave it to him.

16 But now I ask one favor of you; don't deny me." "Go on," she said.

17 He said, "Please speak to Shlomo the king - for he won't say 'No' to you - and ask him to give me Avishag the Shunamit as my wife."

18 Bat-Sheva said, "All right, I will speak to the king on your behalf."

19 So Bat-Sheva went to King Shlomo to speak to him on behalf of Adoniyah. The king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat down on his throne and had a throne set up for the king's mother, so that she sat at his right.

20 She said, "I am asking one small favor of you; don't deny me." The king said to her, "Ask, mother; I won't deny you."

21 She said, "Let Avishag the Shunamit be given to Adoniyah your brother as his wife."

22 King Shlomo answered his mother, "Why are you asking Avishag the Shunamit for Adoniyah? Ask the kingdom for him too! After all, he's my older brother! Yes, for him, and for Evyatar the cohen and for Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah!"

23 Then King Shlomo swore by ADONAI, "May God do terrible things to me and worse if Adoniyah hasn't condemned himself to death with this request!

24 Now therefore, as ADONAI lives, who has established me, put me on the throne of David my father and set up a dynasty for me, as he promised, Adoniyah will certainly be put to death today."

25 King Shlomo commissioned B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada, and he struck him down, so that he died.

26 To Evyatar the cohen the king said, "You, get yourself to 'Anatot, to your own fields. You deserve to die; but I won't put you to death just now; since you did carry the ark of Adonai ELOHIM before David my father; and you suffered together with my father in everything he suffered."

27 So Shlomo forced Evyatar out of his task as cohen to ADONAI, so that what ADONAI had said in Shiloh about the family of 'Eli might be fulfilled.

28 When the news came to Yo'av, he fled to the tent of ADONAI and took hold of the horns of the altar; for Yo'av had given his support to Adoniyah, even though he had not supported Avshalom.

29 King Shlomo was told, "Yo'av has fled to the tent of ADONAI; he's there by the altar." Shlomo sent B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada with the order, "Go, strike him down."

30 B'nayah came to the tent of ADONAI and said to him, "The king says: leave!" He answered, "No, I'd rather die here." B'nayah brought the message back to the king, "This is what Yo'av said to me."

31 The king answered him, "Do what he said - strike him down, and bury him. In this way you will take away from me and my father's family the blood which Yo'av shed for no reason.

32 ADONAI will bring his blood back on his own head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he - he killed them with the sword without my father David's awareness: Avner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Isra'el, and 'Amasa the son of Yeter, commander of the army of Y'hudah.

33 In this way their blood will return on the head of Yo'av and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his family and his throne there will be peace forever from ADONAI."

34 So B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada went up, struck him down and killed him; he was buried in his own house in the desert.

35 The king put B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada in charge of the army instead of him, and the king replaced Evyatar with Tzadok the cohen.

36 The king summoned Shim'i and said to him, "Build yourself a house in Yerushalayim, and live there; don't go outside the city walls.

37 Know for a fact that on the day you go out and cross Vadi Kidron, you will certainly die; your blood will be on your own head."

38 Shim'i answered the king, "What you have said is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do." So Shim'i lived in Yerushalayim for a long time.

39 But after three years, two of Shim'i's slaves ran away and went to Akhish son of Ma'akhah, king of Gat. They told Shim'i, "Your slaves are in Gat."

40 So Shim'i set out, saddled his donkey and went to Akhish in Gat to look for his slaves; then Shim'i returned, bringing his slaves from Gat.

41 Shlomo was told that Shim'i had gone from Yerushalayim to Gat and back.

42 The king summoned Shim'i and said to him, "Didn't I have you swear by ADONAI and forewarn you by telling you, 'Know for a fact that on the day you leave and go anywhere outside the city, you will certainly die'? and you answered me, 'What you're saying is good; I hear it.'

43 Why, then, haven't you kept the oath of ADONAI and the mitzvah I charged you with?"

44 Moreover, the king said to Shim'i, "You know in your own heart all the terrible things you did to David my father; therefore ADONAI will bring back your wickedness on your own head.

45 But King Shlomo will be blessed, and the throne of David will be established before ADONAI forever."

46 So the king gave the order to B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada, and he went out and struck him down, so that he died. Thus the kingdom was established in Shlomo's hands.

Hosea 5:5-15

5 Isra'el's arrogance will testify in his face; Isra'el and Efrayim will stumble in their crimes; Y'hudah too will stumble with them.

6 With their flocks and herds they will go in search of ADONAI. But they won't find him; he has withdrawn from them.

7 They have betrayed ADONAI, by fathering foreign children. Now within the month the invaders will devour their lands.

8 "Blow the shofar in Giv'ah, a trumpet at Ramah; sound an alarm at Beit-Aven: 'Behind you, Binyamin!'

9 Efrayim will be laid waste when the day for punishment comes; I am announcing to the tribes of Isra'el what will surely happen.

10 The leaders of Y'hudah are like men who move boundary stones; I will pour my fury out upon them like water.

11 Efrayim is oppressed, crushed by the judgment, because he deliberately sought out futility.

12 Therefore I am like a moth to Efrayim and like rottenness to the house of Y'hudah.

13 When Efrayim saw his sickness and Y'hudah his wound, Efrayim went to Ashur and sent envoys to a warring king; but he can't heal you or cure your wound.

14 For to Efrayim I will be like a lion, and like a young lion to the house of Y'hudah - I will tear them up and go away; I will carry them off, and no one will rescue.

15 I will go and return to my place, till they admit their guilt and search for me, seeking me eagerly in their distress."

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 2

Mark 12:1-27; 1 Kings 3; Hosea 6:1-7:2 CJB

Mark 12:1-27

1 Yeshua began speaking to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the wine press and built a tower; then he rented it to tenant-farmers and left.

2 When harvest-time came, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the crop from the vineyard.

3 But they took him, beat him up and sent him away empty-handed.

4 So he sent another servant; this one they punched in the head and insulted.

5 He sent another one, and him they killed; and so with many others -- some they beat up, others they killed.

6 He had still one person left, a son whom he loved; in the end, he sent him to them, saying, `My son they will respect.'

7 But the tenants said to each other, `This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!'

8 So they seized him, killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others!

10 Haven't you read the passage in the Tanakh that says, `The very rock which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone!

11 This has come from ADONAI, and in our eyes it is amazing'?"

12 They set about to arrest him, for they recognized that he had told the parable with reference to themselves. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.

13 Next they sent some P'rushim and some members of Herod's party to him in order to trap him with a sh'eilah.

14 They came and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you tell the truth and are not concerned with what people think about you, since you pay no attention to a person's status but really teach what God's way is. Does Torah say that taxes are to be paid to the Roman Emperor, or not?"

15 But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why are you trying to trap me? Bring me a denarius so I can look at it."

16 They brought one; and he asked them, "Whose name and picture are these?" "The Emperor's," they replied.

17 Yeshua said, "Give the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor. And give to God what belongs to God!" And they were amazed at him.

18 Then some Tz'dukim came to him. They are the ones who say there is no such thing as resurrection, so they put to him a sh'eilah:

19 "Rabbi, Moshe wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and have children to preserve the man's family line.

20 There were seven brothers. The first one took a wife, and when he died, he left no children.

21 Then the second one took her and died without leaving children, and the third likewise,

22 and none of the seven left children. Last of all, the woman also died.

23 In the Resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife."

24 Yeshua said to them, "Isn't this the reason that you go astray? because you are ignorant both of the Tanakh and of the power of God?

25 For when people rise from the dead, neither men nor women marry -- they are like angels in heaven.

26 And as for the dead being raised, haven't you read in the book of Moshe, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, `I am the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz'chak and the God of Ya`akov'?

27 He is God not of the dead, but of the living! You are going far astray!"

1 Kings 3

1 Shlomo formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh's daughter. He brought her into the City of David, [where she lived] until he had finished building his own palace, the house of ADONAI and the wall around Yerushalayim.

2 The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places, because no house had yet been built for the name of ADONAI.

3 Shlomo loved ADONAI, living according to the regulations set forth by David his father; nevertheless, he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.

4 One time the king went to Giv'on to sacrifice there, because that was the main high place. Shlomo offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.

5 At Giv'on ADONAI appeared to Shlomo in a dream at night; God said, "Tell me what I should give you."

6 Shlomo said, "You showed your servant David my father much grace, as he lived before you honestly and righteously, having an upright heart with you. You preserved this great grace for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as is the case today.

7 So now, ADONAI my God, you have made your servant king in the place of David my father; but I am a mere child - I don't know how to lead!

8 Moreover your servant is among your people, whom you chose, a great people so numerous that they cannot be counted.

9 Therefore, give your servant an understanding heart able to administer justice to your people, so that I can discern between good and bad - for who is equal to judging this great people of yours?"

10 What Shlomo had said in making this request pleased Adonai.

11 God said to him, "Because you have made this request instead of asking long life or riches for yourself, or your enemies' death, but rather asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;

12 I am doing what you requested. I am giving you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you, nor will there ever again be anyone like you.

13 I am also giving you what you didn't ask for, riches and honor greater than that of any other king throughout your life.

14 More than that, if you will live according to my ways, obeying my laws and mitzvot like your father David, I will give you a long life."

15 Shlomo awoke and found it had been a dream. But he went to Yerushalayim, stood before the ark for the covenant of ADONAI and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings. He also made a feast for all his servants.

16 After this, there came to the king two women who were prostitutes. After presenting themselves to him,

17 one of the women said, "My lord, I and this woman live in the same house; and when she was in the house, I gave birth to a baby.

18 Three days after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were there together; there was no one else with us in the house except the two of us.

19 During the night this woman's child died, because she rolled over on top of it.

20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from next to me, while your servant was sleeping, and put it in her arms; and she laid her dead child in my arms.

21 When I awoke in the morning to feed my child from my breast, there it was, dead. But when I took a closer look later in the morning, why, it wasn't my son at all - not the one I gave birth to!"

22 The other woman broke in, "No! The living one is my son, and the dead one is your son!" The first one said, "No! The dead one is your son and the living one is my son!" This is how they spoke in the presence of the king.

23 Then the king said, "This woman says, 'The living one is my son; your son is the dead one'; while the other says, 'No, the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.'

24 Bring me a sword," said the king. They brought a sword to the king.

25 The king said, "Cut the living child in two; give half to the one and half to the other."

26 At this, the woman to whom the living child belonged addressed the king, because she felt so strongly toward her son: "Oh, my lord, give her the living child; you mustn't kill it!" But the other one said, "It will be neither yours nor mine. Divide it up!"

27 Then the king answered, "Give the living child to the first woman, don't kill it, because she is its mother."

28 All Isra'el heard of the decision the king had made and held the king in awe, for they saw that God's wisdom was in him, enabling him to render justice properly.

Hosea 6

1 Come, let us return to ADONAI; for he has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck, and he will bind our wounds.

2 After two days, he will revive us; on the third day, he will raise us up; and we will live in his presence.

3 Let us know, let us strive to know ADONAI. That he will come is as certain as morning; he will come to us like the rain, like the spring rains that water the earth.

4 "Efrayim, what should I do to you? Y'hudah, what should I do to you? For your 'faithful love' is like a morning cloud, like dew that disappears quickly.

5 This is why I have cut them to pieces by the prophets, slaughtered them with the words from my mouth - the judgment on you shines out like light.

6 For what I desire is mercy, not sacrifices, knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

7 "But they, just like men, have broken the covenant, they have been faithless in dealing with me.

8 Gil'ad is a city of criminals, covered with bloody footprints;

9 just as bands of robbers wait to ambush someone, so does a gang of cohanim. They commit murder on the road to Sh'khem! Their conduct is an outrage!

10 In the house of Isra'el I have seen a horrible thing; whoring is found there in Efrayim, Isra'el is defiled.

11 For you, too, Y'hudah, a harvest will come! "When I restore the fortunes of my people,

Hosea 7:1-2

1 when I am ready to heal Isra'el, the crimes of Efrayim confront me, along with the wickedness of Shomron. For they keep practicing deceit; thieves break in, bands of robbers raid outside.

2 They never say to themselves that I remember all their evil. Now their own deeds surround them; they are right in front of me.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 3

Mark 12:28-44; 1 Kings 4-5; Hosea 7:3-16 CJB

Mark 12:28-44

28 One of the Torah-teachers came up and heard them engaged in this discussion. Seeing that Yeshua answered them well, he asked him, "Which is the most important mitzvah of them all?"

29 Yeshua answered, "The most important is, `Sh'ma Yisra'el, ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear, O Isra'el, the LORD our God, the LORD is one],

30 and you are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your understanding and with all your strength.'

31 The second is this: `You are to love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other mitzvah greater than these."

32 The Torah-teacher said to him, "Well said, Rabbi; you speak the truth when you say that he is one, and that there is no other besides him;

33 and that loving him with all one's heart, understanding and strength, and loving one's neighbor as oneself, mean more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34 When Yeshua saw that he responded sensibly, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And after that, no one dared put to him another sh'eilah.

35 As Yeshua was teaching in the Temple, he asked, "How is it that the Torah teachers say the Messiah is the Son of David?

36 David himself, inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh, said, `ADONAI said to my Lord, "Sit here at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." '

37 David himself calls him `Lord'; so how is he his son?" The great crowd listened eagerly to him.

38 As he taught them, he said, "Watch out for the kind of Torah-teachers who like to walk around in robes and be greeted deferen tially in the marketplaces,

39 who like to have the best seats in the synagogues and take the places of honor at banquets,

40 who like to swallow up widows' houses while making a show of davvening at great length. Their punishment will be all the worse!"

41 Then Yeshua sat down opposite the Temple treasury and watched the crowd as they put money into the offering-boxes. Many rich people put in large sums,

42 but a poor widow came and put in two small coins.

43 He called his talmidim to him and said to them, "Yes! I tell you, this poor widow has put more in the offering-box than all the others making donations.

44 For all of them, out of their wealth, have contributed money they can easily spare; but she, out of her poverty, has given everything she had to live on."

1 Kings 4

1 King Shlomo was king over all Isra'el,

2 and these were his high officials: 'Azaryah the son of Tzadok, the cohen;

3 Elichoref and Achiyah the sons of Shisha, secretaries; Y'hoshafat the son of Achilud, secretary of state;

4 B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada, commander of the army; Tzadok and Evyatar, cohanim;

5 'Azaryah the son of Natan, chief administrator; Zavud the son of Natan, the king's trusted counselor;

6 Achishar, in charge of the palace; Adoniram the son of 'Avda, in charge of forced labor.

7 Shlomo had twelve officers over all Isra'el who were in charge of providing food and supplies for the king and his household; each one was in charge of provisions for one month out of the year.

8 They were: the son of Hur, in the hills of Efrayim;

9 the son of Deker, in Makatz, Sha'albim, Beit-Shemesh and Eilon-Beit-Hanan;

10 the son of Hesed, in Arubot; he also had charge of Sokhoh and all the territory of Hefer;

11 the son of Avinadav, in all the area of Dor; he had Tafat the daughter of Shlomo as his wife;

12 Ba'ana the son of Achilud, in Ta'anakh, Megiddo, and all Beit-Sh'an by Tzartan below Yizre'el, from Beit-Sh'an to Avel-M'cholah, as far as beyond Yokme'am;

13 the son of Gever, in Ramot-Gil'ad; he was in charge of the villages of Ya'ir the son of M'nasheh in Gil'ad and in charge of the region of Argov in Bashan, sixty large cities with walls and bronze bars;

14 Achinadav the son of 'Iddo, in Machanayim;

15 Achima'atz, in Naftali; he also took Basmat the daughter of Shlomo as his wife;

16 Ba'ana the son of Hushai, in Asher and in Alot;

17 Y'hoshafat the son of Paruach, in Yissakhar;

18 Shim'i the son of Ela, in Binyamin; and

19 Gever the son of Uri, in the land of Gil'ad, the country of Sichon king of the Emori and 'Og king of Bashan. Over all these, there was one administrator in the land.

20 Y'hudah and Isra'el were as numerous as sand grains on the seashore; they ate, drank and enjoyed themselves.

21 Shlomo ruled over all the kingdoms from the [Euphrates] River through the land of the P'lishtim to the border of Egypt; they paid tribute and served Shlomo as long as he lived.

22 Shlomo's provisions for one day consisted of 150 bushels of fine flour, 310 bushels of meal,

23 ten fattened oxen, twenty pasture-fed oxen and one hundred sheep, in addition to deer, gazelles, roebucks and fattened poultry.

24 For he ruled all the area this side of the [Euphrates] River, from Tifsach to 'Azah. He was over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace all around him, on every side.

25 From Dan to Be'er-Sheva, Y'hudah and Isra'el lived securely, every man under his vine and fig tree, throughout the lifetime of Shlomo.

26 Shlomo also had 40,000 stalls for the horses used with his chariots and 12,000 horsemen.

27 Those officers [named above] supplied food and other materials for King Shlomo and for everyone for whom Shlomo provided. Each was responsible for his month's supplies; they saw to it that nothing was lacking.

28 They also made sure there was barley and straw where it was needed for the horses and draft animals; each filled his quota.

29 God gave Shlomo exceptional wisdom and understanding, as well as a heart as vast as the sandy beach by the sea.

30 Shlomo's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of the people from the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.

31 For he was wiser than everyone - wiser than Eitan the Ezrachi and wiser than Heiman, Kalkol and Darda the sons of Machol; so that his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.

32 He composed 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs.

33 He could discuss trees, from the cedar in the L'vanon to the hyssop growing out of the wall; he could discuss wild animals, poultry, reptiles and fish.

34 People from all nations came to hear the wisdom of Shlomo, including kings from all over the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

1 Kings 5

1 Hiram king of Tzor sent his servants to Shlomo, because he had heard that they had anointed him king in his father's place, and Hiram had always loved David.

2 Shlomo returned this message to Hiram:

3 "You know that David my father wasn't able to build a house for the name of ADONAI his God, because of the wars that beset him from every side, until ADONAI put his enemies under the soles of my feet.

4 But now ADONAI my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor calamity.

5 So now I intend to build a house for the name of ADONAI my God, in keeping with what ADONAI said to David my father, 'Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, will be the one to build the house for my name.'

6 Therefore, order your people to cut down cedar trees from the L'vanon for me. My servants will be with your servants. I will pay your servants according to everything you say; for you know that we have no one among us as skilled in felling trees as the Tzidonim."

7 When Hiram heard Shlomo's message, he was very happy and said, "Blessed be ADONAI today, who has given David a wise son to rule this great people."

8 Then Hiram sent Shlomo this message: "I have heard the message you sent me, and I will do everything you want concerning cedar logs and cypress logs.

9 My servants will bring them down from the L'vanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts to go by sea to whatever place you tell me and will have them broken up there, and you will receive them. You will compensate me by providing food for my household."

10 So Hiram gave Shlomo all the cedar logs and cypress logs he wanted;

11 and Shlomo gave Hiram 100,000 bushels of wheat as food for his household and a thousand gallons of oil from pressed olives - this is what Shlomo gave Hiram each year.

12 ADONAI gave Shlomo wisdom, as he had promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Shlomo - the two of them formed an alliance together.

13 King Shlomo conscripted 30,000 men from all Isra'el for forced labor.

14 He sent them to the L'vanon in monthly relays of 10,000; they would stay a month in the L'vanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.

15 Shlomo had 70,000 men to carry loads and another 80,000 stonecutters in the hills,

16 besides Shlomo's 3,300 supervisors who were in charge of the people doing the work.

17 The king gave orders; and they quarried large stones, expensive stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stone.

18 Shlomo's and Hiram's builders, along with the men from G'val, worked the stones and prepared the timber and stones for building the house.

Hosea 7:3-16

3 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the leaders with their lies.

4 They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by the baker, who doesn't stoke the fire from kneading time till the dough has risen.

5 "On their king's special day the leaders inflame him with wine, and he joins hands with scorners,

6 who ready themselves like an oven while they wait for their chance. Their baker sleeps through the night; then in the morning it bursts into flame.

7 They are all as hot as an oven, and they devour their judges. All their kings have fallen; not one of them calls out to me.

8 "Efrayim mixes himself with the peoples, Efrayim has become a half-baked cake.

9 Foreigners have eaten up his strength, but he doesn't know it; yes, gray hairs appear on him here and there, but he doesn't know it.

10 The pride of Isra'el testifies in his face, but in spite of all this they haven't returned to ADONAI their God or sought him.

11 Efrayim behaves like a silly, foolish dove - going to Egypt, then to Ashur for help.

12 Even as they go, I will spread my net over them; I will bring them down like birds from the sky; I will discipline them, as their assembly was told.

13 Woe to them! for they have strayed from me. Destruction to them! for they have wronged me. Am I supposed to redeem them, when they have spoken lies against me?

14 They have not cried out to me from their hearts, even though they wail on their beds. They assemble themselves for grain and wine, yet turn away from me.

15 It was I who trained and strengthened their arms, yet they plot evil against me.

16 They return, but not upward; they are like an unreliable bow. Their leaders will die by the sword because of their angry talk. They will become a laughingstock in the land of Egypt.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 4

Mark 13:1-13; 1 Kings 6; Hosea 8 CJB

Mark 13:1-13

1 As Yeshua came out of the Temple, one of the talmidim said to him, "Look, Rabbi! What huge stones! What magnificent buildings!"

2 "You see all these great buildings?" Yeshua said to him, "They will be totally destroyed -- not a single stone will be left standing!"

3 As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the Temple, Kefa, Ya`akov, Yochanan and Andrew asked him privately,

4 "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what sign will show when all these things are about to be accomplished?"

5 Yeshua began speaking to them: "Watch out! Don't let anyone fool you!

6 Many will come in my name, saying, `I am he!' and they will fool many people.

7 When you hear the noise of wars nearby and the news of wars far off, don't become frightened. Such things must happen, but the end is yet to come.

8 For peoples will fight each other, and nations will fight each other, there will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines; this is but the beginning of the `birth pains.'

9 "But you, watch yourselves! They will hand you over to the local Sanhedrins, you will be beaten up in synagogues, and on my account you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.

10 Indeed, the Good News has to be proclaimed first to all the Goyim.

11 Now when they arrest you and bring you to trial, don't worry beforehand about what to say. Rather, say whatever is given you when the time comes; for it will not be just you speaking, but the Ruach HaKodesh.

12 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death;

13 and everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out till the end will be delivered.

1 Kings 6

1 It was in the 480th year after the people of Isra'el had left the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Shlomo's reign over Isra'el, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of ADONAI.

2 The house which King Shlomo built for ADONAI was 105 feet long, thirty-five feet wide and fifty-two-and-a-half feet high.

3 The hall fronting the temple of the house was thirty-five feet long, the same as the width of the house itself, so that its seventeen-and-a-half-foot width extended frontward from the house.

4 The windows he made for the house were wide on the inside and narrow on the outside.

5 Against the wall of the house he built an annex all the way around; it went all the way around the walls of the house, including both the temple and the sanctuary.

6 The lowest floor of the annex was eight-and-three-quarters feet wide, the middle floor ten-and-a-half feet wide and the third floor twelve-and-a-quarter feet wide; for he had made the outer part of the wall of the house step-shaped, so that the beams of the annex would not have to be attached to the house walls.

7 For the house, when under construction, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; so that no hammer, chisel or iron tool of any kind was heard in the house while it was being built.

8 The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the house; a spiral staircase went up to the middle floor and on to the third.

9 So he built the house, and after finishing it, he put its roof on - cedar planks over beams.

10 Each floor of the annex surrounding the house was eight-and-three-quarters feet high and was attached to the house with beams of cedar.

11 Then this word of ADONAI came to Shlomo:

12 "Concerning this house which you are building: if you will live according to my regulations, follow my rulings and observe all my mitzvot and live by them, then I will establish with you my promise that I made to David your father-

13 I will live in it among the people of Isra'el, and I will not abandon my people Isra'el."

14 So Shlomo finished building the house.

15 The insides of the walls of the house he built with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the joists of the ceiling he covered them on the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress.

16 The thirty-five-foot back portion of the house he built with boards of cedar from the floor to the joists and reserved this part of the house to be a sanctuary, the Especially Holy Place;

17 while the rest of the house, that is, the temple in front, was seventy feet long.

18 The cedar covering the house was carved with gourds and open flowers; all was cedar; no stone was visible.

19 In the inner part of the house he set up the sanctuary, so that the ark for the covenant of ADONAI could be placed there.

20 This sanctuary was thirty-five feet long, wide and high; and it was overlaid with pure gold. In front of it he set an altar, which he covered with cedar.

21 Shlomo overlaid the interior of the house with pure gold and had chains of gold placed before the sanctuary, which itself he overlaid with gold.

22 The entire house he overlaid with gold until it was completely covered with it. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the sanctuary.

23 Inside the sanctuary he made two k'ruvim of olive-wood, each seventeen-and-a-half feet high.

24 Each of the two wings of one of the k'ruvim was eight-and-three quarters feet long, so that the distance from the end of one wing to the end of the other was seventeen-and-a-half feet.

25 Likewise the [wingspread of the] other keruv was seventeen-and-a-half feet; both k'ruvim were identical in shape and size.

26 The height of the one keruv was seventeen-and-a-half feet, likewise that of the other.

27 He set the k'ruvim in the inner house; the wings of the k'ruvim were stretched out, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other keruv touched the other wall; their wings touched each other in the middle of the house.

28 He overlaid the k'ruvim with gold.

29 All around the walls of the house, both inside the sanctuary and outside it, he carved figures of k'ruvim, palm trees and open flowers.

30 He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, both inside the sanctuary and outside it.

31 For the entrance to the sanctuary he made doors of olive-wood, set within a five-sided door-frame.

32 On the two olive-wood doors he carved figures of k'ruvim, palm trees and open flowers. He overlaid the doors with gold, forcing the gold into the shapes of the k'ruvim and palm trees as well.

33 For the entrance to the temple he also made doorposts of olive-wood, set within a rectangular door-frame,

34 and two doors of cypress-wood; the two leaves of the one door were folding, as were the two leaves of the other.

35 On them he carved k'ruvim, palm trees and open flowers, overlaying them with gold fitted to the carved work.

36 He built the inner courtyard with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.

37 The foundation of the house of ADONAI was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv.

38 In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, all parts of the house were completed exactly as designed. Thus he was seven years building it.

Hosea 8

1 "Put the shofar to your lips! Like a vulture [he swoops down] on the house of ADONAI, because they have violated my covenant and sinned intentionally against my Torah.

2 Will they cry out to me, 'We are Isra'el, God, we know you'?

3 Isra'el has thrown away what is good; the enemy will pursue him.

4 They make kings, but without my authority; they appoint leaders, but without my knowledge. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, but these can lead only to their own destruction.

5 Your calf, Shomron, has been thrown away; my fury burns against them. How long will it be until they are able to make themselves clean?

6 Here is what Isra'el produces: a craftsman makes something - it's a non-god; the calf of Shomron will be broken to pieces.

7 For they sow the wind, so they will reap the whirlwind. The standing grain has no ears, so it will yield no flour; and if it does yield any, foreigners will swallow it up.

8 Isra'el is swallowed up; now they are among the Goyim like a vessel nobody wants.

9 For they have gone up to Ashur; like a wild donkey, alone by itself, Efrayim has bargained for lovers.

10 But even if they bargain among the Goyim, now I will round them up. Soon they will start to feel the burden of these kings and leaders.

11 For Efrayim keeps building altars for sin; yes, altars are sinful for him.

12 I write him so many things from my Torah, yet he considers them foreign.

13 They offer me sacrifices of flesh and eat them, but ADONAI does not accept them. Now he will recall their crimes and punish their sins - they will return to Egypt.

14 For Isra'el forgot his maker and built palaces; and Y'hudah made more fortified cities; but I will send fire on his cities, and it will consume their strongholds."

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 5

Mark 13:14-37; 1 Kings 7; Hosea 9 CJB

Mark 13:14-37

14 "Now when you see the abomination that causes devastationx standing where it ought not to be" (let the reader understand the allusion), "that will be the time for those in Y'hudah to escape to the hills.

15 If someone is on the roof, he must not go down and enter his house to take any of his belongings;

16 if someone is in the field, he must not turn back to get his coat.

17 What a terrible time it will be for pregnant women and nursing mothers!

18 Pray that it may not happen in winter.

19 For there will be worse trouble at that time than there has ever been from the very beginning, when God created the universe, until now; and there will be nothing like it again.

20 Indeed, if God had not limited the duration of the trouble, no one would survive; but for the sake of the elect, those whom he has chosen, he has limited it.

21 "At that time, if anyone says to you, `Look! Here's the Messiah!' or, `See, there he is!' -- don't believe him!

22 There will appear false Messiahs and false prophets performing signs and wonders for the purpose, if possible, of misleading the chosen.

23 But you, watch out! I have told you everything in advance!

24 In those days, after that trouble, the sun will grow dark, the moon will stop shining,

25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in heaven will be shaken.z

26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with tremendous power and glory.

27 He will send out his angels and gather together his chosen people from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

28 "Now let the fig tree teach you its lesson: when its branches begin to sprout and leaves appear, you know that summer is approaching.

29 In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you are to know that the time is near, right at the door.

30 Yes! I tell you that this people will certainly not pass away before all these things happen.

31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away.

32 However, when that day and hour will come, no one knows -- not the angels in heaven, not the Son, just the Father.

33 Stay alert! Be on your guard! For you do not know when the time will come.

34 "It's like a man who travels away from home, puts his servants in charge, each with his own task, and tells the doorkeeper to stay alert.

35 So stay alert! for you don't know when the owner of the house will come,

36 whether it will be evening, midnight, cockcrow or morning -- you don't want him to come suddenly and find you sleeping!

37 And what I say to you, I say to everyone: stay alert!"

1 Kings 7

1 Shlomo built a palace for himself, taking thirteen years to finish it.

2 For he built the House of the L'vanon Forest 175 feet long, eighty-seven-and-a-half feet wide and fifty-two-and-a-half feet high, on four rows of cedar posts, with cedar beams on the posts.

3 It had a roof made of cedar and supported by beams lying on forty-five posts, fifteen in a row.

4 There were three rows of window openings, placed so that the windows on facing walls were opposite each other at all three levels.

5 All the doors and doorways were rectangular and opposite each other at all three levels.

6 He made the columned hall eighty-seven-and-a-half feet long and fifty-two-and-a-half feet wide, with a columned, corniced porch in front of it.

7 He made the Hall of the Throne his place for dispensing justice, that is, the Hall of Judgment; it was covered with cedar from floor to ceiling.

8 His own living quarters, in the other courtyard, set back from the Hall, were similarly designed. He also made a house like this Hall for Pharaoh's daughter, whom Shlomo had taken as his wife.

9 All these buildings were made of expensive stone blocks, cut to measure and finished by saws on the inner surfaces as well as the outer ones. These stones were used from the foundation to the eaves and outward from the buildings all the way to the Great Courtyard.

10 The foundation was of expensive stone blocks, very large ones - stones fourteen to eighteen feet long.

11 Above these were costly stones, cut to measure, and cedar-wood.

12 The surrounding Great Courtyard had three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams like the inner courtyard of the house of ADONAI and the courtyard by the hall of the house.

13 King Shlomo sent for Hiram and brought him from Tzor.

14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naftali, but his father was from Tzor, a bronze-worker filled with wisdom, understanding and skill for all kinds of bronze craftsmanship. He came to King Shlomo and did all his bronzework.

15 He made the two bronze columns, each one thirty-one-and-a-half feet high and twenty-one feet in circumference.

16 He made two capitals of melted bronze to set on the tops of the columns; each capital was eight-and-three-quarters feet high;

17 he also made checker-work nets and chained wreaths, seven for the top of each capital.

18 When he made the columns, he made two rows of pomegranates to put at the top of each column around the netting covering its capital.

19 The capitals on the columns in the hall had shapes like lilies and were seven feet high.

20 As for the capitals on the two columns, there were 200 pomegranates in rows around each capital near the molding by the netting.

21 He erected the columns in the hall of the temple; on erecting the right column he gave it the name "Yakhin," and on erecting the left column he named it "Bo'az."

22 On the tops of the columns were shapes like lilies; thus the work of the columns was finished.

23 He made the cast metal "Sea" circular, seventeen-and-a-half feet from rim to rim, eight-and-three quarter feet high and fifty-two-and-a-half feet in circumference.

24 Under its rim, three hundred gourds encircled it in two rows; they were cast when the Sea was cast.

25 It rested on twelve oxen, three looking north, three looking west, three looking south and three looking east, all with their hindquarters toward the center. The Sea was set on top of them.

26 It was a handbreadth thick, its rim was made like the rim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; and its capacity was 11,000 gallons.

27 He made ten bronze trolleys, each one seven feet long, seven feet wide, and five-and-a-quarter feet high.

28 They were designed with panels that were set between the corner-posts,

29 and on the panels between the corner-posts were lions, oxen and k'ruvim. The corner-posts above were similarly designed. Below the lions and oxen were wreaths of hammered work.

30 Every trolley had four bronze wheels and bronze axles, and its four legs each had cast supports which were under the basin, with wreaths next to each.

31 The opening of the stand into which the basin was inserted was eighteen inches high; the stand was round, resembling a pedestal, and it was two-and-a-half feet in diameter. On the stand were carvings, and the outside was square, not round.

32 The four wheels were under the panels, and the axles for the wheels were attached to the trolleys; each wheel was two-and-a-half feet.

33 The wheels were made like chariot wheels; their axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all cast metal.

34 There were four supports at the four corners of each trolley; the supports were attached to the trolley itself.

35 In the top of the trolley was a circular support ten-and-a-half inches high, and the trolley's corner-posts and panels were attached to its top.

36 On the sides of the panels and on its corners he carved k'ruvim, lions and palm trees, according to the amount of space each required, with wreaths surrounding.

37 According to this design he made the ten trolleys; all of them were cast from a single mold, so that they had the same size and shape.

38 He made ten bronze basins; each basin's capacity was 220 gallons and had a diameter of seven feet; there was a basin for each of the ten trolleys.

39 He arranged five of the trolleys on the right side of the house and five on the left side. The Sea he placed on the right side of the house, toward the southeast.

40 Hiram made the ash pots, shovels and sprinkling basins. With that, Hiram completed all the work he had done for King Shlomo in the house of ADONAI -

41 the two columns, the two moldings of the capitals on top of the columns, the two nettings covering the two moldings of the capitals atop the columns,

42 the 400 pomegranates for the two nettings, two rows of pomegranates for each netting, to cover the two moldings of the capitals atop the columns,

43 the ten trolleys, the ten basins on the trolleys,

44 the one Sea, the twelve oxen under the Sea,

45 the ash pots, the shovels and the sprinkling basins. All these articles that Hiram made for King Shlomo in the house of ADONAI were of burnished bronze.

46 The king cast them in the plain of the Yarden, in the clay ground between Sukkot and Tzartan.

47 Shlomo did not weigh any of these objects, because there were so many of them; thus the total weight of the bronze could not be determined.

48 Shlomo made all the objects that were inside the house of ADONAI: the gold altar; the table of gold on which the showbread was displayed;

49 the menorahs - five on the right and five on the left in front of the sanctuary - of pure gold; the flowers, lamps and tongs of gold;

50 the cups, snuffers, basins, incense pans and fire pans of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both those for the doors of the inner house, the Especially Holy Place, and those for the doors of the house, that is, of the temple.

51 Thus all the work that King Shlomo did in the house of ADONAI was finished. After this, Shlomo brought in the gifts which David his father had dedicated - the silver, the gold and the utensils - and put them in the treasuries of the house of ADONAI.

Hosea 9

1 Don't rejoice, Isra'el! Don't enjoy yourselves as other peoples do; for you have gone whoring away from your God, you love being hired as a whore on every grain-floor.

2 Threshing-floor and winepress won't feed them, and new wine will disappoint her.

3 They won't remain in the land of ADONAI; instead, Efrayim will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Ashur.

4 They will not pour out wine offerings to ADONAI; they will not be pleasing to him. Their sacrifices will be for them like mourners' food everyone eating it will be polluted. For their food will be merely to satisfy their appetite; it will not come into the house of ADONAI.

5 What will you do at a designated time, on a day which is a festival for ADONAI?

6 For suppose they escape the destruction - Egypt will round them up, Memphis will bury them. And their precious treasures of silver? Nettles will possess them, thorns will be in their tents.

7 The days of punishment have come, the days of retribution are here, and Isra'el knows it. [Yet they cry,] "The prophet is a fool, the man of the spirit has gone crazy!" Because your iniquity is so great, the hostility [against you] is great.

8 The watchman of Efrayim is with my God, but a prophet has a fowler's snare set on all his paths and hostility even in the house of his God.

9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Giv'ah. He will remember their guilt, and he will punish their sins.

10 "When I found Isra'el, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing a fig tree's first figs in its first season. But as soon as they came to Ba'al-P'or, they dedicated themselves to something shameful; they became as loathsome as the thing they loved.

11 The glory of Efrayim will fly away like a bird - no birth, no pregnancy, no conception.

12 Even if they raise their children, I will destroy them till none is left - and woe to them when I leave them, too!"

13 Efrayim, as I see it, is like Tzor, planted in a pleasant place; but Efrayim will bring out his children to the slaughterer.

14 ADONAI, give them - what will you give? Give them wombs that miscarry and dried-up breasts!

15 "All their wickedness was already there in Gilgal; that's where I came to hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will expel them from my house, I will love them no more; all their leaders are rebels.

16 Efrayim has been struck down, their root has been dried up, they will bear no fruit. Even if they do give birth, I will kill their cherished offspring."

17 My God will cast them aside, because they wouldn't listen to him, and they will become wanderers among the Goyim.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 6

Mark 14:1-31; 1 Kings 8; Hosea 10 CJB

Mark 14:1-31

1 It was now two days before Pesach (that is, the festival of Matzah), and the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers were trying to find some way to arrest Yeshua surreptitiously and have him put to death;

2 for they said, "Not during the festival, or the people will riot."

3 While he was in Beit-Anyah in the home of Shim`on (a man who had had tzara`at), and as he was eating, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfume, pure oil of nard, very costly. She broke the jar and poured the perfume over Yeshua's head.

4 But some there angrily said to themselves, "Why this waste of perfume?

5 It could have been sold for a year's wages and given to the poor!" And they scolded her.

6 But he said, "Let her be. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me.

7 For you will always have the poor with you; and whenever you want to, you can help them. But you will not always have me.

8 What she could do, she did do -- in advance she poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial.

9 Yes! I tell you that wherever in the whole world this Good News is proclaimed, what she has done will be told in her memory."

10 Then Y'hudah from K'riot, who was one of the Twelve, went to the head cohanim in order to betray Yeshua to them.

11 They were pleased to hear this and promised to give him money. And he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Yeshua.

12 On the first day for matzah, when they slaughtered the lamb for Pesach, Yeshua's talmidim asked him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare your Seder?"

13 He sent two of his talmidim with these instructions: "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him;

14 and whichever house he enters, tell him that the Rabbi says, `Where is the guest room for me, where I am to eat the Pesach meal with my talmidim?'

15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations there."

16 The talmidim went off, came to the city and found things just as he had told them they would be; and they prepared the Seder.

17 When evening came, Yeshua arrived with the Twelve.

18 As they were reclining and eating, Yeshua said, "Yes! I tell you that one of you is going to betray me."

19 They became upset and began asking him, one after the other, "You don't mean me, do you?"

20 "It's one of the Twelve," he said to them, "someone dipping matzah in the dish with me.

21 For the Son of Man will die, just as the Tanakh says he will; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him had he never been born!"

22 While they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the b'rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, "Take it! This is my body."

23 Also he took a cup of wine, made the b'rakhah, and gave it to them; and they all drank.

24 He said to them, "This is my blood, which ratifies the New Covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many people.

25 Yes! I tell you, I will not drink this `fruit of the vine' again until the day I drink new wine in the Kingdom of God."

26 After singing the Hallel, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

27 Yeshua said to them, "You will all lose faith in me, for the Tanakh says, `I will strike the shepherd dead, and the sheep will be scattered.'

28 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into the Galil."

29 Kefa said to him, "Even if everyone else loses faith in you, I won't."

30 Yeshua replied, "Yes! I tell you that this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times!"

31 But Kefa kept insisting, "Even if I must die with you, I will never disown you!" And they all said the same thing.

1 Kings 8

1 Then Shlomo assembled all the leaders of Isra'el, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the paternal clans of the people of Isra'el, to King Shlomo in Yerushalayim, to bring the ark for the covenant of ADONAI out of the City of David, also known as Tziyon.

2 All the men of Isra'el assembled before King Shlomo at the festival in the month of Etanim, the seventh month.

3 All the leaders of Isra'el came. The cohanim took the ark

4 and brought up the ark of ADONAI, the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils that were in the tent; these are what the cohanim and L'vi'im brought up.

5 King Shlomo and the whole community of Isra'el assembled in his presence were with him in front of the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen in numbers beyond counting or recording.

6 The cohanim brought the ark for the covenant of ADONAI in to its place inside the sanctuary of the house, to the Especially Holy Place, under the wings of the k'ruvim.

7 For the k'ruvim spread out their wings over the place for the ark, covering the ark and its poles from above.

8 The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside; they are there to this day.

9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moshe put there at Horev, when ADONAI made the covenant with the people of Isra'el at the time of their leaving the land of Egypt.

10 When the cohanim came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of ADONAI,

11 so that, because of the cloud, the cohanim could not stand up to perform their service; for the glory of ADONAI filled the house of ADONAI.

12 Shlomo said, "ADONAI said he would live in thick darkness.

13 But I have built you a magnificent house, a place where you can live forever."

14 Then the king turned around and blessed the whole community of Isra'el. The whole community of Isra'el stood

15 as he said: "Blessed be ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, who spoke to my father David with his mouth and fulfilled his promise with his hand. He said,

16 'Since the day I brought my people Isra'el out of Egypt, I chose no city from any of the tribes of Isra'el in which to build a house, so that my name might be there; but I did choose David to be over my people Isra'el.'

17 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of ADONAI the God of Isra'el;

18 but ADONAI said to David my father, 'Although it was in your heart to build a house for my name, and you did well that it was in your heart,

19 nevertheless you will not build the house. Rather, you will father a son, and it will be he who will build the house for my name.'

20 Now ADONAI has fulfilled this spoken word of his; for I have succeeded my father and sit on the throne of Isra'el, as ADONAI promised; and I have built the house for the name of ADONAI the God of Isra'el.

21 And there I have made a place for the ark containing the covenant of ADONAI, which he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of the land of Egypt."

22 Then Shlomo stood before the altar of ADONAI in the presence of the whole community of Isra'el, spread out his hands toward heaven,

23 and said, "ADONAI, God of Isra'el, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below. You keep covenant with your servants and show them grace, provided they live in your presence with all their heart.

24 You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father; you spoke with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand; so it is today.

25 Now therefore, ADONAI, God of Isra'el, keep what you promised to your servant David, my father, when you said, 'You will never lack a man in my presence to sit on the throne of Isra'el, if only your children are careful about what they do, so that they live in my presence, just as you have lived in my presence.'

26 Now therefore, God of Isra'el, please let your word, which you spoke to your servant David, my father, be confirmed.

27 "But can God actually live on the earth? Why, heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain you; so how much less this house I have built?

28 Even so, ADONAI my God, pay attention to your servant's prayer and plea, listen to the cry and prayer that your servant is praying before you today,

29 that your eyes will be open toward this house night and day - toward the place concerning which you said, 'My name will be there'- to listen to the prayer your servant will pray toward this place.

30 Yes, listen to the plea of your servant, and also that of your people Isra'el when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven where you live; and when you hear, forgive!

31 "If a person sins against a fellow member of the community, and he is made to swear under oath, and he comes and swears before your altar in this house;

32 then hear in heaven, act, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, so that his way of life devolves on his own head, and vindicating the one who is right, giving him what his righteousness deserves.

33 "When your people Isra'el sin against you and in consequence are defeated by an enemy; then if they turn back to you, acknowledge your name, and pray and make their plea to you in this house;

34 hear in heaven, forgive the sin of your people Isra'el, and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.

35 "When they sin against you, and in consequence the sky is shut, so that there is no rain; then, if they pray toward this place, acknowledge your name and turn from their sin when you have brought them low;

36 hear in heaven, forgive the sin of your servants and of your people Isra'el - since you keep teaching them the good way by which they should live - and send down rain on your land, which you have given your people as their inheritance.

37 "If there is famine in the land, or blight, windstorm, mildew, locusts or shearer-worms; or if their enemy comes to the land and besieges them in any of their cities- no matter what kind of plague or sickness it is;

38 then, regardless of what prayer or plea anyone among all your people Isra'el makes - for each individual will know what is plagueing his own conscience - and the person spreads out his hands toward this house;

39 hear in heaven where you live, and forgive, and act, and, since you know what is in each one's heart, give each person what his conduct deserves (because you, and only you, know all human hearts),

40 so that they will fear you throughout the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

41 "Also the foreigner who does not belong to your people Isra'el - when he comes from a distant country because of your reputation

42 (for they will hear of your great reputation, your mighty hand and your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house;

43 then hear in heaven where you live, and act in accordance with everything about which the foreigner is calling to you; so that all the peoples of the earth will know your name and fear you, as does your people Isra'el, and so that they will know that this house which I have built bears your name.

44 "If your people go out to fight against their enemy, no matter by which way you send them, and they pray to ADONAI toward the city you chose, toward the house I built for your name;

45 then, in heaven, hear their prayer and plea, and uphold their cause.

46 "If they sin against you - for there is no one who doesn't sin - and you are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, so that they carry them off captive to the land of their enemy, whether far away or nearby;

47 then, if they come to their senses in the land where they have been carried away captive, turn back and make their plea to you in the land of those who carried them off captive, saying, 'We sinned, we acted wrongly, we behaved wickedly,'

48 if, in the land of their enemies who carried them off captive, they return to you with all their heart and being and pray to you toward their own land, which you gave to their ancestors, toward the city you chose and toward the house I have built for your name;

49 then, in heaven where you live, hear their prayer and plea, uphold their cause,

50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you - forgive their transgressions which they have committed against you, and give them compassion in the sight of their captors, so that they will show compassion toward them;

51 for they are your people, your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of the flames of the iron furnace.

52 "May your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Isra'el, so that you will hear them whenever they cry out to you.

53 For you made a distinction between them and all the peoples of the earth by making them your inheritance, as you said through Moshe your servant when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, Adonai ELOHIM."

54 When Shlomo had finished praying all this prayer and plea to ADONAI, he got up from in front of the altar of ADONAI, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven,

55 stood up, and raised his voice to bless the whole community of Isra'el. He said,

56 "Blessed be ADONAI, who has given rest to his people Isra'el, in accordance with everything he promised. Not one word has failed of his good promise, which he made through Moshe his servant.

57 May ADONAI our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors. May he never leave us or abandon us.

58 In this way he will incline our hearts toward him, so that we will live according to his ways and observe his mitzvot, laws and rulings which he ordered our fathers to obey.

59 May these words of mine, which I have used in my plea before ADONAI, be present with ADONAI our God day and night, so that he will uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Isra'el day by day.

60 Then all the peoples of the earth will know that ADONAI is God; there is no other.

61 So be wholehearted with ADONAI our God, living by his laws and observing his mitzvot, as you are doing today."

62 Then the king, together with all Isra'el, offered sacrifices before ADONAI.

63 For the sacrifice of peace offerings which Shlomo offered to ADONAI, he offered 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus the king and all the people of Isra'el dedicated the house of ADONAI.

64 The same day, the king consecrated the center of the courtyard in front of the house of ADONAI, because he had to offer the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings there. For the bronze altar before ADONAI was too small to receive the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 So Shlomo celebrated the festival at that time. All Isra'el, a huge gathering [that had come all the way] from the entrance of Hamat to the Vadi [of Egypt], celebrated with him before ADONAI our God for seven days and then for seven more days - fourteen days in all.

66 On the eighth day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and returned to their tents full of joy and glad of heart for all the goodness ADONAI had shown to David his servant and to Isra'el his people.

Hosea 10

1 Isra'el was a luxuriant vine, freely putting forth fruit. As his fruit increased, he increased his altars; as his land got better, he improved his standing-stones.

2 Their heart is divided; now they will bear their guilt. He will break down their altars and destroy their standing-stones.

3 For now they will say, "We have no king, because we didn't fear ADONAI - and what could a king do for us, anyway?"

4 They mouth words, swearing falsely, making treaties. Thus judgment spreads like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.

5 The inhabitants of Shomron are frightened of the calf-gods of Beit-Aven. Its people mourn over it; its priests tremble over it, over its glory, which has left it.

6 It will be carried to Ashur as a present for a warring king. Efrayim will be put to shame, and Isra'el be ashamed of his own advice.

7 Shomron's king will perish like foam on the surface of the water.

8 Destruction will come to the high places of Aven, that is, to the sin of Isra'el. Thorns and thistles will grow over their altars; and they will say to the mountains, "Cover us!" and to the hills, "Fall on us!"

9 "Since the days of Giv'ah you have sinned, Isra'el. There they took their stand. For these arrogant people at Giv'ah, war was insufficient punishment.

10 When I wish to, I will discipline them; and the peoples will be gathered against them to discipline them for their two crimes."

11 Efrayim is a well-taught cow - it loves to tread the grain, and I have spared her fair neck. But I will put Efrayim in harness, Y'hudah will have to plow, Ya'akov will harrow his own land.

12 If you sow righteousness for yourselves, you will reap according to grace. Break up unused ground for yourselves, because it is time to seek ADONAI, till he comes and rains down righteousness upon you.

13 You have plowed wickedness, reaped iniquity and eaten the fruit of lies. Because you trusted in your own way, in your large numbers of warriors,

14 turmoil will erupt among your peoples, and all your fortresses will be destroyed; just as Shalman destroyed Beit-Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to pieces right along with their children.

15 Thus will be done to you, Beit-El, because of your great wickedness; at dawn the king of Isra'el will be completely cut off.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 7

Mark 14:32-72; 1 Kings 9; Hosea 11 CJB

Mark 14:32-72

32 They went to a place called Gat Sh'manim; and Yeshua said to his talmidim, "Sit here while I pray."

33 He took with him Kefa, Ya`akov and Yochanan. Great distress and anguish came over him;

34 and he said to them, "My heart is so filled with sadness that I could die! Remain here and stay awake."

35 Going on a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that if possible, the hour might pass from him:

36 "Abba!" (that is, "Dear Father!") "All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me! Still, not what I want, but what you want."

37 He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Kefa, "Shim`on, are you asleep? Couldn't you stay awake one hour?

38 Stay awake, and pray that you will not be put to the test -- the spirit indeed is eager, but human nature is weak."

39 Again he went away and prayed, saying the same words;

40 and again he came and found them sleeping, their eyes were so very heavy; and they didn't know what to answer him.

41 The third time, he came and said to them, "For now, go on sleeping, take your rest. . . .There, that's enough! The time has come! Look! The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners!

42 Get up! Let's go! Here comes my betrayer!"

43 While Yeshua was still speaking, Y'hudah (one of the Twelve!) came, and with him a crowd carrying swords and clubs, from the head cohanim, the Torah-teachers and the elders.

44 The betrayer had arranged to give them a signal: "The man I kiss is the one you want. Grab him, and take him away under guard."

45 As he ar ived, he went right up to Yeshua, said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him.

46 Then they laid hold of Yeshua and arrested him;

47 but one of the people standing nearby drew his sword and struck at the servant of the cohen hagadol, cutting off his ear.

48 Yeshua addressed them: "So you came out to take me with swords and clubs, the way you would the leader of a rebellion?

49 Every day I was with you in the Temple court, teaching, and you didn't seize me then! But let the Tanakh be fulfilled."

50 And they all deserted him and ran away.

51 There was one young man who did try to follow him; but he was wearing only a nightshirt; and when they tried to seize him,

52 he slipped out of the nightshirt and ran away naked.

53 They led Yeshua to the cohen hagadol, with whom all the head cohanim, elders and Torah-teachers were assembling.

54 Kefa followed him at a distance right into the courtyard of the cohen hagadol, where he sat down with the guards and warmed himself by the fire.

55 The head cohanim and the whole Sanhedrin tried to find evidence against Yeshua, so that they might have him put to death, but they couldn't find any.

56 For many people gave false evidence against him, but their testimonies didn't agree.

57 Some stood up and gave this false testimony:

58 "We heard him say, `I will destroy this Temple made with hands; and in three days I will build another one, not made with hands.'"

59 Even so, their testimonies didn't agree.

60 The cohen hagadol stood up in the front and asked Yeshua, "Have you nothing to say to the accusations these men are making?"

61 But he remained silent and made no reply. Again the cohen hagadol questioned him: "Are you the Mashiach, Ben-HaM'vorakh?"

62 "I AM," answered Yeshua. "Moreover, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of HaG'vurah and coming on the clouds of heaven."

63 At this, the cohen hagadol tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses?

64 You heard him blaspheme! What is your decision?" And they all declared him guilty and subject to the death penalty.

65 Then some began spitting at him; and after blindfolding him, they started pounding him with their fists and saying to him, "Let's see you prophesy!" And as the guards took him, they beat him too.

66 Meanwhile, Kefa was still in the courtyard below. One of the serving girls of the cohen hagadol

67 saw Kefa warming himself, took a look at him, and said, "You were with the man from Natzeret, Yeshua!"

68 But he denied it, saying, "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about!" He went outside into the entryway, and a rooster crowed.

69 The girl saw him there and started telling the bystanders, "This fellow is one of them."

70 Again he denied it. A little later, the bystanders themselves said to Kefa, "You must be one of them, because you're from the Galil."

71 At this he began to invoke a curse on himself as he swore, "I do not know this man you are telling me about!" --

72 and immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Kefa remembered what Yeshua had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times." And throwing himself down, he burst into tears.

1 Kings 9

1 After Shlomo had finished building the house of ADONAI, the royal palace and everything else he wanted to build for himself,

2 ADONAI appeared to Shlomo a second time, as he had appeared to him in Giv'on.

3 ADONAI said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your plea that you made before me: I am consecrating this house which you built and placing my name there forever; my eyes and heart will always be there.

4 As for you, if you will live in my presence, as did David your father, in pureness of heart and uprightness, doing everything I have ordered you to do, and observing my laws and rulings;

5 then I will establish the throne of your rulership over Isra'el forever, just as I promised David your father when I said, 'You will never lack a man on the throne of Isra'el.'

6 But if you turn away from following me, you or your children, and do not observe my mitzvot and regulations which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, worshipping them;

7 then I will cut off Isra'el from the land I have given them. This house, which I consecrated for my name, I will eject from my sight; and Isra'el will become an example to avoid and an object of scorn among all peoples.

8 This house, now so exalted - everyone passing by will gasp in shock at the sight of it and will ask, 'Why has ADONAI done this to this land and to this house?'

9 But the answer will be, 'It's because they abandoned ADONAI their God, who brought their ancestors out of the land of Egypt, and took hold of other gods, worshipping and serving them; this is why ADONAI brought all these calamities on them.'"

10 At the end of twenty years, during which time Shlomo had built the two buildings, the house of ADONAI and the royal palace,

11 King Shlomo gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of the Galil (recall that Hiram the king of Tzor had supplied Shlomo with cedar and cypress logs and with all the gold Shlomo wanted).

12 Hiram came over from Tzor to see the cities Shlomo had given him, but he was not satisfied with them.

13 He said, "What kind of cities are these which you have given me, my brother?" So they have been called the land of Kabul [good for nothing] till this day.

14 (Hiram had sent the king four tons of gold.)

15 Following is the account of the forced labor levied by King Shlomo for building the house of ADONAI, his own palace, the Millo, the wall of Yerushalayim, and the cities of Hatzor, Megiddo and Gezer.

16 Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, taken Gezer, burned it to the ground and killed the Kena'ani living in the city; then he had given it as a dowry for his daughter, Shlomo's wife.

17 So Shlomo rebuilt Gezer; he also built Lower Beit-Horon,

18 Ba'alat, Tadmor in the desert, in the land,

19 as well as all the cities that Shlomo had for storing supplies, the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and the other buildings Shlomo wanted to build for himself in Yerushalayim, in the L'vanon and throughout the land he ruled.

20 All the people still left from the Emori, Hitti, P'rizi, Hivi, and Y'vusi, who were not part of the people of Isra'el,

21 that is, their descendants remaining after them in the land, whom the people of Isra'el were not able to destroy completely - from them Shlomo levied his forced laborers; as it is to this day.

22 But Shlomo did not raise any of his forced labor from the people of Isra'el; rather, they were the soldiers, his servants, administrators and commanders, and the officials in charge of his chariots and horsemen.

23 There were 550 chief officers over Shlomo's work, in charge of the workers.

24 Pharaoh's daughter came up from the City of David to her house, which Shlomo had built for her. After that he built the Millo.

25 Three times a year Shlomo offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he had built for ADONAI, offering incense with them on the altar before ADONAI. So he finished the house.

26 King Shlomo built a fleet of ships in 'Etzyon-Gever, by Elot on the shore of the Sea of Suf in the land of Edom.

27 Hiram sent some of his own servants, experienced sailors who understood the sea, to serve with Shlomo's servants.

28 They went to Ofir and took from there gold, fourteen tons of it, which they brought back to King Shlomo.

Hosea 11

1 "When Isra'el was a child, I loved him; and out of Egypt I called my son.

2 But the more [the prophets] called them, the farther they went from them. They sacrificed to the ba'alim and offered incense to idols.

3 "Yet it was I who taught Efrayim to walk; I took them by their arms. But they did not know that it was I who was healing them,

4 who was guiding them on through human means with reins made of love. With them I was like someone removing the yoke from their jaws, and I bent down to feed them.

5 He will not return to the land of Egypt, but Ashur will be his king, because they refused to repent.

6 The sword will fall on his cities, destroying the bars of his gates, because they follow their own advice.

7 My people are hanging in suspense about returning to me; and though they call them upwards, nobody makes a move.

8 Efrayim, how can I give you up, or surrender you, Isra'el? How could I treat you like Admah or make you like Tzvoyim? My heart recoils at the idea, as compassion warms within me.

9 I will not give vent to the fierceness of my rage, I will not return to destroy Efrayim; for I am God, not a human being, the Holy One among you; so I will not come in fury.

10 They will go after ADONAI, who will roar like a lion; for he will roar, and the children will come trembling from the west.

11 They will tremble like a bird as they come from Egypt, like a dove as they come from the land of Ashur; and I will resettle them in their own houses, says ADONAI.

12 "Efrayim surrounds me with lies and the house of Isra'el with deceit. Y'hudah still rules with God and is faithful with holy ones.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 8

Mark 15:1-20; 1 Kings 10; Hosea 12 CJB

Mark 15:1-20

1 As soon as it was morning, the head cohanim held a council meeting with the elders, the Torah-teachers and the whole Sanhedrin. Then they put Yeshua in chains, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

2 Pilate put this question to him: "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered him, "The words are yours."

3 The head cohanim too made accusations against him,

4 and Pilate again inquired of him, "Aren't you going to answer? Look how many charges they are making against you!"

5 But Yeshua made no further response, to Pilate's amazement.

6 Now during a festival, Pilate used to set free one prisoner, whomever the crowd requested.

7 There was in prison among the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection a man called Bar-Abba. When the crowd came up and began ask

8 ing Pilate to do for them what he usually did, h

9 e asked them, "Do you want me to set free for you the `King of the Jews'?"

10 For it was evident to him that it was out of jealousy that the head cohanim had handed him over.

11 But the head cohanim stirred up the crowd to have him release Bar-Abba for them instead.

12 Pilate again said to them, "Then what should I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?"

13 They shouted back, "Put him to death on the stake!"

14 He asked, "Why? What crime has he committed?" But they only shouted louder, "Put him to death on the stake!"

15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the mob, set Bar-Abba free for them; but he had Yeshua whipped and then handed him over to be executed on the stake.

16 The soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the headquarters build ing) and called together the whole battalion.

17 They dressed him in purple and wove thorn branches into a crown, which they put on him.

18 Then they began to salute him, "Hail to the King of the Jews!"

19 They hit him on the head with a stick, spat on him and kneeled in mock worship of him.

20 When they had finished ridiculing him, they took off the purple robe, put his own clothes back on him and led him away to be nailed to the execution-stake.

1 Kings 10

1 When the queen of Sh'va heard what was being said about Shlomo because of the name of ADONAI, she came to test him with difficult questions.

2 She arrived in Yerushalayim accompanied by a very great retinue, including camels bearing spices and gold in great abundance, and precious stones. When she appeared before Shlomo she spoke with him about everything on her heart,

3 and Shlomo answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king that he could not explain to her.

4 After the queen of Sh'va had seen all Shlomo's wisdom, the palace he had built,

5 the food at his table, the manner of seating his officials, the manner in which his staff served him, how they were dressed, his personal servants and his burnt offering which he offered in the house of ADONAI, it left her breathless.

6 She said to the king, "What I heard in my own country about your deeds and your wisdom is true,

7 but I couldn't believe the report until I came and saw for myself. Actually, they didn't tell me even the half of it - your wisdom and prosperity surpass the reports I heard.

8 How happy your people must be, how happy these servants of yours who are always here attending you and get to hear your wisdom!

9 Blessed be ADONAI your God, who took pleasure in you to put you on the throne of Isra'el. Because of ADONAI's eternal love for Isra'el, he has made you king, to administer judgment and justice fairly."

10 Then she gave the king four tons of gold, a huge amount of spices, and precious stones; never again did there arrive such an abundance of spices as those the queen of Sh'va gave to King Shlomo.

11 Hiram's fleet which had brought gold from Ofir now brought in from Ofir a large quantity of sandalwood and precious stones.

12 The king used the sandalwood to make columns for the house of ADONAI and for the royal palace, and also lyres and lutes for the singers. No sandalwood like it has come or been seen to this day.

13 King Shlomo gave the queen of Sh'va everything she wanted, whatever she asked, in addition to the presents he gave her on his own initiative. After this, she returned and went back to her own country, she and her servants.

14 The weight of the gold Shlomo received annually came to twenty-two tons of gold,

15 besides that which came from sales taxes, customs duties and assessments collected by all the kings of the mixed peoples and by the district governors.

16 King Shlomo made 200 large shields of hammered gold; fifteen pounds of gold went into one shield.

17 He made 300 more shields of hammered gold, with three-and-three-quarters pounds going into one shield; the king put these in the House of the L'vanon Forest.

18 The king also made a large throne of ivory and overlaid it with the finest gold.

19 The throne had six steps, a back with a rounded top, arms on either side of the seat, two lions standing beside the arms,

20 and twelve more lions standing on each side of the six steps. Nothing like it had ever been made in any kingdom.

21 All King Shlomo's drinking vessels were of gold; and all the utensils in the House of the L'vanon Forest were of pure gold; none was of silver, for in Shlomo's time it was regarded as having little value.

22 The king had a fleet of large "Tarshish" ships along with Hiram's fleet; once every three years the "Tarshish" fleet came in, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.

23 So King Shlomo surpassed all the kings on earth in both wealth and wisdom.

24 All the earth sought to have an audience with Shlomo, in order to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

25 Each one brought his present - articles of silver, articles of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses and mules; and this continued year after year.

26 Shlomo amassed chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen; he assigned them to the chariot cities and to the king in Yerushalayim.

27 The king made silver in Yerushalayim as common as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as sycamore-fig trees are in the Sh'felah.

28 Shlomo's horses had been brought from Egypt and from Keveh, with the king's agents having bought them from the dealers in Keveh at the going price.

29 A chariot from Egypt cost fifteen pounds of silver shekels and a horse three-and-three quarters pounds [of shekels]; all the kings of the Hittim and the kings of Aram purchased them at these prices through Shlomo's agents.

Hosea 12

1 Efrayim is chasing the wind, pursuing the wind from the east. All day he piles up lies and desolation they make a covenant with Ashur, while sending olive oil to Egypt.

2 ADONAI also has a grievance against Y'hudah; he will punish Ya'akov according to his ways and pay him back for his misdeeds.

3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel; in the strength of his manhood he fought with God.

4 Yes, he fought with an angel and won; he wept and pleaded with him. Then at Beit-El he found him, and there he would [later] speak with us

5 Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot; ADONAI is his name!

6 So you, return to your God; hold fast to grace and justice; and always put your hope in your God.

7 "A huckster keeps false scales, and he loves to cheat.

8 Efrayim says, 'I have gotten so rich! I have made me a fortune! And in all my profits no one will find anything wrong or sinful.'

9 "But I am ADONAI your God, from the land of Egypt. Again I will make you live in tents, as in the days of the established festival.

10 I have spoken to the prophets; it was I who gave vision after vision; through the prophets I gave examples to show what it would all be like.

11 Is Gil'ad given to iniquity? Yes, they have become worthless. In Gilgal they sacrifice to bulls; therefore their altars are like piles of stones in a plowed field."

12 Ya'akov fled to the land of Aram. There Isra'el slaved to win a wife; for a wife he tended sheep.

13 By a prophet ADONAI brought Isra'el up from Egypt, and by a prophet he was protected.

14 Efrayim has given bitter provocation, so the penalty for his bloodshed will be thrown down on him, and his Lord will repay him for his insult.

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Today's Bible Reading

July 9

Mark 15:21-47; 1 Kings 11; Hosea 13 CJB

Mark 15:21-47

21 A certain man from Cyrene, Shim`on, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country; and they forced him to carry the stake.

22 They brought Yeshua to a place called Gulgolta (which means "place of a skull"),

23 and they gave him wine spiced with myrrh, but he didn't take it.

24 Then they nailed him to the execution-stake; and they divided his clothes among themselves, throwing dice to determine what each man should get.

25 It was nine in the morning when they nailed him to the stake.

26 Over his head, the written notice of the charge against him read, THE KING OF THE JEWS

27 On execution-stakes with him they placed two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.

28 Some manuscripts include verse 28: And the passage from the Tanakh was fulfilled which says,

29 People passing by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! So you can destroy the Temple, can you, and rebuild it in three days?

30 Save yourself and come down from the stake!"

31 Likewise, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers made fun of him, saying to each other, "He saved others, but he can't save himself!"

32 and, "So he's the Messiah, is he? The King of Isra'el? Let him come down now from the stake! If we see that, then we'll believe him!" Even the men nailed up with him insulted him.

33 At noon, darkness covered the whole Land until three o'clock in the afternoon.

34 At three, he uttered a loud cry, "Elohi! Elohi! L'mah sh'vaktani?" (which means, "My God! My God! Why have you deserted me?")

35 On hear ing this, some of the bystanders said, "Look! He's calling for Eliyahu!"

36 One ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar, put it on a stick and gave it to him to drink. "Wait!" he said, "Let's see if Eliyahu will come and take him down."

37 But Yeshua let out a loud cry and gave up his spirit.

38 And the parokhet in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39 When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw the way he gave up his spirit, he said, "This man really was a son of God!"

40 There were women looking on from a distance; among them were Miryam from Magdala, Miryam the mother of the younger Ya`akov and of Yosi, and Shlomit.

41 These women had followed him and helped him when he was in the Galil. And many other women were there who had come up with him to Yerushalayim.

42 Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before a Shabbat), as evening approached,

43 Yosef of Ramatayim, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who himself was also looking forward to the Kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Yeshua's body.

44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead, so he summoned the officer and asked him if he had been dead awhile.

45 After he had gotten confirmation from the officer that Yeshua was dead, he granted Yosef the corpse.

46 Yosef purchased a linen sheet; and after taking Yeshua down, he wrapped him in the linen sheet, laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.

47 Miryam of Magdala and Miryam the mother of Yosi saw where he had been laid.

1 Kings 11

1 King Shlomo loved many foreign women besides the daughter of Pharaoh. There were women from the Mo'avi, 'Amoni, Edomi, Tzidoni and Hitti -

2 nations about which ADONAI had said to the people of Isra'el, "You are not to go among them or they among you, because they will turn your hearts away toward their gods." But Shlomo was deeply attached to them by his love.

3 He had 700 wives, all princesses, and 300 concubines; and his wives turned his heart away.

4 For when Shlomo became old, his wives turned his heart away toward other gods; so that he was not wholehearted with ADONAI his God, as David his father had been.

5 For Shlomo followed 'Ashtoret the goddess of the Tzidoni and Milkom the abomination of the 'Amoni.

6 Thus Shlomo did what was evil in ADONAI's view and did not fully follow ADONAI, as David his father had done.

7 Shlomo built a high place for K'mosh the abomination of Mo'av on the hill on front of Yerushalayim, and another for Molekh the abomination of the people of 'Amon.

8 This is what he did for all his foreign wives, who then offered and sacrificed to their gods.

9 So ADONAI grew angry with Shlomo, because his heart had turned away from ADONAI the God of Isra'el, who had appeared to him twice

10 and given him orders concerning this matter that he should not follow other gods. But he didn't obey ADONAI's orders.

11 So ADONAI said to Shlomo, "Since this is what has been in your mind, and you haven't kept my covenant and my regulations which I ordered you to obey, I will tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant.

12 However, for David your father's sake I won't do it while you are alive, but I will tear it away from your son.

13 Even then, I won't tear away all the kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Yerushalayim, which I have chosen."

14 Then ADONAI raised up an adversary against Shlomo, Hadad the Edomi, of the royal line of Edom.

15 Back when David had been in Edom, and Yo'av the commander of the army had gone up to bury the dead, having killed every male in Edom

16 (for Yo'av and all Isra'el had stayed there six months, until he had eliminated every male in Edom),

17 Hadad had fled, he and a number of Edomi servants of his father's with him, and gone into Egypt; at the time Hadad had been but a small boy.

18 On their way, they passed through Midyan and arrived in Pa'ran, took with them men from Pa'ran, and went on into Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt. He gave Hadad a house, saw to it that he had food and gave him land.

19 Hadad became a great favorite of Pharaoh, so that he gave him his own wife's sister in marriage, that is, the sister of Tachp'neis the queen.

20 The sister of Tachp'neis bore him G'nuvat his son, and Tachp'neis brought him up in Pharaoh's own house, so that G'nuvat was in Pharaoh's house along with Pharaoh's sons.

21 When Hadad in Egypt heard that David slept with his ancestors and Yo'av the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Let me leave, so that I can return to my own country."

22 Pharaoh asked him, "But what have you lacked with me that makes you want just now to go to your own country?" "Nothing in particular," he replied, "but let me leave, anyway."

23 God raised up another adversary against Shlomo, Rezon the son of Elyada, who had fled from his lord Hadad'ezer king of Tzovah

24 when David killed the men from Tzovah. Rezon rallied men to himself and became the leader of a band of marauders; they went to Dammesek and settled there, while he became king of Dammesek.

25 He remained an adversary as long as Shlomo lived, causing difficulties in addition to those of Hadad. He detested Isra'el and ruled Aram.

26 Also Yarov'am the son of N'vat, an Efrati from Tz'redah, whose mother's name was Tz'ru'ah, one of Shlomo's servants, rebelled against the king.

27 Here is the reason he rebelled against the king: Shlomo was building the Millo and closing the breach in [the wall of] the City of David his father.

28 Now this Yarov'am was a strong, energetic man; and Shlomo, seeing how serious the young man was, made him supervisor over all the work being done by the tribe of Yosef.

29 Once, during this period, when Yarov'am had gone out of Yerushalayim, the prophet Achiyah from Shiloh spotted him traveling. Achiyah was wearing a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in open country.

30 Achiyah took hold of his new cloak that he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.

31 Then he said to Yarov'am, "Take ten pieces for yourself! For here is what ADONAI the God of Isra'el says: 'I am going to tear the kingdom out of Shlomo's hand, and I will give ten tribes to you.

32 But he will keep one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Yerushalayim, the city I have chosen from all the tribes of Isra'el.

33 I will do this because they have abandoned me and worshipped 'Ashtoret the goddess of the Tzidoni, K'mosh the god of Mo'av and Milkom the god of the people of 'Amon. They haven't lived according to my ways, so that they could do what was right in my view and obey my regulations and rulings, as did David his father.

34 Nevertheless, I will not take the entire kingdom away from him; but I will make him prince as long as he lives, for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose, because he obeyed my mitzvot and regulations.

35 However, I will take the kingdom away from his son and give ten tribes of it to you.

36 To his son I will give one tribe, so that David my servant will always have a light burning before me in Yerushalayim, the city I chose for myself as the place to put my name.

37 I will take you, and you will rule over everything you want; you will be king over Isra'el.

38 Now if you will listen to all that I order you, live according to my ways and do what is right in my view, so that you observe my regulations and mitzvot, as David my servant did; then I will be with you, and I will build you a lasting dynasty, as I built for David; and I will give Isra'el to you.

39 For this [offense] I will trouble David's descendants, but not forever."

40 Because of this Shlomo tried to kill Yarov'am; but Yarov'am roused himself, fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and stayed in Egypt until the death of Shlomo.

41 Other activities of Shlomo, all he accomplished and his wisdom are recorded in the Annals of Shlomo.

42 The length of Shlomo's reign in Yerushalayim over all Isra'el was forty years.

43 Then Shlomo slept with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David his father, and Rechav'am his son became king in his place.

Hosea 13

1 "When Efrayim spoke, there was trembling; he was a power in Isra'el. But when he incurred guilt through Ba'al, he died.

2 So now they keep adding sin to sin, casting images from their silver; idols they invent for themselves, all of them the work of craftsmen. 'Sacrifice to them,' they say. Men give kisses to calves!

3 Therefore they will be like a morning cloud, like the dew that disappears early, like chaff blown by wind from the threshing-floor, or like smoke that goes out the window.

4 Still, I am ADONAI your God, from the land of Egypt; and you don't know any God but me or, other than me, any Savior.

5 I knew you in the desert, in a land of terrible drought.

6 When they were fed, they were satisfied; when satisfied, they became proud. Therefore they forgot me.

7 So now I have become like a lion to them; like a leopard I will lurk by the road;

8 I will meet them like a bear whose cubs have been taken away. I will tear their hearts from their bodies. I will devour them there like a lion, like a wild animal ripping them up.

9 It is your destruction, Isra'el, although your help is in me.

10 So now, where is your king, to save you in all your cities? Where are your judges, of whom you said, 'Give me a king and leaders'?

11 I gave you a king in my anger; and in my fury I took him away.

12 "Efrayim's guilt has been wrapped up, his sin is stored away.

13 The pain of being born will come to him; but he is an unwise son. The time has come; and he shouldn't delay, there at the mouth of the womb.

14 Should I ransom them from the power of Sh'ol? Should I redeem them from death?

15 Where are your plagues, death; where is your destruction, Sh'ol? My eyes are closed to compassion. For though he flourishes among the reeds, an east wind will come, a wind from ADONAI, blowing up from the desert. Then his water source will dry up, then his spring will fail it will plunder his treasury, removing every precious thing."

16 Shomron will bear her guilt, for she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, their little ones will be dashed to pieces and their pregnant women ripped open.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 10

Mark 16; 1 Kings 12; Hosea 14 CJB

Mark 16

1 When Shabbat was over, Miryam of Magdala, Miryam the mother of Ya`akov, and Shlomit bought spices in order to go and anoint Yeshua.

2 Very early the next day, just after sunrise, they went to the tomb.

3 They were asking each other, "Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?"

4 Then they looked up and saw that the stone, even though it was huge, had been rolled back already.

5 On entering the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right; and they were dumbfounded.

6 But he said, "Don't be so surprised! You're looking for Yeshua from Natzeret, who was executed on the stake. He has risen, he's not here! Look at the place where they laid him.

7 But go and tell his talmidim, especially Kefa, that he is going to the Galil ahead of you. You will see him there, just as he told you."

8 Trembling but ecstatic they went out and fled from the tomb, and they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

9 When Yeshua rose early Sunday, he appeared first to Miryam of Magdala, from whom he had expelled seven demons.

10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they were crying and mourning.

11 But when they heard that he was alive and that she had seen him, they wouldn't believe it.

12 After that, Yeshua appeared in another form to two of them as they were walking into the country.

13 They went and told the others, but they didn't believe them either.

14 Later, Yeshua appeared to the Eleven as they were eating, and he reproached them for their lack of trust and their spiritual insensitivity in not having believed those who had seen him after he had risen.

15 Then he said to them, "As you go throughout the world, proclaim the Good News to all creation.

16 Whoever trusts and is immersed will be saved; whoever does not trust will be condemned.

17 And these signs will accompany those who do trust: in my name they will drive out demons, speak with new tongues,

18 not be injured if they handle snakes or drink poison, and heal the sick by laying hands on them."

19 So then, after he had spoken to them, the Lord Yeshua was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God.

20 And they went out and proclaimed everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the message by the accompanying signs.

1 Kings 12

1 Rechav'am went to Sh'khem, where all Isra'el had come to proclaim him king.

2 When Yarov'am the son of N'vat heard of it - for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from Shlomo; so Yarov'am was living in Egypt;

3 but they sent and summoned him - Yarov'am and the whole community of Isra'el came and said to Rechav'am,

4 "Your father laid a harsh yoke on us. But if you will lighten the harsh service we had to render your father and ease his heavy yoke that he put on us, we will serve you."

5 He said to them, "Leave me alone for three days, then come back to me." So the people left.

6 King Rechav'am consulted the older men who had been in attendance on Shlomo his father during his lifetime and asked, "What advice would you give me as to how to answer these people?"

7 They said to him, "If you will start today being a servant to these people - if you will serve them, be responsive to them and give them favorable consideration, then they will be your servants forever."

8 But he didn't take the advice the older men gave him; instead he consulted the young men he had grown up with, who were now his attendants.

9 He asked them, "What advice would you give me, so that we can give an answer to these people who said to me, 'Lighten the yoke that your father laid on us'?"

10 The young men he had grown up with said to him, "These people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy; but you, make it lighter for us' - here's the answer you should give them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!

11 Yes, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will make it heavier! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions!'"

12 So Yarov'am and all the people came to Rechav'am the third day, as the king had requested by saying, "Come to me again the third day";

13 and the king answered the people harshly. Abandoning the advice the older men had given him,

14 he addressed them according to the advice of the young men and said, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions!"

15 So the king didn't listen to the people; and that was something ADONAI brought about, so that he could fulfill his word, which ADONAI had spoken through Achiyah from Shiloh to Yarov'am the son of N'vat.

16 When all Isra'el saw that the king wasn't listening to them, the people answered the king, "Do we have any share in David? We have no heritage in the son of Yishai! Go to your tents, Isra'el! Care for your own house, David!" So Isra'el left for their tents.

17 But as for the people of Isra'el living in the cities of Y'hudah, Rechav'am ruled over them.

18 King Rechav'am then sent Adoram, who was in charge of forced labor; but all Isra'el stoned him to death. King Rechav'am managed to mount his chariot and flee to Yerushalayim.

19 Isra'el has been in rebellion against the dynasty of David to this day.

20 On hearing that Yarov'am had returned, all Isra'el summoned him to the assembly and proclaimed him king over all Isra'el. No one followed the dynasty of David except the tribe of Y'hudah.

21 When Rechav'am arrived in Yerushalayim, he assembled all the house of Y'hudah and the tribe of Binyamin, 180,000 select soldiers, to fight the house of Isra'el and bring the rulership back to Rechav'am the son of Shlomo.

22 But this word from God came to Sh'ma'yah the man of God:

23 "Speak to Rechav'am the son of Shlomo, king of Y'hudah, to all the house of Y'hudah and Binyamin and to the rest of the people; tell them

24 that this is what ADONAI says: 'You are not to go up and fight your brothers the people of Isra'el! Every man is to go back home, because this is my doing.'" They paid attention to the word of ADONAI and turned back, as ADONAI had told them to do.

25 Then Yarov'am built up Sh'khem in the hills of Efrayim and lived there. After that, he left and built up P'nu'el.

26 Nevertheless Yarov'am said to himself, "Now the rulership will return to the house of David.

27 For if these people continue going up to offer sacrifices in the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim, their hearts will turn back to their lord, Rechav'am king of Y'hudah. Then they will kill me and return to Rechav'am king of Y'hudah."

28 After seeking advice, the king made two calves of gold and said to the people, "You have been going up to Yerushalayim long enough! Here are your gods, Isra'el, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!"

29 He placed one in Beit-El and the other in Dan,

30 and the affair became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one [in Beit-El and] all the way to Dan [to worship the other].

31 He also set up temples on the high places and made cohanim from among all the people, even though they were not descended from Levi.

32 Yarov'am instituted a festival in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, similar to the festival held in Y'hudah; he went up to the altar in Beit-El to sacrifice to the calves he had made; and he placed in Beit-El the cohanim he had appointed for the high places.

33 He went up to the altar which he had set up in Beit-El on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had chosen on his own, and instituted a festival for the people of Isra'el; he went up to the altar to burn incense.

Hosea 14

1 Return, Isra'el, to ADONAI your God, for your guilt has made you stumble.

2 Take words with you, and return to ADONAI; say to him, "Forgive all guilt, and accept what is good; we will pay instead of bulls [the offerings of] our lips.

3 Ashur will not save us, we will not ride on horses, and we will no longer call what we made with our hands our gods. For it is only in you that the fatherless can find mercy."

4 "I will heal their disloyalty, I will love them freely; for my anger has turned from him.

5 I will be like dew to Isra'el; he will blossom like a lily and strike roots like the L'vanon.

6 His branches will spread out, his beauty be like an olive tree and his fragrance like the L'vanon.

7 Again they will live in his shade and raise grain; they will blossom like a vine, and its aroma will be like the wine of the L'vanon.

8 Efrayim [will say], 'What have I to do any more with idols?' And I, I answer and affirm him; I am like a fresh, green cypress tree; your fruitfulness comes from me."

9 Let the wise understand these things, and let the discerning know them. For the ways of ADONAI are straight, And the righteous walk in them, but in them sinners stumble.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 11

1 Corinthians 1:1-17; 1 Kings 13; Joel 1 CJB

1 Corinthians 1:1-17

1 From: Sha'ul, called by God's will to be an emissary of the Messiah Yeshua; and from brother Sosthenes

2 To: God's Messianic community in Corinth, consisting of those who have been set apart by Yeshua the Messiah and called to be God's holy people - along with everyone everywhere who calls on the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, their Lord as well as ours:

3 Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

4 I thank my God always for you because of God's love and kindness given to you through the Messiah Yeshua,

5 in that you have been enriched by him in so many ways, particularly in power of speech and depth of knowledge.

6 Indeed, the testimony about the Messiah has become firmly established in you;

7 so that you are not lacking any spiritual gift and are eagerly awaiting the revealing of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

8 He will enable you to hold out until the end and thus be blameless on the Day of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah -

9 God is trustworthy: it was he who called you into fellowship with his Son, Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord.

10 Nevertheless, brothers, I call on you in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to agree, all of you, in what you say, and not to let yourselves remain split into factions but be restored to having a common mind and a common purpose.

11 For some of Chloe's people have made it known to me, my brothers, that there are quarrels among you.

12 I say this because one of you says, "I follow Sha'ul"; another says, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Kefa"; while still another says, "I follow the Messiah!"

13 Has the Messiah been split in pieces? Was it Sha'ul who was put to death on a stake for you? Were you immersed into the name of Sha'ul?

14 I thank God that I didn't immerse any of you except Crispus and Gaius -

15 otherwise someone might say that you were indeed immersed into my name.

16 (Oh yes, I did also immerse Stephanas and his household; beyond that, I can't remember whether I immersed anyone else.)

17 For the Messiah did not send me to immerse but to proclaim the Good News - and to do it without relying on "wisdom" that consists of mere rhetoric, so as not to rob the Messiah's execution-stake of its power.

1 Kings 13

1 Just then, as Yarov'am was standing by the altar to burn incense, a man of God came out of Y'hudah, directed to Beit-El by a word from ADONAI.

2 And by the word from ADONAI he cried out against the altar: "Altar, altar, here is what ADONAI says: 'A son will be born to the house of David; his name will be Yoshiyahu; and on you he will sacrifice the cohanim of the high places who burn incense on you! They will burn human bones on you!'"

3 That same day he also gave a sign: "Here is the sign which ADONAI has decreed: "'The altar will be split apart; the ashes on it will be scattered about.'"

4 When the king heard what the man of God said, how he denounced the altar in Beit-El, Yarov'am took his hand away from the altar and said, "Seize him!" But his hand, the one he had stretched out against him, shriveled up; so that he could not draw it back to himself.

5 Also the altar was split apart, and the ashes scattered from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of ADONAI.

6 The king then responded to the man of God. "Ask now the favor of ADONAI your God," he said, "and pray for me, that my hand will be restored to me." The man of God prayed to ADONAI, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it had been before.

7 The king then said to the man of God, "Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.

8 But the man of God replied to the king, "Even if you give me half your household, I will not accept your hospitality; nor will I eat food or drink water in this place.

9 For this is the order I received through the word of ADONAI: 'Don't eat food or drink water, and don't return by the road you took when you came.'"

10 So he went another way and did not return by the road by which he had come to Beit-El.

11 Now there lived an old prophet in Beit-El; and one of his sons came and told him all the things the man of God had done that day in Beit-El; also they told their father what he had said to the king.

12 Their father asked them, "Which way did he go?" For his sons had seen what road the man of God from Y'hudah had taken.

13 He then said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." So they saddled the donkey for him; and, riding on it,

14 he went after the man of God. He found him sitting under a pistachio tree and said to him, "Are you the man of God who came from Y'hudah?" He answered, "I am."

15 Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat some food."

16 He replied, "I cannot return with you or partake of your hospitality, nor will I eat food or drink water with you in this place;

17 because it was said to me by the word of ADONAI, 'You are not to eat food or drink water there, and you are not to go back by the way you came.'"

18 The other said to him, "I too am a prophet, just like you; and an angel spoke to me by the word of ADONAI and said, 'Bring him back with you to your house, so that he can eat food and drink water.'" But he was lying to him.

19 So he went back with him and did eat food and drink water in his house.

20 As they were sitting at the table, the word of ADONAI came to the prophet who had brought him back;

21 and he cried to the man of God who had come from Y'hudah, "Here is what ADONAI says: 'Since you rebelled against the word of ADONAI and didn't obey the mitzvah ADONAI your God gave you,

22 but came back and ate food and drank water in the place where he warned you not to eat food or drink water, your corpse will not arrive at the tomb of your ancestors."

23 After he had eaten food and drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet he had brought back.

24 But after he had gone, a lion encountered the man of God on the road and killed him. His corpse lay there in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing next to it.

25 In time, people passed by and saw the corpse lying in the road with the lion standing next to it; and they came and told about it in the city where the old prophet lived.

26 When the prophet who had brought him back from the road heard about it, he said, "It is the man of God who rebelled against the word of ADONAI; this is why ADONAI handed him over to the lion to tear him to pieces and kill him, in keeping with the word ADONAI spoke to him."

27 To his sons he said, "Saddle the donkey for me," and they saddled it.

28 He went and found his corpse lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing next to the corpse; the lion had neither eaten the corpse nor attacked the donkey.

29 The prophet picked up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey and brought it back to the city where he lived, to mourn and bury him.

30 He laid the corpse in his own burial cave, and they mourned him - "Oh! My brother!"

31 After burying him he said to his sons, "When I die, put me in the burial cave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones next to his bones.

32 For the thing he cried by the word of ADONAI against the altar in Beit-El and against all the temples on the high places near the cities of Shomron will surely happen."

33 After this, Yarov'am did not turn back from his evil way but continued appointing cohanim for the high places from among all the people; he consecrated anyone who wanted to be a cohen of the high places.

34 This brought sin to the house of Yarov'am that would eventually cut it off and destroy it from the face of the earth.

Joel 1

1 The word of ADONAI that came to Yo'el the son of P'tu'el:

2 "Hear this, you leaders! Listen, all who live in the land! Has anything like this ever happened in your days, or in your ancestors' days?

3 Tell your children about it, and have them tell it to theirs, and have them tell the next generation.

4 What the cutter-worms left, the locusts ate; what the locusts left, the grasshoppers ate; what the grasshoppers left, the shearer-worms ate.

5 Wake up, drunkards, and weep! wail, all you who drink wine, because the juice of the grape will be withheld from your mouth.

6 For a mighty and numberless nation has invaded my land. His teeth are lion's teeth; his fangs are those of a lioness.

7 He has reduced my vines to waste, my fig trees to splinters - he plucked them bare, stripped their bark and left their branches white."

8 Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth for the husband of her youth!

9 Grain offering and drink offering are cut off from the house of ADONAI. The cohanim are mourning, those who are serving ADONAI.

10 The fields are ruined, the ground is grieving; for the grain is ruined, the new wine dried up, and the olive oil is wretched.

11 Despair, you farmers; lament, vinedressers, over the wheat and the barley - the harvest from the fields is lost.

12 The vines have withered, the fig trees wilted, also the pomegranate, date-palm and apple tree - all the trees in the fields have withered, and the people's joy has withered away.

13 Cohanim, put on sackcloth, and weep! Wail, you who serve at the altar! Come, lie in sackcloth all night long, you who serve my God! For the grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God.

14 Proclaim a holy fast, call for a solemn assembly, gather the leaders and all who live in the land to the house of ADONAI your God, and cry out to ADONAI,

15 "Oh no! The Day! The Day of ADONAI is upon us! As destruction from Shaddai it is coming!

16 The food is cut off before our very eyes, also joy and gladness from the house of our God.

17 The seed-grain is rotting in its furrows; the granaries are deserted, the barns in ruins; because the grain has withered.

18 How the animals groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture. The flocks of sheep bear the punishment, too.

19 ADONAI, I cry out to you! For the fire has consumed the pastures in the desert, and the flame set ablaze all the trees in the fields.

20 Even the wild animals come to you, panting, because the streambeds have dried up, and fire has consumed the pastures in the desert."

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 12

1 Corinthians 1:18-31; 1 Kings 14; Joel 2:1-11 CJB

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

18 For the message about the execution-stake is nonsense to those in the process of being destroyed, but to us in the process of being saved it is the power of God.

19 Indeed, the Tanakh says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and frustrate the intelligence of the intelligent."

20 Where does that leave the philosopher, the Torah-teacher, or any of today's thinkers? Hasn't God made this world's wisdom look pretty foolish?

21 For God's wisdom ordained that the world, using its own wisdom, would not come to know him. Therefore God decided to use the "nonsense" of what we proclaim as his means of saving those who come to trust in it.

22 Precisely because Jews ask for signs and Greeks try to find wisdom,

23 we go on proclaiming a Messiah executed on a stake as a criminal! To Jews this is an obstacle, and to Greeks it is nonsense;

24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, this same Messiah is God's power and God's wisdom!

25 For God's "nonsense" is wiser than humanity's "wisdom." And God's "weakness" is stronger than humanity's "strength."

26 Just look at yourselves, brothers - look at those whom God has called! Not many of you are wise by the world's standards, not many wield power or boast noble birth.

27 But God chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise; God chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the strong;

28 and God chose what the world looks down on as common or regards as nothing in order to bring to nothing what the world considers important;

29 so that no one should boast before God.

30 It is his doing that you are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He has become wisdom for us from God, and righteousness and holiness and redemption as well!

31 Therefore - as the Tanakh says - "Let anyone who wants to boast, boast about ADONAI."

1 Kings 14

1 At this time, Aviyah the son of Yarov'am fell ill.

2 Yarov'am said to his wife, "Please come, and disguise yourself, so that you won't be recognized as Yarov'am's wife, and go to Shiloh. Achiyah the prophet is there, the one who said that I would be king over these people.

3 Take with you ten loaves of bread, some cakes and a jug of honey; and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy."

4 Yarov'am's wife did this; she set out, went to Shiloh and arrived at the house of Achiyah. Now Achiyah could not see, because his eyes were dim with age.

5 ADONAI had told Achiyah, "Yarov'am's wife is on her way to you to ask about her son, who is ill. You are to tell her thus and thus; moreover, when she comes, she will be pretending she is another woman."

6 When Achiyah heard the sound of her feet as she came in the door, he said, "Enter, wife of Yarov'am! Why pretend you are someone else? I've been given bad news for you.

7 Go, tell Yarov'am that this is what ADONAI says: 'I raised you up from among the people, made you prince over my people Isra'el,

8 tore the kingdom away from the dynasty of David and gave it to you. In spite of this, you have not been like my servant David, who obeyed my mitzvot and followed me with all his heart, so that he could do only what I regarded as right.

9 Rather, you have committed more evil than anyone before you! You went and made other gods for yourself and images of cast metal to make me angry, but me you shoved behind your back!

10 Therefore, I will now bring disaster on the house of Yarov'am. I will cut off every male of Yarov'am's line, whether a slave or free in Isra'el; I will sweep away the house of Yarov'am as completely as when someone sweeps away dung until it's all gone.

11 If someone from the line of Yarov'am dies in the city, the dogs will eat him; if he dies in the countryside, the vultures will eat him. For ADONAI has said it.'

12 So get up and go home; when your feet enter the city, the boy will die.

13 All Isra'el will mourn him, and they will bury him; he is the only one of Yarov'am's line who will lie in a grave, because he alone in the house of Yarov'am has in him an element of good toward ADONAI the God of Isra'el.

14 Moreover, ADONAI will raise up for himself a king over Isra'el who at that time will cut off the house of Yarov'am. And what will God do now?

15 ADONAI will strike Isra'el until it shakes like a reed in the water; he will uproot Isra'el from this good land, which he gave to their ancestors, and scatter them beyond the [Euphrates] River; because they made sacred poles for themselves, thus making ADONAI angry.

16 He will give up on Isra'el because of the sins of Yarov'am, which he committed himself, and with which he made Isra'el sin as well."

17 Yarov'am's wife got up, left and went to Tirtzah. The moment she reached the threshold of the house, the boy died.

18 All Isra'el buried him and mourned him, in keeping with the word of ADONAI spoken through his servant Achiyah the prophet.

19 Other activities of Yarov'am, how he fought and how he ruled are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

20 Yarov'am's reign lasted twenty-two years; then he slept with his ancestors, and Nadav his son became king in his place.

21 Rechav'am the son of Shlomo was reigning in Y'hudah. Rechav'am was forty-one years old when he began to rule; and he ruled seventeen years in Yerushalayim, the city ADONAI had chosen from all the tribes of Isra'el to bear his name; his mother's name was Na'amah the 'Amonit.

22 Y'hudah did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective; they made him angry because of their sins, which were worse than any their ancestors had committed.

23 For they erected high places, standing-stones and sacred poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

24 Also there were male and female cult-prostitutes in the land attached to these shrines, doing all the disgusting things which the nations did that ADONAI had expelled ahead of the people of Isra'el.

25 In the fifth year of King Rechav'am, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Yerushalayim.

26 He took the treasures in the house of ADONAI and the treasures in the royal palace - he took everything, including all the gold shields Shlomo had made.

27 To replace them, King Rechav'am made shields of bronze, which he entrusted to the commanders of the contingent guarding the gate to the royal palace.

28 Whenever the king went to the house of ADONAI, the guard would get the shields; later they would return them to the guardroom.

29 Other activities of Rechav'am and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah.

30 But there was continual war between Rechav'am and Yarov'am.

31 Rechav'am slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David; his mother's name was Na'amah the 'Amonit. Then Aviyam his son became king in his place.

Joel 2:1-11

1 "Blow the shofar in Tziyon! Sound an alarm on my holy mountain!" Let all living in the land tremble, for the Day of ADONAI is coming! It's upon us!

2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick fog; a great and mighty horde is spreading like blackness over the mountains. There has never been anything like it, nor will there ever be again, not even after the years of many generations.

3 Ahead of them a fire devours, behind them a flame consumes; ahead the land is like Gan-'Eden, behind them a desert waste. From them there is no escape.

4 They look like horses, and like cavalry they charge.

5 With a rumble like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like crackling flames devouring stubble, like a mighty horde in battle array.

6 At their presence the peoples writhe in anguish, every face is drained of color.

7 Like warriors they charge, they scale the wall like soldiers. Each one keeps to his own course, without getting in the other's way.

8 They don't jostle each other, but stay on their own paths; they burst through defenses unharmed, without even breaking rank.

9 They rush into the city, they run along the wall, they climb up into the houses, entering like a thief through the windows.

10 At their advance the earth quakes, and the sky shakes, the sun and moon turn black, and the stars stop shining.

11 ADONAI shouts orders to his forces - his army is immense, mighty, and it does what he says. For great is the Day of ADONAI, fearsome, terrifying! Who can endure it?

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 13

1 Corinthians 2; 1 Kings 15:1-32; Joel 2:12-32 CJB

1 Corinthians 2

1 As for me, brothers, when I arrived among you, it was not with surpassing eloquence or wisdom that I came announcing to you the previously concealed truth about God;

2 for I had decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Yeshua the Messiah, and even him only as someone who had been executed on a stake as a criminal.

3 Also I myself was with you as somebody weak, nervous and shaking all over from fear;

4 and neither the delivery nor the content of my message relied on compelling words of "wisdom" but on a demonstration of the power of the Spirit,

5 so that your trust might not rest on human wisdom but on God's power.

6 Yet there is a wisdom that we are speaking to those who are mature enough for it. But it is not the wisdom of this world or of this world's leaders, who are in the process of passing away.

7 On the contrary, we are communicating a secret wisdom from God which has been hidden until now but which, before history began, God had decreed would bring us glory.

8 Not one of this world's leaders has understood it; because if they had, they would not have executed the Lord from whom this glory flows.

9 But, as the Tanakh says, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no one's heart has imagined all the things that God has prepared for those who love him."

10 It is to us, however, that God has revealed these things. How? Through the Spirit. For the Spirit probes all things, even the profoundest depths of God.

11 For who knows the inner workings of a person except the person's own spirit inside him? So too no one knows the inner workings of God except God's Spirit.

12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, so that we might understand the things God has so freely given us.

13 These are the things we are talking about when we avoid the manner of speaking that human wisdom would dictate and instead use a manner of speaking taught by the Spirit, by which we explain things of the Spirit to people who have the Spirit.

14 Now the natural man does not receive the things from the Spirit of God - to him they are nonsense! Moreover, he is unable to grasp them, because they are evaluated through the Spirit.

15 But the person who has the Spirit can evaluate everything, while no one is in a position to evaluate him. For who has known the mind of ADONAI? Who will counsel him? But we have the mind of the Messiah!

1 Kings 15

1 It was in the eighteenth year of King Yarov'am the son of N'vat that Aviyam began his reign over Y'hudah.

2 He ruled three years in Yerushalayim; his mother's name was Ma'akhah the daughter of Avishalom.

3 He committed all the sins his father had committed before him; he was not wholehearted with ADONAI his God, as David his forefather had been.

4 Nevertheless, for David's sake ADONAI his God gave him a lamp burning in Yerushalayim by establishing his son after him and making Yerushalayim secure.

5 For David had done what was right from ADONAI's perspective; he had not turned away from anything he had ordered him to do, as long as he lived, except in the matter of Uriyah the Hitti.

6 There was war between Rechav'am and Yarov'am as long as he lived.

7 Other activities of Aviyam and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah. But there was war between Aviyam and Yarov'am.

8 Aviyam slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son became king in his place.

9 It was in the twentieth year of Yarov'am king of Isra'el that Asa began his reign over Y'hudah.

10 He ruled forty-one years in Yerushalayim; his [grand]mother's name was Ma'akhah the daughter of Avishalom.

11 Asa did what was right from the perspective of ADONAI, as David his ancestor had done.

12 He rid the land of cult-prosti-tutes and removed all the idols his ancestors had made.

13 He also deposed Ma'akhah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a disgusting image as an asherah. Asa cut down this image of hers and burned it in Vadi Kidron.

14 But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless, Asa was wholehearted with ADONAI throughout his life.

15 He brought into the house of ADONAI all the articles his father had consecrated, also the things he himself had consecrated - silver, gold and utensils.

16 There was war between Asa and Ba'sha king of Isra'el as long as they both lived.

17 Ba'sha attacked Y'hudah, and he fortified Ramah to prevent anyone's leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Y'hudah.

18 Then Asa took all the silver and gold left among the treasures of the house of ADONAI and among the treasures of the royal palace; and, entrusting them to his servants, King Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad the son of Tavrimmon, the son of Hezyon, king of Aram, who lived in Dammesek, with this message:

19 "There is a covenant between me and you, which existed already between my father and your father. Here, I am sending you a present of silver and gold; go, and break your covenant with Ba'sha king of Isra'el, so that he will leave me alone."

20 Ben-Hadad did as King Asa asked - he sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Isra'el, attacking 'Iyon, Dan, Avel-Beit-Ma'akhah, all of Kinn'rot and all the land of Naftali.

21 As soon as Ba'sha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and stayed in Tirtzah.

22 King Asa then issued a proclamation requiring every man in Y'hudah, with no exception, to come and carry off the stones and timber Ba'sha had used to fortify Ramah. With them King Asa fortified Geva of Binyamin and Mitzpah.

23 The other activities of Asa, all his power, all his accomplishments and the cities he fortified are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah. But in his old age he suffered from a disease in his legs.

24 Asa slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David his ancestor. Then Y'hoshafat his son became king in his place.

25 It was in the second year of Asa king of Y'hudah that Nadav the son of Yarov'am began his reign over Isra'el, and he ruled Isra'el two years.

26 He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of his father and the sin through which he had made Isra'el sin.

27 Ba'sha the son of Achiyah, from the descendants of Yissakhar, conspired against him; and Ba'sha attacked him at Gib'ton, which belonged to the P'lishtim; for at the time Nadav and all Isra'el were besieging Gib'ton.

28 It was in the third year of Asa king of Y'hudah that Ba'sha killed Nadav and became king in his place.

29 As soon as he had become king he killed off the entire house of Yarov'am, destroying every living soul and leaving not one survivor. This was in keeping with what ADONAI had said through his servant Achiyah from Shiloh;

30 it was the punishment for the sins Yarov'am had committed and through which he had made Isra'el sin, thereby angering ADONAI the God of Isra'el.

31 Other activities of Nadav and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

32 There was war between Asa and Ba'sha king of Isra'el as long as they both lived.

33 It was in the third year of Asa king of Y'hudah that Ba'sha the son of Achiyah began his reign over all Isra'el in Tirtzah, and his rule lasted twenty-four years.

34 He did what was wrong from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of Yarov'am and committing the sin through which he had made Isra'el sin.

Joel 2:12-32

12 "Yet even now," says ADONAI, "turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and lamenting."

13 Tear your heart, not your garments; and turn to ADONAI your God. For he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in grace, and willing to change his mind about disaster.

14 Who knows? He may turn, change his mind and leave a blessing behind him, [enough for] grain offerings and drink offerings to present to ADONAI your God.

15 "Blow the shofar in Tziyon! Proclaim a holy fast, call for a solemn assembly."

16 Gather the people; consecrate the congregation; assemble the leaders; gather the children, even infants sucking at the breast; let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride the bridal chamber.

17 Let the cohanim, who serve ADONAI, stand weeping between the vestibule and the altar. Let them say, "Spare your people, ADONAI! Don't expose your heritage to mockery, or make them a byward among the Goyim. Why should the peoples say, 'Where is their God?'"

18 Then ADONAI will become jealous for his land and have pity on his people.

19 Here is how ADONAI will answer his people: "I will send you grain, wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you; and no longer will I make you a mockery among the Goyim.

20 No, I will take the northerner away, far away from you, and drive him to a land that is waste and barren; with his vanguard toward the eastern sea and his rearguard toward the western sea, his stench and his rottenness will rise, because he has done great things."

21 Don't fear, O soil; be glad! rejoice! for ADONAI has done great things.

22 Don't be afraid, wild animals; for the desert pastures are green, the trees are putting out their fruit, the fig tree and vine are giving full yield.

23 Be glad, people of Tziyon! rejoice in ADONAI your God! For he is giving you the right amount of rain in the fall, he makes the rain come down for you, the fall and spring rains - this is what he does first.

24 Then the floors will be full of grain and the vats overflow with wine and olive oil.

25 "I will restore to you the years that the locusts ate, the grasshoppers, shearer-worms and cutter-worms, my great army that I sent against you.

26 You will eat until you are satisfied and will praise the name of ADONAI your God, who has done with you such wonders. Then my people will never again be shamed.

27 You will know that I am with Isra'el and that I am ADONAI your God, and that there is no other. Then my people will never again be shamed.

28 "After this, I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions;

29 and also on male and female slaves in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

30 I will show wonders in the sky and on earth - blood, fire and columns of smoke.

31 The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and terrible Day of ADONAI."

32 At that time, whoever calls on the name of ADONAI will be saved. For in Mount Tziyon and Yerushalayim there will be those who escape, as ADONAI has promised; among the survivors will be those whom ADONAI has called.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 14

1 Corinthians 3; 1 Kings 16; Joel 3 CJB

1 Corinthians 3

1 As for me, brothers, I couldn't talk to you as spiritual people but as worldly people, as babies, so far as experience with the Messiah is concerned.

2 I gave you milk, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. But you aren't ready for it now either!

3 For you are still worldly! Isn't it obvious from all the jealousy and quarrelling among you that you are worldly and living by merely human standards?

4 For when one says, "I follow Sha'ul" and another, "I follow Apollos," aren't you being merely human?

5 After all, what is Apollos? What is Sha'ul? Only servants through whom you came to trust. Indeed, it was the Lord who brought you to trust through one of us or through another.

6 I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.

7 So neither the planter nor the waterer is anything, only God who makes things grow -

8 planter and waterer are the same. However, each will be rewarded according to his work.

9 For we are God's co-workers; you are God's field, God's building.

10 Using the grace God gave me, I laid a foundation, like a skilled master-builder; and another man is building on it. But let each one be careful how he builds.

11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah.

12 Some will use gold, silver or precious stones in building on this foundation; while others will use wood, grass or straw.

13 But each one's work will be shown for what it is; the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire - the fire will test the quality of each one's work.

14 If the work someone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward;

15 if it is burned up, he will have to bear the loss: he will still escape with his life, but it will be like escaping through a fire.

16 Don't you know that you people are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

17 So if anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you yourselves are that temple.

18 Let no one fool himself. If someone among you thinks he is wise (by this world's standards), let him become "foolish," so that he may become really wise.

19 For the wisdom of this world is nonsense, as far as God is concerned; inasmuch as the Tanakh says, "He traps the wise in their own cleverness,"e

20 and again, "ADONAI knows that the thoughts of the wise are worthless."f

21 So let no one boast about human beings, for all things are yours -

22 whether Sha'ul or Apollos or Kefa or the world or life or death or the present or the future: they all belong to you,

23 and you belong to the Messiah, and the Messiah belongs to God.

 

1 Kings 16

1 The word of ADONAI came to Yehu the son of Hanani against Ba'sha:

2 "I raised you up out of the dust and made you prince over my people Isra'el. But you have lived in the same way as Yarov'am and caused my people Isra'el to sin, so that their sinning has made me angry.

3 Therefore I will sweep away Ba'sha and his house completely; I will make your house like the house of Yarov'am the son of N'vat.

4 If someone from the line of Ba'sha dies in the city, the dogs will eat him; if he dies in the countryside, the vultures will eat him."

5 Other activities of Ba'sha, his accomplishments and his power are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

6 Ba'sha slept with his ancestors, and Elah his son became king in his place.

7 Through the prophet Yehu the son of Hanani the word of ADONAI was proclaimed against Ba'sha and his house both because he did so much evil from ADONAI's perspective, angering him with his actions and becoming like the house of Yarov'am, and because he killed [Nadav].

8 It was in the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Y'hudah that Elah the son of Ba'sha began his reign over all Isra'el in Tirtzah, and he ruled for two years.

9 His servant Zimri, commander of half of his chariots, plotted against him. Finally, one time when Elah was in Tirtzah, drinking himself senseless in the house of Artza, administrator of the palace in Tirtzah,

10 Zimri entered, struck him down and killed him. This was in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Y'hudah; Zimri then took Elah's place as king.

11 At the beginning of his reign, as soon as he took over the throne, he killed off the entire house of Ba'sha; he left not a single male, neither of his relatives nor of his friends.

12 Thus Zimri eliminated all the house of Ba'sha, in keeping with the word of ADONAI spoken against Ba'sha through Yehu the prophet. This word had been spoken

13 because of all of Ba'sha's sins and the sins of Elah his son, which they committed and with which they made Isra'el sin, thereby angering ADONAI the God of Isra'el with their worthless idols.

14 Other activities of Elah and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

15 It was in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Y'hudah that Zimri ruled for seven days in Tirtzah. At that time, the army was besieging Gib'ton, which belonged to the P'lishtim.

16 The troops in their camp heard it said that Zimri had plotted and killed the king, whereupon that same day, there in the camp, all Isra'el made 'Omri, the commander of the army, king over Isra'el.

17 'Omri and all Isra'el with him withdrew from Gib'ton and besieged Tirtzah.

18 When Zimri saw that the city had been captured, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and burned down the royal palace over him, so that he died.

19 This came about because of the sins he committed in doing what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, in living as Yarov'am had lived, and in sinning by making Isra'el sin.

20 Other activities of Zimri and his conspiracy are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

21 At this point the people of Isra'el divided into two factions. Half of the people went after Tivni the son of Ginat to make him king, while the other half followed 'Omri.

22 But the faction supporting 'Omri won out over that of Tivni the son of Ginat; so Tivni died, and 'Omri became king.

23 It was in the thirty-first year of Asa king of Y'hudah that 'Omri began his reign over Isra'el, and he ruled for twelve years, six of them in Tirtzah.

24 He bought Mount Shomron from Shemer for 132 pounds of silver. On the mountain he built a city, which he named Shomron after Shemer, who had owned the mountain.

25 'Omri did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, outdoing all his predecessors in wickedness;

26 for he lived entirely in the manner of Yarov'am the son of N'vat, committing the sins with which he made Isra'el sin, thereby angering ADONAI the God of Isra'el with their worthless idols.

27 Other activities of 'Omri and the power he demonstrated are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

28 Then 'Omri slept with his ancestors and was buried in Shomron, and Ach'av his son became king in his place.

29 It was in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Y'hudah that Ach'av the son of 'Omri began his rule over Isra'el; Ach'av the son of 'Omri ruled twenty-two years over Isra'el in Shomron.

30 Ach'av the son of 'Omri did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, outdoing all his predecessors [in wickedness].

31 But then, as if it had been a trifling thing for him to commit the sins of Yarov'am the son of N'vat, he took as his wife Izevel the daughter of Etba'al king of the Tzidonim, and went and served Ba'al and worshipped him.

32 He erected an altar for Ba'al in the house of Ba'al, which he had built in Shomron.

33 Ach'av also set up the asherah; indeed, Ach'av did more to anger ADONAI the God of Isra'el, than all the kings of Isra'el preceding him.

34 It was during his time that Hi'el of Beit-El rebuilt Yericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of his firstborn son Aviram and erected its gates at the cost of his youngest son S'guv. This was in keeping with the word of ADONAI spoken through Y'hoshua the son of Nun.

Joel 3

1 "For then, at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Y'hudah and Yerushalayim,

2 I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Y'hoshafat [ADONAI judges]. I will enter into judgment there for my people, my heritage Isra'el, whom they scattered among the nations; then they divided my land.

3 They drew lots for my people, traded boys for whores, sold girls for wine to drink.

4 "Moreover, what have you against me, Tzor, Tzidon, all parts of P'leshet? Are you paying me back for something I did? If you're paying me back for something I did, then easily, quickly, I'll pay you back right on your own head.

5 You took my silver and gold. You brought my good treasures into your temples.

6 The people of Y'hudah and Yerushalayim you sold to the Greeks, so that you could remove them far away from their land.

7 I will rouse them from the place where you sold them and pay you back right on your own head

8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Y'hudah; and they will sell them to the men of Sh'va, a nation far off; for ADONAI has spoken.

9 "Proclaim this among the nations: 'Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men approach and attack.'

10 Hammer your plow-blades into swords and your pruning-knives into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'

11 Hurry, come, you surrounding nations, gather yourselves together!" Bring your warriors down, ADONAI!

12 "Let the nations be roused and come up to the Valley of Y'hoshafat [ADONAI judges]. For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations."

13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, and tread, for the winepress is full. The vats are overflowing, for their wickedness is great.

14 Such enormous crowds in the Valley of Decision! For the Day of ADONAI is upon us in the Valley of Decision!

15 The sun and moon have grown black, and the stars have stopped shining.

16 ADONAI will roar from Tziyon, he will thunder from Yerushalayim, the sky and the earth will shake. But ADONAI will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Isra'el.

17 "You will know that I am ADONAI your God, living on Tziyon my holy mountain." Then Yerushalayim will be holy, and foreigners will pass through her no more.

18 Then, when that time comes, the mountains will drip with sweet wine, the hills will flow with milk, all the streambeds of Y'hudah will run with water, and a spring will flow from the house of ADONAI to water the Sheetim Valley.

19 But Egypt will be desolate and Edom a desert waste, because of the violence done to the people of Y'hudah, because they shed innocent blood in their land.

20 Y'hudah will be inhabited forever, Yerushalayim through all generations.

21 "I will cleanse them of bloodguilt which I have not yet cleansed," for ADONAI is living in Tziyon.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 15

1 Corinthians 4; 1 Kings 17; Amos 1 CJB

1 Corinthians 4

1 So, you should regard us as the Messiah's servants, as trustees of God's secret truths.

2 Now the one thing that is asked of a trustee is that he be found trustworthy.

3 And it matters very little to me how I am evaluated by you or by any human court; in fact, I don't even evaluate myself.

4 I am not aware of anything against me, but this does not make me innocent. The one who is evaluating me is the Lord.

5 So don't pronounce judgment prematurely, before the Lord comes; for he will bring to light what is now hidden in darkness; he will expose the motives of people's hearts; and then each will receive from God whatever praise he deserves.

6 Now in what I have said here, brothers, I have used myself and Apollos as examples to teach you not to go beyond what the Tanakh says, proudly taking the side of one leader against another.

7 After all, what makes you so special? What do you have that you didn't receive as a gift? And if in fact it was a gift, why do you boast as if it weren't?

8 You are glutted already? You are rich already? You have become kings, even though we are not? Well, I wish you really were kings, so that we might share the kingship with you!

9 For I think God has been placing us emissaries on display at the tail of the parade, like men condemned to die in the public arena: we have become a spectacle before the whole universe, angels as well as men.

10 For the Messiah's sake we are fools, but united with the Messiah you are wise! We are weak, but you are strong; you are honored, but we are dishonored.

11 Till this very moment we go hungry and thirsty, we are dressed in rags, we are treated roughly, we wander from place to place,

12 we exhaust ourselves working with our own hands for our living. When we are cursed, we keep on blessing; when we are persecuted, we go on putting up with it;

13 when we are slandered, we continue making our appeal. We are the world's garbage, the scum of the earth - yes, to this moment!

14 I am not writing you this to make you feel ashamed, but, as my dear children, to confront you and get you to change.

15 For even if you have ten thousand trainers in connection with the Messiah, you do not have many fathers; for in connection with the Messiah Yeshua it was I who became your father by means of the Good News.

16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

17 This is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and trustworthy child in the Lord. He will remind you of the way of life I follow in union with the Messiah Yeshua and teach everywhere in every congregation.

18 When I didn't come to visit you, some of you became arrogant.

19 But I am coming to you soon, if the Lord wills; and I will take cognizance not of the talk of these arrogant people but of their power.

20 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of words but of power.

21 Which do you prefer - should I come to you with a stick? or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

1 Kings 17

1 Eliyahu from Tishbe, an inhabitant of Gil'ad, said to Ach'av, "As ADONAI the God of Isra'el lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither rain nor dew in the years ahead unless I say so."

2 Then the word of ADONAI came to him:

3 "Leave here, turn to the east, and hide in Vadi K'rit near the Yarden.

4 You are to drink from the stream, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."

5 So he went and acted according to the word of ADONAI- he went and lived in Vadi K'rit near the Yarden.

6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the stream.

7 After a while the stream dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

8 Then this word of ADONAI came to him:

9 "Get up; go to Tzarfat, a village in Tzidon; and live there. I have ordered a widow there to provide for you."

10 So he set out and went to Tzarfat. On reaching the gate of the city, he saw a widow there gathering sticks. He called out to her, "Please bring a little water in a container for me to drink."

11 As she was going to get it, he called after her, "Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand."

12 She answered, "As ADONAI your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a pot and a little oil in the jug. Here I am, gathering a couple sticks of wood, so that I can go and cook it for myself and my son. After we have eaten that, we will die."

13 Eliyahu said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go; and do what you said; but first, use a little of it to make me a small loaf of bread; and bring it out to me. After that, make food for yourself and your son.

14 For this is what ADONAI the God of Isra'el, says: 'The pot of meal will not get used up, nor will there fail to be oil in the jug, until the day ADONAI sends rain down on the land.'"

15 She went and acted according to what Eliyahu had said; and she, he and her household had food to eat for a long time.

16 The pot of meal did not get used up, nor did there fail to be oil in the jug, in fulfillment of the word of ADONAI spoken through Eliyahu.

17 A while later, the son of the woman whose house it was fell ill; his illness grew increasingly serious until his breathing stopped.

18 She said to Eliyahu, "What do you have against me, you man of God? Did you come to me just to remind me how sinful I am by killing my son?"

19 "Give me your son," he said to her. Taking him from her lap, he carried him into the room upstairs where he was staying and laid him on his own bed.

20 Then he cried out to ADONAI: "ADONAI my God! Have you brought also this misery on the widow I'm staying with by killing her son?"

21 He stretched himself out on the child three times and cried out to ADONAI: "ADONAI my God, please! Let this child's soul come back into him!"

22 ADONAI heard Eliyahu's cry, the child's soul came back into him, and he revived.

23 Eliyahu took the child, brought him down from the upstairs room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Eliyahu said, "See? Your son is alive."

24 The woman replied to Eliyahu, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of ADONAI that you speak is the truth."

Amos 1

1 The words of 'Amos, one of the sheep owners in T'koa, which he saw concerning Isra'el in the days of 'Uziyah king of Y'hudah and Yarov'am the son of Yo'ash, king of Isra'el, two years before the earthquake;

2 he said: ADONAI is roaring from Tziyon thundering from Yerushalayim; the shepherds' pastures will mourn, and Mount Karmel's summit will wither.

3 Here is what ADONAI says: "For Dammesek's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it - because they threshed Gil'ad with an iron-spiked threshing-sledge;

4 I will send fire to the house of Haza'el, and it will consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.

5 I will break the bars of Dammesek's gates. I will cut off the inhabitants from Bik'at-Aven, and him who holds the scepter from Beit-'Eden. Then the people of Aram will go into exile in Kir," says ADONAI.

6 Here is what ADONAI says: "For 'Azah's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it because they exiled a whole population and handed them over to Edom;

7 I will send fire to the wall of 'Azah, and it will consume its palaces.

8 I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against 'Ekron, and the rest of the P'lishtim will perish," says ADONAI, God.

9 Here is what ADONAI says: "For Tzor's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it because they exiled a whole population to Edom and did not remember the covenant with kinsmen;

10 I will send fire to the wall of Tzor, and it will consume its palaces."

11 Here is what ADONAI says: "For Edom's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it because with sword he pursued his kinsman and threw aside all pity, constantly nursing his anger, forever fomenting his fury;

12 I will send fire on Teman, and it will consume the palaces of Botzrah."

13 Here is what ADONAI says: "For the people of 'Amon's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it - because they ripped apart pregnant women just to expand their territory,

14 I will set fire to the wall of Rabbah, and it will consume its palaces amid shouts on the day of battle, amid a storm on the day of the whirlwind.

15 Their king will go into exile, he and his princes together," says ADONAI.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 16

1 Corinthians 5; 1 Kings 18; Amos 2:1-3:2 CJB

1 Corinthians 5

1 It is actually being reported that there is sexual sin among you, and it is sexual sin of a kind that is condemned even by pagans-a man is living with his stepmother!

2 And you stay proud? Shouldn't you rather have felt some sadness that would have led you to remove from your company the man who has done this thing?

3 For I myself, even though I am absent physically, am with you spiritually; and I have already judged the man who has done this as if I were present.

4 In the name of the Lord Yeshua, when you are assembled, with me present spiritually and the power of our Lord Yeshua among us,

5 hand over such a person to the Adversary for his old nature to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.

6 Your boasting is not good. Don't you know the saying, "It takes only a little hametz to leaven a whole batch of dough?"

7 Get rid of the old hametz, so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed.

8 So let us celebrate the Seder not with leftover hametz, the hametz of wickedness and evil, but with the matzah of purity and truth.

9 In my earlier letter I wrote you not to associate with people who engage in sexual immorality.

10 I didn't mean the sexually immoral people outside your community, or the greedy, or the thieves or the idol-worshippers - for then you would have to leave the world altogether!

11 No, what I wrote you was not to associate with anyone who is supposedly a brother but who also engages in sexual immorality, is greedy, worships idols, is abusive, gets drunk or steals. With such a person you shouldn't even eat!

12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Isn't it those who are part of the community that you should be judging?

13 God will judge those who are outside. Just expel the evildoer from among yourselves.

1 Kings 18

1 A long time passed. Then, in the third year, the word of ADONAI came to Eliyahu: "Go, present yourself to Ach'av, and I will send rain down on the land."

2 When Eliyahu went to present himself to Ach'av, the famine in Shomron had become severe.

3 Ach'av called 'Ovadyah, who was in charge of the palace. Now 'Ovadyah greatly revered ADONAI;

4 for example, when Izevel was murdering ADONAI's prophets, 'Ovadyah took a hundred prophets, hid them in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water.

5 Ach'av said to 'Ovadyah, "Go throughout the land, and check all the springs and vadis; maybe we can find grass somewhere, so that we can keep the horses and mules alive and not lose all the animals."

6 So they divided between them the territory to be visited; Ach'av went one way by himself, and 'Ovadyah went another way by himself.

7 'Ovadyah was on the road when suddenly Eliyahu encountered him. 'Ovadyah recognized him, fell on his face and said, "Is it really you, my lord Eliyahu?"

8 He answered, "Yes, it is I; go, tell your master, 'Eliyahu is here.'"

9 'Ovadyah replied, "How have I sinned, that you would hand your servant over to Ach'av to kill me?

10 As ADONAI your God lives, there can't be a single nation or kingdom where my master hasn't sent to search you out; and in each kingdom or nation where they said, 'He isn't here,' he made them take an oath that they hadn't found you.

11 Now you say, 'Go tell your master, "Eliyahu is here."'

12 But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of ADONAI will carry you off to I don't know where; so that when I come and tell Ach'av, and he can't find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have revered ADONAI from my youth -

13 wasn't my lord told what I did when Izevel killed ADONAI's prophets, how I hid a hundred of ADONAI's prophets by fifties in caves and supplied their food and water?

14 Now you say, 'Go tell your master, "Look, Eliyahu is here."' Why, he'll kill me!"

15 Eliyahu said, "As ADONAI-Tzva'ot lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to him today."

16 So 'Ovadyah went, found Ach'av and told him; and Ach'av went to meet Eliyahu.

17 When Ach'av saw Eliyahu, Ach'av said to him, "Is it really you, you troubler of Isra'el?"

18 He answered, "I haven't troubled Isra'el, you have, you and your father's house, by abandoning ADONAI's mitzvot and following the ba'alim.

19 Now order all Isra'el to assemble before me on Mount Karmel, along with the 450 prophets of Ba'al and the 400 prophets of the asherah who eat at Izevel's table."

20 Ach'av sent word to all the people of Isra'el and assembled the prophets together on Mount Karmel.

21 Eliyahu stepped forward before all the people and said, "How long are you going to jump back and forth between two positions? If ADONAI is God, follow him; but if it's Ba'al, follow him!" The people answered him not a word.

22 Then Eliyahu said to the people, "I, I alone, am the only prophet of ADONAI who is left, while Ba'al's prophets number 450.

23 Let them give us two young bulls, and they can choose the bull they want for themselves. Then let them cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood but put no fire under it. I will prepare the other bull, lay it on the wood and put no fire under it.

24 Then, you, call on the name of your god; and I will call on the name of ADONAI; and the God who answers with fire, let him be God!" All the people answered, "Good idea! Agreed!"

25 Then Eliyahu said to the prophets of Ba'al, "Choose one bull for yourselves, and prepare it first; because there are many of you. Then call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it."

26 They took the bull that was given to them, prepared it and called on the name of Ba'al from morning till noon - "Ba'al! Answer us!" But no voice was heard; and no one answered, as they jumped around on the altar they had made.

27 Around noon Eliyahu began ridiculing them: "Shout louder! After all, he's a god, isn't he? Maybe he's daydreaming, or he's on the potty, or he's away on a trip. Maybe he's asleep, and you have to wake him up."

28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and knives, as their custom was, until blood gushed out all over them.

29 By now it was afternoon, and they went on ranting and raving until it was time for the evening offering. But no voice came, no one answered, no one paid any attention.

30 Then Eliyahu said to all the people, "Come here to me." All the people came up to him, as he set about repairing the altar of ADONAI that had been broken down.

31 Eliyahu took twelve stones, in keeping with the number of tribes of the sons of Ya'akov, to whom the word of ADONAI had come, saying, "Your name is to be Isra'el."

32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of ADONAI. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough for half a bushel of grain.

33 He arranged the wood, cut up the bull and laid it on the wood.

34 Then he said, "Fill four pots with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood." They did it. "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he said, and they did it a third time.

35 By now the water was flowing around the altar, and it had filled the trench.

36 Then, when it came time for offering the evening offering, Eliyahu the prophet approached and said, "ADONAI, God of Avraham, Yitz'chak and Isra'el, let it be known today that you are God in Isra'el, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.

37 Hear me, ADONAI, hear me, so that this people may know that you, ADONAI, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back to you."

38 Then the fire of ADONAI fell. It consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones and the dust; and it licked up the water in the trench.

39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, "ADONAI is God! ADONAI is God!"

40 Eliyahu said to them, "Seize the prophets of Ba'al! Don't let one of them escape!" They seized them; and Eliyahu brought them down to Vadi Kishon and killed them there.

41 Then Eliyahu said to Ach'av, "Get up, eat, and drink, because I hear the sound of heavy rain."

42 Ach'av went up to eat and drink, while Eliyahu went up to the top of the Karmel. He bowed down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

43 "Now," he said to his servant, "go up, and look out toward the sea." He went up, looked, and said, "There's nothing there." Seven times he said, "Go again."

44 The seventh time, the servant said, "Now there's a cloud coming up out of the sea, no bigger than a man's hand." Eliyahu said, "Go up, and say to Ach'av, 'Prepare your chariot, and get down the mountain before the rain stops you!"

45 A little later, the sky grew black with clouds and wind; and heavy rain began falling; as Ach'av, riding in his chariot, made for Yizre'el.

46 The hand of ADONAI was on Eliyahu; he tucked up his clothing and ran ahead of Ach'av to the entrance of Yizre'el.

Amos 2

1 Here is what ADONAI says: "For Mo'av's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it because he burned the bones of the king of Edom, turning them into lime;

2 I will send fire on Mo'av, and it will consume the palaces of K'riot. Mo'av will die with turmoil and shouting, along with the sound of the shofar.

3 I will cut off the judge from among them and kill all his princes with him," says ADONAI.

4 Here is what ADONAI says: "For Y'hudah's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it because they rejected ADONAI's Torah and haven't observed his laws, and their lies caused them to fall into error and live the way their ancestors did;

5 I will send fire on Y'hudah, and it will consume the palaces of Yerushalayim.

6 Here is what ADONAI says: "For Isra'el's three crimes, no, four - I will not reverse it because they sell the upright for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes,

7 grinding the heads of the poor in the dust and pushing the lowly out of the way; father and son sleep with the same girl, profaning my holy name;

8 lying down beside any altar on clothes taken in pledge; drinking wine in the house of their God bought with fines they imposed.

9 "I destroyed the Emori before them; though tall as cedars and strong as oaks, I destroyed their fruit above and their root below.

10 More than that, I brought you up from Egypt, led you forty years in the desert, so that you could have the Emori's land.

11 I raised up some of your sons to be prophets, other young men of yours to be n'zirim. People of Isra'el! Isn't that true?" asks ADONAI.

12 But you gave the n'zirim wine to drink and ordered the prophets, 'Don't prophesy!'

13 "Enough! I will make all this crush you, just as a cart overloaded with grain crushes what's under it.

14 Even the swift won't be able to flee; the strong won't be able to use their strength, the warriors won't save themselves.

15 Archers won't be able to stand, the fastest runners won't save themselves, those on horses won't save themselves.

16 On that day even the bravest warriors will throw off their weapons and flee," says ADONAI.

Amos 3:1-2

1 "Listen to this word which ADONAI has spoken against you, people of Isra'el, against the entire family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:

2 "Of all the families on earth, only you have I intimately known. This is why I will punish you for all your crimes."

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 17

1 Corinthians 6; 1 Kings 19; Amos 3:3-4:3 CJB

1 Corinthians 6

1 How dare one of you with a complaint against another go to court before pagan judges and not before God's people?

2 Don't you know that God's people are going to judge the universe? If you are going to judge the universe, are you incompetent to judge these minor matters?

3 Don't you know that we will judge angels, not to mention affairs of everyday life?

4 So if you require judgments about matters of everyday life, why do you put them in front of men who have no standing in the Messianic Community?

5 I say, shame on you! Can it be that there isn't one person among you wise enough to be able to settle a dispute between brothers?

6 Instead, a brother brings a lawsuit against another brother, and that before unbelievers!

7 Actually, if you are bringing lawsuits against each other, it is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?

8 Instead, you yourselves wrong and cheat; and you do it to your own brothers!

9 Don't you know that unrighteous people will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't delude yourselves - people who engage in sex before marriage, who worship idols, who engage in sex after marriage with someone other than their spouse, who engage in active or passive homosexuality,

10 who steal, who are greedy, who get drunk, who assail people with contemptuous language, who rob - none of them will share in the Kingdom of God.

11 Some of you used to do these things. But you have cleansed yourselves, you have been set apart for God, you have come to be counted righteous through the power of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and the Spirit of our God.

12 You say, "For me, everything is permitted"? Maybe, but not everything is helpful. "For me, everything is permitted"? Maybe, but as far as I am concerned, I am not going to let anything gain control over me.

13 "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"? Maybe, but God will put an end to both of them. Anyhow, the body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.

14 God raised up the Lord, and he will raise us up too by his power.

15 Don't you know that your bodies are parts of the Messiah? So, am I to take parts of the Messiah and make them parts of a prostitute? Heaven forbid!

16 Don't you know that a man who joins himself to a prostitute becomes physically one with her? For the Tanakh says, "The two will become one flesh";

17 but the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.

18 Run from sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the fornicator sins against his own body.

19 Or don't you know that your body is a temple for the Ruach HaKodesh who lives inside you, whom you received from God? The fact is, you don't belong to yourselves;

20 for you were bought at a price. So use your bodies to glorify God.

1 Kings 19

1 Ach'av told Izevel everything Eliyahu had done and how he had put all the prophets to the sword.

2 Then Izevel sent a messenger to say to Eliyahu, "May the gods do terrible things to me and worse ones besides if by this time tomorrow I haven't taken your life, just as you took theirs!"

3 On seeing that, he got up and fled for his life. When he arrived in Be'er-Sheva, in Y'hudah, he left his servant there;

4 but he himself went a day farther into the desert, until he came to a broom tree. He sat down under it and prayed for his own death. "Enough!" he said. "Now, ADONAI, take my life. I'm no better than my ancestors."

5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and went to sleep. Suddenly, an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat!"

6 He looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on the hot stones and a jug of water. He ate and drank, then lay down again.

7 The angel came again, a second time, touched him and said, "Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you."

8 He got up, ate and drank, and, on the strength of that meal, traveled forty days and nights until he reached Horev the mountain of God.

9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. Then the word of ADONAI came to him; he said to him, "What are you doing here, Eliyahu?"

10 He answered, "I have been very zealous for ADONAI the God of armies, because the people of Isra'el have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I'm the only one left, and they're coming after me to kill me too."

11 He said, "Go outside, and stand on the mountain before ADONAI"; and right then and there, ADONAI went past. A mighty blast of wind tore the mountains apart and broke the rocks in pieces before ADONAI, but ADONAI was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but ADONAI was not in the earthquake.

12 After the earthquake, fire broke out; but ADONAI was not in the fire. And after the fire came a quiet, subdued voice.

13 When Eliyahu heard it, he covered his face with his cloak, stepped out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Eliyahu?"

14 He answered, "I have been very zealous for ADONAI the God of armies; because the people of Isra'el have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I'm the only one left, and they're after me to kill me too."

15 ADONAI said to him, "Go back by way of the Dammesek Desert. When you get there, anoint Haza'el to be king over Aram.

16 Also anoint Yehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Isra'el, and anoint Elisha the son of Shafat of Avel-M'cholah to be prophet after you.

17 Yehu will kill whoever escapes the sword of Haza'el, and Elisha will kill whoever escapes the sword of Yehu.

18 Still, I will spare seven thousand in Isra'el, every knee that hasn't bent down before Ba'al and every mouth that has not kissed him."

19 So he left and found Elisha the son of Shafat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he himself was behind the twelfth. Eliyahu went over to him and threw his cloak on him.

20 He left the oxen, ran after Eliyahu and said, "Please let me kiss my father and mother good-bye; then I will follow you." He answered, "Go; but return, because of what I did to you."

21 Elisha stopped following him. Then he took the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them, cooked their meat over the wooden yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people to eat. Then he got up, went after Eliyahu and became his servant.

Amos 3:3-15

3 Do two people travel together without having so agreed?

4 Does a lion roar in the forest when it has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his lair if it has caught nothing?

5 Does a bird get caught in a trap on the ground if it hasn't been baited? Does a trap spring up from the ground when it has taken nothing?

6 When the shofar is blown in the city, don't the people tremble? Can disaster befall a city without ADONAI's having done it?

7 ADONAI, God, does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

8 The lion has roared. Who will not fear? ADONAI, God, has spoken. Who will not prophesy?

9 "Proclaim it on the palaces in Ashdod and on the palaces in the land of Egypt; say: 'Assemble yourselves on the hills of Shomron! See what great tumult is seething within it, how much oppression is being done there.'

10 For they don't know how to do right," says ADONAI. "They store up violence and robbery in their palaces."

11 Therefore, here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: "An enemy will surround the land. He will strip you of your strength, and plunder your palaces."

12 This is what ADONAI says:

13 "As a shepherd rescues from the mouth of a lion a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear; so the people of Isra'el in Shomron will be rescued, huddled under cushions in the corners of their beds. "Hear, and testify against the house of Ya'akov," says Adonai ELOHIM Elohei-Tzva'ot.

14 "For when I punish Isra'el's crimes, I will also punish the altars of Beit-El. The horns of the altar will be cut off, and they will fall to the ground.

15 I will tear down winter houses as well as summer houses; houses adorned with ivory will be destroyed; the mansions will be no more," says ADONAI.

Amos 4:1-3

1 "Listen, you [lovely] cows of Bashan, who live on Mount Shomron, who oppress the poor and grind down the needy, who say to their husbands, 'Bring something to drink':

2 Adonai ELOHIM has sworn by his holiness that your time is surely coming. "You will be dragged away with hooks, the last of you with fishhooks.

3 You will leave through breaks in the wall, each woman right behind the next, and be sent off to Harmonah," says ADONAI.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 18

1 Corinthians 7:1-24; 1 Kings 20; Amos 4:4-13 CJB

1 Corinthians 7:1-24

1 Now to deal with the questions you wrote about: "Is it good for a man to keep away from women?"

2 Well, because of the danger of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

3 The husband should give his wife what she is entitled to in the marriage relationship, and the wife should do the same for her husband.

4 The wife is not in charge of her own body, but her husband is; likewise, the husband is not in charge of his own body, but his wife is.

5 Do not deprive each other, except for a limited time, by mutual agreement, and then only so as to have extra time for prayer; but afterwards, come together again. Otherwise, because of your lack of self-control, you may succumb to the Adversary's temptation.

6 I am giving you this as a suggestion, not as a command.

7 Actually, I wish everyone were like me; but each has his own gift from God, one this, another that.

8 Now to the single people and the widows I say that it is fine if they remain unmarried like me;

9 but if they can't exercise self-control, they should get married; because it is better to get married than to keep burning with sexual desire.

10 To those who are married I have a command, and it is not from me but from the Lord: a woman is not to separate herself from her husband

11 But if she does separate herself, she is to remain single or be reconciled with her husband. Also, a husband is not to leave his wife.

12 To the rest I say - I, not the Lord: if any brother has a wife who is not a believer, and she is satisfied to go on living with him, he should not leave her.

13 Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband who is satisfied to go on living with her, she is not to leave him.

14 For the unbelieving husband has been set aside for God by the wife, and the unbelieving wife has been set aside for God by the brother - otherwise your children would be "unclean," but as it is, they are set aside for God.

15 But if the unbelieving spouse separates himself, let him be separated. In circumstances like these, the brother or sister is not enslaved - God has called you to a life of peace.

16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

17 Only let each person live the life the Lord has assigned him and live it in the condition he was in when God called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the congregations.

18 Was someone already circumcised when he was called? Then he should not try to remove the marks of his circumcision. Was someone uncircumcised when he was called? He shouldn't undergo b'rit-milah.

19 Being circumcised means nothing, and being uncircumcised means nothing; what does mean something is keeping God's commandments.

20 Each person should remain in the condition he was in when he was called.

21 Were you a slave when you were called? Well, don't let it bother you; although if you can gain your freedom, take advantage of the opportunity.

22 For a person who was a slave when he was called is the Lord's freedman; likewise, someone who was a free man when he was called is a slave of the Messiah.

23 You were bought at a price, so do not become slaves of other human beings.

24 Brothers, let each one remain with God in the condition in which he was called.

1 Kings 20

1 Now Ben-Hadad the king of Aram rallied his whole army; with him were thirty-two kings, besides horses and chariots. Then he marched on Shomron and laid siege to it.

2 He sent messengers inside the city to Ach'av king of Isra'el

3 to say to him, "Here is the message from Ben-Hadad: 'Your silver and gold are mine, also your wives and your best children are mine.'"

4 The king of Isra'el answered, "Just as you say, my lord, king; I am yours, along with everything I own."

5 The messengers returned and said, "Here is Ben-Hadad's response: 'I sent you a message to hand over your silver, gold, wives and children to me.

6 But I am going to send my servants to you tomorrow around this time; they will ransack your house and the houses of your servants; and whatever they see that they like they will seize and remove.'"

7 Then the king of Isra'el summoned all the leaders of the land and said, "Please take notice! Do you see how this man is trying to make trouble? First he demanded my wives, children, silver and gold; and I denied him nothing."

8 All the leaders and all the people said to him, "Don't listen, and don't agree."

9 So he said to Ben-Hadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king, 'I will do all that you asked of me the first time, but this I cannot do." The messengers left and brought word back to him.

10 Ben-Hadad then sent this message to him: "May the gods do terrible things to me and worse ones as well if there's enough dust in Shomron to give each of my followers a handful!"

11 The king of Isra'el answered, "Tell him: 'He who is putting on his armor shouldn't boast as if he were taking it off!'"

12 It happened that Ben-Hadad received this message when he was drinking, he and his kings, in the field-barracks. He ordered his servants: "Take up your battle positions!" So they got ready to attack the city.

13 At that moment a prophet approached Ach'av king of Isra'el and said, "Here is what ADONAI says: 'Have you seen this vast army? I am going to give you victory over them today. Then you will know that I am ADONAI!'"

14 Ach'av asked, "Who will defeat them?" He answered, "This is what ADONAI says: 'The young men who serve the district governors.'" He asked, "Who will start the fighting?" and he answered, "You will."

15 He counted the district governors' young men; there were 232. After that, he counted all the people, all the people of Isra'el; there were 7,000.

16 They set out at noon. Ben-Hadad was drinking himself senseless in the field-barracks, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who were his allies.

17 The district governors' men went out first. Ben-Hadad sent for information, and they reported, "Men have come out from Shomron."

18 He said, "Whether they have come out for peace or for war, take them alive."

19 So the district governors' men left the city, followed by the army;

20 and each one killed his man. Aram fled, and Isra'el pursued them. Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of the cavalry.

21 The king of Isra'el went out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a massive defeat on Aram.

22 Afterwards, the prophet approached the king of Isra'el and said to him, "Go, regroup your forces, and think carefully what to do, for next year at this time the king of Aram will renew his attack."

23 Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, "Their God is a God of the hills; that's why they were stronger than we were. But if we fight them on level ground, we will certainly be stronger than they are.

24 Also do this: remove all the kings from their commands, and put professional officers in their place.

25 Then recruit an army as big as the army you lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. We will attack them on level ground, and we will certainly be stronger than they." He heeded what they said and acted accordingly.

26 At the same time the following year, Ben-Hadad mustered the army of Aram and went up to Afek to attack Isra'el.

27 The army of Isra'el, already mobilized and supplied, went to meet them; but the army of Isra'el, encamped opposite them, looked like two herds of goats; while Aram filled the land.

28 At this point, a man of God approached and said to the king of Isra'el, "Here is what ADONAI says: 'Because Aram said that ADONAI is a God of the hills but not a God of the valleys, I will hand over to you this entire huge army. Then you will know that I am ADONAI.'"

29 They remained in camp opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day, the battle began; and the people of Isra'el killed 100,000 soldiers of Aram in a single day.

30 The rest fled to Afek, into the city; and the wall fell on 27,000 of the men who were left. Ben-Hadad fled into the city and took refuge in an inside room.

31 His servants said to him, "Here now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Isra'el are merciful kings. If it's all right with you, let's put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Isra'el. Maybe he will spare your life."

32 So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads, went to the king of Isra'el and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says, 'Please spare my life.'" And he answered, "He's still alive? He is my brother."

33 The men took this as a promising indication and seized on it to say, "Yes, Ben-Hadad is your brother." Then Ach'av said, "Go, and bring him here." Ben-Hadad went out to him, and Ach'av had him climb up into his chariot.

34 Ben-Hadad said to him, "I will return the cities my father took from your father. Also you can set up markets for trade in Dammesek, as my father did in Shomron." "If you put this covenant in writing," said Ach'av, "I will set you free." So he made a covenant with him and set him free.

35 One of the members of the prophets' guild said to another one, by the word of ADONAI, "Hit me!" But the man refused to hit him.

36 Then he said to him, "Because you didn't listen to the voice of ADONAI, the moment you leave me, a lion will kill you." No sooner had he left him than a lion found him and killed him.

37 The prophet went to another man and said, "Hit me!" The man struck him a blow and wounded him.

38 The prophet left and waited for the king by the road, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.

39 As the king passed by, he called out to the king and said, "Your servant was on his way into the thick of the fighting when someone turned, brought a man to me and said, 'Guard this man! If he is missing, you will pay for his life with yours; or else you will pay sixty-six pounds of silver.'

40 But while your servant was busy with one thing and another, he disappeared." The king of Isra'el said to him, "So that is your sentence; you have pronounced it on yourself."

41 Quickly he removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Isra'el recognized him as one of the prophets.

42 Then he said to the king, "Here is what ADONAI says: 'Because you have let escape the man I had given over to be destroyed, you will pay with your life for his life and with your people for his people.'"

43 The king of Isra'el returned home to Shomron resentful and depressed.

Amos 4:4-13

4 "Come to Beit-El, and commit crimes; to Gilgal, and commit more crimes! Bring your sacrifices in the morning and your tithes after three days;

5 burn leavened bread as a thank offering; brag in public about your voluntary offerings; because that's what you love to do, Isra'el!" says Adonai ELOHIM.

6 "I made your teeth clean of food in all your cities, left you nothing to eat in all your villages; still you haven't returned to me," says ADONAI.

7 "I withheld the rain from you three months before the harvest. I made it rain on one city and not on another - one field had rain, while another with no rain dried up;

8 from two or three cities they would stagger to one city for water to drink, but there wasn't enough; still you haven't returned to me," says ADONAI.

9 "I struck your crops with hot winds and blight, your many gardens and vineyards; the cutter-worms devoured your fig and olive trees; still you haven't returned to me," says ADONAI.

10 "I sent a plague on you like that of Egypt, put your young men to death with the sword; let your horses be captured; and filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps; still you haven't returned to me," says ADONAI.

11 "I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew S'dom and 'Amora; you were like a burning stick snatched from the fire; still you haven't returned to me," says ADONAI.

12 "This is why I will deal with you in this way, Isra'el; and because I will deal with you in this way, prepare to meet your God, Isra'el

13 him who forms mountains and creates wind, who declares to humankind his thoughts, who turns the morning to darkness and strides on the heights of the earth - Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot is his name."

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

July 19

1 Corinthians 7:25-40; 1 Kings 21; Amos 5 CJB

1 Corinthians 7:25-40

25 Now the question about the unmarried: I do not have a command from the Lord, but I offer an opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is worthy to be trusted.

26 I suppose that in a time of stress like the present it is good for a person to stay as he is.

27 That means that if a man has a wife, he should not seek to be free of her; and if he is unmarried, he should not look for a wife.

28 But if you marry you do not sin, and if a girl marries she does not sin. It is just that those who get married will have the normal problems of married life, and I would rather spare you.

29 What I am saying, brothers, is that there is not much time left: from now on a man with a wife should live as if he had none -

30 and those who are sad should live as if they weren't, those who are happy as if they weren't,

31 and those who deal in worldly affairs as if not engrossed in them - because the present scheme of things in this world won't last much longer.

32 What I want is for you to be free of concern. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's affairs,

33 with how to please the Lord; but the married man concerns himself with the world's affairs, with how to please his wife;

34 and he finds himself split. Likewise the woman who is no longer married or the girl who has never been married concerns herself with the Lord's affairs, with how to be holy both physically and spiritually; but the married woman concerns herself with the world's affairs, with how to please her husband.

35 I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to put restrictions on you - I am simply concerned that you live in a proper manner and serve the Lord with undivided devotion.

36 Now if a man thinks he is behaving dishonorably by treating his fiancée this way, and if there is strong sexual desire, so that marriage is what ought to happen; then let him do what he wants - he is not sinning: let them get married.

37 But if a man has firmly made up his mind, being under no compulsion but having complete control over his will, if he has decided within himself to keep his fiancée a virgin, he will be doing well.

38 So the man who marries his fiancée will do well, and the man who doesn't marry will do better.

39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives, but if the husband dies she is free to marry anyone she wishes, provided he is a believer in the Lord.

40 However, in my opinion, she will be happier if she remains unmarried, and in saying this I think I have God's Spirit.

1 Kings 21

1 A while later, an incident occurred involving Navot the Yizre'eli. He owned a vineyard in Yizre'el, right next to the palace of Ach'av king of Shomron.

2 Ach'av spoke to Navot and said, "Give me your vineyard, so that I can have it as my vegetable garden, because it's close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard; or, if you prefer, I will give you its monetary value."

3 But Navot said to Ach'av, "ADONAI forbid that I should give you my ancestral heritage!"

4 Ach'av went home resentful and depressed at what Navot the Yizre'eli had said to him, since he had said, "I won't give you my ancestral heritage." He lay down on his bed, turned his face away and refused to eat.

5 Izevel his wife went and said to him, "Why are you so depressed that you refuse to eat?"

6 He answered her, "Because I spoke to Navot the Yizre'eli and said to him, "Sell me your vineyard for money; or else, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it"; but he answered, "I won't give you my vineyard."

7 "Are you the king of Isra'el or not?" asked his wife Izevel. "Get up, eat some food, and cheer up! I will give you the vineyard of Navot the Yizre'eli."

8 So she wrote letters in Ach'av's name, sealed them with his seal and sent the letters to the leaders and notables of the city where Navot lived.

9 In the letters she wrote, "Proclaim a fast, and give Navot the seat of honor among the people.

10 Have two good-for-nothing men sit opposite him, and have them accuse him publicly of cursing God and the king. Then take him outside and stone him to death."

11 The leaders and notables of the city he lived in did as Izevel had written in the letters she sent to them.

12 They proclaimed a fast and gave Navot the seat of honor among the people.

13 The two good-for-nothing men came in and sat opposite him, and these scoundrels publicly accused Navot, saying, "Navot cursed God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death,

14 then sent a message to Izevel, "Navot has been stoned to death."

15 When Izevel heard that Navot had been stoned to death, she said to Ach'av, "Get up, and take possession of the vineyard that Navot the Yizre'eli refused to sell you, because Navot is no longer alive; he is dead."

16 When Ach'av heard that Navot was dead, he set out to go down to the vineyard of Navot the Yizre'eli, to take possession of it.

17 But the word of ADONAI came to Eliyahu from Tishbe:

18 "Get up, go down to meet Ach'av king of Isra'el, who lives in Shomron. Right now he is in the vineyard of Navot; he has gone down there to take possession of it.

19 This is what you are to say to him: 'Here is what ADONAI says: "You have committed murder, and now you are stealing the victim's property!"' Also say to him, 'Here is what ADONAI says: "In the very place where dogs licked up the blood of Navot, dogs will lick up your blood - yours!" '"

20 Ach'av said to Eliyahu, "My enemy! You've found me!" He answered, "Yes, I have found you; because you have given yourself over to do what is evil from ADONAI's perspective.

21 'Here,' [says ADONAI,] 'I am bringing disaster on you! I will sweep you away completely; I will cut off from Ach'av every male, whether a slave or free in Isra'el.

22 I will make your house like the house of Yarov'am the son of N'vat and like the house of Ba'sha the son of Achiyah for provoking my anger and leading Isra'el into sin.'

23 ADONAI also said this about Izevel: 'The dogs will eat Izevel by the wall around Yizre'el.

24 If someone from the line of Ach'av dies in the city, the dogs will eat him; if he dies in the countryside, the vultures will eat him.'"

25 Truly, there was never anyone like Ach'av. Stirred up by his wife Izevel, he gave himself over to do what is evil from ADONAI's perspective.

26 His behavior in following idols was grossly abominable; he did everything the Emori had done, whom ADONAI expelled ahead of the people of Isra'el.

27 Ach'av, on hearing these words, tore his clothes, put sackcloth on himself and fasted. He slept in the sackcloth and went about dejectedly.

28 Then the word of ADONAI came to Eliyahu from Tishbe:

29 "Do you see how Ach'av has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring this evil during his lifetime; but during his son's lifetime I will bring the evil on his house."

Amos 5

1 Hear this word that I take up against you in lament, house of Isra'el:

2 The virgin of Isra'el has fallen; she will not rise again. She lies abandoned on her own soil with no one to lift her up.

3 For thus says Adonai ELOHIM: "The city from which a thousand marched will be left with a hundred, and the one from which a hundred marched will be left with ten from the house of Isra'el."

4 For here is what ADONAI says to the house of Isra'el: "If you seek me, you will survive;

5 but don't seek Beit-El, or enter Gilgal or pass on into Be'er-Sheva; for Gilgal will certainly go into exile, and Beit-El will come to nothing."

6 If you seek ADONAI, you will survive. Otherwise, he will break out against the house of Yosef like fire, devouring Beit-El, with no one to quench the flames.

7 You who turn justice to bitter wormwood and throw righteousness to the ground!

8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who brings deathlike shadows over the morning, who darkens the day into night, who calls for the water in the sea and with it floods the earth - ADONAI is his name

9 he flashes destruction on the strong, so that destruction overcomes the fortress.

10 They hate anyone promoting justice at the city gate, they detest anyone who speaks the truth.

11 Therefore, because you trample on the poor and extort from them levies of grain; although you have built houses of cut stone, you will not live in them; and though you have planted pleasant vineyards, you will not drink their wine.

12 For I know how numerous are your crimes and how outrageous your sins - bullying the innocent, extorting ransoms pushing the poor aside at the gate.

13 At times like these a prudent person stays silent, for it is an evil time.

14 Seek good and not evil, so that you will survive. Then Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot will be with you, as you say he is.

15 Hate evil, love good, and uphold justice at the gate. Maybe Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot will take pity on the survivors of Yosef.

16 Therefore thus says Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot, Adonai: "In all public squares there will be lamentation, in all the streets they will cry, 'Oh, no!' They will summon farmers to mourn and professional mourners to wail.

17 There will be wailing in every vineyard, for I will pass through among you," says ADONAI.

18 Woe to you who want the Day of ADONAI! Why do you want it, this Day of ADONAI? It is darkness, not light;

19 as if someone were to run from a lion, just to be met by a bear; as if he entered a house, put his hand on the wall, just to be bitten by a snake.

20 Won't the Day of ADONAI be darkness, not light, completely dark, with no brightness at all?

21 "I hate, I utterly loathe your festivals; I take no pleasure in your solemn assemblies.

22 If you offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; nor will I consider the peace offerings of your stall-fed cattle.

23 Spare me the noise of your songs! I don't want to hear the strumming of your lutes!

24 Instead, let justice well up like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25 Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings in the desert forty years, house of Isra'el?

26 No, but now you will bear Sikkut as your king and Kiyun, your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves;

27 as I exile you beyond Dammesek," says Adonai ELOHEI-Tzva'ot - that is his name.