Daily Bible Reading from BibleStudyTools.com

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Today's Bible Reading

September 8

John 13:1-20; 2 Chronicles 18; Psalm 78:21-57 CJB

John 13:1-20

1 It was just before the festival of Pesach, and Yeshua knew that the time had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. Having loved his own people in the world, he loved them to the end.

2 They were at supper, and the Adversary had already put the desire to betray him into the heart of Y'hudah Ben-Shim`on from K'riot.

3 Yeshua was aware that the Father had put everything in his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.

4 So he rose from the table, removed his outer garments and wrapped a towel around his waist.

5 Then he poured some water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the talmidim and wipe them off with the towel wrapped around him.

6 He came to Shim`on Kefa, who said to him, "Lord! You are washing my feet?"

7 Yeshua answered him, "You don't understand yet what I am doing, but in time you will understand."

8 "No!" said Kefa, "You will never wash my feet!" Yeshua answered him, "If I don't wash you, you have no share with me."

9 "Lord," Shim`on Kefa replied, "not only my feet, but my hands and head too!"

10 Yeshua said to him, "A man who has had a bath doesn't need to wash, except his feet -- his body is already clean. And you people are clean, but not all of you."

11 (He knew who was betraying him; this is why he said, "Not all of you are clean.")

12 After he had washed their feet, taken back his clothes and returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you?

13 You call me `Rabbi' and `Lord,' and you are right, because I am.

14 Now if I, the Lord and Rabbi, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other's feet.

15 For I have set you an example, so that you may do as I have done to you.

16 Yes, indeed! I tell you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is an emissary greater than the one who sent him.

17 If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

18 "I'm not talking to all of you -- I know which ones I have chosen. But the words of the Tanakh must be fulfilled that say, `The one eating my bread has turned against me.'

19 I'm telling you now, before it happens; so that when it does happen, you may believe that I AM [who I say I am].

20 Yes, indeed! I tell you that a person who receives someone I send receives me, and that anyone who receives me receives the One who sent me."

2 Chronicles 18

1 Y'hoshafat had wealth and honor in abundance, and by marriage he allied himself with Ach'av.

2 After some years he went down to Ach'av in Shomron. Ach'av slaughtered sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramot-Gil'ad.

3 Ach'av king of Isra'el said to Y'hoshafat king of Y'hudah, "Will you go with me to Ramot-Gil'ad?" He answered him, "I'm with you all the way; think of my troops as yours; we will join you in this war."

4 But Y'hoshafat said to the king of Isra'el, "First, we should seek the word of ADONAI."

5 So the king of Isra'el assembled the prophets, 400 men. "Should we attack Ramot-Gil'ad?" he asked them, "Or should I hold off?" They said, "Attack. God will hand it over to the king."

6 But Y'hoshafat said, "Besides these, isn't there a prophet of ADONAI here that we can consult?"

7 The king of Isra'el said to Y'hoshafat, "Yes, there is still one man through whom we can consult ADONAI; but I hate him, because he never prophesies anything good for me, only bad! It's Mikhay'hu the son of Yimlah." Y'hoshafat replied, "The king shouldn't say such a thing."

8 Then the king called an officer and said, "Quickly! Bring Mikhay'hu the son of Yimlah."

9 Now the king of Isra'el and Y'hoshafat the king of Y'hudah were each sitting on his throne, dressed in their royal robes; they were sitting in a threshing-floor at the entrance to the gate of Shomron; and all the prophets were there, prophesying in their presence.

10 Tzidkiyah the son of Kena'anah had made himself some horns out of iron and said, "This is what ADONAI says: 'With these you will gore Aram until they are destroyed.'"

11 All the prophets prophesied the same thing: "Go up and attack Ramot-Gil'ad. You will succeed, because ADONAI will hand it over to the king."

12 The messenger who had gone to call Mikhay'hu said to him, "Here, now, the prophets are unanimously predicting success for the king. Please let your word be like one of theirs - say something good."

13 But Mikhay'hu answered, "As ADONAI lives, whatever my God says is what I will say."

14 When he reached the king, the king asked him, "Mikhay'hu, should we go up and attack Ramot-Gil'ad, or should we hold off?" He answered, "Go up, you will succeed, they will be handed over to you."

15 The king said to him, "How many times do I have to warn you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of ADONAI?"

16 Then he said, "I saw all Isra'el scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd; and ADONAI said, 'These men have no leader; let everyone go home in peace.'"

17 The king of Isra'el said to Y'hoshafat, "Didn't I tell you that he wouldn't prophesy good things about me, but bad?"

18 Mikhay'hu continued: "Therefore, hear the word of ADONAI. I saw ADONAI sitting on his throne with the whole army of heaven standing on his right and on his left.

19 ADONAI asked, 'Who will entice Ach'av king of Isra'el to go up to his death at Ramot-Gil'ad?' One of them said, 'Do it this way,' and another, 'Do it that way.'

20 Then a spirit stepped up, stood in front of ADONAI and said, 'I will entice him.'ADONAI asked, 'How?'

21 He answered, 'I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.'ADONAI said, 'You will succeed in enticing him. Go, and do it.'

22 So now ADONAI has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours; meanwhile, ADONAI has ordained disaster for you."

23 Then Tzidkiyah the son of Kena'anah came up, slapped Mikhay'hu in the face and said, "And how did the Spirit of ADONAI leave me to speak to you?"

24 Mikhay'hu said, "You'll find out the day you go into an inside room, trying to hide."

25 The king of Isra'el said, "Seize Mikhay'hu, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and Yo'ash the king's son.

26 Say, 'The king says to put this man in prison; and feed him only bread and water, and not much of that, until I come back in peace.'"

27 Mikhay'hu said, "If you return in peace at all, ADONAI has not spoken through me!"Then he added, "Did you hear me, you peoples, all of you?"

28 So the king of Isra'el and Y'hoshafat the king of Y'hudah went up to Ramot-Gil'ad.

29 The king of Isra'el said to Y'hoshafat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you, put on your robes." So the king of Isra'el disguised himself and went into battle.

30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, "Don't attack anyone of either high or low rank, only the king of Isra'el."

31 So when the chariot commanders saw Y'hoshafat they said, "This is the king of Isra'el," and turned to attack him. But Y'hoshafat called out, and ADONAI came to his aid - God moved them to leave him alone,

32 so that when the chariot commanders saw that he wasn't the king of Isra'el, they stopped pursuing him.

33 However, one soldier shot an arrow at random and struck the king of Isra'el between his lower armor and the breastplate. The king said to his chariot-driver, "Turn the reins and take me out of the fighting; I'm collapsing from my wounds."

34 But the fighting grew fiercer that day; and although the king of Isra'el propped himself upright in his chariot facing Aram until evening, around sunset he died.

Psalm 78:21-57

21 Therefore, when ADONAI heard, he was angry; fire blazed up against Ya'akov; his anger mounted against Isra'el;

22 because they had no faith in God, no trust in his power to save.

23 So he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven.

24 He rained down man on them as food; he gave them grain from heaven -

25 mortals ate the bread of angels; he provided for them to the full.

26 He stirred up the east wind in heaven, brought on the south wind by his power,

27 and rained down meat on them like dust, birds flying thick as the sand on the seashore.

28 He let them fall in the middle of their camp, all around their tents.

29 So they ate till they were satisfied; he gave them what they craved.

30 They were still fulfilling their craving, the food was still in their mouths,

31 when the anger of God rose up against them and slaughtered their strongest men, laying low the young men of Isra'el.

32 Still, they kept on sinning and put no faith in his wonders.

33 Therefore, he ended their days in futility and their years in terror.

34 When he brought death among them, they would seek him; they would repent and seek God eagerly,

35 remembering that God was their Rock, El 'Elyon their Redeemer.

36 But they tried to deceive him with their words, they lied to him with their tongues;

37 for their hearts were not right with him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

38 Yet he, because he is full of compassion, forgave their sin and did not destroy; many times he turned away his anger and didn't rouse all his wrath.

39 So he remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that blows past and does not return.

40 How often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved him in the wastelands!

41 Repeatedly they challenged God and pained the Holy One of Isra'el.

42 They didn't remember how he used his hand on the day he redeemed them from their enemy,

43 how he displayed his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Tzo'an.

44 He turned their rivers into blood, so they couldn't drink from their streams.

45 He sent swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.

46 He gave their harvest to shearer-worms, the fruit of their labor to locusts.

47 He destroyed their vineyards with hail and their sycamore-figs with frost.

48 Their cattle too he gave over to the hail and their flocks to lightning bolts.

49 He sent over them his fierce anger, fury, indignation and trouble, with a company of destroying angels

50 to clear a path for his wrath. He did not spare them from death, but gave them over to the plague,

51 striking all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.

52 But his own people he led out like sheep, guiding them like a flock in the desert.

53 He led them safely, and they weren't afraid, even when the sea overwhelmed their foes.

54 He brought them to his holy land, to the hill-country won by his right hand.

55 He expelled nations before them, apportioned them property to inherit and made Isra'el's tribes live in their tents.

56 Yet they tested El 'Elyon and rebelled against him, refusing to obey his instructions.

57 They turned away and were faithless, like their fathers; they were unreliable, like a bow without tension.

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Today's Bible Reading

September 9

John 13:21-38; 2 Chronicles 19; Psalm 78:58-72 CJB

John 13:21-38

21 After saying this, Yeshua, in deep anguish of spirit, declared, "Yes, indeed! I tell you that one of you will betray me."

22 The talmidim stared at one another, totally mystified -- whom could he mean?

23 One of his talmidim, the one Yeshua particu larly loved, was reclining close beside him.

24 So Shim`on Kefa motioned to him and said, "Ask which one he's talking about."

25 Leaning against Yeshua's chest, he asked Yeshua, "Lord, who is it?"

26 Yeshua answered, "It's the one to whom I give this piece of matzah after I dip it in the dish." So he dipped the piece of matzah and gave it to Y'hudah Ben-Shim`on from K'riot.

27 As soon as Y'hudah took the piece of matzah, the Adversary went into him. "What you are doing, do quickly!" Yeshua said to him.

28 But no one at the table understood why he had said this to him.

29 Some thought that since Y'hudah was in charge of the common purse, Yeshua was telling him, "Buy what we need for the festival," or telling him to give something to the poor.

30 As soon as he had taken the piece of matzah, Y'hudah went out, and it was night.

31 After Y'hudah had left, Yeshua said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.

32 If the Son has glorified God, God will himself glorify the Son, and will do so without delay.

33 Little children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and, as I said to the Judeans, `Where I am going, you cannot come,' now I say it to you as well.

34 "I am giving you a new command: that you keep on loving each other. In the same way that I have loved you, you are also to keep on loving each other.

35 Everyone will know that you are my talmidim by the fact that you have love for each other."

36 Shim`on Kefa said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Yeshua answered, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow later."

37 "Lord," Kefa said to him, "why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!"

38 Yeshua answered, "You will lay down your life for me? Yes, indeed! I tell you, before the rooster crows you will disown me three times.

2 Chronicles 19

1 Then Y'hoshafat the king of Y'hudah returned home to Yerushalayim in peace.

2 Yehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Y'hoshafat, "Should you help the wicked and befriend those who hate ADONAI? Because of this, ADONAI's anger is upon you.

3 Still, there is some good in you, in that you have removed the sacred poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God."

4 So Y'hoshafat lived in Yerushalayim and again circulated among the people from Be'er-Sheva to the hills of Efrayim, bringing them back to ADONAI, the God of their ancestors.

5 He appointed judges throughout the land in all the fortified cities of Y'hudah, city by city,

6 and instructed the judges, "Think about what you are doing: you are not dispensing justice by merely human standards but on behalf of ADONAI; he is with you when you deliver a verdict.

7 Therefore, let the fear of ADONAI be upon you; be careful what you do; for ADONAI our God does not allow dishonesty, partiality or bribe-taking."

8 In Yerushalayim Y'hoshafat appointed some of the L'vi'im, cohanim and clan heads of Isra'el to judge in matters concerning ADONAI and in civil cases. After they had returned to Yerushalayim,

9 he charged them, "Here is what you are to do faithfully and wholeheartedly, in fear of ADONAI:

10 when an issue comes before you from your brothers who live in their cities, whether it's a case involving bloodshed or a question as to which teaching, mitzvah, law or ruling applies, you must warn them; so that they won't incur guilt toward ADONAI and thereby bring anger on both you and your kinsmen. Do this, and you won't incur guilt.

11 Amaryahu the chief cohen is over you in all matters concerning ADONAI, and Z'vadyahu the son of Yishma'el, chief of the house of Y'hudah, in all the king's matters. The officers of the L'vi'im are at your service. Be strong, and act, and may ADONAI be with the good."

Psalm 78:58-72

58 They provoked him with their high places and made him jealous with their idols.

59 God heard, and he was angry; he came to detest Isra'el completely.

60 He abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent he had made where he could live among people.

61 He gave his strength into exile, his pride to the power of the foe.

62 He gave his people over to the sword and grew angry with his own heritage.

63 Fire consumed their young men, their virgins had no wedding-song,

64 their cohanim fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep.

65 Then Adonai awoke, as if from sleep, like a warrior shouting for joy from wine.

66 He struck his foes, driving them back and putting them to perpetual shame.

67 Rejecting the tents of Yosef and passing over the tribe of Efrayim,

68 he chose the tribe of Y'hudah, Mount Tziyon, which he loved.

69 He built his sanctuary like the heights; like the earth, he made it to last forever.

70 He chose David to be his servant, taking him from the sheep-yards;

71 from tending nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Ya'akov his people, Isra'el his heritage.

72 With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with skillful hands.

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Today's Bible Reading

September 10

John 14:1-14; 2 Chronicles 20:1-21:1 CJB

John 14:1-14

1 "Don't let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in me.

2 In my Father's house are many places to live. If there weren't, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you.

3 Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be also.

4 Furthermore, you know where I'm going; and you know the way there."

5 T'oma said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you're going; so how can we know the way?"

6 Yeshua said, "I AM the Way -- and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me.

7 Because you have known me, you will also know my Father; from now on, you do know him -- in fact, you have seen him."

8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us."

9 Yeshua replied to him, "Have I been with you so long without your knowing me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, `Show us the Father'?

10 Don't you believe that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me? What I am telling you, I am not saying on my own initiative; the Father living in me is doing his own works.

11 Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me. But if you can't, then trust because of the works themselves.

12 Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father.

13 In fact, whatever you ask for in my name, I will do; so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If you ask me for something in my name, I will do it.

2 Chronicles 20

1 Some time later, the people of Mo'av and the people of 'Amon with other 'Amonim came up to fight Y'hoshafat.

2 Y'hoshafat was told, "A huge army from beyond the [Dead] Sea, from Aram, is on its way to fight you; right now they are in Hatzatzon-Tamar" (that is, 'Ein-Gedi).

3 Y'hoshafat was frightened, so he determined to seek ADONAI. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Y'hudah,

4 and Y'hudah assembled to seek help from ADONAI; they came from all the cities of Y'hudah to seek ADONAI.

5 Standing in front of the new courtyard in the house of ADONAI, among those assembled from Y'hudah and Yerushalayim,

6 he said: "ADONAI, God of our ancestors, you alone are God in heaven. You rule all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and strength, so that no one can withstand you.

7 You, our God, drove out those living in the land ahead of your people Isra'el and gave it forever to the descendants of Avraham your friend.

8 They lived in it, built you a sanctuary in it for your name, and said,

9 'If calamity strikes us, such as war, judgment, disease or famine, we will stand before this house - that is, before you, since your name is in this house - and cry to you in our distress; and you will hear us and rescue us.'

10 "So now, see: the people of 'Amon, Mo'av and Mount Se'ir, whom you would not let Isra'el invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, so that they turned away from them and did not destroy them,

11 are now repaying us [evil]; they have come to throw us out of your possession, which you gave us as an inheritance.

12 Our God! Won't you execute judgment against them? For we haven't strength enough to defeat this huge horde coming against us, and we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you."

13 All Y'hudah stood before ADONAI with their little ones, their wives and their children.

14 Then, in the middle of the assembly, the Spirit of ADONAI came upon Yachzi'el the son of Z'kharyahu, the son of B'nayah, the son of Ye'i'el, the son of Matanyah the Levi, from the descendants of Asaf.

15 He said, "Listen, all Y'hudah, you who live in Yerushalayim and King Y'hoshafat: here is what ADONAI is saying to you: 'Don't be afraid or distressed by this great horde; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

16 Tomorrow, go down against them. They will be coming up by the ascent of Tzitz, and you will find them at the end of the vadi, before the Yeru'el Desert.

17 You won't even need to fight this battle! Just take your positions, Y'hudah and Yerushalayim, stand still, and watch how ADONAI will deliver you! Don't be afraid or distressed; tomorrow, go out against them; for ADONAI is with you.'"

18 Y'hoshafat bowed his head with his face to the ground; while all Y'hudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim fell down before ADONAI, worshipping ADONAI;

19 and the L'vi'im from the descendants of the K'hati and the descendants of the Korchi, stood up and praised ADONAI the God of Isra'el at the top of their voices.

20 The next morning, they rose early and went out into the T'koa Desert. As they left, Y'hoshafat stood and said, "Listen to me, Y'hudah and you inhabitants of Yerushalayim! "Trust in ADONAI your God, and you will be safe. Trust in his prophets, and you will succeed."

21 After consulting with the people, he appointed those who would sing to ADONAI and praise the splendor of his holiness as they went out ahead of the army, saying, "Give thanks to ADONAI, for his grace continues forever."

22 Then, during the time when they were singing and praising, ADONAI brought a surprise attack against the people of 'Amon, Mo'av and Mount Se'ir who had come to fight Y'hudah; and they were defeated.

23 What happened was that the people of 'Amon and Mo'av began attacking those people who lived by Mount Se'ir, to kill and destroy them completely; and when they had finished off the people from Se'ir, they set to work slaughtering one another.

24 So when Y'hudah reached the watchtower overlooking the desert, they looked toward the horde; and there in front of them were corpses fallen to the ground; none had escaped.

25 Y'hoshafat and his army came to take the spoil from them and found among them personal property in abundance and corpses with precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves until they couldn't carry any more. They took three days just to collect the spoil, there was so much.

26 On the fourth day, they assembled in the Valley of B'rakhah [blessing], where they blessed ADONAI; hence that place is called the Valley of B'rakhah to this day.

27 Then they returned, everyone from Y'hudah and Yerushalayim, with Y'hoshafat leading them joyfully back to Yerushalayim; for ADONAI had caused them to rejoice over their enemies.

28 They came to Yerushalayim with lyres, lutes and trumpets and went to the house of ADONAI.

29 A panic from God was on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that ADONAI had fought against the enemies of Isra'el.

30 So Y'hoshafat's rule was a quiet one, because his God gave him rest all around.

31 Y'hoshafat ruled over Y'hudah; he was thirty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled twenty-five years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was 'Azuvah the daughter of Shilchi.

32 He lived in the manner of Asa his father and did not turn away from it, doing what was right from ADONAI's perspective;

33 although the high places were not taken away, and the people had not yet set their hearts toward the God of their ancestors.

34 Other activities of Y'hoshafat, from beginning to end, are written in the records of Yehu the son of Hanani, which have been inserted in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

35 It was after this that Y'hoshafat joined up with Achazyah king of Isra'el, who was acting very wickedly.

36 He joined together with him to build large ships capable of going to Tarshish; they made the ships in 'Etzyon-Gever.

37 Then Eli'ezer the son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Y'hoshafat: "Because you joined yourself with Achazyah, ADONAI is wrecking your project."And the ships were wrecked, so that they couldn't go to Tarshish.

2 Chronicles 21:1

1 Y'hoshafat slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David, and Y'horam his son became king in his place.

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Today's Bible Reading

September 11

John 14:15-31; 2 Chronicles 21:2-22:12; Psalm 79 CJB

John 14:15-31

15 "If you love me, you will keep my commands;

16 and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforting Counselor like me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever.

17 The world cannot receive him, because it neither sees nor knows him. You know him, because he is staying with you and will be united with you.

18 I will not leave you orphans -- I am coming to you.

19 In just a little while, the world will no longer see me; but you will see me. Because I live, you too will live.

20 When that day comes, you will know that I am united with my Father, and you with me, and I with you.

21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me, and the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

22 Y'hudah (not the one from K'riot) said to him, "What has happened, Lord, that you are about to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?"

23 Yeshua answered him, "If someone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

24 Someone who doesn't love me doesn't keep my words -- and the word you are hearing is not my own but that of the Father who sent me.

25 "I have told you these things while I am still with you.

26 But the Counselor, the Ruach HaKodesh, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything; that is, he will remind you of everything I have said to you.

27 "What I am leaving with you is shalom -- I am giving you my shalom. I don't give the way the world gives. Don't let yourselves be upset or frightened.

28 You heard me tell you, `I am leaving, and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would have been glad that I am going to the Father; because the Father is greater than I.

29 "Also, I have said it to you now, before it happens; so that when it does happen, you will trust.

30 "I won't be talking with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me;

31 rather, this is happening so that the world may know that I love the Father, and that I do as the Father has commanded me. "Get up! Let's get going!

2 Chronicles 21:2-20

2 He had brothers who were sons of Y'hoshafat -'Azaryah, Yechi'el, Z'kharyahu, 'Azaryahu, Mikha'el and Sh'fatyahu; all these were sons of Y'hoshafat king of Isra'el.

3 Their father had given them lavish gifts of silver, gold and other items of value, as well as fortified cities in Y'hudah; but he had given the kingdom to Y'horam, because he was the firstborn.

4 But when Y'horam had taken control of his father's kingdom and consolidated his rule, he put to the sword all his brothers and a number of the leading men in Isra'el.

5 He was thirty-two years old when he began his reign, and he ruled eight years in Yerushalayim.

6 He lived after the example of the kings of Isra'el, as did the house of Ach'av; because he had married Ach'av's daughter; he did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective.

7 However, ADONAI was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant he had made with David; inasmuch as he had promised to give him and his children a lamp that would burn forever.

8 During his time Edom revolted against Y'hudah and set up its own king.

9 Then Y'horam crossed with his commanders and all his chariots. Under cover of night, he and his chariot commanders attacked and defeated Edom, who had surrounded him.

10 Nevertheless, since that day Edom has remained free of Y'hudah's domination. Livnah revolted against him at the same time, because he had abandoned ADONAI the God of his ancestors.

11 Moreover, he built high places in the hills of Y'hudah, caused the people living in Yerushalayim to prostitute themselves and drew Y'hudah away.

12 A letter came to him from Eliyahu the prophet which said, "Here is what ADONAI, the God of David your ancestor, says: 'You have not lived by the examples of Y'hoshafat your father or Asa king of Y'hudah.

13 Instead you have lived by the example of the kings of Isra'el and have caused Y'hudah and the people living in Yerushalayim to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ach'av caused [Isra'el] to prostitute themselves. Moreover, you killed your brothers from your father's house, men better than you.

14 Because of all this, ADONAI is going to strike your people with a terrible disease, also your children, your wives and everything you have.

15 You will be very ill from a disease in your intestines, until your intestines protrude, because of the effects of this disease, day after day.'"

16 Then ADONAI aroused against Y'horam the spirit of the P'lishtim and of the Arabs near the Ethiopians;

17 and they came up to attack Y'hudah. They broke in and carried off all the personal property they could find in the royal palace, as well as his children and his wives; so that no son was left to him except Y'ho'achaz his youngest son.

18 After all this, ADONAI struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease.

19 In time, after two years, his intestines protruded because of his disease, and he suffered a most painful death. His people kindled no fire for him, as had been done for his ancestors.

20 He was thirty-two years old when he began his reign, he ruled in Yerushalayim for eight years, and he left without joy. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

2 Chronicles 22

1 The people living in Yerushalayim made Achazyah his youngest son king in place of him, since the raiding party that had invaded the camp with the Arabs had killed all the older ones. So Achazyah the son of Y'horam king of Y'hudah reigned.

2 Achazyah was forty-two years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for one year in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was 'Atalyahu the daughter of 'Omri.

3 He too lived after the example of the house of Ach'av, because his mother was his counselor in acting wickedly.

4 So he did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, as had the house of Ach'av; because, to his destruction, they were his counselors after his father died;

5 and he lived his life by their advice. With Y'horam the son of Ach'av, king of Isra'el, he went to war against Haza'el king of Aram at Ramot-Gil'ad, where the Aramim wounded Yoram.

6 He returned to Yizre'el to be healed of the wounds which they had inflicted on him at Ramah while fighting Haza'el king of Aram. Achazyah the son of Y'horam, king of Y'hudah, went down to visit Y'horam the son of Ach'av in Yizre'el, because he was not feeling well.

7 Through Achazyah's visit to Yoram, God brought about his downfall. After he arrived, he accompanied Yoram against Yehu the son of Nimshi, whom ADONAI had anointed to cut off the house of Ach'av.

8 But it happened that when Yehu was executing judgment on the house of Ach'av, he found the leading men of Y'hudah and Achazyah's nephews in attendance on Achazyah and killed them.

9 Then he went searching for Achazyah; they caught him where he had been hiding in Shomron, brought him to Yehu and killed him. But [his subjects] buried him, because they said, "He was the [grand]son of Y'hoshafat, who sought ADONAI with all his heart." At this point there was no one in the house of Achazyah strong enough to rule the kingdom.

10 When 'Atalyah the mother of Achazyah saw that her son was dead, she set about destroying the entire royal family of the house of Y'hudah.

11 But Y'hoshav'at the daughter of the king took Yo'ash the son of Achazyah, stole him away from among the princes who were being slaughtered, and sequestered him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus Y'hoshav'at the daughter of King Y'horam, wife of Y'hoyada the cohen and sister of Achazyah, hid him from 'Atalyah, so that he was not killed.

12 He remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years; during this time 'Atalyah ruled the land.

Psalm 79

1 A psalm of Asaf: God, the pagans have entered your heritage. They have defiled your holy temple and turned Yerushalayim into rubble.

2 They have given the corpses of your servants as food for the birds in the air, yes, the flesh of those faithful to you for the wild animals of the earth.

3 All around Yerushalayim they have shed their blood like water, and no one is left to bury them.

4 We suffer the taunts of our neighbors, we are mocked and scorned by those around us.

5 How long, ADONAI? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that don't know you, on the kingdoms that don't call out your name;

7 for they have devoured Ya'akov and left his home a waste.

8 Don't count past iniquities against us, but let your compassion come quickly to meet us, for we have been brought very low.

9 Help us, God of our salvation, for the sake of the glory of your name. Deliver us, forgive our sins, for your name's sake.

10 Why should the nations ask, "Where is their God?" Let the vengeance taken on your servants' shed blood be known among the nations before our eyes.

11 Let the groaning of the captives come before you; by your great strength save those condemned to death.

12 Repay our neighbors sevenfold where they can feel it for the insults they inflicted on you, Adonai.

13 Then we, your people and the flock in your pasture, will give you thanks forever. From generation to generation we will proclaim your praise.

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Today's Bible Reading

September 12

John 15:1-16:4; 2 Chronicles 23; Psalm 80 CJB

John 15

1 "I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener.

2 Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit.

3 Right now, because of the word which I have spoken to you, you are pruned.

4 Stay united with me, as I will with you -- for just as the branch can't put forth fruit by itself apart from the vine, so you can't bear fruit apart from me.

5 "I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who stay united with me, and I with them, are the ones who bear much fruit; because apart from me you can't do a thing.

6 Unless a person remains united with me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, where they are burned up.

7 "If you remain united with me, and my words with you, then ask whatever you want, and it will happen for you.

8 This is how my Father is glorified -- in your bearing much fruit; this is how you will prove to be my talmidim.

9 "Just as my Father has loved me, I too have loved you; so stay in my love.

10 If you keep my commands, you will stay in my love -- just as I have kept my Father's commands and stay in his love.

11 I have said this to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy be complete.

12 "This is my command: that you keep on loving each other just as I have loved you.

13 No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends, if you do what I command you.

15 I no longer call you slaves, because a slave doesn't know what his master is about; but I have called you friends, because everything I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

16 You did not choose me, I chose you; and I have commissioned you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that whatever you ask from the Father in my name he may give you.

17 This is what I command you: keep loving each other!

18 "If the world hates you, understand that it hated me first.

19 If you belonged to the world, the world would have loved its own. But because you do not belong to the world -- on the contrary, I have picked you out of the world -- therefore the world hates you.

20 Remember what I told you, `A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they kept my word, they will keep yours too.

21 But they will do all this to you on my account, because they don't know the One who sent me.

22 "If I had not come and spoken to them, they wouldn't be guilty of sin; but now, they have no excuse for their sin.

23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also.

24 If I had not done in their presence works which no one else ever did, they would not be guilty of sin; but now, they have seen them and have hated both me and my Father.

25 But this has happened in order to fulfill the words in their Torah which read, `They hated me for no reason at all.'

26 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send you from the Father -- the Spirit of Truth, who keeps going out from the Father -- he will testify on my behalf.

27 And you testify too, because you have been with me from the outset.

John 16:1-4

1 "I have told you these things so that you won't be caught by surprise.

2 They will ban you from the synagogue; in fact, the time will come when anyone who kills you will think he is serving God!

3 They will do these things because they have understood neither the Father nor me.

4 But I have told you this, so that when the time comes for it to happen, you will remember that I told you. I didn't tell you this at first, because I was with you.

2 Chronicles 23

1 In the seventh year Y'hoyada took courage and formed a conspiracy with certain captains of hundred-man platoons -'Azaryah the son of Yerocham, Yishma'el the son of Y'hochanan, 'Azaryah the son of 'Oved, Ma'aseiyahu the son of 'Adayahu and Elishafat the son of Zikhri.

2 They canvassed Y'hudah and gathered the L'vi'im from all the cities of Y'hudah, together with the clan heads of Isra'el, and came to Yerushalayim.

3 The whole assembly made an agreement with the king in the house of God. [Y'hoyada] addressed them: "Here! The king's son will reign, as ADONAI said in regard to the descendants of David!

4 Here is what you are to do: of you cohanim and L'vi'im who come on duty on Shabbat, a third are to guard the gates

5 a third the royal palace and a third the Gate of the Foundation; while all the people are to remain in the courtyards of the house of ADONAI.

6 No one is to enter the house of ADONAI except the cohanim and those L'vi'im who are actually performing the service. These may enter, because they are holy; but all the people are to observe ADONAI's order.

7 The L'vi'im are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who enters the house is to be killed. Stay with the king whenever he enters or leaves."

8 The L'vi'im and all Y'hudah did exactly as Y'hoyada the cohen ordered. Each took his men, those coming on duty on Shabbat and those going off duty on Shabbat (for Y'hoyada the cohen did not dismiss the divisions).

9 Y'hoyada the cohen issued to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David's and were kept in the house of God.

10 He then positioned all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, alongside the altar, alongside [the exterior of] the house and around the king.

11 Then they brought out the king's son, crowned him, gave him [a copy of] the testimony and thus made him king. Y'hoyada and his sons anointed him, and they shouted, "Long live the king!"

12 When 'Atalyah heard the sound of the people running and praising the king, she entered the house of ADONAI where the people were,

13 looked and saw the king standing there on his platform at the entrance, with the leaders and trumpeters next to the king. All the people of the land were celebrating and blowing the trumpets; while the singers with their musical instruments were leading songs of praise. At this, 'Atalyah tore her clothes and cried, "Treason! Treason!"

14 Y'hoyada the cohen brought out the captains of hundreds who were in charge of the army and said to them, "Escort her out past the ranks [of guards]; but anyone who follows her, let him be put to the sword." For the cohen had said, "Do not put her to death in the house of ADONAI.

15 So they took her by force and led her by the horses' entry to the king's palace, and there they put her to death.

16 Y'hoyada made a covenant between himself, all the people and the king, that they would be ADONAI's people.

17 Then all the people went to the house of Ba'al and broke it down; they smashed his altars and images and killed Mattan the priest of Ba'al in front of the altars.

18 Y'hoyada appointed officers for the house of ADONAI under the supervision of the cohanim and L'vi'im, whom David had assigned turns of duty in the house of ADONAI, to offer the burnt offerings of ADONAI, as written in the Torah of Moshe, with rejoicing and singing in keeping with David's orders.

19 He stationed guards at the gates of the house of ADONAI, so that no one who was unclean in any respect could enter

20 He took the captains of hundreds, the men of rank, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of ADONAI, going through the Upper Gate to the royal palace, and seated the king on the royal throne.

21 All the people of the land celebrated, and at last the city was quiet. That is how they killed 'Atalyah with the sword

Psalm 80

1 For the leader. Set to "Lilies."A testimony. A psalm of Asaf: Shepherd of Isra'el, listen! You who lead Yosef like a flock, you whose throne is on the k'ruvim, shine out!

2 Before Efrayim, Binyamin and M'nasheh, rouse your power; and come to save us.

3 God, restore us! Make your face shine, and we will be saved.

4 ADONAI, God of armies, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?

5 You have fed them tears as their bread and made them drink tears in abundance.

6 You make our neighbors fight over us, and our enemies mock us.

7 God of armies, restore us! Make your face shine, and we will be saved.

8 You brought a vine out of Egypt, you expelled the nations and planted it,

9 you cleared a space for it; then it took root firmly and filled the land.

10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches;

11 It put out branches as far as the sea and shoots to the [Euphrates] River.

12 Why did you break down [the vineyard's] wall, so that all passing by can pluck [its fruit]?

13 The boar from the forest tears it apart; wild creatures from the fields feed on it.

14 God of armies, please come back! Look from heaven, see, and tend this vine!

15 Protect what your right hand planted, the son you made strong for yourself.

16 It is burned by fire, it is cut down; they perish at your frown of rebuke.

17 Help the man at your right hand, the son of man you made strong for yourself.

18 Then we won't turn away from you if you revive us, we will call on your name.

19 ADONAI, God of armies, restore us! Make your face shine, and we will be saved.

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Today's Bible Reading

September 13

John 16:5-33; 2 Chronicles 24; Psalm 81 CJB

John 16:5-33

5 But now I am going to the One who sent me. "Not one of you is asking me, `Where are you going?'

6 Instead, because I have said these things to you, you are overcome with grief.

7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I don't go away, the comforting Counselor will not come to you. However, if I do go, I will send him to you.

8 "When he comes, he will show that the world is wrong about sin, about righteousness and about judgment --

9 about sin, in that people don't put their trust in me;

10 about righteousness, in that I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me;

11 about judgment, in that the ruler of this world has been judged.

12 "I still have many things to tell you, but you can't bear them now.

13 However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own initiative but will say only what he hears. He will also announce to you the events of the future.

14 He will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and announce it to you.

15 Everything the Father has is mine; this is why I said that he receives from what is mine and will announce it to you.

16 "In a little while, you will see me no more; then, a little while later, you will see me."

17 At this, some of the talmidim said to one another, "What is this that he's telling us, `In a little while, you won't see me; then, a little while later, you will see me'? and, `I am going to the Father'?"

18 They went on saying, "What is this `little while'? We don't understand what he's talking about."

19 Yeshua knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Are you asking each other what I meant by saying, `In a little while, you won't see me; and then, a little while later, you will see me'?

20 Yes, it's true. I tell you that you will sob and mourn, and the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

21 When a woman is giving birth, she is in pain; because her time has come. But when the baby is born, she forgets her suffering out of joy that a child has come into the world.

22 So you do indeed feel grief now, but I am going to see you again. Then your hearts will be full of joy, and no one will take your joy away from you.

23 "When that day comes, you won't ask anything of me! Yes, indeed! I tell you that whatever you ask from the Father, he will give you in my name.

24 Till now you haven't asked for anything in my name. Keep asking, and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

25 "I have said these things to you with the help of illustrations; however, a time is coming when I will no longer speak indirectly but will talk about the Father in plain language.

26 When that day comes, you will ask in my name. I am not telling you that I will pray to the Father on your behalf,

27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

28 "I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and returning to the Father."

29 The talmidim said to him, "Look, you're talking plainly right now, you're not speaking indirectly at all.

30 Now we know that you know everything, and that you don't need to have people put their questions into words. This makes us believe that you came from God."

31 Yeshua answered, "Now you do believe.

32 But a time is coming -- indeed it has come already -- when you will be scattered, each one looking out for himself; and you will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone; because the Father is with me.

33 "I have said these things to you so that, united with me, you may have shalom. In the world, you have tsuris. But be brave! I have conquered the world!"

2 Chronicles 24

1 Yo'ash was seven years old when he began his reign, and he reigned forty years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Tzivyah, from Be'er-Sheva.

2 Yo'ash did what was right from ADONAI's perspective throughout the lifetime of Y'hoyada the cohen.

3 Y'hoyada chose two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

4 Some time later, Yo'ash decided to restore the house of ADONAI.

5 He gathered the cohanim and L'vi'im and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Y'hudah, and collect money each year from all Isra'el to repair the house of your God. See that you do this promptly." But when the L'vi'im procrastinated,

6 the king summoned Y'hoyada the chief and said to him, "Why haven't you demanded that the L'vi'im bring in from Y'hudah and Yerushalayim the tax prescribed by Moshe the servant of ADONAI and by the community of Isra'el, for the tent of the testimony?"

7 For the sons of that wicked 'Atalyahu had broken up the house of God, and they had given all the consecrated things belonging to the house of ADONAI to the ba'alim.

8 Then, at the king's order, they made a box and placed it outside the entrance to the house of ADONAI.

9 They proclaimed throughout Y'hudah and Yerushalayim that the tax Moshe the servant of God had imposed on Isra'el in the desert should be brought in for ADONAI.

10 All the leaders and all the people were glad to bring in their contributions and put them in the box, until it was full.

11 When the box was brought to the king's officials by the L'vi'im, and when they saw how much money there was, the king's secretary and the chief cohen's official came and emptied the box; then they took it and returned it to its place. They did this daily, and they collected money in abundance.

12 The king and Y'hoyada gave it to those in charge of taking care of the house of ADONAI. They, in turn, hired stone-workers and carpenters to restore the house of ADONAI, also iron- and bronze-workers to repair the house of ADONAI.

13 The workers got on with their tasks, so that the restoration progressed well, until they had returned the house of God to its earlier condition and strengthened it.

14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Y'hoyada, and it was used to make equipment for the house of ADONAI - articles for ministry, buckets, fire pans, and utensils of gold and silver. So they offered burnt offerings in the house of ADONAI regularly throughout the time of Y'hoyada.

15 But Y'hoyada grew old; and when he was full of days, he died. He was 130 years old when he died.

16 They buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had served Isra'el, God and his house well.

17 After Y'hoyada died, the leaders of Y'hudah came and prostrated themselves before the king. Then the king listened to them;

18 and they abandoned the house of ADONAI the God of their ancestors and served the sacred poles and the idols. In consequence of their guilt, [God's] anger fell on Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.

19 In spite of this, he sent them prophets to bring them back to ADONAI; they warned them, but they wouldn't pay attention.

20 The Spirit of God covered Z'kharyah the son of Y'hoyada the cohen; he stood above the people and addressed them: "Thus says God: 'Why are you transgressing the mitzvot of ADONAI and courting disaster? Because you have abandoned ADONAI, he has abandoned you."

21 But they conspired against him and stoned him to death at the order of the king in the courtyard of the house of ADONAI.

22 Thus Yo'ash the king did not remember the kindness which Y'hoyada, [Z'kharyah's] father, had done for him, but put his son to death. As he was dying he said, "May ADONAI see this and take vengeance!"

23 The following spring, the army of Aram came up against him. They attacked Y'hudah and Yerushalayim, slaughtered all the people's leaders and sent all their spoil to the king of Dammesek.

24 Although the army of Aram attacked with only a small company of men, ADONAI handed over a very great army to them, because they had abandoned ADONAI the God of their ancestors. Thus they executed judgment against Yo'ash.

25 After they had left him - and they left him seriously wounded - his own servants conspired against him because he had shed the blood of the sons of Y'hoyada the cohen; and they killed him in his own bed. After he died, they buried him in the City of David, but they didn't bury him in the tombs of the kings.

26 Those who conspired against him were Zavad the son of Shim'at the 'Amonit and Y'hozavad the son of Shimrit the Mo'avit.

27 As for his sons, the heavy tribute imposed on him, and the rebuilding of the house of God, they are recorded in the commentary of the Annals of the Kings. Then Amatzyahu his son took his place as king.

Psalm 81

1 For the Leader. On the gittit. By Asaf: Sing for joy to God our strength! Shout to the God of Ya'akov!

2 Start the music! Beat the drum! Play the sweet lyre and the lute!

3 Sound the shofar at Rosh-Hodesh and at full moon for the pilgrim feast,

4 because this is a law for Isra'el, a ruling of the God of Ya'akov.

5 He placed it as a testimony in Y'hosef when he went out against the land of Egypt. I heard an unfamiliar voice say,

6 "I lifted the load from his shoulder; his hands were freed from the [laborer's] basket.

7 You called out when you were in trouble, and I rescued you; I answered you from the thundercloud; I tested you at the M'rivah Spring [by saying,] (Selah)

8 "'Hear, my people, while I give you warning! Isra'el, if you would only listen to me!

9 There is not to be with you any foreign god; you are not to worship an alien god.

10 I am ADONAI your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth, and I will fill it.'

11 "But my people did not listen to my voice; Isra'el would have none of me.

12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to live by their own plans.

13 How I wish my people would listen to me, that Isra'el would live by my ways!

14 I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.

15 Those who hate ADONAI would cringe before him, while [Isra'el's] time would last forever.

16 They would be fed with the finest wheat, and I would satisfy you with honey from the rocks."

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

September 14

John 17; 2 Chronicles 25; Psalm 82 CJB

John 17

1 After Yeshua had said these things, he looked up toward heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that the Son may glorify you --

2 just as you gave him authority over all mankind, so that he might give eternal life to all those whom you have given him.

3 And eternal life is this: to know you, the one true God, and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Messiah.

4 "I glorified you on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.

5 Now, Father, glorify me alongside yourself. Give me the same glory I had with you before the world existed.

6 "I made your name known to the people you gave me out of the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you,

8 because the words you gave me I have given to them, and they have received them. They have really come to know that I came from you, and they have come to trust that you sent me.

9 "I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given to me, because they are yours.

10 Indeed, all I have is yours, and all you have is mine, and in them I have been glorified.

11 Now I am no longer in the world. They are in the world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, guard them by the power of your name, which you have given to me, so that they may be one, just as we are.

12 When I was with them, I guarded them by the power of your name, which you have given to me; yes, I kept watch over them; and not one of them was destroyed (except the one meant for destruction, so that the Tanakh might be fulfilled).

13 But now, I am coming to you; and I say these things while I am still in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.

14 "I have given them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world -- just as I myself do not belong to the world.

15 I don't ask you to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the Evil One.

16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.

17 Set them apart for holiness by means of the truth -- your word is truth.

18 Just as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

19 On their behalf I am setting myself apart for holiness, so that they too may be set apart for holiness by means of the truth.

20 "I pray not only for these, but also for those who will trust in me because of their word,

21 that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, are united with me and I with you, I pray that they may be united with us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.

22 The glory which you have given to me, I have given to them; so that they may be one, just as we are one --

23 I united with them and you with me, so that they may be completely one, and the world thus realize that you sent me, and that you have loved them just as you have loved me.

24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am; so that they may see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these people have known that you sent me.

26 I made your name known to them, and I will continue to make it known; so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I myself may be united with them."

2 Chronicles 25

1 Amatzyahu was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Y'ho'adan, from Yerushalayim.

2 He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, but not wholeheartedly.

3 As soon as he had the kingdom firmly in his control, he put to death the servants of his who had assassinated the king his father.

4 But he did not put their children to death; rather, he acted according to what is written in the Torah, in the scroll of Moshe, as ADONAI ordered when he said, "Fathers are not to die for the children, nor are the children to die for the fathers; every person will die for his own sin."

5 Amatzyahu assembled Y'hudah together and put them in order by clans under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds - all Y'hudah and Binyamin. He registered everyone twenty years old and older, and found that there were 300,000 select troops able to go to war, capable of using spears and shields.

6 He also hired 100,000 strong, brave men from Isra'el for three-and-a-third tons of silver.

7 But a man of God came to him and said, "King, don't let the army of Isra'el go with you; because ADONAI is not with Isra'el or with any of the people of Efrayim.

8 And if you do go, then no matter how fiercely you fight, God will cause you to fail before the enemy. For God has the power to help and to cause failure."

9 Amatzyahu said to the man of God, "But what do we do about the three-and-a-third tons [of silver] I paid for Isra'el's army?"The man of God answered, "ADONAI can give you far more than that!"

10 Then Amatzyahu separated out the battalion that had come to him from Efrayim and told them to go back home - which made their anger burn hotly against Y'hudah, and they returned home enraged.

11 Amatzyahu took courage, led his people out and went to the Salt Valley, where he killed 10,000 of the people of Se'ir.

12 The people of Y'hudah took another 10,000 away alive, brought them to the top of the Rock and threw them off the top of the Rock, so that they were all dashed to pieces.

13 Meanwhile, the men in the army that Amatzyahu had sent back and hadn't allowed to join him in battle fell on the cities of Y'hudah, all the way from Shomron to Beit-Horon, killed 3,000 of them and took much spoil.

14 After Amatzyahu returned from the slaughter of the people from Edom, he brought the gods of the people of Se'ir and set them up as his own gods, prostrating himself before them and offering incense to them.

15 As a result, the anger of ADONAI blazed up against Amatzyah, and he sent him a prophet, who said to him, "Why have you sought out the gods of those people, when they couldn't even rescue their own people from you?"

16 But as [the prophet] was speaking to him, he interrupted him: "Were you made an adviser to the king? You had better stop before you get yourself killed!" So the prophet stopped, but he added, "I know that God is planning to destroy you for having done this and for refusing to listen to my advice."

17 Then, after taking counsel, Amatzyah king of Y'hudah sent a challenge to Yo'ash the son of Y'ho'achaz, the son of Yehu, king of Isra'el: "Come on, let's have it out face-to-face."

18 Yo'ash the king of Isra'el sent this reply to Amatzyah king of Y'hudah: "Once, in the L'vanon, the thistle sent a message to the cedar: 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' But a wild animal passed by the thistle and squashed it.

19 You say you defeated Edom, which is true; so you're excited and itching for more glory. But now, stay home! Why provoke calamity, to your own ruin, yours and Y'hudah's too?"

20 But Amatzyah wouldn't listen. And this was from God, so that he could hand them over [to their enemies], because they had sought the gods of Edom.

21 So Yo'ash king of Isra'el went up; and he and Amatzyah king of Y'hudah had it out face-to-face at Beit-Shemesh, which belongs to Y'hudah.

22 Y'hudah was defeated by Isra'el, and every man fled to his tent.

23 Yo'ash king of Isra'el took Amatzyah king of Y'hudah, the son of Yo'ash the son of Y'ho'achaz, prisoner at Beit-Shemesh. Then he brought him to Yerushalayim and demolished the wall of Yerushalayim between the Gate of Efrayim and the Corner Gate, a section 600 feet long.

24 [He took] all the gold and silver, all the articles he could find in the house of God, with 'Oved-Edom, and the treasures of the royal palace, together with hostages; then he returned to Shomron.

25 Amatzyahu the son of Yo'ash, king of Y'hudah, lived another fifteen years after the death of Yo'ash son of Y'ho'achaz king of Isra'el.

26 Other activities of Amatzyah, from beginning to end, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah and Isra'el.

27 From the time that Amatzyahu turned away from following ADONAI, they formed a conspiracy against him in Yerushalayim. So he fled to Lakhish; but they followed him to Lakhish and killed him there.

28 They brought his body back on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the City of Y'hudah.

Psalm 82

1 A psalm of Asaf: Elohim [God] stands in the divine assembly; there with the elohim [judges], he judges:

2 "How long will you go on judging unfairly, favoring the wicked? (Selah)

3 Give justice to the weak and fatherless! Uphold the rights of the wretched and poor!

4 Rescue the destitute and needy; deliver them from the power of the wicked!"

5 They don't know, they don't understand, they wander about in darkness; meanwhile, all the foundations of the earth are being undermined.

6 "My decree is: 'You are elohim [gods, judges], sons of the Most High all of you.

7 Nevertheless, you will die like mortals; like any prince, you will fall.'"

8 Rise up, Elohim, and judge the earth; for all the nations are yours.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

September 15

John 18:1-18; 2 Chronicles 26; Psalm 83 CJB

John 18:1-18

1 After Yeshua had said all this, he went out with his talmidim across the stream that flows in winter through the Vadi Kidron, to a spot where there was a grove of trees; and he and his talmidim went into it.

2 Now Y'hudah, who was betraying him, also knew the place; because Yeshua had often met there with his talmidim.

3 So Y'hudah went there, taking with him a detachment of Roman soldiers and some Temple guards provided by the head cohanim and the P'rushim; they carried weapons, lanterns and torches.

4 Yeshua, who knew everything that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Whom do you want?" "Yeshua from

5 Natzeret," they answered. He said to them, "I AM." Also standing with them was Y'hudah, the one who was betraying him.

6 When he said, "I AM," they went back ward from him and fell to the ground.

7 So he inquired of them once more, "Whom do you want?" and they said, "Yeshua from Natzeret."

8 "I told you, `I AM,'" answered Yeshua, "so if I'm the one you want, let these others go."

9 This happened so that what he had said might be fulfilled, "I have not lost one of those you gave me."

10 Then Shim`on Kefa, who had a sword, drew it and struck the slave of the cohen hagadol, cutting off his right ear; the slave's name was Melekh.

11 Yeshua said to Kefa, "Put your sword back in its scabbard! This is the cup the Father has given me; am I not to drink it?"

12 So the detachment of Roman soldiers and their captain, together with the Temple Guard of the Judeans, arrested Yeshua, tied him up,

13 and took him first to `Anan, the father-in-law of Kayafa, who was cohen gadol that fateful year.

14 (It was Kayafa who had advised the Judeans that it would be good for one man to die on behalf of the people.)

15 Shim`on Kefa and another talmid followed Yeshua. The second talmid was known to the cohen hagadol, and he went with Yeshua into the courtyard of the cohen hagadol;

16 but Kefa stood outside by the gate. So the other talmid, the one known to the cohen hagadol, went back out and spoke to the woman on duty at the gate, then brought Kefa inside.

17 The woman at the gate said to Kefa, "Aren't you another of that man's talmidim?" He said, "No, I'm not."

18 Now the slaves and guards had lit a fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it warming themselves; Kefa joined them and stood warming himself too.

2 Chronicles 26

1 Meanwhile, all the people of Y'hudah had taken 'Uziyahu at the age of sixteen and made him king in place of his father Amatzyahu.

2 He recovered Eilot for Y'hudah and rebuilt it; it was after this that the king [Amatzyahu] slept with his ancestors.

3 'Uziyahu was sixteen years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for fifty-two years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Y'kholyahu, from Yerushalayim.

4 He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of everything his father Amatzyahu had done.

5 He consulted God during the lifetime of Z'kharyahu, who understood visions of God; and as long as he consulted ADONAI, God gave him success.

6 He went out to fight the P'lishtim, breaking down the walls of Gat, Yavneh and Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the P'lishtim.

7 God helped him against the P'lishtim, against the Arabs living in Gur-Ba'al, and against the Me'unim.

8 The 'Amonim brought tribute to 'Uziyahu, and his fame spread abroad as far as the Egyptian frontier, since he kept growing stronger.

9 'Uziyahu built towers in Yerushalayim at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the Angle, and fortified them.

10 He built towers in the desert and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock, likewise in the Sh'felah and the coastal plain. He had farmers and vineyard-workers in the hills and in the fertile lands, because he loved the soil.

11 'Uziyahu had a standing army of fit soldiers divided into units according to the census taken by the secretary Ye'i'el and the officer Ma'aseiyah, under the direction of Hananyah, one of the king's officials.

12 The total number of clan heads over these strong, brave men was 2,600.

13 They directed a trained army of 307,500 fighting men, a strong force supporting the king in war against the enemy.

14 'Uziyahu equipped them, the whole army, with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows and slingstones.

15 In Yerushalayim he built devices designed by experts for the towers and angles, from which to shoot arrows and lob large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was miraculously helped, until he became strong.

16 But when he was strong, he became arrogant, which caused him to become corrupt, so that he sinned against ADONAI his God by going into the temple of ADONAI to burn incense on the incense altar.

17 'Azaryahu the cohen went in after him, and with him were eighty of ADONAI's cohanim, brave men.

18 They stood up to 'Uziyahu the king; they told him, "It isn't your job, 'Uziyahu, to burn incense to ADONAI! The job of burning incense belongs to the cohanim, the descendants of Aharon, who have been consecrated. Get out of the sanctuary! You have trespassed, and ADONAI, God, will not honor you for this."

19 This made 'Uziyahu angry as he stood there with a censer in his hand ready to burn incense; and in his anger at the cohanim, tzara'at broke out on his forehead right in front of the cohanim in the house of ADONAI beside the altar for incense.

20 'Azaryahu the chief cohen and all the cohanim stared at him -there he was, with tzara'at on his forehead! Quickly they threw him out of there; and indeed, he himself hurried to get out, because ADONAI had struck him.

21 'Uziyahu the king had tzara'at until his dying day; he lived in a separate house because he had tzara'at, and was not allowed into the house of ADONAI. Meanwhile, Yotam the king's son ran the king's household and was regent over the people of the land.

22 Other activities of 'Uziyahu, from beginning to end, were recorded by Yesha'yahu the prophet, the son of Amotz.

23 So 'Uziyahu slept with his ancestors, and they buried him with his ancestors in the graveyard belonging to the kings, because they said, "He had tzara'at."Then Yotam his son took his place as king.

Psalm 83

1 A song. A psalm of Asaf: God, don't remain silent! Don't stay quiet, God, or still;

2 because here are your enemies, causing an uproar; those who hate you are raising their heads,

3 craftily conspiring against your people, consulting together against those you treasure.

4 They say, "Come, let's wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Isra'el be remembered no more!"

5 With one mind they plot their schemes; the covenant they have made is against you

6 the tents of Edom and the Yishma'elim, Mo'av and the Hagrim,

7 G'val, 'Amon and 'Amalek, P'leshet with those living in Tzor; (Selah)

8 Ashur too is allied with them, to reinforce the descendants of Lot.

9 Do to them as you did to Midyan, to Sisra and Yavin at Vadi Kishon

10 they were destroyed at 'Ein-Dor and became manure for the ground.

11 Make their leaders like 'Orev and Ze'ev, all their princes like Zevach and Tzalmuna,

12 who said, "Let's take possession of God's meadows for ourselves."

13 My God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff driven by the wind.

14 Like fire burning up the forest, like a flame that sets the mountains ablaze,

15 drive them away with your storm, terrify them with your tempest.

16 Fill their faces with shame, so that they will seek your name, ADONAI.

17 Let them be ashamed and fearful forever; yes, let them perish in disgrace.

18 Let them know that you alone, whose name is ADONAI, are the Most High over all the earth.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

September 16

John 18:19-40; 2 Chronicles 27-28; Psalm 84 CJB

John 18:19-40

19 The cohen hagadol questioned Yeshua about his talmidim and about what he taught.

20 Yeshua answered, "I have spoken quite openly to everyone; I have always taught in a synagogue or in the Temple where all Jews meet together, and I have said nothing in secret;

21 so why are you questioning me? Question the ones who heard what I said to them; look, they know what I said."

22 At these words, one of the guards standing by slapped Yeshua in the face and said, "This is how you talk to the cohen hagadol?"

23 Yeshua answered him, "If I said something wrong, state publicly what was wrong; but if I was right, why are you hitting me?"

24 So `Anan sent him, still tied up, to Kayafa the cohen hagadol.

25 Meanwhile, Shim`on Kefa was standing and warming himself. They said to him, "Aren't you also one of his talmidim?" He denied it, saying, "No, I am not."

26 One of the slaves of the cohen hagadol, a relative of the man whose ear Kefa had cut off, said, "Didn't I see you with him in the grove of trees?"

27 So again Kefa denied it, and instantly a rooster crowed.

28 They led Yeshua from Kayafa to the governor's headquarters. By now it was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters building because they didn't want to become ritually defiled and thus unable to eat the Pesach meal.

29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, "What charge are you bringing against this man?"

30 They answered, "If he hadn't done something wrong, we wouldn't have brought him to you."

31 Pilate said to them, "You take him and judge him according to your own law." The Judeans replied, "We don't have the legal power to put anyone to death."

32 This was so that what Yeshua had said, about how he was going to die, might be fulfilled.

33 So Pilate went back into the headquarters, called Yeshua and said to him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

34 Yeshua answered, "Are you asking this on your own, or have other people told you about me?"

35 Pilate replied, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and head cohanim have handed you over to me; what have you done?"

36 Yeshua answered, "My kingship does not derive its authority from this world's order of things. If it did, my men would have fought to keep me from being arrested by the Judeans. But my kingship does not come from here."

37 "So then," Pilate said to him, "You are a king, after all." Yeshua answered, "You say I am a king. The reason I have been born, the reason I have come into the world, is to bear witness to the truth. Every one who belongs to the truth listens to me."

38 Pilate asked him, "What is truth?" Having said this, Pilate went outside again to the Judeans and told them, "I don't find any case against him.

39 However, you have a custom that at Passover I set one prisoner free. Do you want me to set free for you the `king of the Jews'?" But

40 they yelled back, "No, not this man but Bar-Abba!" (Bar-Abba was a revolutionary.)

2 Chronicles 27

1 Yotam was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for sixteen years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Yerushah the daughter of Tzadok.

2 He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of everything his father 'Uziyah had done, except that he did not enter the temple of ADONAI. Nevertheless, the people acted corruptly.

3 He built the Upper Gate of the house of ADONAI and added considerably to the wall of the 'Ofel.

4 He built cities in the hills of Y'hudah, and in the wooded areas he built forts and towers.

5 He fought with the king of the people of 'Amon and defeated them. That year the people of 'Amon paid him tribute of three-and-a-third tons of silver, 50,000 bushels of wheat and 50,000 [bushels] of barley. The people of 'Amon paid him the same amount the second and third years also.

6 Thus Yotam became strong, because he prepared his ways [of doing things] before ADONAI his God.

7 Other activities of Yotam, all his wars and his ways [of doing things] are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el and Y'hudah.

8 He was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for sixteen years in Yerushalayim.

9 Yotam slept with his ancestors and they buried him in the City of David. Then Achaz his son took his place as king.

2 Chronicles 28

1 Achaz was twenty years old when he began his reign, and he ruled sixteen years in Yerushalayim. But he did not do what was right from the perspective of ADONAI, as David his ancestor had done.

2 Rather, he lived in the manner of the kings of Isra'el and made cast metal images for the ba'alim.

3 Moreover, he made offerings in the Ben-Hinnom Valley and even burned up his own children as sacrifices, in keeping with the horrible practices of the pagans, whom ADONAI had thrown out ahead of the people of Isra'el.

4 He also sacrificed and offered on the high places, on the hills and under any green tree.

5 Because of this, ADONAI his God handed him over to the king of Aram; they attacked him and carried off from his people a great number of captives, bringing them to Dammesek. In addition, he was handed over to the king of Isra'el, who inflicted on him a great massacre.

6 For Pekach the son of Remalyah killed in Y'hudah 120,000 men in one day, all of them brave men, because they had abandoned ADONAI, the God of their ancestors.

7 And Zikhri, a champion from Efrayim, killed Ma'aseiyah the king's son, 'Azrikam the administrator of the household and Elkanah, who was second only to the king.

8 The people of Isra'el took captive from their kinsmen 200,000 wives, sons and daughters; they also captured from them much spoil, which they brought to Shomron.

9 But a prophet of ADONAI named 'Oded was there; he went out to meet the army coming to Shomron and said to them, "Look, it's because ADONAI the God of your fathers was angry with Y'hudah that he has handed them over to you, and you have slaughtered them in a fury that has reached up to heaven.

10 Now you intend to force the people from Y'hudah and Yerushalayim into subjection as your slaves; but haven't you guilty deeds of your own that you committed against ADONAI your God?

11 Therefore listen to me now; and send the captives back, the people you have taken captive from your kinsmen; because the fierce anger of ADONAI is on you."

12 At this, some of the leaders of the people of Efrayim -'Azaryahu the son of Y'hochanan, Berekhyahu the son of Meshilemot, Y'chizkiyah the son of Shalum and 'Amasa the son of Hadlai - protested against those who were returning from the war,

13 saying to them, "Don't bring the captives here, because you intend to do something that will bring guilt on us against ADONAI. It will only add to our sins and guilt, for our guilt is great, and there is fierce anger against Isra'el."

14 So the armed soldiers left the captives and the spoil there with the leaders and the whole community;

15 while the men named above took charge of the captives and from the spoil clothed those among them who were inadequately clothed, giving them garments and shoes, providing them food and drink and anointing them with oil. After placing all the weak among them on donkeys, they brought them to Yericho, the City of Date-Palms, to their kinsmen; only then did they return to Shomron.

16 It was at that time that King Achaz sent to the kings of Ashur to help him.

17 For again the people from Edom had come, attacking Y'hudah and carrying off captives.

18 The P'lishtim too had invaded the cities in the Sh'felah and in the Negev of Y'hudah; they had captured Beit-Shemesh, Ayalon, G'derot, Sokho with its villages, Timnah with its villages and Gimzo with its villages; and they settled there.

19 For ADONAI brought Y'hudah low because of Achaz king of Isra'el, since he had caused disturbances in Y'hudah and acted very treacherously against ADONAI.

20 Tilgat-Piln'eser king of Ashur attacked and besieged Achaz instead of strengthening him -

21 even though Achaz had stripped the house of ADONAI and the palaces of the king and princes and had given the plunder to the king of Ashur, it didn't help him at all.

22 During his time of distress this same King Achaz added to his treachery against ADONAI

23 by sacrificing to the gods of Dammesek, who had attacked him, reasoning, "The gods of the kings of Aram helped them, so I will sacrifice to them, and then they'll help me." But they became the ruin of him and of all Isra'el.

24 Achaz collected the equipment from the house of God, broke to pieces the equipment from the house of God and sealed the doors of the house of ADONAI; then he made himself altars in every corner of Yerushalayim.

25 In every city of Y'hudah he made high places for offering to other gods, thus provoking ADONAI the God of his ancestors.

26 Other activities of Achaz and his ways [of doing things], from beginning to end, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah and Isra'el.

27 Achaz slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city, in Yerushalayim; because they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of Isra'el. Then Hizkiyahu his son took his place as king.

Psalm 84

1 For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of the sons of Korach: How deeply loved are your dwelling-places, ADONAI-Tzva'ot!

2 My soul yearns, yes, faints with longing for the courtyards of ADONAI; my heart and body cry for joy to the living God.

3 As the sparrow finds herself a home and the swallow her nest, where she lays her young, [so my resting-place is] by your altars, ADONAI-Tzva'ot, my king and my God.

4 How happy are those who live in your house; they never cease to praise you! (Selah)

5 How happy the man whose strength is in you, in whose heart are [pilgrim] highways.

6 Passing through the [dry] Baka Valley, they make it a place of springs, and the early rain clothes it with blessings.

7 They go from strength to strength and appear before God in Tziyon.

8 ADONAI, God of armies, hear my prayer; listen, God of Ya'akov. (Selah)

9 God, see our shield [the king]; look at the face of your anointed.

10 Better a day in your courtyards than a thousand [days elsewhere]. Better just standing at the door of my God's house than living in the tents of the wicked.

11 For ADONAI, God, is a sun and a shield; ADONAI bestows favor and honor; he will not withhold anything good from those whose lives are pure.

12 ADONAI-Tzva'ot, how happy is anyone who trusts in you!

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

September 17

John 19:1-16; 2 Chronicles 29; Psalm 85 CJB

John 19:1-16

1 Pilate then took Yeshua and had him flogged.

2 The soldiers twisted thorn branches into a crown and placed it on his head, put a purple robe on him,

3 and went up to him, saying over and over, "Hail, `king of the Jews'!" and hitting him in the face.

4 Pilate went outside once more and said to the crowd, "Look, I'm bringing him out to you to get you to understand that I find no case against him."

5 So Yeshua came out, wearing the thorn-branch crown and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Look at the man!"

6 When the head cohanim and the Temple guards saw him they shouted, "Put him to death on the stake! Put him to death on the stake!" Pilate said to them, "You take him out yourselves and put him to death on the stake, because I don't find any case against him."

7 The Judeans answered him, "We have a law; according to that law, he ought to be put to death, because he made himself out to be the Son of God."

8 On hearing this, Pilate became even more frightened.

9 He went back into the headquarters and asked Yeshua, "Where are you from?" But Yeshua didn't answer.

10 So Pilate said to him, "You refuse to speak to me? Don't you understand that it is in my power either to set you free or to have you executed on the stake?"

11 Yeshua answered, "You would have no power over me if it hadn't been given to you from above; this is why the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

12 On hearing this, Pilate tried to find a way to set him free; but the Judeans shouted, "If you set this man free, it means you're not a `Friend of the Emperor'! Everyone who claims to be a king is opposing the Emperor!"

13 When Pilate heard what they were saying, he brought Yeshua outside and sat down on the judge's seat in the place called The Pavement (in Aramaic, Gabta);

14 it was about noon on Preparation Day for Pesach. He said to the Judeans, "Here's your king!"

15 They shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Put him to death on the stake!" Pilate said to them, "You want me to execute your king on a stake?" The head cohanim answered, "We have no king but the Emperor."

16 Then Pilate handed Yeshua over to them to have him put to death on the stake. So they took charge of Yeshua.

2 Chronicles 29

1 Hizkiyahu was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim. His mother's name was Aviyah the daughter of Z'kharyah.

2 He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of everything David his ancestor had done.

3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he reopened the doors of the house of ADONAI and repaired them.

4 Then he brought in the cohanim and L'vi'im, assembled them in the open space to the east,

5 and said to them, "Listen to me, L'vi'im: consecrate yourselves now, consecrate the house of ADONAI the God of your ancestors, and remove the filth from the Holy Place.

6 For our ancestors acted treacherously, they did what is evil from the perspective of ADONAI our God, they abandoned him, they turned their faces away from where ADONAI lives and turned their backs on him.

7 They sealed the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps and stopped burning incense and offering burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Isra'el.

8 "Because of this, ADONAI's anger has settled on Y'hudah and Yerushalayim; and he has made them an object of horror, astonishment and mocking - as you can see with your own eyes.

9 Here, our ancestors have fallen by the sword; and on this account our sons, daughters and wives have gone into captivity.

10 "Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with ADONAI the God of Isra'el, so that his furious anger will turn away from us.

11 My sons, now is not a time for being negligent; for you are the ones ADONAI chose to stand before him and serve him as his ministers, offering him incense."

12 Then the L'vi'im set about the task - Machat the son of 'Amasai and Yo'el the son of 'Azaryahu from the descendants of the K'hati; of the sons of M'rari, Kish the son of 'Avdi and 'Azaryahu the son of Yehallel'el; of the Gershuni, Yo'ach the son of Zimah and 'Eden the son of Yo'ach;

13 of the descendants of Elitzafan, Shimri and Ye'i'el; of the descendants of Asaf, Z'kharyahu and Matanyahu;

14 of the descendants of Heman, Yechi'el and Shim'i; and of the descendants of Y'dutun, Sh'ma'yah and 'Uzi'el.

15 They gathered their kinsmen, consecrated themselves and, in keeping with the king's order and ADONAI's words, went in to cleanse the house of ADONAI.

16 The cohanim went in to cleanse the inner part of the house of ADONAI; all the unclean things they found in the sanctuary of ADONAI they brought out into the courtyard of the house of ADONAI, where the L'vi'im took and carried them out to Vadi Kidron.

17 They began consecrating on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they reached the vestibule of ADONAI. Then they consecrated the house of ADONAI in eight more days; so that on the sixteenth day of the first month, they had finished.

18 Then they went to Hizkiyahu the king in [the palace] and said, "We have cleansed all the house of ADONAI, including the altar for burnt offerings, with all its equipment, and the table for the showbread, with all its equipment.

19 Moreover, we have reconditioned and consecrated all the articles that King Achaz threw out during his reign, when he was sinning; and they are there, in front of the altar of ADONAI."

20 Next morning, Hizkiyahu the king got up early, gathered the leading men of the city and went up to the house of ADONAI.

21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Y'hudah; and he ordered the cohanim to offer them on the altar of ADONAI.

22 After slaughtering the bulls, the cohanim took the blood and splashed it against the altar. Next, they slaughtered the rams and splashed the blood against the altar and also slaughtered the lambs and splashed the blood against the altar.

23 After bringing the male goats for the sin offering close to the king and the assembly and laying their hands on them,

24 the cohanim slaughtered them and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar to make atonement for all Isra'el; for the king had ordered that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be for all Isra'el.

25 He stationed the L'vi'im in the house of ADONAI with cymbals, lyres and lutes, in keeping with the order of David, Gad the king's seer and Natan the prophet; for the mitzvah had come from ADONAI through his prophets.

26 The L'vi'im stood with the instruments of David and the cohanim with the trumpets.

27 Hizkiyahu ordered that the burnt offering should be offered on the altar. The moment the burnt offering began, the song of ADONAI also began, accompanied by the trumpets and the instruments of David king of Isra'el.

28 The whole assembly prostrated themselves, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

29 When the offering was over, the king and everyone present with him bowed down and prostrated themselves.

30 Then Hizkiyahu the king and the leaders ordered the L'vi'im to sing praises to ADONAI, using the words of David and of Asaf the seer. They sang praises until they were filled with joy, and they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.

31 Hizkiyahu responded by saying, "Now that you have consecrated yourselves to ADONAI, come close, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of ADONAI. So the community brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were willing volunteered burnt offerings.

32 In all, the burnt offerings brought by the congregation totaled 70 bulls, 100 rams and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to ADONAI.

33 The consecrated gifts amounted to 600 oxen and 3,000 sheep.

34 Only there weren't enough cohanim to skin and butcher all the burnt offerings, so their colleagues the L'vi'im assisted them until the work was finished and the cohanim had consecrated themselves (for the L'vi'im had been more diligent to consecrate themselves than the cohanim).

35 Besides the abundance of burnt offerings, there was the fat of the peace offerings and drink offerings for each burnt offering. Thus the service of the house of ADONAI was restored.

36 Hizkiyahu and all the people rejoiced over what God had prepared for the people, since it had all happened so suddenly.

Psalm 85

1 For the leader. A psalm of the sons of Korach: ADONAI, you have shown favor to your land; you have restored the fortunes of Ya'akov,

2 taken away the guilt of your people, pardoned all their sin, (Selah)

3 withdrawn all your wrath, turned from your fierce anger.

4 Restore us, God of our salvation, renounce your displeasure with us.

5 Are you to stay angry with us forever? Will your fury last through all generations?

6 Won't you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you?

7 Show us your grace, ADONAI; grant us your salvation.

8 I am listening. What will God, ADONAI, say? For he will speak peace to his people, to his holy ones -but only if they don't relapse into folly.

9 His salvation is near for those who fear him, so that glory will be in our land.

10 Grace and truth have met together; justice and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth springs up from the earth, and justice looks down from heaven.

12 ADONAI will also grant prosperity; our land will yield its harvest.

13 Justice will walk before him and make his footsteps a path.

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Today's Bible Reading

September 18

John 19:17-42; 2 Chronicles 30; Psalm 86 CJB

John 19:17-42

17 Carrying the stake himself he went out to the place called Skull (in Aramaic, Gulgolta).

18 There they nailed him to the stake along with two others, one on either side, with Yeshua in the middle.

19 Pilate also had a notice written and posted on the stake; it read, YESHUA FROM NATZERET THE KING OF THE JEWS

20 Many of the Judeans read this notice, because the place where Yeshua was put on the stake was close to the city; and it had been written in Hebrew, in Latin and in Greek.

21 The Judeans' head cohanim therefore said to Pilate, "Don't write, `The King of the Jews,' but `He said, "I am King of the Jews."'"

22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

23 When the soldiers had nailed Yeshua to the stake, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier, with the under-robe left over. Now the under-robe was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom;

24 so they said to one another, "We shouldn't tear it in pieces; let's draw for it." This happened in order to fulfill the words from the Tanakh, "They divided my clothes among themselves and gambled for my robe." This is why the soldiers did these things.

25 Nearby Yeshua's execution stake stood his mother, his mother's sister Miryam the wife of K'lofah, and Miryam from Magdala.

26 When Yeshua saw his mother and the talmid whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, "Mother, this is your son."

27 Then he said to the talmid, "This is your mother." And from that time on, the talmid took her into his own home.

28 After this, knowing that all things had accomplished their purpose, Yeshua, in order to fulfill the words of the Tanakh, said, "I'm thirsty."

29 A jar full of cheap sour wine was there; so they soaked a sponge in the wine, coated it with oregano leaves and held it up to his mouth.

30 After Yeshua had taken the wine, he said, "It is accomplished!" And, letting his head droop, he delivered up his spirit.

31 It was Preparation Day, and the Judeans did not want the bodies to remain on the stake on Shabbat, since it was an especially important Shabbat. So they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.

32 The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been put on a stake beside Yeshua, then the legs of the other one;

33 but when they got to Yeshua and saw that he was already dead, they didn't break his legs.

34 However, one of the soldiers stabbed his side with a spear, and at once blood and water flowed out.

35 The man who saw it has testified about it, and his testimony is true. And he knows that he tells the truth, so you too can trust.

36 For these things happened in order to fulfill this passage of the Tanakh: "Not one of his bones will be broken."

37 And again, another passage says, "They will look at him whom they have pierced."

38 After this, Yosef of Ramatayim, who was a talmid of Yeshua, but a secret one out of fear of the Judeans, asked Pilate if he could have Yeshua's body. Pilate gave his consent, so Yosef came and took the body away.

39 Also Nakdimon, who at first had gone to see Yeshua by night, came with some seventy pounds of spices -- a mixture of myrrh and aloes.

40 They took Yeshua's body and wrapped it up in linen sheets with the spices, in keeping with Judean burial practice.

41 In the vicinity of where he had been executed was a garden, and in the garden was a new tomb in which no one had ever been buried.

42 So, because it was Preparation Day for the Judeans, and because the tomb was close by, that is where they buried Yeshua.

2 Chronicles 30

1 Then Hizkiyahu sent to all Isra'el and Y'hudah, and wrote letters also to Efrayim and M'nasheh, summoning them to the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim, to keep the Pesach to ADONAI the God of Isra'el.

2 For the king, his officials and the entire Yerushalayim community had agreed to keep the Pesach in the second month.

3 They had not been able to observe it at the proper time because the cohanim had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number; also the people had not assembled in Yerushalayim.

4 The idea had seemed right to the king and to the whole community;

5 so they issued a decree that it should be proclaimed throughout all Isra'el, from Be'er-Sheva to Dan, that they should come to keep the Pesach to ADONAI the God of Isra'el at Yerushalayim; for only a few had been observing it as prescribed.

6 So runners went with the letters from the king and his officers throughout all Isra'el and Y'hudah. They conveyed the king's order: "People of Isra'el! Turn back to ADONAI, the God of Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya'akov! Then he will return to those of you who remain, who escaped capture by the kings of Ashur.

7 Don't be like your ancestors, or like your kinsmen who sinned against ADONAI the God of their ancestors, with the result that he allowed them to become an object of horror, as you see.

8 Don't be stiffnecked now, as your ancestors were. Instead, yield yourselves to ADONAI; enter his sanctuary, which he has made holy forever; and serve ADONAI your God; so that his fierce anger will turn away from you.

9 For if you turn back to ADONAI, your kinsmen and children will find that those who took them captive will have compassion on them, and they will come back to this land. ADONAI your God is compassionate and merciful; he will not turn his face away from you if you return to him."

10 So the runners passed from city to city through the territory of Efrayim and M'nasheh, as far as Z'vulun; but the people laughed at them and made fun of them.

11 Nevertheless, some from Asher, M'nasheh and Z'vulun were humble enough to come to Yerushalayim.

12 Also in Y'hudah the hand of God was at work, uniting their hearts to do what the king and the leaders had ordered in accordance with the word of ADONAI.

13 Thus, many people assembled in Yerushalayim to keep the festival of Matzot in the second month, a huge crowd.

14 First they set about removing the altars that were in Yerushalayim, and they also removed all the altars for incense and threw them in Vadi Kidron.

15 Then they slaughtered the Pesach lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. Ashamed of themselves, the cohanim and L'vi'im had consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of ADONAI.

16 Now they stood at their stations, as prescribed in the Torah of Moshe the man of God; the cohanim splashed the blood given to them by the L'vi'im.

17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves; therefore the L'vi'im were responsible for slaughtering the Pesach lambs and consecrating them to ADONAI on behalf of everyone who was not clean.

18 For a large number of the people, especially from Efrayim, M'nasheh, Yissakhar and Z'vulun, had not cleansed themselves but ate the Pesach lamb anyway, despite what is written. For Hizkiyahu had prayed for them, "May ADONAI, who is good, pardon

19 everyone who sets his heart on seeking God, ADONAI, the God of his ancestors, even if he hasn't undergone the purification prescribed in connection with holy things."

20 ADONAI heard Hizkiyahu and healed the people.

21 The people of Isra'el there in Yerushalayim observed the festival of Matzot for seven days with great joy; while every day the L'vi'im and cohanim praised ADONAI, singing to ADONAI with the accompaniment of loud instruments.

22 Hizkiyahu spoke encouragingly to all the L'vi'im who were well skilled in the service of ADONAI. Thus they ate throughout the festival for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings and giving thanks to ADONAI, the God of their ancestors.

23 Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate for yet another seven days, and they observed those seven days too with joy.

24 For Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah gave the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for offerings, while the leaders gave the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and great numbers of cohanim consecrated themselves.

25 All the people who had assembled from Y'hudah rejoiced, as did the cohanim and L'vi'im, those assembled from Isra'el, and the foreigners who had come from the territory of Isra'el or who lived in Y'hudah.

26 So there was great joy in Yerushalayim; for since the time of Shlomo the son of David, king of Isra'el, there had been nothing like it in Yerushalayim.

27 Then the cohanim, who were L'vi'im, stood up and blessed the people; [ADONAI] heard their voice, and their prayer came up to the holy place where he lives, heaven.

Psalm 86

1 A prayer of David: Listen, ADONAI, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

2 Preserve my life, for I am faithful; save your servant, who puts his trust in you because you are my God.

3 Take pity on me, Adonai, for I cry to you all day.

4 Fill your servant's heart with joy, for to you, Adonai, I lift my heart.

5 Adonai, you are kind and forgiving, full of grace toward all who call on you.

6 Listen, ADONAI, to my prayer; pay attention to my pleading cry.

7 On the day of my trouble I am calling on you, for you will answer me.

8 There is none like you among the gods, Adonai; no deeds compare with yours.

9 All the nations you have made will come and bow before you, Adonai; they will honor your name.

10 For you are great, and you do wonders; you alone are God.

11 ADONAI, teach me your way, so that I can live by your truth; make me single-hearted, so that I can fear your name.

12 I will thank you, Adonai my God, with my whole heart; and I will glorify your name forever.

13 For your grace toward me is so great! You have rescued me from the lowest part of Sh'ol.

14 God, arrogant men are rising against me, a gang of brutes is seeking my life, and to you they pay no attention.

15 But you, Adonai, are a merciful, compassionate God, slow to anger and rich in grace and truth.

16 Turn to me, and show me your favor; strengthen your servant, save your slave-girl's son. Give me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me will see it and be ashamed, because you, ADONAI, have helped and comforted me.

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Today's Bible Reading

September 19

John 20:1-18; 2 Chronicles 31; Psalm 87 CJB

John 20:1-18

1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Miryam from Magdala went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.

2 So she came running to Shim`on Kefa and the other talmid, the one Yeshua loved, and said to them, "They've taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they've put him!"

3 Then Kefa and the other talmid started for the tomb.

4 They both ran, but the other talmid outran Kefa and reached the tomb first.

5 Stooping down, he saw the linen burial-sheets lying there but did not go in.

6 Then, following him, Shim`on Kefa arrived, entered the tomb and saw the burial-sheets lying there,

7 also the cloth that had been around his head, lying not with the sheets but in a separate place and still folded up.

8 Then the other talmid, who had arrived at the tomb first, also went in; he saw, and he trusted.

9 (They had not yet come to understand that the Tanakh teaches that the Messiah has to rise from the dead.)

10 So the talmidim returned home,

11 but Miryam stood outside crying. As she cried, she bent down, peered into the tomb,

12 and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Yeshua had been, one at the head and one at the feet.

13 "Why are you crying?" they asked her. "They took my Lord," she said to them, "and I don't know where they have put him."

14 As she said this, she turned around and saw Yeshua standing there, but she didn't know it was he.

15 Yeshua said to her, "Lady, why are you crying? Whom are you looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you're the one who carried him away, just tell me where you put him; and I'll go and get him myself."

16 Yeshua said to her, "Miryam!" Turning, she cried out to him in Hebrew, "Rabbani!" (that is, "Teacher!")

17 "Stop holding onto me," Yeshua said to her, "because I haven't yet gone back to the Father. But go to my brothers, and tell them that I am going back to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."

18 Miryam of Magdala went to the talmidim with the news that she had seen the Lord and that he had told her this.

2 Chronicles 31

1 After all this was over, all Isra'el who were there went out to the cities of Y'hudah and smashed the standing-stones, chopped down the sacred poles, and broke down the high places and altars throughout Y'hudah, Binyamin, Efrayim and M'nasheh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Isra'el returned to their own cities, each to his own possession.

2 Hizkiyahu re-established the divisions of the cohanim and L'vi'im in accordance with the way the divisions had been before, with each man assigned his task, both the cohanim and the L'vi'im, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks and to praise at the gates of ADONAI's camp.

3 He determined a portion of the king's property to be given for the burnt offerings, that is, for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for burnt offerings on Shabbats, Rosh-Hodesh and the designated times, as prescribed by the Torah of ADONAI.

4 He also ordered the people living in Yerushalayim to contribute the portion meant for the cohanim and L'vi'im, so that they would be submitting themselves to the Torah of ADONAI.

5 As soon as the order was issued, the people of Isra'el gave in abundance from the firstfruits of the grain, wine, olive oil, honey and other agricultural produce; they brought the required tenth and more.

6 The people of Isra'el and Y'hudah living in the cities of Y'hudah also brought the required tenth of oxen and sheep and the required tenth of consecrated gifts that had been dedicated to ADONAI their God, and piled them in heaps.

7 They began accumulating these heaps in the third month and completed them in the seventh month.

8 When Hizkiyahu and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed ADONAI and his people Isra'el.

9 When Hizkiyahu asked the cohanim and L'vi'im about the heaps,

10 'Azaryahu the chief cohen, from the house of Tzadok, answered him, "Ever since the people began bringing offerings into the house of ADONAI, we have had enough to eat and plenty left over; for ADONAI has blessed his people, and what is left over is this massive supply."

11 Then Hizkiyahu ordered storerooms prepared in the house of ADONAI. After preparing them,

12 they faithfully brought in the offerings, the required tenths and the consecrated things. Konanyahu the Levi was put in charge of them, with Shim'i his brother as his assistant.

13 Hizkiyahu the king and 'Azaryahu the ruler of the house of God appointed Yechi'el, 'Azazyahu, Nachat, 'Asah'el, Yerimot, Yozavad, Eli'el, Yismachyah, Machat and B'nayahu as supervisors to serve under Konanyah and Shim'i his brother.

14 Kore the son of Yimnah the Levi, gatekeeper at the East Gate, was responsible for the voluntary offerings to God; he had to distribute the offerings made to ADONAI and the especially holy gifts.

15 Under him were 'Eden, Minyamin, Yeshua, Sh'ma'yahu, Amaryahu and Sh'khanyahu, in the cities of the cohanim, faithfully making the distributions to their kinsmen by divisions, to great and small alike.

16 Every male three years and older entitled to enter the house of ADONAI was given his daily share for performing his duties according to his division, regardless of how he was recorded in the genealogies.

17 Likewise, those recorded in the genealogies of the cohanim by clans received shares, as did the L'vi'im twenty years and older who were performing their duties in their assigned divisions.

18 When shares were assigned, all their little ones, wives, sons and daughters were also recorded in the genealogies, throughout the entire community; for in their faithfulness to this task they consecrated themselves.

19 Finally, shares were assigned to the descendants of Aharon, the cohanim, who lived in the pasture-lands surrounding their cities -in each city they were mentioned by name. Thus portions were distributed to all the males among the cohanim and to all whose genealogies showed that they belonged to the L'vi'im.

20 This is what Hizkiyahu did throughout all Y'hudah. He accomplished things that were good, right and faithful before ADONAI his God.

21 Every project that he undertook in order to seek his God, whether in the service of the house of God or in connection with the Torah and the mitzvot, he did with all his heart; and so he succeeded.

Psalm 87

1 A psalm of the sons of Korach. A song: On the holy mountains is [the city's] foundation.

2 ADONAI loves the gates of Tziyon more than all the dwellings in Ya'akov.

3 Glorious things are said about you, city of God. (Selah)

4 I count Rahav and Bavel among those who know me; Of P'leshet, Tzor and Ethiopia [they will say], "This one was born there."

5 But of Tziyon it will be said, "This one and that was born in it, for the Most High himself establishes it."

6 When he registers the peoples, ADONAI will record, "This one was born there."(Selah)

7 Singers and dancers alike say, "For me, you are the source of everything."

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Today's Bible Reading

September 20

John 20:19-31; 2 Chronicles 32; Psalm 88 CJB

John 20:19-31

19 In the evening that same day, the first day of the week, when the talmidim were gathered together behind locked doors out of fear of the Judeans, Yeshua came, stood in the middle and said, "Shalom aleikhem!"

20 Having greeted them, he showed them his hands and his side. The talmidim were overjoyed to see the Lord.

21 "Shalom aleikhem!" Yeshua repeated. "Just as the Father sent me, I myself am also sending you."

22 Having said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Ruach HaKodesh!

23 If you forgive someone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you hold them, they are held."

24 Now T'oma (the name means "twin"), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Yeshua came.

25 When the other talmidim told him, "We have seen the Lord," he replied, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger into the place where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe it."

26 A week later his talmidim were once more in the room, and this time T'oma was with them. Although the doors were locked, Yeshua came, stood among them and said, "Shalom aleikhem!"

27 Then he said to T'oma, "Put your finger here, look at my hands, take your hand and put it into my side. Don't be lacking in trust, but have trust!"

28 T'oma answered him, "My Lord and my God!"

29 Yeshua said to him, "Have you trusted because you have seen me? How blessed are those who do not see, but trust anyway!"

30 In the presence of the talmidim Yeshua performed many other miracles which have not been recorded in this book.

31 But these which have been recorded are here so that you may trust that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by this trust you may have life because of who he is.

2 Chronicles 32

1 After these events and this faithfulness of [Hizkiyahu's], Sancheriv king of Ashur came, invaded Y'hudah and besieged the fortified cities, thinking that he would break in [and capture] them.

2 When Hizkiyahu saw that Sancheriv had come and intended to attack Yerushalayim,

3 he consulted his leading men and military advisers about sealing off the water in the springs outside the city. After gaining their support,

4 a large crowd was gathered to block all the springs and the stream flowing through the countryside. They reasoned, "Why should the kings of Ashur come and find an ample supply of water?"

5 Then, taking courage, he rebuilt all the broken sections of the wall, raised towers on it, built another wall outside that, strengthened the Millo in the City of David, and made a large quantity of spears and shields.

6 He appointed military commanders over the people, then gathered them before him in the open space at the city gate and spoke these words of encouragement to them:

7 "Be strong! Take courage! Don't be afraid or distressed on account of the king of Ashur or all the horde he brings with him. For the One with us is greater than the one with him -

8 he has human strength, but we have ADONAI our God to help us and fight our battles!"The people took heart at the words of Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah.

9 After this, while Sancheriv and all his army were besieging Lakhish, he sent his envoys to Yerushalayim, to Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah and to all Y'hudah who were there in Yerushalayim, with this message:

10 "This is what Sancheriv king of Ashur says: 'What gives you the confidence that you can endure a siege against Yerushalayim?

11 Hasn't Hizkiyahu deluded you? Isn't he condemning you to death by starvation and thirst when he says, "ADONAI our God will save us from the king of Ashur"?

12 Isn't this the same Hizkiyahu who removed [your God's] high places and altars and ordered Y'hudah and Yerushalayim to worship before one altar and offer sacrifices only on it?

13 Don't you realize what I and my ancestors have done to all the peoples of the other countries? Were the gods of these nations able to do a thing to rescue their country from me?

14 Who of all the gods of those nations that my ancestors completely destroyed was able to rescue his people from me? How then will your God rescue you from me?

15 Don't let Hizkiyahu mislead you or delude you this way, don't believe him. For no god of any nation or kingdom has ever been able to rescue his people from me or my ancestors; how much less will your God rescue you from me!'"

16 His envoys kept on speaking against ADONAI, God; and against his servant Hizkiyahu.

17 He also wrote a letter insulting ADONAI the God of Isra'el and speaking against him; it said, "Just as the gods of the nations of the other countries could not rescue their people from me, likewise Hizkiyahu's God will not rescue his people from me."

18 They were shouting loudly in the language of the Judeans to the people of Yerushalayim who were on the wall in order to terrify them and make them fearful, so that they could capture the city.

19 They spoke about the God of Yerushalayim in the same way as about the gods of the other peoples of the earth, which are merely human artifacts.

20 Because of this, Hizkiyahu the king and Yesha'yahu the prophet, the son of Amotz, prayed and cried out to heaven.

21 Then ADONAI sent an angel, who cut down the valiant warriors, the leaders and the officers in the king of Ashur's camp, so that he had to return shamefaced to his own country. When he entered the house of his god, his own sons, whom he himself had fathered, put him to death with the sword there.

22 In this way ADONAI rescued Hizkiyahu and those living in Yerushalayim from Sancheriv the king of Ashur and from everyone, caring for them in every respect.

23 Many people brought gifts to ADONAI in Yerushalayim and items of value to Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah, so that from then on he was regarded highly by all the nations.

24 Around this time, Hizkiyahu became ill to the point of death. But he prayed to ADONAI, who answered him, even giving him a sign.

25 However, Hizkiyahu did not respond commensurately with the benefit done for him, because he had grown proud; thus he brought anger on himself and on Y'hudah and Yerushalayim as well.

26 But Hizkiyahu then humbled himself for his pride, both he and the people living in Yerushalayim, so that ADONAI's anger did not strike them during Hizkiyahu's lifetime.

27 Hizkiyahu had vast riches and great honor. He provided himself with storage places for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuable articles;

28 also storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine and olive oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock and pens for the flocks.

29 He provided cities for himself and purchased flocks and herds in abundance, for God had made him extremely wealthy.

30 It was this same Hizkiyahu who blocked the upper outlet of the Gichon Spring and diverted the water straight down on the west side of the City of David. Hizkiyahu succeeded in all that he did.

31 However, in the matter of the ambassadors from the princes of Bavel, who sent to him to learn of the marvel that had taken place in the land, God left him by himself, in order to test him, so that he might know everything that was in his heart.

32 Other activities of Hizkiyahu and his good deeds are recorded in the vision of Yesha'yahu the prophet, the son of Amotz, and in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah and Isra'el.

33 Then Hizkiyahu slept with his ancestors, and they buried him by the path leading up to the tombs of the descendants of David. All Y'hudah and the people living in Yerushalayim honored him when he died, after which M'nasheh his son took his place as king.

Psalm 88

1 A song. A psalm of the sons of Korach. For the leader. Set to "Sickness that Causes Suffering." A maskil of Heiman the Ezrachi. ADONAI, God of my salvation, when I cry out to you in the night,

2 let my prayer come before you, turn your ear to my cry for help!

3 For I am oversupplied with troubles, which have brought me to the brink of Sh'ol.

4 I am counted among those going down to the pit, like a man who is beyond help,

5 left by myself among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave -you no longer remember them; they are cut off from your care.

6 You plunged me into the bottom of the pit, into dark places, into the depths.

7 Your wrath lies heavily on me; your waves crashing over me keep me down. (Selah)

8 You separated me from my close friends, made me repulsive to them; I am caged in, with no escape;

9 my eyes grow dim from suffering. I call on you, ADONAI, every day; I spread out my hands to you.

10 Will you perform wonders for the dead? Can the ghosts of the dead rise up and praise you? (Selah)

11 Will your grace be declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?

12 Will your wonders be known in the dark, or your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

13 But I cry out to you, ADONAI; my prayer comes before you in the morning.

14 So why, ADONAI, do you reject me? Why do you hide your face from me?

15 Since my youth I have been miserable, close to death; I am numb from bearing these terrors of yours.

16 Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me, your terrors have shriveled me up.

17 They surge around me all day like a flood, from all sides they close in on me.

18 You have made friends and companions shun me; the people I know are hidden from me.

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Today's Bible Reading

September 21

John 21; 2 Chronicles 33; Psalm 89:1-18 CJB

John 21

1 After this, Yeshua appeared again to the talmidim at Lake Tiberias. Here is how it happened:

2 Shim`on Kefa and T'oma (his name means "twin") were together with Natan'el from Kanah in the Galil, the sons of Zavdai, and two other talmidim.

3 Shim`on Kefa said, "I'm going fishing." They said to him, "We're coming with you." They went and got into the boat, but that night they didn't catch anything.

4 However, just as day was breaking, Yeshua stood on shore, but the talmidim didn't know it was he.

5 He said to them, "You don't have any fish, do you?" "No," they answered him.

6 He said to them, "Throw in your net to starboard and you will catch some." So they threw in their net, and there were so many fish in it that they couldn't haul it aboard.

7 The talmid Yeshua loved said to Kefa, "It's the Lord!" On hearing it was the Lord, Shim`on Kefa threw on his coat, because he was stripped for work, and plunged into the lake;

8 but the other talmidim followed in the boat, dragging the net full of fish; for they weren't far from shore, only about a hundred yards.

9 When they stepped ashore, they saw a fire of burning coals with a fish on it, and some bread.

10 Yeshua said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."

11 Shim`on Kefa went up and dragged the net ashore. It was full of fish, 153 of them; but even with so many, the net wasn't torn.

12 Yeshua said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the talmidim dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.

13 Yeshua came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.

14 This was now the third time Yeshua had appeared to the talmidim after being raised from the dead.

15 After breakfast, Yeshua said to Shim`on Kefa, "Shim`on Bar-Yochanan, do you love me more than these?" He replied, "Yes, Lord, you know I'm your friend." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."

16 A second time he said to him, "Shim`on BarYochanan, do you love me?" He replied, "Yes, Lord, you know I'm your friend." He said to him, "Shepherd my sheep."

17 The third time he said to him, "Shim`on BarYochanan, are you my friend?" Shim`on was hurt that he questioned him a third time: "Are you my friend?" So he replied, "Lord, you know everything! You know I'm your friend!" Yeshua said to him, "Feed my sheep!

18 Yes, indeed! I tell you, when you were younger, you put on your clothes and went where you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go."

19 He said this to indicate the kind of death by which Kefa would bring glory to God. Then Yeshua said to him, "Follow me!"

20 Kefa turned and saw the talmid Yeshua especially loved following behind, the one who had leaned against him at the supper and had asked, "Who is the one who is betraying you?"

21 On seeing him, Kefa said to Yeshua, "Lord, what about him?"

22 Yeshua said to him, "If I want him to stay on until I come, what is it to you? You, follow me!"

23 Therefore the word spread among the brothers that that talmid would not die. However, Yeshua didn't say he wouldn't die, but simply, "If I want him to stay on until I come, what is it to you?"

24 This one is the talmid who is testifying about these things and who has recorded them. And we know that his testimony is true.

25 But there are also many other things Yeshua did; and if they were all to be recorded, I don't think the whole world could contain the books that would have to be written!

2 Chronicles 33

1 M'nasheh was twelve years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for fifty-five years in Yerushalayim.

2 He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, following the disgusting practices of the nations whom ADONAI had expelled ahead of the people of Isra'el.

3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hizkiyahu his father had smashed; he erected altars for the ba'alim, made sacred poles and worshipped all the army of heaven and served them.

4 He erected altars in the house of ADONAI, concerning which ADONAI had said, "My name will be in Yerushalayim forever."

5 He erected altars for all the army of heaven in the two courtyards of the house of ADONAI.

6 He made his children pass through the fire [as a sacrifice] in the Ben-Hinnom Valley. He practiced soothsaying, divination and sorcery; and he appointed mediums and persons who used spirit guides. He did much that was evil from ADONAI's perspective, thus provoking him to anger.

7 He set the carved image of the idol he had made in the house of God, concerning which God had told David and Shlomo his son, "In this house and in Yerushalayim, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Isra'el, I will put my name forever.

8 Also I will not remove the feet of Isra'el from the land I assigned your ancestors, if only they will take heed to obey every order I have given them, that is, all the Torah, laws and rulings that came through Moshe."

9 M'nasheh caused Y'hudah and the people of Yerushalayim to go astray, so that they did even worse things than the nations whom ADONAI destroyed ahead of the people of Isra'el.

10 ADONAI spoke to M'nasheh and to his people, but they paid no attention.

11 Therefore ADONAI brought against them the commanders of the king of Ashur's army. They took M'nasheh captive with hooks, bound him in chains and carried him off to Bavel.

12 Then, when he was in distress, he began to appease the anger of ADONAI, abjectly humbling himself before the God of his ancestors.

13 He prayed to him; and God was moved by his plea, paid attention to his entreaty and brought him back to Yerushalayim, to his kingly office. Then M'nasheh understood that ADONAI really is God.

14 After this he built an outer wall for the City of David on the west side of Gichon, in the valley, extending as far as the entrance at the Fish Gate; it encompassed the 'Ofel, and he built it very high. He stationed army commanders in all the fortified cities of Y'hudah.

15 He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of ADONAI and all the altars he had built on the hill of the house of ADONAI and in Yerushalayim, and threw them out of the city.

16 He repaired the altar of ADONAI and offered on it sacrifices as peace offerings and for thanksgiving; and he ordered Y'hudah to serve ADONAI the God of Isra'el.

17 However, the people continued sacrificing on the high places, although only to ADONAI their God.

18 Other activities of M'nasheh, his prayer to his God and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of ADONAI the God of Isra'el are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el.

19 Also his prayer and how God was moved by his plea, all his sin and disloyalty, and the locations where he built high places and set up the sacred poles and carved images before he humbled himself are written in the History of the Seers.

20 Then M'nasheh slept with his ancestors and was buried at his own house, and Amon his son took his place as king.

21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for two years in Yerushalayim.

22 He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, as had M'nasheh his father. Amon sacrificed to all the carved images that M'nasheh his father had made, and served them.

23 He did not humble himself before ADONAI, as M'nasheh his father had done; rather, this Amon kept adding to his guilt.

24 His servants conspired against him and put the king to death in his own palace.

25 But the people of the land put to death all those who had been part of the conspiracy against King Amon. Then the people of the land made Yoshiyahu his son king in place of him.

Psalm 89:1-18

1 A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachi: I will sing about ADONAI's acts of grace forever, with my mouth proclaim your faithfulness to all generations;

2 because I said, "Grace is built to last forever; in the heavens themselves you established your faithfulness."

3 You said, "I made a covenant with the one I chose, I swore to my servant David,

4 'I will establish your dynasty forever, build up your throne through all generations.'" (Selah)

5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, ADONAI, your faithfulness in the assembly of the angels.

6 For who in the skies can be compared with ADONAI? Which of these gods can rival ADONAI,

7 a God dreaded in the great assembly of the holy ones and feared by all around him?

8 ADONAI Elohei-Tzva'ot! Who is as mighty as you, Yah? Your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You control the raging of the sea; when its waves rear up, you calm them.

10 You crushed Rahav like a carcass; with your strong arm you scattered your foes.

11 The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; you founded the world and everything in it.

12 You created north and south; Tavor and Hermon take joy in your name.

13 Your arm is mighty, your hand is strong, your right hand is lifted high.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; grace and truth attend you.

15 How happy are the people who know the joyful shout! They walk in the light of your presence, ADONAI.

16 They rejoice in your name all day and are lifted up by your righteousness,

17 for you yourself are the strength in which they glory. Our power grows by pleasing you,

18 for our shield comes from ADONAI -our king is from the Holy One of Isra'el.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

September 22

1 John 1; 2 Chronicles 34; Psalm 89:19-52 CJB

1 John 1

1 The Word, which gives life! He existed from the beginning. We have heard him, we have seen him with our eyes, we have contemplated him, we have touched him with our hands!

2 The life appeared, and we have seen it. We are testifying to it and announcing it to you - eternal life! He was with the Father, and he appeared to us.

3 What we have seen and heard, we are proclaiming to you; so that you too may have fellowship with us. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Yeshua the Messiah.

4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

5 And this is the message which we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him - none!

6 If we claim to have fellowship with him while we are walking in the darkness, we are lying and not living out the truth.

7 But if we are walking in the light, as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of his Son Yeshua purifies us from all sin.

8 If we claim not to have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we acknowledge our sins, then, since he is trustworthy and just, he will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing.

10 If we claim we have not been sinning, we are making him out to be a liar, and his Word is not in us.

2 Chronicles 34

1 Yoshiyahu was eight years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for thirty-one years in Yerushalayim.

2 He did what was right from ADONAI's perspective, living entirely in the manner of David his ancestor and turning away neither to the right nor to the left.

3 For in the eighth year of his reign, when he was still young, he began seeking after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year, he began cleansing Y'hudah and Yerushalayim from the high places, the sacred poles, and the carved and cast metal images.

4 In his presence they broke down the altars of the ba'alim, and he chopped down the pillars for sun-worship mounted above them. He smashed the sacred poles and the carved and cast metal images, grinding them to dust, which he threw on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, thus cleansing Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.

6 He did likewise in the cities of M'nasheh, Efrayim, Shim'on and even as far as Naftali, in their surrounding ruins.

7 He broke down the altars, beat the sacred poles and carved images to powder and chopped down the pillars for sun-worship throughout all the land of Isra'el. Then he returned to Yerushalayim.

8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shafan the son of Atzalyahu, Ma'aseiyah the governor of the city and Yo'ach the son of Yo'achaz the recorder to repair the house of ADONAI his God.

9 They went to Hilkiyahu the cohen hagadol and handed over to him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the L'vi'im who guarded the doors had collected from M'nasheh, Efrayim, the rest of Isra'el and all Y'hudah and Binyamin. Then they returned to Yerushalayim.

10 They gave it to the supervisors of the work being done in the house of ADONAI; and those doing the work in the house of ADONAI used it to repair and restore the house -

11 that is, they gave it to the carpenters and construction-workers to purchase worked stone, timber for the crossbeams and roof beams for the houses which the kings of Y'hudah had destroyed.

12 The men did the work faithfully. Their supervisors were Yachat and 'Ovadyahu, L'vi'im from the descendants of M'rari, also Z'kharyah and Meshulam from the descendants of the K'hatim to give direction; and other L'vi'im, all of whom could accompany singing with musical instruments.

13 They supervised those carrying the loads and everyone doing any kind of work; and there were also L'vi'im who were secretaries, officials and gatekeepers.

14 While bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of ADONAI, Hilkiyahu the cohen found the scroll of the Torah of ADONAI given by Moshe.

15 Hilkiyahu said to Shafan the secretary, "I have found the scroll of the Torah in the house of ADONAI." Hilkiyahu gave the scroll to Shafan.

16 Shafan the secretary brought the scroll to the king. Turning to the king, he gave him this report: "Your servants are doing everything you ordered them to do.

17 They have poured out the money found in the house of ADONAI and handed it over to the supervisors and workers."

18 Then Shafan the secretary told the king, "Hilkiyahu the cohen hagadol gave me a scroll." Shafan read it aloud before the king.

19 After the king had heard what was written in the Torah, he tore his clothes.

20 Then the king issued this order to Hilkiyahu, Achikam the son of Shafan, 'Avdon the son of Mikhah, Shafan the secretary and 'Asayah the king's servant:

21 "Go, and consult ADONAI for me and for the people left in Isra'el and Y'hudah in regard to what is written in this scroll which has been found. For ADONAI must be furious at us, since our ancestors did not observe the word of ADONAI and do everything written in this scroll."

22 So Hilkiyahu and those the king had ordered went to Huldah the prophet, the wife of Shalum the son of Tok'hat, the son of Hasrat, keeper of the wardrobe - she lived in the Second Quarter of Yerushalayim - and spoke with her about this.

23 She told them, "ADONAI the God of Isra'el says to tell the man who sent you to me

24 that ADONAI says this: 'I am going to bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses written in the scroll they read to the king of Y'hudah;

25 because they have abandoned me and offered to other gods, in order to provoke me with everything they do. Therefore my anger is poured out on this place and will not be quenched.'

26 "But you are to tell the king of Y'hudah, who sent you to consult ADONAI, that ADONAI the God of Isra'el also says this: 'In regard to the words you have heard,

27 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants - you humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes and cried before me - I have also heard you,' says ADONAI.

28 'Here, I will gather you to your ancestors; you will go to your grave in peace; and your eyes will not see all the calamity I am going to bring on this place and its inhabitants.'" So they brought back word to the king.

29 Then the king summoned and assembled all the leaders of Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.

30 The king went up to the house of ADONAI with all the men of Y'hudah, those living in Yerushalayim, the cohanim, the L'vi'im and all the people, both great and small; and he read in their hearing everything written in the scroll of the covenant that had been found in the house of ADONAI.

31 The king stood in his place and made a covenant in the presence of ADONAI to live following ADONAI, observing his mitzvot, instructions and laws wholeheartedly and with all his being, so as to perform the words of the covenant written in this scroll.

32 Then, after he had all the people in Yerushalayim and Binyamin stand in affirmation of it, the inhabitants of Yerushalayim acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.

33 Yoshiyahu removed all the abominable idols from all the territories belonging to the people of Isra'el, and he made everyone in Isra'el serve ADONAI their God. Throughout his lifetime, they did not stop following ADONAI, the God of their ancestors.

Psalm 89:19-52

19 There was a time when you spoke in a vision; you declared to your loyal [prophets], "I have given help to a warrior, I have raised up someone chosen from the people.

20 I have found David my servant and anointed him with my holy oil.

21 My hand will always be with him, and my arm will give him strength.

22 No enemy will outwit him, no wicked man overcome him.

23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.

24 My faithfulness and grace will be with him; through my name his power will grow.

25 I will put his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.

26 He will call to me, 'You are my father, my God, the Rock of my salvation.'

27 I will give him the position of firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

28 I will keep my grace for him forever, and in my covenant be faithful with him.

29 I will establish his dynasty forever, and his throne as long as the heavens last.

30 "If his descendants abandon my Torah and fail to live by my rulings,

31 if they profane my regulations and don't obey my mitzvot,

32 I will punish their disobedience with the rod and their guilt with lashes.

33 But I won't withdraw my grace from him or be false to my faithfulness.

34 I will not profane my covenant or change what my lips have spoken.

35 I have sworn by my holiness once and for all; I will not lie to David

36 his dynasty will last forever, his throne like the sun before me.

37 It will be established forever, like the moon, which remains a faithful witness in the sky." (Selah)

38 But you spurned your anointed one, rejected and vented your rage on him.

39 You renounced the covenant with your servant and defiled his crown in the dust.

40 You broke through all his defenses and left his strongholds in ruins.

41 All who pass by plunder him; he is an object of scorn to his neighbors.

42 You raised up the right hand of his foes and made all his enemies rejoice.

43 You drive back his drawn sword and fail to support him in battle.

44 You brought an end to his splendor and hurled his throne to the ground.

45 You cut short the days of his youth and covered him with shame. (Selah)

46 How long, ADONAI? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your fury burn like fire?

47 Remember how little time I have! Was it for no purpose that you created all humanity?

48 Who can live and not see death? Who can save himself from the power of the grave? (Selah)

49 Where, Adonai, are the acts of grace you once did, those which, in your faithfulness, you swore to David?

50 Remember, Adonai, the taunts hurled at your servants, which I carry in my heart [from] so many peoples!

51 Your enemies, ADONAI, have flung their taunts, flung them in the footsteps of your anointed one.

52 Blessed be ADONAI forever. Amen. Amen.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

September 23

1 John 2; 2 Chronicles 35; Psalm 89:38-52 CJB

1 John 2

1 My children, I am writing you these things so that you won't sin. But if anyone does sin, we have Yeshua the Messiah, the Tzaddik, who pleads our cause with the Father.

2 Also, he is the kapparah for our sins - and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

3 The way we can be sure we know him is if we are obeying his commands.

4 Anyone who says, "I know him," but isn't obeying his commands is a liar - the truth is not in him.

5 But if someone keeps doing what he says, then truly love for God has been brought to its goal in him. This is how we are sure that we are united with him.

6 A person who claims to be continuing in union with him ought to conduct his life the way he did.

7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command. On the contrary, it is an old command, which you have had from the beginning; the old command is the message which you have heard before.

8 Yet I am writing you a new command, and its reality is seen both in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

9 Anyone who claims to be in this light while hating his brother is still in the dark.

10 The person who keeps loving his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him that could make him trip.

11 But the person who hates his brother is in the dark - yes, he is walking in the dark, and he doesn't know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

12 You children, I am writing you because your sins have been forgiven for his sake.

13 You fathers, I am writing you because you have known him who has existed from the beginning. You young people, I am writing you because you have overcome the Evil One.

14 You children, I have written you because you have known the Father. You fathers, I have written you because you have known him who has existed from the beginning. You young people, I have written you because you are strong the Word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the Evil One.

15 Do not love the world or the things of the world. If someone loves the world, then love for the Father is not in him;

16 because all the things of the world - the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and the pretensions of life - are not from the Father but from the world.

17 And the world is passing away, along with its desires. But whoever does God's will remains forever.

18 Children, this is the Last Hour. You have heard that an Anti-Messiah is coming; and in fact, many anti-Messiahs have arisen now - which is how we know that this is the Last Hour.

19 They went out from us, but they weren't part of us; for had they been part of us, they would have remained with us.

20 But you have received the Messiah's anointing from HaKadosh, and you know all this.

21 It is not because you don't know the truth that I have written to you, but because you do know it, and because no lie has its origin in the truth.

22 Who is a liar at all, if not the person who denies that Yeshua is the Messiah? Such a person is an anti-Messiah - he is denying the Father and the Son.

23 Everyone who denies the Son is also without the Father, but the person who acknowledges the Son has the Father as well.

24 Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you will also remain in union with both the Son and the Father.

25 And this is what he has promised us: eternal life.

26 I have written you these things about the people who are trying to deceive you.

27 As for you, the Messianic anointing you received from the Father remains in you, so that you have no need for anyone to teach you. On the contrary, as his Messianic anointing continues to teach you about all things, and is true, not a counterfeit, so, just as he taught you, remain united with him.

28 And now, children, remain united with him; so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not shrink back from him in shame at his coming.

29 If you know that he is righteous, you should also know that he is the Father of everyone who does what is right.

2 Chronicles 35

1 Yoshiyahu kept Pesach to ADONAI in Yerushalayim. They slaughtered the Pesach lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month.

2 He assigned the cohanim to their posts and encouraged them to perform the service of the house of ADONAI.

3 To the L'vi'im who were teaching all Isra'el and were holy for ADONAI he said, "Put the holy ark in the house which Shlomo the son of David, king of Isra'el, built; after this, you will not have to carry it again. Now serve ADONAI your God and his people Isra'el.

4 Organize yourselves by clans and duty divisions according to the arrangement written down by David king of Isra'el and Shlomo his son.

5 Stand in the Holy Place according to the divisions of the clans of your kinsmen the ordinary people, with part of a clan of L'vi'im serving each clan [of Isra'el].

6 Then slaughter the Pesach lamb, consecrate yourselves, prepare what your kinsmen need, and act according to the word of ADONAI given through Moshe."

7 Yoshiyahu gave the ordinary people, to all who were present, 30,000 lambs and kids from the flock, all of them for Pesach offerings, and 3,000 bulls. These were from the king's personal property.

8 Also his leading men voluntarily gave to the people and to the cohanim and L'vi'im. Hilkiyah, Z'kharyahu and Yechi'el, the rulers of the house of God, gave the cohanim 2,600 [lambs and kids] and 300 oxen for Pesach offerings.

9 Konanyah, his brothers Sh'ma'yah and N'tan'el, and Hashavyah, Ye'i'el and Yozavad, the head L'vi'im, gave the L'vi'im 5,000 [lambs and kids] and 500 oxen for Pesach offerings.

10 So the service was prepared; the cohanim stood at their posts; and the L'vi'im worked in their divisions, in keeping with the king's order.

11 They slaughtered the Pesach lamb; the cohanim splashed [the blood, which they received from the L'vi'im], and the L'vi'im skinned and butchered them.

12 They removed the portions to be burned, in order to give them to the divisions of the clans of the ordinary people to present to ADONAI, as written in the scroll of Moshe. They did the same with the oxen.

13 They roasted the Pesach lamb over fire, according to the rule; while they boiled the holy offerings in pots, kettles and pans and carried them quickly to all the ordinary people.

14 Afterwards, they prepared food for themselves and for the cohanim; because the cohanim, the descendants of Aharon, were busy till nightfall offering the fat and the portions to be burned up; this is why the L'vi'im prepared food both for themselves and for the cohanim the descendants of Aharon.

15 The singers the sons of Asaf were at their posts, as ordered by David - Asaf, Heman and Y'dutun the king's seer. The gatekeepers were at every gate, and they did not need to leave their posts, because their brothers the L'vi'im prepared [food] for them.

16 Thus all the service of ADONAI was prepared the same day for observing Pesach and offering burnt offerings on the altar of ADONAI, in accordance with the order of King Yoshiyahu.

17 The people of Isra'el who were present observed the Pesach at that time and the festival of Matzot for seven days.

18 No Pesach like that had been kept in Isra'el since the days of Sh'mu'el the prophet, and none of the kings of Isra'el observe a Pesach such as Yoshiyahu observed, with the cohanim, L'vi'im, all Y'hudah, those of Isra'el who were present, and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.

19 This Pesach was observed in the eighteenth year of Yoshiyahu.

20 After all this, and after Yoshiyahu had restored the house, N'kho king of Egypt went up to attack Kark'mish by the Euphrates River. King Yoshiyahu went out to oppose him;

21 but N'kho sent envoys to him with this message: "Do I have a conflict with you, king of Y'hudah? No, I am not coming today to attack you, but to attack the dynasty with whom I am at war. God has ordered to speed me along; so don't meddle with God, who is with me; so that he won't destroy you."

22 Nevertheless, Yoshiyahu was determined to go after him. He disguised himself in order to fight against him and wouldn't listen to what N'kho said, which was from the mouth of God. Then he went to fight in the Megiddo Valley.

23 There archers shot King Yoshiyahu. The king said to his servants, "Take me away, because I'm badly wounded."

24 So his servants took him out of the chariot, transferred him to his second chariot and brought him to Yerushalayim. But he died, and he was buried in the tombs of his ancestors. All Y'hudah and Yerushalayim mourned Yoshiyahu.

25 Yirmeyahu composed a lament for Yoshiyahu; and all the men and women singers have sung of Yoshiyahu in their laments till this day. They made singing them a law in Isra'el, and they are recorded in the Laments.

26 Other activities of Yoshiyahu and all his good deeds in keeping with what is written in the Torah of ADONAI,

27 also his accomplishments from beginning to end, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el and Y'hudah.

Psalm 89

1 A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachi: I will sing about ADONAI's acts of grace forever, with my mouth proclaim your faithfulness to all generations;

2 because I said, "Grace is built to last forever; in the heavens themselves you established your faithfulness."

3 You said, "I made a covenant with the one I chose, I swore to my servant David,

4 'I will establish your dynasty forever, build up your throne through all generations.'" (Selah)

5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, ADONAI, your faithfulness in the assembly of the angels.

6 For who in the skies can be compared with ADONAI? Which of these gods can rival ADONAI,

7 a God dreaded in the great assembly of the holy ones and feared by all around him?

8 ADONAI Elohei-Tzva'ot! Who is as mighty as you, Yah? Your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You control the raging of the sea; when its waves rear up, you calm them.

10 You crushed Rahav like a carcass; with your strong arm you scattered your foes.

11 The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; you founded the world and everything in it.

12 You created north and south; Tavor and Hermon take joy in your name.

13 Your arm is mighty, your hand is strong, your right hand is lifted high.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; grace and truth attend you.

15 How happy are the people who know the joyful shout! They walk in the light of your presence, ADONAI.

16 They rejoice in your name all day and are lifted up by your righteousness,

17 for you yourself are the strength in which they glory. Our power grows by pleasing you,

18 for our shield comes from ADONAI -our king is from the Holy One of Isra'el.

19 There was a time when you spoke in a vision; you declared to your loyal [prophets], "I have given help to a warrior, I have raised up someone chosen from the people.

20 I have found David my servant and anointed him with my holy oil.

21 My hand will always be with him, and my arm will give him strength.

22 No enemy will outwit him, no wicked man overcome him.

23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.

24 My faithfulness and grace will be with him; through my name his power will grow.

25 I will put his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.

26 He will call to me, 'You are my father, my God, the Rock of my salvation.'

27 I will give him the position of firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

28 I will keep my grace for him forever, and in my covenant be faithful with him.

29 I will establish his dynasty forever, and his throne as long as the heavens last.

30 "If his descendants abandon my Torah and fail to live by my rulings,

31 if they profane my regulations and don't obey my mitzvot,

32 I will punish their disobedience with the rod and their guilt with lashes.

33 But I won't withdraw my grace from him or be false to my faithfulness.

34 I will not profane my covenant or change what my lips have spoken.

35 I have sworn by my holiness once and for all; I will not lie to David

36 his dynasty will last forever, his throne like the sun before me.

37 It will be established forever, like the moon, which remains a faithful witness in the sky." (Selah)

38 But you spurned your anointed one, rejected and vented your rage on him.

39 You renounced the covenant with your servant and defiled his crown in the dust.

40 You broke through all his defenses and left his strongholds in ruins.

41 All who pass by plunder him; he is an object of scorn to his neighbors.

42 You raised up the right hand of his foes and made all his enemies rejoice.

43 You drive back his drawn sword and fail to support him in battle.

44 You brought an end to his splendor and hurled his throne to the ground.

45 You cut short the days of his youth and covered him with shame. (Selah)

46 How long, ADONAI? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your fury burn like fire?

47 Remember how little time I have! Was it for no purpose that you created all humanity?

48 Who can live and not see death? Who can save himself from the power of the grave? (Selah)

49 Where, Adonai, are the acts of grace you once did, those which, in your faithfulness, you swore to David?

50 Remember, Adonai, the taunts hurled at your servants, which I carry in my heart [from] so many peoples!

51 Your enemies, ADONAI, have flung their taunts, flung them in the footsteps of your anointed one.

52 Blessed be ADONAI forever. Amen. Amen.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

September 24

1 John 3; 2 Chronicles 36; Psalm 90 CJB

1 John 3

1 See what love the Father has lavished on us in letting us be called God's children! For that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it has not known him.

2 Dear friends, we are God's children now; and it has not yet been made clear what we will become. We do know that when he appears, we will be like him; because we will see him as he really is.

3 And everyone who has this hope in him continues purifying himself, since God is pure.

4 Everyone who keeps sinning is violating Torah - indeed, sin is violation of Torah.

5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and that there is no sin in him.

6 So no one who remains united with him continues sinning; everyone who does continue sinning has neither seen him nor known him.

7 Children, don't let anyone deceive you - it is the person that keeps on doing what is right who is righteous, just as God is righteous.

8 The person who keeps on sinning is from the Adversary, because from the very beginning the Adversary has kept on sinning. It was for this very reason that the Son of God appeared, to destroy these doings of the Adversary.

9 No one who has God as his Father keeps on sinning, because the seed planted by God remains in him. That is, he cannot continue sinning, because he has God as his Father.

10 Here is how one can distinguish clearly between God's children and those of the Adversary: everyone who does not continue doing what is right is not from God. Likewise, anyone who fails to keep loving his brother is not from God.

11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning: that we should love each other

12 and not be like Kayin, who was from the Evil One and murdered his own brother. Why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil, and his brother's were righteous.

13 Don't be amazed, brothers, if the world hates you.

14 We, for our part, know that we have passed from death to life because we keep loving the brothers. The person who fails to keep on loving is still under the power of death.

15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

16 The way that we have come to know love is through his having laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers!

17 If someone has worldly possessions and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how can he be loving God?

18 Children, let us love not with words and talk, but with actions and in reality!

19 Here is how we will know that we are from the truth and will set our hearts at rest in his presence:

20 if our hearts know something against us, God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

21 Dear friends, if our hearts know nothing against us, we have confidence in approaching God;

22 then, whatever we ask for, we receive from him; because we are obeying his commands and doing the things that please him.

23 This is his command: that we are to trust in the person and power of his Son Yeshua the Messiah and to keep loving one another, just as he commanded us.

24 Those who obey his commands remain united with him and he with them. Here is how we know that he remains united with us: by the Spirit whom he gave us.

2 Chronicles 36

1 Then the people of the land took Y'ho'achaz the son of Yoshiyahu and made him king in his father's place, in Yerushalayim.

2 Y'ho'achaz was twenty-three years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for three months in Yerushalayim.

3 But the king of Egypt deposed him in Yerushalayim and imposed a penalty on the land of three-and-a-third tons of silver and sixty-six pounds of gold.

4 Then the king of Egypt made Elyakim his brother king over Y'hudah and Yerushalayim, changing his name to Y'hoyakim; N'kho took Yo'achaz his brother and carried him off to Egypt.

5 Y'hoyakim was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for eleven years in Yerushalayim. He did what was evil from the perspective of ADONAI his God.

6 N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel attacked him and bound him in chains to carry him off to Bavel.

7 N'vukhadnetzar also carried the articles in the house of ADONAI away to Bavel and put them in his temple in Bavel.

8 Other activities of Y'hoyakim, including all the abominations he did publicly and those discovered later, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra'el and Y'hudah. Then Y'hoyakhin his son took his place as king.

9 Y'hoyakhin was eight years old when he began his reign, and he ruled in Yerushalayim for three months and ten days. He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective.

10 In the spring, King N'vukhadnetzar sent and had him brought to Bavel together with the valuable articles from the house of ADONAI, and made Tzedekyah his brother king over Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.

11 Tzedekyah was twenty-one years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for eleven years in Yerushalayim.

12 He did what was evil from the perspective of ADONAI his God. He did not humble himself before Yirmeyahu the prophet speaking on behalf of ADONAI.

13 He also rebelled against King N'vukhadnetzar, who had made him swear loyalty to him by God; instead, he became stiffnecked and hardhearted, refusing to turn to ADONAI the God of Isra'el.

14 In addition, the chief cohanim and the people grew increasingly unfaithful, following all the abominable practices of the other nations; and they polluted the house of ADONAI, which he had consecrated in Yerushalayim.

15 Time after time, and frequently, ADONAI, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers; because he had compassion on his people and on the place where he lived.

16 But they ridiculed God's messengers, treating his words with contempt and scoffing at his prophets, until the anger of ADONAI rose up against his people to the extent that there was no longer any remedy.

17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Kasdim, who put their young men to the sword in the house of their sanctuary. They had no compassion on either young men or young women, old men or gray-haired; God handed all of them over to him.

18 All the articles in the house of God, great and small; the supplies in the house of ADONAI; and the supplies of the king and his leading men - all these he brought to Bavel.

19 Then they burned down the house of God, broke down the wall of Yerushalayim, put to flames all its palaces and destroyed everything in it of worth.

20 Those who had escaped the sword he carried off to Bavel, and they became slaves to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia.

21 Thus was fulfilled the word of ADONAI spoken by Yirmeyahu, "until the land has been paid her Shabbats"-for as long as it lay desolate, it kept Shabbat, until seventy years had passed.

22 Now in the first year of Koresh king of Persia, so that the word of ADONAI spoken by Yirmeyahu might be fulfilled, ADONAI activated the spirit of Koresh king of Persia to proclaim throughout his entire kingdom, and put in writing as well:

23 "Here is what Koresh king of Persia says: ADONAI, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms on earth, and he has charged me to build him a house in Yerushalayim, in Y'hudah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may ADONAI his God be with him! He may go up . . . ."

Psalm 90

1 A prayer of Moshe the man of God: Adonai, you have been our dwelling place in every generation.

2 Before the mountains were born, before you had formed the earth and the world, from eternity past to eternity future you are God.

3 You bring frail mortals to the point of being crushed, then say, "People, repent!"

4 For from your viewpoint a thousand years are merely like yesterday or a night watch.

5 When you sweep them away, they become like sleep; by morning they are like growing grass,

6 growing and flowering in the morning, but by evening cut down and dried up.

7 For we are destroyed by your anger, overwhelmed by your wrath.

8 You have placed our faults before you, our secret sins in the full light of your presence.

9 All our days ebb away under your wrath; our years die away like a sigh.

10 The span of our life is seventy years, or if we are strong, eighty; yet at best it is toil and sorrow, over in a moment, and then we are gone.

11 Who grasps the power of your anger and wrath to the degree that the fear due you should inspire?

12 So teach us to count our days, so that we will become wise.

13 Return, ADONAI! How long must it go on? Take pity on your servants!

14 Fill us at daybreak with your love, so that we can sing for joy as long as we live.

15 Let our joy last as long as the time you made us suffer, for as many years as we experienced trouble.

16 Show your deeds to your servants and your glory to their children.

17 May the favor of Adonai our God be on us, prosper for us all the work that we do -yes, prosper the work that we do.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

September 25

1 John 4; Ezra 1-2; Psalm 91 CJB

1 John 4

1 Dear friends, don't trust every spirit. On the contrary, test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 Here is how you recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges that Yeshua the Messiah came as a human being is from God,

3 and every spirit which does not acknowledge Yeshua is not from God - in fact, this is the spirit of the Anti-Messiah. You have heard that he is coming. Well, he's here now, in the world already!

4 You, children, are from God and have overcome the false prophets, because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

5 They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the world's viewpoint; and the world listens to them.

6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God doesn't listen to us. This is how we distinguish the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error.

7 Beloved friends, let us love one another; because love is from God; and everyone who loves has God as his Father and knows God.

8 Those who do not love, do not know God; because God is love.

9 Here is how God showed his love among us: God sent his only Son into the world, so that through him we might have life.

10 Here is what love is: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the kapparah for our sins.

11 Beloved friends, if this is how God loved us, we likewise ought to love one another.

12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains united with us, and our love for him has been brought to its goal in us.

13 Here is how we know that we remain united with him and he with us: he has given to us from his own Spirit.

14 Moreover, we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as Deliverer of the world.

15 If someone acknowledges that Yeshua is the Son of God, God remains united with him, and he with God.

16 Also we have come to know and trust the love that God has for us. God is love; and those who remain in this love remain united with God, and God remains united with them.

17 Here is how love has been brought to maturity with us: as the Messiah is, so are we in the world. This gives us confidence for the Day of Judgment.

18 There is no fear in love. On the contrary, love that has achieved its goal gets rid of fear, because fear has to do with punishment; the person who keeps fearing has not been brought to maturity in regard to love.

19 We ourselves love now because he loved us first.

20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if a person does not love his brother, whom he has seen, then he cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

21 Yes, this is the command we have from him: whoever loves God must love his brother too.

Ezra 1

1 In the first year of Koresh king of Persia, in order for the word of ADONAI prophesied by Yirmeyahu to be fulfilled, ADONAI stirred up the spirit of Koresh king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his whole kingdom, which he also put in writing, as follows:

2 "Here is what Koresh king of Persia says: ADONAI, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms on earth; and he has charged me to build him a house in Yerushalayim, in Y'hudah.

3 Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! He may go up to Yerushalayim, in Y'hudah, and build the house of ADONAI the God of Isra'el, the God who is in Yerushalayim.

4 Let every survivor, no matter where he lives, be helped by his neighbors with silver, gold, goods and animals, in addition to the voluntary offering for the house of God in Yerushalayim."

5 The heads of fathers' clans in Y'hudah and Binyamin, along with the cohanim, the L'vi'im, and indeed all whose spirit God had stirred, set out to go up and rebuild the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim.

6 All their neighbors supported them by giving them articles of silver, gold, goods, animals, and valuables, besides all their voluntary offerings.

7 In addition, Koresh the king brought out the vessels from the house of ADONAI which N'vukhadnetzar had taken from Yerushalayim and put in the house of his god.

8 Koresh king of Persia had Mitr'dat the treasurer bring them out and make an inventory of them for Sheshbatzar the prince of Y'hudah.

9 The list was as follows: Gold basins 30 Silver basins 1,000 Knives 29

10 Gold bowls 30 Silver bowls of a different kind 410 Other vessels 1,000

11 In all there were 5,400 articles of gold and silver. Sheshbatzar took all of them along when the exiles were brought up from Bavel to Yerushalayim.

Ezra 2

1 Here is a list of the people of the province who had been exiled, carried off to Bavel by N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel, but who later returned from exile and went up to Yerushalayim and Y'hudah, each to his own city;

2 they went with Z'rubavel, Yeshua, Nechemyah, S'rayah, Re'elyah, Mordekhai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rechum and Ba'anah. The number of men from the people of Isra'el:

3 descendants of Par'osh 2,172

4 descendants of Sh'fatyah 372

5 descendants of Arach 775

6 descendants of Pachat-Mo'av, from the descendants of Yeshua and Yo'av 2,812

7 descendants of 'Eilam 1,254

8 descendants of Zatu 945

9 descendants of Zakkai 760

10 descendants of Bani 642

11 descendants of B'vai 623

12 descendants of 'Azgad 1,222

13 descendants of Adonikam 666

14 descendants of Bigvai 2,056

15 descendants of 'Adin 454

16 descendants of Ater, of Y'chizkiyah 98

17 descendants of Betzai 323

18 descendants of Yorah 112

19 descendants of Hashum 223

20 descendants of Gibbar 95

21 descendants of Beit-Lechem 123

22 people of N'tofah 56

23 people of 'Anatot 128

24 descendants of 'Azmavet 42

25 descendants of Kiryat-'Arim, K'firah and Be'erot

26 descendants of Ramah and Geva

27 people of Mikhmas

28 people of Beit-El and 'Ai

29 descendants of N'vo

30 descendants of Magbish

31 descendants of the other 'Eilam

32 descendants of Harim

33 descendants of Lod, Hadid and Ono

34 descendants of Yericho

35 descendants of S'na'ah

36 The cohanim: descendants of Y'da'yah, of the house of Yeshua

37 descendants of Immer

38 descendants of Pash'chur

39 descendants of Harim 621 122 223 52 156 1,254 320 725 345 3,630 973 1,052 1,247 1,017

40 The L'vi'im: descendants of Yeshua and Kadmi'el, of the descendants of Hodavyah

41 The singers: descendants of Asaf 128

42 The descendants of the gatekeepers: descendants of Shalum, descendants of Ater, descendants of Talmon, descendants of 'Akuv, descendants of Hatita, and descendants of Shovai in all, 139

43 The temple servants: descendants of Tzicha, descendants of Hasufa, descendants of Taba'ot,

44 descendants of Keros, descendants of Sia'ha descendants of Padon,

45 descendants of L'vanah, descendants of Hagavah, descendants of 'Akuv,

46 descendants of Hagav, descendants of Salmai, descendants of Hanan,

47 descendants of Giddel, descendants of Gachar, descendants of Re'ayah,

48 descendants of Retzin, descendants of N'koda, descendants of Gazam,

49 descendants of 'Uza, descendants of Paseach, descendants of Besai,

50 descendants of Asnah, descendants of Me'unim, descendants of N'fusim,

51 descendants of Bakbuk, descendants of Hakufa, descendants of Harhur,

52 descendants of Batzlut, descendants of M'chida, descendants of Harsha,

53 descendants of Barkos, descendants of Sisra, descendants of Temach,

54 descendants of N'tziach, and descendants of Hatifa.

55 The descendants of Shlomo's servants: descendants of Sotai, descendants of Hasoferet, descendants of P'ruda,

56 descendants of Ya'alah, descendants of Darkon, descendants of Giddel,

57 descendants of Sh'fatyah, descendants of Hatil, descendants of Pokheret-Hatzvayim, and descendants of Ami.

58 All the temple servants and the descendants of Shlomo's servants numbered 392

59 The following went up from Tel-Melach, Tel-Harsha, K'ruv, Adan and Immer; but they could not state which fathers' clan they or their children belonged to, [so it was not clear] whether they were from Isra'el:

60 descendants of D'layah, descendants of Toviyah, and descendants of N'koda 652

61 and of the descendants of the cohanim: descendants of Havayah, descendants of Hakotz, and descendants of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gil'adi and was named after them.

62 These tried to locate their genealogical records, but they weren't found. Therefore they were considered defiled and were not allowed to serve as cohanim.

63 The Tirshata told them not to eat any of the especially holy food until a cohen appeared who could consult the urim and tumim.

64 The entire assembly numbered 42,360 -

65 not including their male and female slaves, of whom there were 7,337. They also had 200 male and female singers.

66 Their horses numbered 736; their mules, 245;

67 their camels, 435; and their donkeys, 6,720.

68 Some of the heads of fathers' clans, when they came to the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim, made voluntary offerings for rebuilding the house of God on its site.

69 According to their means they gave into the treasury for the work 61,000 gold darkmonim [about two-thirds of a ton], 5,000 manim of silver [just over three tons], and a hundred tunics for the cohanim.

70 So the cohanim, the L'vi'im, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants lived in their towns and all Isra'el in their towns.

Psalm 91

1 You who live in the shelter of 'Elyon, who spend your nights in the shadow of Shaddai,

2 who say to ADONAI, "My refuge! My fortress! My God, in whom I trust!"

3 he will rescue you from the trap of the hunter and from the plague of calamities;

4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his truth is a shield and protection.

5 You will not fear the terrors of night or the arrow that flies by day,

6 or the plague that roams in the dark, or the scourge that wreaks havoc at noon.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it won't come near you.

8 Only keep your eyes open, and you will see how the wicked are punished.

9 For you have made ADONAI, the Most High, who is my refuge, your dwelling-place.

10 No disaster will happen to you, no calamity will come near your tent;

11 for he will order his angels to care for you and guard you wherever you go.

12 They will carry you in their hands, so that you won't trip on a stone.

13 You will tread down lions and snakes, young lions and serpents you will trample underfoot.

14 "Because he loves me, I will rescue him; because he knows my name, I will protect him.

15 He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble. I will extricate him and bring him honor.

16 I will satisfy him with long life and show him my salvation."

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

September 26

1 John 5; Ezra 3-4; Psalm 92 CJB

1 John 5

1 Everyone who believes that Yeshua is the Messiah has God as his father, and everyone who loves a father loves his offspring too.

2 Here is how we know that we love God's children: when we love God, we also do what he commands.

3 For loving God means obeying his commands. Moreover, his commands are not burdensome,

4 because everything which has God as its Father overcomes the world. And this is what victoriously overcomes the world: our trust.

5 Who does overcome the world if not the person who believes that Yeshua is the Son of God?

6 He is the one who came by means of water and blood, Yeshua the Messiah - not with water only, but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth.

7 There are three witnesses -

8 the Spirit, the water and the blood - and these three are in agreement.

9 If we accept human witness, God's witness is stronger, because it is the witness which God has given about his Son.

10 Those who keep trusting in the Son of God have this witness in them. Those who do not keep trusting God have made him out to be a liar, because they have not trusted in the witness which God has given about his Son.

11 And this is the witness: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 Those who have the Son have the life; those who do not have the Son of God do not have the life.

13 I have written you these things so that you may know that you have eternal life - you who keep trusting in the person and power of the Son of God.

14 This is the confidence we have in his presence: if we ask anything that accords with his will, he hears us.

15 And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - then we know that we have what we have asked from him.

16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not lead to death, he will ask; and God will give him life for those whose sinning does not lead to death. There is sin that does lead to death; I am not saying he should pray about that.

17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

18 We know that everyone who has God as his Father does not go on sinning; on the contrary, the Son born of God protects him, and the Evil One does not touch him.

19 We know that we are from God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the Evil One.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment, so that we may know who is genuine; moreover, we are united with the One who is genuine, united with his Son Yeshua the Messiah. He is the genuine God and eternal life.

21 Children, guard yourselves against false gods!

Ezra 3

1 When the seventh month arrived, after the people of Isra'el had resettled in the towns, the people gathered with one accord in Yerushalayim.

2 Then Yeshua the son of Yotzadak with his fellow cohanim, and Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el with his kinsmen, organized rebuilding the altar of the God of Isra'el; so that they could offer burnt offerings on it, as is written in the Torah of Moshe the man of God.

3 They set up the altar on its former bases. Despite feeling threatened by the peoples of the [surrounding] countries; they offered on it burnt offerings to ADONAI, the morning and evening burnt offerings.

4 They observed the festival of Sukkot as written, offering daily the number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day,

5 and afterwards the regular burnt offering, the offerings for Rosh-Hodesh and those for all the designated times set apart for ADONAI, as well as those of everyone who volunteered a voluntary offering to ADONAI.

6 From the first day of the seventh month, they began offering burnt offerings to ADONAI, even though the foundation of ADONAI's temple had not yet been laid.

7 They also gave money for the stone-workers and carpenters, as well as food, drink and olive oil for the people of Tzidon and Tzor bringing cedar logs from the L'vanon to the sea and on to Yafo, in accordance with the authorization granted by Koresh king of Persia.

8 In the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Yerushalayim, in the second month, Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el, Yeshua the son of Yotzadak, the rest of their kinsmen the cohanim and L'vi'im, and all who had come out of exile to Yerushalayim began the project. They appointed the L'vi'im aged twenty and up to direct work in the house of ADONAI.

9 Yeshua and his sons and brothers, Kadmi'el and his sons, and Y'hudah's sons together directed the workers in the house of God; also the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their kinsmen the L'vi'im.

10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of ADONAI, the cohanim in their robes, with trumpets, and the L'vi'im the sons of Asaf, with cymbals, took their places to praise ADONAI, as David king of Isra'el had instructed.

11 They sang antiphonally, praising and giving "thanks to ADONAI, for he is good, for his grace continues forever" toward Isra'el. All the people raised a great shout of praise to ADONAI, because the foundation of the house of ADONAI had been laid.

12 But many of the cohanim, L'vi'im and heads of fathers' clans, the old men who had seen the first house standing on its foundation, wept out loud when they saw this house; while others shouted out loud for joy -

13 so that the people couldn't distinguish the noise of the joyful shouting from the noise of the people's weeping; for the people were shouting so loudly that the noise could be heard at a great distance.

Ezra 4

1 When the enemies of Y'hudah and Binyamin heard that the people from the exile were building a temple to ADONAI the God of Isra'el,

2 they approached Z'rubavel and the heads of fathers' clans and said to them, "Let us build along with you; for we seek your God, just as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esar-Hadon king of Ashur, who brought us here."

3 But Z'rubavel, Yeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' clans in Isra'el answered them, "You and we have nothing in common that you should join us in building a house for our God. We will build by ourselves for ADONAI the God of Isra'el, as Koresh king of Persia ordered us to do."

4 Then the people of the land began discouraging the people of Y'hudah, in order to make them afraid to build.

5 They also bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the lifetime of Koresh king of Persia and on into the reign of Daryavesh king of Persia.

6 During the reign of Achashverosh, at the beginning of his reign, they brought a charge in writing against the people living in Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.

7 Then, during the time of Artach'shashta, Bishlam, Mitr'dat, Tav'el and their other colleagues wrote Artach'shashta; the letter was written in Aramaic, using Aramaic script.

8 Rechum the district governor and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Yerushalayim to Artach'shashta the king as follows:

9 "From Rechum the district governor, Shimshai the secretary, their other colleagues, the judges, the officials, the Dina'im, the Afarsat'khim, the Tarp'lim, the Afarsim, the Ark'vim, the Bavlim, the Shushan'kayim, the Dehayim, the 'Elma'im,

10 the other nations whom the great and noble Asnapar deported and settled in Shomron, and the others who remain in the country beyond the [Euphrates] River."

11 (This is the text of the letter they sent him.) "To Artach'shashta the king from his servants the people beyond the River:

12 "Let the king know that the Judeans who left you to come to us in Yerushalayim are building this rebellious and wicked city. They have finished the walls and are now digging the foundations.

13 So let the king know that if this city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will refuse to pay tribute, tax or toll; and this will reduce the royal revenue.

14 Now, because we eat the king's salt, and it is not right for us to see the king dishonored, we therefore are sending to inform the king,

15 so that a search can be made in the archives of your ancestors; in these archives you will find and ascertain that this city is indeed a rebellious city, the bane of kings and provinces, and that sedition has been fostered there since ancient times - which is why this city was destroyed.

16 We submit to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, you will soon lose possession of all territories beyond the River."

17 The king sent this answer: "To Rechum the district governor, Shimshai the secretary, their other colleagues living in Shomron, and the rest beyond the River: "Shalom!

18 "The letter you sent us has now been translated for me.

19 I ordered a search made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings, that rebellion and sedition have been fostered there;

20 also that there have been powerful kings over Yerushalayim who ruled all the territory beyond the River; and tribute, taxes and tolls were paid to them.

21 "So now, order that these men stop work and that this city not be rebuilt until I order it.

22 Take care not to neglect your duty; otherwise the harm may increase, to the damage of the king."

23 When the text of King Artach'shashta's letter was read before Rechum, Shimshai the secretary and their colleagues, they hurried to Yerushalayim to the Judeans and stopped their work by force of arms.

24 So the work on the house of God in Yerushalayim ceased; it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Daryavesh king of Persia.

Psalm 92

1 A psalm. A song for Shabbat: It is good to give thanks to ADONAI and sing praises to your name, 'Elyon,

2 to tell in the morning about your grace and at night about your faithfulness,

3 to the music of a ten-stringed [harp] and a lute, with the melody sounding on a lyre.

4 For, ADONAI, what you do makes me happy; I take joy in what your hands have made.

5 How great are your deeds, ADONAI! How very deep your thoughts!

6 Stupid people can't know, fools don't understand,

7 that when the wicked sprout like grass, and all who do evil prosper, it is so that they can be eternally destroyed,

8 while you, ADONAI, are exalted forever.

9 For your enemies, ADONAI, your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered.

10 But you have given me the strength of a wild bull; you anoint me with fresh olive oil.

11 My eyes have gazed with pleasure on my enemies' ruin, my ears have delighted in the fall of my foes.

12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar in the L'vanon.

13 Planted in the house of ADONAI, they will flourish in the courtyards of our God.

14 Even in old age they will be vigorous, still full of sap, still bearing fruit,

15 proclaiming that ADONAI is upright, my Rock, in whom there is no wrong.

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Today's Bible Reading

September 27

2 John 1; Ezra 5-6; Psalm 93 CJB

2 John 1

1 From: The Elder To: The chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth - and not only I but also all who have come to know the truth -

2 because of the Truth which remains united with us and will be with us forever:

3 Grace, mercy and shalom will be with us from God the Father and from Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

4 I was very happy when I found some of your children living in truth, just as the Father commanded us.

5 And now, dear lady, I am requesting that we love one another - not as if this were a new command I am writing you, for it is the one which we have had from the beginning.

6 Moreover, love is this: that we should live according to his commands. This is the command, as you people have heard from the beginning; live by it!

7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not acknowledge Yeshua the Messiah's coming as a human being. Such a person is a deceiver and an anti-Messiah.

8 Watch yourselves, so that you won't lose what you have worked for, but will receive your full reward.

9 Everyone who goes ahead and does not remain true to what the Messiah has taught does not have God. Those who remain true to his teaching have both the Father and the Son.

10 If someone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, don't welcome him into your home. Don't even say, "Shalom!" to him;

11 for the person who says, "Shalom!" to him shares in his evil deeds.

12 Although I have much to write you people, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come and see you and to talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

13 The children of your chosen sister send you their greetings.

Ezra 5

1 The prophets Hagai and Z'kharyah the son of 'Iddo prophesied to the Judeans in Yerushalayim and Y'hudah; they prophesied to them in the name of the God of Isra'el.

2 Then Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el and Yeshua the son of Yotzadak began rebuilding the house of God in Yerushalayim; with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

3 No sooner had they begun, when Tatnai the governor of the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River, Sh'tar-Boznai and their colleagues came and asked them, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this house and finish this wall?

4 What are the names of the men putting up this building?"

5 But the eye of their God was on the leaders of the Judeans, so they didn't stop them until the matter could come before Daryavesh and a reply in writing be received.

6 Here is the text of the letter which Tatnai the governor of the territory beyond the River, Sh'tar-Boznai and their fellow officials beyond the River sent to Daryavesh the king;

7 they sent him a letter in which it was written: "To Daryavesh the king, "Complete shalom!"

8 "Let the king know that we went to the province of Y'hudah, to the house of the great God. It is being rebuilt with large stones, and timber is being set in the walls. This work is being done energetically, and it is making good progress under the direction

9 of their leaders. We asked them, 'Who gave you permission to rebuild this house and finish this wall?'

10 We also asked them their names, so that we could write you the names of the men in charge of them.

11 "They gave us this answer: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, built and finished by a great king of Isra'el.

12 But because our ancestors provoked the God of heaven, he handed them over to N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel, the Kasdi; he destroyed this house and carried the people off to Bavel.

13 But in the first year of Koresh king of Bavel, Koresh the king gave authorization to rebuild this house of God.

14 Moreover, the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which N'vukhadnetzar had removed from the temple in Yerushalayim and brought to the temple of Bavel, Koresh the king took out of the temple in Bavel; they were turned over to a man named Sheshbatzar, whom he had appointed governor.

15 He said to him, "Take these articles, go, put them in the temple in Yerushalayim, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site."

16 So this same Sheshbatzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Yerushalayim; it has been under construction ever since, and it isn't finished yet.

17 "'Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the royal treasury there in Bavel to determine whether a decree was issued by Koresh the king to rebuild this house of God in Yerushalayim; and let the king send us his decision concerning this matter.'"

Ezra 6

1 Daryavesh the king issued an order; and search was made in the archives building, where treasures were stored in Bavel;

2 and there was found at Achm'ta, in the palace which is in the province of Media, a scroll on which was written the following: "Memorandum:

3 "In the first year of Koresh the king, Koresh the king issued this decree: 'Concerning the house of God in Yerushalayim, let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offer sacrifices; and let its foundations be firmly laid. Its height is to be ninety feet and its breadth ninety feet,

4 with three rows of large stones and one row of new timber. The expenses are to be charged to the king's treasury.

5 Also let the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which N'vukhadnetzar removed from the temple at Yerushalayim and brought to Bavel, be restored and returned to the temple in Yerushalayim, each item to its place; and you are to put them in the house of God.'

6 "Therefore, Tatnai governor of the territory beyond the River, Sh'tar-Boznai and your colleagues the officials beyond the River, stay away from there!

7 Let the work of this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Judeans and the leaders of the Judeans rebuild this house of God on its site.

8 "Moreover, I herewith issue this order concerning how you are to assist these leaders of the Judeans in rebuilding this house of God: the expenses of these men are to be defrayed promptly from the royal funds, from the taxes collected beyond the River, so that the work can continue.

9 Whatever they need - young bulls, rams and lambs - for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, according to what the cohanim in Yerushalayim say, is to be given them daily without fail;

10 so that they can offer sacrifices with a fragrant aroma to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.

11 "I also order that if anyone defies this order, a beam is to be pulled from his house; and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. His house is to be reduced to rubble.

12 May the God who has caused his name to be there overthrow any king or people that tries to defy it and destroy this house of God in Yerushalayim. "I, Daryavesh, have issued this order. Let it be carried out to the letter."

13 Then Tatnai the governor of the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River, Sh'tar-Boznai and their colleagues obeyed strictly; because Daryavesh the king had given the order to do so.

14 The leaders of the Judeans made good progress with the rebuilding, thanks to the prophesying of Hagai the prophet and Z'kharyah the son of 'Iddo. They kept building until they were finished, in keeping with the command of the God of Isra'el and in accordance with the order of Koresh, Daryavesh and Artach'shashta king of Persia.

15 This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Daryavesh the king.

16 The people of Isra'el, the cohanim, the L'vi'im and the other people from the exile joyfully dedicated this house of God.

17 At the dedication of this house of God they offered 100 young bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and, as a sin offering for all Isra'el, twelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Isra'el.

18 Then they installed the cohanim in their divisions and the L'vi'im in their orders for the service of God in Yerushalayim, as written in the book of Moshe.

19 The people from the exile kept Pesach on the fourteenth day of the first month.

20 For the cohanim and L'vi'im had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. So they slaughtered the Pesach lambs for all the people from the exile and for their kinsmen the cohanim and for themselves.

21 The people of Isra'el who had returned from the exile and all those who had renounced the filthy practices of the nations living in the land in order to seek ADONAI the God of Isra'el, ate [the Pesach lamb]

22 and joyfully kept the feast of matzah for seven days; for ADONAI had filled them with joy by turning the heart of the king of Ashur toward them, so that he assisted them in the work of the house of God, the God of Isra'el.

Psalm 93

1 ADONAI is king, robed in majesty; ADONAI is robed, girded with strength; The world is well established; it cannot be moved.

2 Your throne was established long ago; you have existed forever.

3 ADONAI, the deep is raising up, the deep is raising up its voice, the deep is raising its crashing waves.

4 More than the sound of rushing waters or the mighty breakers of the sea, ADONAI on high is mighty.

5 Your instructions are very sure; holiness befits your house, ADONAI, for all time to come.

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Today's Bible Reading

September 28

3 John 1; Ezra 7-8; Psalm 94 CJB

3 John 1

1 From: The Elder To: Dear Gaius, whom I love in truth:

2 Dear friend, I am praying that everything prosper with you and that you be in good health, as I know you are prospering spiritually.

3 For I was so happy when some brothers came and testified how faithful you are to the truth, as you continue living in the truth.

4 Nothing gives me greater joy than hearing that my children are living in the truth.

5 Dear friend, you are faithful in all the work you are doing for the brothers, even when they are strangers to you.

6 They have testified to your love in front of the congregation. You will be doing well if you send them on their way in a manner worthy of God,

7 since it was for the sake of HaShem that they went out without accepting anything from the Goyim.

8 It is we, therefore, who should support such people; so that we may share in their work for the truth.

9 I wrote something to the congregation; but Diotrephes, who likes to be the macher among them, doesn't recognize our authority.

10 So if I come, I will bring up everything he is doing, including his spiteful and groundless gossip about us. And as if that weren't enough for him, he refuses to recognize the brothers' authority either; moreover, he stops those who want to do so and tries to drive them out of the congregation!

11 Dear friend, don't imitate the bad, but the good. Those who do what is good are from God; those who do what is bad are not from God.

12 Everyone speaks well of Demetrius, and so does the truth itself. We vouch for him, and you know that our testimony is true.

13 I have much to write you, but I don't want to write with pen and ink;

14 however, I am hoping to see you very soon, and we will speak face to face. Shalom to you. Your friends send you their greetings. Greet each of our friends by name.

Ezra 7

1 After these events, during the reign of Artach'shashta king of Persia, 'Ezra the son of S'rayah, the son of 'Azaryah, the son of Hilkiyah,

2 the son of Shalum, the son of Tzadok, the son of Achituv,

3 the son of Amaryah, the son of 'Azaryah, the son of M'rayot,

4 the son of Z'rachyah, the son of 'Uzi, the son of Buki,

5 the son of Avishua, the son of Pinchas, the son of Eli'ezer, the son of Aharon the cohen hagadol -

6 this 'Ezra went up from Bavel. He was a scribe, expert in the Torah of Moshe, which ADONAI the God of Isra'el had given; and the king granted him everything he asked for, since the hand of ADONAI his God was on him.

7 In the seventh year of Artach'shashta the king, some of the people of Isra'el, and some of the cohanim, L'vi'im, singers, gatekeepers and temple servants went up to Yerushalayim.

8 ['Ezra] arrived at Yerushalayim in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king.

9 He began going up to Yerushalayim from Bavel on the first day of the first month and arrived on the first day of the fifth month, since the good hand of his God was on him.

10 For 'Ezra had set his heart on studying and practicing the Torah of ADONAI and teaching Isra'el the laws and rulings.

11 Here is the letter that King Artach'shashta gave 'Ezra the cohen and Torah-teacher, the student of matters relating to ADONAI's mitzvot and his laws for Isra'el:

12 "From: Artach'shashta, king of kings "To: 'Ezra the cohen, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, etc.: "Herewith

13 I decree that everyone in my realm who belongs to the people of Isra'el, including their cohanim and L'vi'im, who, of his own free will, chooses to go with you to Yerushalayim, should go.

14 You are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire how the law of your God, of which you have expert knowledge, is being applied in Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.

15 You are also to bring with you the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have voluntarily offered to the God of Isra'el, whose dwelling is in Yerushalayim;

16 together with all the silver and gold you receive throughout the province of Bavel and the voluntary offerings of the people and the cohanim that have been offered willingly for the house of their God in Yerushalayim.

17 "You are to spend this money carefully on young bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and drink offerings; and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Yerushalayim.

18 Whatever seems good to you and your kinsmen to do with the rest of the silver and gold, do it according to the will of your God.

19 "The articles given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver to the God of Yerushalayim.

20 "Whatever else may be needed for the house of your God that you have to supply, you may supply from the royal treasury.

21 "I, Artach'shashta the king, herewith order all the treasurers in the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River to do carefully anything 'Ezra the cohen, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you,

22 up to three-and-a-third tons of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 500 gallons of wine, 500 gallons of olive oil and unlimited amounts of salt.

23 Whatever is ordered by the God of heaven is to be performed exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should wrath come against the realm of the king and his sons?

24 Moreover, we herewith proclaim to you that it will be illegal to impose tribute, taxes or tolls on any of the cohanim, L'vi'im, singers, gatekeepers, servants or laborers in this house of God.

25 "And you, 'Ezra, making use of the wisdom you have from your God, are to appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the territory beyond the River, that is, all who know the laws of your God; and you are to teach those who don't know them.

26 Whoever refuses to obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him swiftly, whether it be death, banishment, confiscation of goods or imprisonment."

27 Blessed be ADONAI, the God of our ancestors, who has put such a thing as this in the heart of the king, to restore the beauty of the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim,

28 and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's most powerful officials. So I took courage, since the hand of ADONAI my God was on me, and I gathered together out of Isra'el key men to go up with me.

Ezra 8

1 These are the heads of their fathers' clans, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Bavel during the reign of Artach'shashta the king:

2 of the descendants of Pinchas: Gershom; of the descendants of Itamar: Dani'el; of the descendants of David: Hatush;

3 of the descendants of Sh'khanyah: of the descendants of Par'osh: Z'kharyah, and with him 150 males officially registered;

4 of the descendants of Pachat-Mo'av: Ely'ho'einai the son of Z'rachyah, and with him 200 males;

5 of the descendants of Sh'khanyah: the son of Yachazi'el, and with him 300 males;

6 of the descendants of 'Adin: 'Eved the son of Yonatan, and with him 50 males;

7 of the descendants of 'Eilam: Yesha'yah the son of 'Atalyah, and with him 70 males;

8 of the descendants of Sh'fatyah: Z'vadyah the son of Mikha'el, and with him 80 males;

9 of the descendants of Yo'av: 'Ovadyah the son of Yechi'el, and with him 218 males;

10 of the descendants of Shlomit: the son of Yosifyah, and with him 160 males;

11 of the descendants of Bevai: Z'kharyah the son of Bevai, and with him 28 males;

12 of the descendants of 'Azgad: Yochanan the son of HaKatan, and with him 110 males;

13 of the descendants of Adonikam: the younger ones, whose names were Elifelet, Ye'i'el and Sh'ma'yah, and with them 60 males; and

14 of the descendants of Bigvai: 'Utai and Zakur, and with them 70 males.

15 I assembled them by the river that runs to Ahava, and we camped there three days. I reviewed the people and the cohanim but found no L'vi'im there.

16 So I sent for Eli'ezer, Ari'el, Sh'ma'yah, Elnatan, Yariv, Elnatan, Natan, Z'kharyah and Meshulam, who were leaders, and also for Yoyariv and Elnatan, who were men of discernment.

17 I gave them instructions for Iddo, the leading man in a place called Kasifya, and told them what to say to Iddo and his brother, who were in charge of Kasifya, so that they would bring us men to minister in the house of our God.

18 Since the good hand of our God was on us, they brought us Ish-Sekhel from the descendants of Machli the son of Levi, the son of Isra'el; Sherevyah with eighteen of his sons and kinsmen;

19 Hashavyah, with Yesha'yah, from the descendants of M'rari, and twenty of his kinsmen and their sons;

20 and from the temple servants, whom David and the princes had assigned to serve the L'vi'im, two hundred temple servants, all recorded by name.

21 Then, there at the Ahava River, I proclaimed a fast; so that we could humble ourselves before our God and ask a safe journey of him for ourselves, our little ones and all our possessions.

22 For I would have been ashamed to ask the king for a detachment of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies along the road, since we had said to the king, "The hand of our God is on all who seek him, for good; but his power and fury is against all who abandon him."

23 So we fasted and asked our God for this, and he answered our prayer.

24 Then I separated twelve of the chief cohanim, along with Sherevyah, Hashavyah and ten of their kinsmen.

25 I weighed out to them the silver, the gold and the utensils for the house of our God contributed by the king, his counselors, his princes and all Isra'el present there.

26 I weighed out and handed over to them twenty-one-and-a-half tons of silver, three-and-a-third tons of silver articles, three-and-a-third tons of gold,

27 twenty gold bowls weighing twenty-one pounds, and two vessels of fine burnished bronze as precious as gold.

28 Then I told them, "You are consecrated to ADONAI, the articles are holy, and the silver and gold are a voluntary offering for ADONAI the God of your ancestors.

29 Guard them carefully, until you weigh them before the chief cohanim and L'vi'im and the leaders of the fathers'clans in Yerushalayim, in the rooms of the house of ADONAI."

30 So the cohanim and L'vi'im received the consignment of silver and gold and the articles to bring to Yerushalayim, to the house of our God.

31 On the twelfth day of the first month, we left the Ahava River to go to Yerushalayim. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and surprise attacks along the road.

32 In time, we arrived at Yerushalayim, where we rested for three days.

33 On the fourth day, the silver, gold and articles were weighed in the house of our God and handed over to M'remot the son of Uriyah the cohen; with him was El'azar the son of Pinchas; and with them were Yozavad the son of Yeshua and No'adyah the son of Binui, who were L'vi'im.

34 The entire consignment was numbered and weighed, and at the same time the total weight was recorded.

35 The exiles who had returned from captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Isra'el - twelve young bulls for all Isra'el, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering; all this was a burnt offering for ADONAI.

36 They also delivered the king's orders to the king's viceroys and governors beyond the [Euphrates] River; and these gave their support to the people and to the house of God.

Psalm 94

1 God of vengeance, ADONAI! God of vengeance, appear!

2 Assert yourself as judge of the earth! Pay back the proud as they deserve!

3 How long are the wicked, ADONAI, how long are the wicked to triumph?

4 They pour out insolent words, they go on bragging, all these evildoers.

5 They crush your people, ADONAI, they oppress your heritage.

6 They kill widows and strangers and murder the fatherless.

7 They say, "Yah isn't looking; the God of Ya'akov won't notice."

8 Take notice, yourselves, you boors among the people! You fools, when will you understand?

9 Will the one who planted the ear not hear? Will the one who formed the eye not see?

10 Will the one who disciplines nations not correct them? Will the teacher of humanity not know?

11 ADONAI understands that people's thoughts are merely a puff of wind.

12 How happy the man whom you correct, Yah, whom you teach from your Torah,

13 giving him respite from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked!

14 For ADONAI will not desert his people, he will not abandon his heritage.

15 Justice will once again become righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who will champion my cause against the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers?

17 If ADONAI hadn't helped me, I would soon have dwelt in the land of silence.

18 When I said, "My foot is slipping!"your grace, ADONAI, supported me.

19 When my cares within me are many, your comforts cheer me up.

20 Can unjust judges be allied with you, those producing wrong in the name of law?

21 They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

22 But ADONAI has become my stronghold, my God is my rock of refuge.

23 But he repays them as their guilt deserves; he will cut them off with their own evil; ADONAI our God will cut them off.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

September 29

Jude 1; Ezra 9-10; Psalm 95 CJB

Jude 1

1 From: Y'hudah, a slave of Yeshua the Messiah and a brother of Ya'akov To: Those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept for Yeshua the Messiah:

2 May mercy, love and shalom be yours in full measure.

3 Dear friends, I was busily at work writing to you about the salvation we share, when I found it necessary to write, urging you to keep contending earnestly for the faith which was once and for all passed on to God's people.

4 For certain individuals, the ones written about long ago as being meant for this condemnation, have wormed their way in - ungodly people who pervert God's grace into a license for debauchery and disown our only Master and Lord, Yeshua the Messiah.

5 Since you already know all this, my purpose is only to remind you that ADONAI, who once delivered the people from Egypt, later destroyed those who did not trust.

6 And the angels that did not keep within their original authority, but abandoned their proper sphere, he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for the Judgment of the Great Day.

7 And S'dom, 'Amora and the surrounding cities, following a pattern like theirs, committing sexual sins and perversions, lie exposed as a warning of the everlasting fire awaiting those who must undergo punishment.

8 Likewise, these people, with their visions, defile their own flesh, despise godly authority and insult angelic beings.

9 When Mikha'el, one of the ruling angels, took issue with the Adversary, arguing over the body of Moshe, he did not dare bring against him an insulting charge, but said, "May ADONAI rebuke you."

10 However, these people insult anything they don't understand; and what they do understand naturally, without thinking, like animals - by these things they are destroyed!

11 Woe to them, in that they have walked the road of Kayin, they have given themselves over for money to the error of Bil'am, they have been destroyed in the rebellion of Korach.

12 These men are filthy spots at your festive gatherings meant to foster love; they share your meals without a qualm, while caring only for themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by the winds; trees without fruit even in autumn, and doubly dead because they have been uprooted;

13 savage sea-waves heaving forth their shameful deeds like foam; wandering stars for whom the blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

14 Moreover, Hanokh, in the seventh generation starting with Adam, also prophesied about these men, saying, "Look! ADONAI came with his myriads of holy ones

15 to execute judgment against everyone, that is, to convict all the godless for their godless deeds which they have done in such a godless way, and for all the harsh words these godless sinners have spoken against him."

16 These people are grumblers and complainers, they follow their evil passions, their mouths speak grandiosities, and they flatter others to gain advantage.

17 But you, dear friends, keep in mind the words spoken in advance by the emissaries of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

18 They told you, "During the acharithayamim there will be scoffers following their own godless passions."

19 These are the people who cause divisions. They are controlled by their impulses, because they don't have the Spirit.

20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith, and pray in union with the Ruach HaKodesh.

21 Thus keep yourselves in God's love, as you wait for our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to give you the mercy that leads to eternal life.

22 Rebuke some who are disputing;

23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and to yet others, show mercy, but with fear, hating even the clothes stained by their vices.

24 Now, to the one who can keep you from falling and set you without defect and full of joy in the presence of his Sh'khinah to God alone, our Deliverer, through Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord be glory, majesty, power and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

Ezra 9

1 After these things had been done, the leaders approached me and said, "The people of Isra'el, the cohanim and the L'vi'im have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands and their disgusting practices - the Kena'ani, Hitti, P'rizi, Y'vusi, 'Amoni, Mo'avi, Egyptians and Emori.

2 They have taken some of the women from these nations as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has assimilated to the peoples of the lands; moreover, the officials and leaders have been the main offenders in this treachery."

3 When I heard this, I tore my robe and tunic, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down in shock.

4 All who trembled at the words of the God of Isra'el assembled around me when confronted with the treachery of these exiles; and I sat there in shock until the evening offering.

5 At the evening offering, with my cloak and tunic torn, I got up from afflicting myself, fell on my knees, spread out my hands to ADONAI my God,

6 and said, "My God, I am ashamed. I blush to lift my face to you, my God! For our sins tower over our heads; our guilt reaches up to heaven.

7 Since the times of our ancestors, we have been deeply guilty; and because of our sins, we, our kings and our cohanim have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to exile, to pillage and to disgrace, as is the case today.

8 Now, for a brief moment, ADONAI our God has shown us the favor of allowing a remnant to escape and giving us a secure foothold in his holy place, in order for God to make things look brighter to us and revive us a little in our slavery.

9 For we are slaves. Yet our God has not abandoned us in our slavery, but has caused the kings of Persia to extend grace to us, reviving us, so that we can rebuild the house of our God, repair its ruins, and have a wall of defense in Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.

10 "But now, our God, what are we to say after this? For we have abandoned your mitzvot,

11 which you gave us through your servants the prophets when they said, 'The land which you are going to in order to take possession of it is a land defiled by the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, because of their disgusting practices, which have filled it with their filth from one end to the other.

12 Therefore, you are not to give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons; and you are not to promote their peace or prosperity ever. Only in this way will you grow strong, enjoy the good things of the land and leave it as a lasting inheritance to your children.'

13 Now, after all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our deep guilt - and even so, you, our God, have punished us less than our sins deserve and have given us a surviving remnant -

14 are we to break your mitzvot again by making marriages with the peoples who have these disgusting practices? Won't you become so angry with us that you would destroy us completely, so that there would be no surviving remnant and no one who escapes?

15 ADONAI, God of Isra'el! You are just; yet we have been left a surviving remnant that has escaped, as is the case today. Look, we are before you in our guilt; because of it, no one can stand in your presence."

Ezra 10

1 While 'Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrated before the house of God, a huge crowd of Isra'el's men, women and children gathered around him; and the people were weeping bitterly.

2 Sh'khanyah the son of Yechi'el, one of the descendants of 'Eilam, spoke up and said to 'Ezra, "We have acted treacherously toward our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples of the land. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Isra'el.

3 We should make a covenant with our God to send away all these wives, along with their children, in obedience to the advice of Adonai and of those who tremble at the mitzvah of our God; let us act in accordance with the Torah.

4 Stand up, and do your duty, for we are with you; take courage, and do it!"

5 'Ezra stood up, and he made the chief cohanim, the L'vi'im and all Isra'el swear that they would act according to what had been said; and they took the oath.

6 'Ezra then left his place in front of the house of God and went to the room of Y'hochanan the son of Elyashiv. After going there, he neither ate food nor drank water; because he was mourning over the treachery of the exiles.

7 A proclamation was issued throughout Y'hudah and Yerushalayim that all the exiles were to assemble in Yerushalayim;

8 and that whoever didn't come within three days, in answer to the summons from the officials and leaders, would forfeit all he owned and himself be banished from the community of the exiles.

9 All the men of Y'hudah and Binyamin assembled in Yerushalayim within the three days. It was the twentieth day of the ninth month. All the people sat in the open place in front of the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.

10 'Ezra the cohen stood up and addressed them: "You have acted treacherously by marrying foreign women and have thus increased Isra'el's guilt.

11 Now, therefore, make confession to ADONAI, the God of your ancestors; and do what will please him by separating yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women."

12 In response, the whole assembly cried aloud, "Yes, our duty is to do as you have said.

13 But there are many people, and it's the rainy season - we can't stay out here in the open. Also, it isn't the work of a day or two; for there are many of us who have committed this crime.

14 Let our leaders represent the whole community; and let all those in our cities who have married foreign women appear at prearranged times, accompanied by the elders and judges of each city; until our God's fierce anger over this has been turned away from us."

15 Only Yonatan the son of 'Asah'el and Yachz'yah the son of Tikvah, supported by Meshulam and Shabtai the Levi, opposed this.

16 The exiles did as agreed. 'Ezra the cohen chose heads of fathers' clans by name, and they began their sessions to look into the matter on the first day of the tenth month.

17 They finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women by the first day of the first month.

18 Among the cohanim were found these who had married foreign women: of the sons of Yeshua the son of Yotzadak and his brothers: Ma'aseiyah, Eli'ezer, Yariv and G'dalyah.

19 They promised that they would send their wives away; and since they were guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt.

20 Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Z'vadyah;

21 of the sons of Harim: Ma'aseiyah, Eliyah, Sh'ma'yah, Yechi'el and 'Uziyah;

22 of the sons of Pash'chur: Elyo'einai, Ma'aseiyah, Yishma'el, N'tan'el, Yozavad and El'asah.

23 Of the L'vi'im: Yozavad, Shim'i, K'layah (also known as K'lita), P'tachyah, Y'hudah and Eli'ezer.

24 Of the singers: Elyashiv. Of the gatekeepers: Shalum, Telem and Uri.

25 Of Isra'el: of the descendants of Par'osh: Ramyah, Yizziyah, Malkiyah, Miyamin, El'azar, Malkiyah and B'nayah;

26 of the descendants of 'Eilam: Mattanyah, Z'kharyah, Yechi'el, 'Avdi, Yeremot and Eliyah;

27 of the descendants of Zatu: Elyo'einai, Elyashiv, Mattanyah, Yeremot, Zavad and 'Aziza;

28 of the descendants of B'vai: Y'hochanan, Hananyah, Zabai and 'Atlai;

29 of the descendants of Bani: Meshulam, Malukh, 'Adayah, Yashuv, Sh'al and Ramot;

30 of the descendants of Pachat-Mo'av: 'Adna, K'lal, B'nayah, Ma'aseiyah, Mattanyah, B'tzal'el, Binui and M'nasheh;

31 of the descendants of Harim: Eli'ezer, Yishiyah, Malkiyah, Sh'ma'yah, Shim'on,

32 Binyamin, Malukh, and Sh'maryah;

33 of the descendants of Hashum: Matnai, Matatah, Zavad, Elifelet, Yeremai, M'nasheh and Shim'i;

34 of the descendants of Bani: Ma'adai, 'Amram, U'el,

35 B'nayah, Bedyah, K'luhu,

36 Vanyah, M'remot, Elyashiv,

37 Mattanyah, Matnai, Ya'asai,

38 Bani, Binui, Shim'i,

39 Shelemyah, Natan, 'Adayah,

40 Makhnavdai, Shashai, Sharai,

41 'Azar'el, Shelemyah, Sh'maryah,

42 Shalum, Amaryah and Yosef; and

43 of the descendants of N'vo: Ye'i'el, Mattityah, Zavad, Z'vina, Yadai, Yo'el and B'nayah.

44 All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had had children.

Psalm 95

1 Come, let's sing to ADONAI! Let's shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation!

2 Let's come into his presence with thanksgiving; let's shout for joy to him with songs of praise.

3 For ADONAI is a great God, a great king greater than all gods.

4 He holds the depths of the earth in his hands; the mountain peaks too belong to him.

5 The sea is his - he made it -and his hands shaped the dry land.

6 Come, let's bow down and worship; let's kneel before ADONAI who made us.

7 For he is our God, and we are the people in his pasture, the sheep in his care. If only today you would listen to his voice:

8 "Don't harden your hearts, as you did at M'rivah, as you did on that day at Massah in the desert,

9 when your fathers put me to the test; they challenged me, even though they saw my work.

10 For forty years I loathed that generation; I said, 'This is a people whose hearts go astray, they don't understand how I do things.'

11 Therefore I swore in my anger that they would not enter my rest."

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Today's Bible Reading

September 30

Revelation 1; Nehemiah 1-2; Psalm 96 CJB

Revelation 1

1 This is the revelation which God gave to Yeshua the Messiah, so that he could show his servants what must happen very soon. He communicated it by sending his angel to his servant Yochanan,

2 who bore witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Yeshua the Messiah, as much as he saw.

3 Blessed are the reader and hearers of the words of this prophecy, provided they obey the things written in it! For the time is near!

4 From: Yochanan To: The seven Messianic communities in the province of Asia: Grace and shalom to you from the One who is, who was and who is coming; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne;

5 and from Yeshua the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the earth's kings. To him, the one who loves us, who has freed us from our sins at the cost of his blood,

6 who has caused us to be a kingdom, that is, cohanim for God, his Father - to him be the glory and the rulership forever and ever. Amen.

7 Look! He is coming with the clouds! Every eye will see him, including those who pierced him; and all the tribes of the Land will mourn him. Yes! Amen!

8 "I am the 'A' and the 'Z,'" says ADONAI, God of heaven's armies, the One who is, who was and who is coming.

9 I, Yochanan, am a brother of yours and a fellow-sharer in the suffering, kingship and perseverance that come from being united with Yeshua. I had been exiled to the island called Patmos for having proclaimed the message of God and borne witness to Yeshua.

10 I came to be, in the Spirit, on the Day of the Lord; and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet,

11 saying, "Write down what you see on a scroll, and send it to the seven Messianic communities - Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea!"

12 I turned around to see who was speaking to me; and when I had turned, I saw seven gold menorahs;

13 and among the menorahs was someone like a Son of Man, wearing a robe down to his feet and a gold band around his chest.

14 His head and hair were as white as snow-white wool, his eyes like a fiery flame,

15 his feet like burnished brass refined in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of rushing waters.

16 In his right hand he held seven stars, out of his mouth went a sharp double-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

17 When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He placed his right hand upon me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last,

18 the Living One. I was dead, but look! - I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys to Death and Sh'ol.

19 So write down what you see, both what is now, and what will happen afterwards.

20 Here is the secret meaning of the seven stars you saw in my right hand, and of the seven gold menorahs: the seven stars are the angels of the seven Messianic communities, and the seven menorahs are the seven Messianic communities.

Nehemiah 1

1 The words of Nechemyah the son of Hakhalyah: It was in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the capital,

2 that Hanani, one of my kinsmen, came out of Y'hudah with some men; and I asked them about the remnant of Judeans who had escaped the exile, and about Yerushalayim.

3 They answered me, "The remnant of the exile left there in the province are in great distress and are held in contempt, the wall of Yerushalayim is in ruins, and its gates have been completely burned up."

4 On hearing this answer, I sat down and wept; I mourned for several days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

5 I said, "Please, ADONAI! God of heaven! You great and fearsome God, who keeps his covenant and extends grace to those who love him and observe his mitzvot!

6 Let your ear now be attentive and your eyes be open, so that you will listen to the prayer of your servant, which I am praying before you these days, day and night, for the people of Isra'el your servants - even as I confess the sins of the people of Isra'el that we have committed against you. Yes, I and my father's house have sinned.

7 We have deeply offended you. We haven't observed the mitzvot, laws or rulings you ordered your servant Moshe.

8 Remember, please, the word you gave through your servant Moshe, 'If you break faith, I will scatter you among the peoples;

9 but if you return to me, observe my mitzvot and obey them, then, even if your scattered ones are in the most distant part of heaven, nevertheless, I will collect them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen for bearing my name.'

10 Now these are your servants, your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and strong hand.

11 Adonai, please, let your ear now be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take joy in fearing your name: please let your servant succeed today and win this man's compassion"- for I was the king's personal attendant.

Nehemiah 2

1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artach'shashta the king, it happened that I took the wine and brought it to the king. Prior to then I had never appeared sad in his presence.

2 The king asked, "Why do you look so sad? You're not sick, so this must be some deep inner grief."At this, I became very fearful,

3 as I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why shouldn't I look sad, when the city, the place where my ancestors' tombs are, lies in ruins; and its gates are completely burned up?"

4 The king asked me, "What is it that you want?" I prayed to the God of heaven,

5 then said to the king, "If it pleases the king, if your servant has won your favor, send me to Y'hudah, to the city of my ancestors' tombs, so that I can rebuild it."

6 With the queen sitting next to him, the king asked me, "How long is your trip going to take? When will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a time.

7 I then said to the king, "If it pleases the king, have letters given to me for the governors of the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River, so that they will let me pass through until I reach Y'hudah;

8 and also a letter for Asaf the supervisor of the royal forests, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress belonging to the house, for the city wall and for the house I will be occupying." The king gave me these, according to the good hand of my God on me.

9 I went to the governors of the territory beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. The king had sent with me an escort of army captains and cavalry.

10 When Sanvalat the Horoni and Toviyah the servant, the 'Amoni, heard about this, they were very displeased that someone had come to promote the welfare of the people of Isra'el.

11 So I reached Yerushalayim. After I had been there for three days,

12 I got up during the night, I and a few men with me. I hadn't told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Yerushalayim; and I didn't take any animal with me except the animal on which I was riding.

13 I went out by night through the Valley Gate, to the Dragon's Well and the Dung Gate, and inspected the places where the walls of Yerushalayim were broken down and where its gates had been burned down.

14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass.

15 So I went up the valley in the dark and went on inspecting the wall; then I turned back, entered through the Valley Gate and returned,

16 without the officials' knowing where I had gone or what I had done. Till then, I hadn't said anything about this to the Judeans, cohanim, nobles, officials or anyone who would be responsible for the work.

17 Afterwards, I said to them, "You see what a sad state we are in, how Yerushalayim lies in ruins, with it gates burned up. Come, let's rebuild the wall of Yerushalayim, so that we won't continue in disgrace."

18 I also told them of the gracious hand of my God that had been on me, also what the king had said to me. They said, "Let's start building at once," and energetically set out to do this good work.

19 When Sanvalat the Horoni, Toviyah the servant, the 'Amoni, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they began mocking us and jeering, "What is this you are doing? Are you going to rebel against the king?"

20 But I answered them: "The God of heaven will enable us to succeed. Therefore we his servants will set about rebuilding. But you have no share, right or history to commemorate in Yerushalayim."

Psalm 96

1 Sing to ADONAI a new song! Sing to ADONAI, all the earth!

2 Sing to ADONAI, bless his name! Proclaim his victory day after day!

3 Declare his glory among the nations, his wonders among all peoples!

4 For ADONAI is great, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared more than all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but ADONAI made the heavens.

6 In his presence are honor and majesty; in his sanctuary, strength and splendor.

7 Give ADONAI his due, you families from the peoples; give ADONAI his due of glory and strength;

8 give ADONAI the glory due to his name; bring an offering, and enter his courtyards.

9 Worship ADONAI in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth!

10 Say among the nations, "ADONAI is king!"The world is firmly established, immovable. He will judge the peoples fairly.

11 Let the heavens rejoice; let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and everything in it;

12 let the fields exult and all that is in them. Then all the trees in the forest will sing

13 before ADONAI, because he has come, he has come to judge the earth; he will judge the world rightly and the peoples with his faithfulness.

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Today's Bible Reading

October 1

Revelation 2; Nehemiah 3; Psalm 97 NIV

Revelation 2

1 "To the angel of the Messianic Community in Ephesus, write: 'Here is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven gold menorahs:

2 "I know what you have been doing, how hard you have worked, how you have persevered, and how you can't stand wicked people; so you tested those who call themselves emissaries but aren't - and you found them to be liars.

3 You are persevering, and you have suffered for my sake without growing weary.

4 But I have this against you: you have lost the love you had at first.

5 Therefore, remember where you were before you fell, turn from this sin, and do what you used to do before. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your menorah from its place - if you don't turn from your sin!

6 But you have this in your favor: you hate what the Nicolaitans do - I hate it too.

7 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities. To him winning the victory I will give the right to eat from the Tree of Life which is in God's Gan-'Eden."'

8 "To the angel of the Messianic Community in Smyrna, write: 'Here is the message from the First and the Last, who died and came alive again:

9 "I know how you are suffering and how poor you are (though in fact you are rich!), and I know the insults of those who call themselves Jews but aren't - on the contrary, they are a synagogue of the Adversary.

10 Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Adversary is going to have some of you thrown in prison, in order to put you to the test; and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful, even to the point of death; and I will give you life as your crown.

11 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities. He who wins the victory will not be hurt at all by the second death."'

12 "To the angel of the Messianic Community in Pergamum, write: 'Here is the message from the one who has the sharp double-edged sword:

13 "I know where you are living, there where the Adversary's throne is. Yet you are holding onto my name. You did not deny trusting me even at the time when my faithful witness Antipas was put to death in your town, there where the Adversary lives.

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have some people who hold to the teaching of Bil'am, who taught Balak to set a trap for the people of Isra'el, so that they would eat food that had been sacrificed to idols and commit sexual sin.

15 Likewise, you too have people who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

16 Therefore, turn from these sins. Otherwise, I will come to you very soon and make war against them with the sword of my mouth.

17 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities. To him winning the victory I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone, on which is written a new name that nobody knows except the one receiving it."'

18 "To the angel of the Messianic Community in Thyatira, write: 'Here is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like burnished brass:

19 I know what you are doing, your love, trust, service and perseverance. And I know that you are doing more now than before.

20 But I have this against you: you continue to tolerate that Izevel woman, the one who claims to be a prophet, but is teaching and deceiving my servants to commit sexual sin and eat food that has been sacrificed to idols.

21 I gave her time to turn from her sin, but she doesn't want to repent of her immorality.

22 So I am throwing her into a sickbed; and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great trouble, unless they turn from the sins connected with what she does;

23 and I will strike her children dead! Then all the Messianic communities will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and that I will give to each of you what your deeds deserve.

24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, to those who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some people call the 'deep things' of the Adversary, I say this: I am not loading you up with another burden;

25 only hold fast to what you have until I come.

26 To him who wins the victory and does what I want until the goal is reached, I will give him authority over the nations;

27 he will rule them with a staff of iron and dash them to pieces like pottery,

28 just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.

29 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities."'

Nehemiah 3

1 Then Elyashiv the cohen hagadol set out with his fellow cohanim, and they rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set up its doors; they consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred and on to the Tower of Hanan'el.

2 Next to him the men from Yericho built. Next to him Zakur the son of Imri built.

3 The sons of Hasna'ah rebuilt the Fish Gate; they installed its timber framework and set up its doors, along with its bolts and bars.

4 Next to them M'remot the son of Uriyah, the son of Hakotz, made repairs. Next to them Meshulam the son of Berekhyah, the son of Mesheizav'el, made repairs. Next to them Tzadok the son of Ba'ana made repairs.

5 Next to them the men from T'koa made repairs; but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.

6 Yoyada the son of Paseach and Meshulam the son of B'sodyah made repairs to the Old City Gate; they installed its timber framework and set up its doors, along with its bolts and bars.

7 Next to them M'latyah the Giv'oni, Yadon the Meronoti and the men from Giv'on and Mitzpah made repairs; they worked for the people associated with the governor of the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River.

8 Next to them 'Uzi'el the son of Harhayah, goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him Hananyah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs; they renovated Yerushalayim as far as the Broad Wall.

9 Next to them Refayah the son of Hur, leader of half the district of Yerushalayim, made repairs.

10 Next to him Y'dayah the son of Harumaf made repairs opposite his own house. Next to him Hatush the son of Hashavn'yah made repairs.

11 Malkiyah the son of Harim and Hashuv the son of Pachat-Mo'av made repairs on another section and on the Tower of the Ovens.

12 Next to him Shalum the son of HaLochesh, leader of half the district of Yerushalayim, he and his daughters, made repairs.

13 Hanun and the people living in Zanoach repaired the Valley Gate; they rebuilt it and set up its doors, along with its bolts and bars; and they rebuilt 1,500 feet of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate.

14 Malkiyah the son of Rechav, leader of the district of Beit-Hakerem, repaired the Dung Gate; he rebuilt it and set up its doors, along with its bolts and bars.

15 Shalun the son of Kol-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mitzpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he rebuilt it, covered it and set up its doors, along with its bolts and bars; he also rebuilt the wall of the Pool of Shelach, by the royal garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David.

16 After him Nechemyah the son of Azbuk, leader of half the district of Beit-Tzur, made repairs from the place opposite the tombs of David as far as the artificial pool and the soldiers' barracks.

17 After him the L'vi'im made repairs: Rechum the son of Bani; next to him Hashavyah, leader of half the district of Ke'ilah, made repairs for his district.

18 After him their colleagues, Bavai the son of Henadad, leader of half the district of Ke'ilah, made repairs.

19 Next to him 'Ezer the son of Yeshua, leader of Mitzpah, made repairs on another section, opposite the ascent to the armory at the Angle.

20 After him Barukh the son of Zakkai worked diligently making repairs on another section, from the Angle to the door of the house of Elyashiv the cohen hagadol.

21 After him M'remot the son of Uriyah made repairs on another section, from the door of the house of Elyashiv to the end of the house of Elyashiv.

22 After him the cohanim from the plain made repairs.

23 After them Binyamin and Hashuv made repairs opposite their house. After them 'Azaryah the son of Ma'aseiyah, the son of 'Ananyah, made repairs next to his house.

24 After him Binui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of 'Azaryah to the Angle and to the Corner.

25 Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the Angle and the tower that projects out from the upper part of the royal palace near the Courtyard of the Guard. After him P'dayah the son of Par'osh made repairs

26 (since the temple servants were living in the 'Ofel) as far as opposite the Water Gate to the east and the tower that projects out.

27 After him the men from T'koa repaired another section, opposite the great tower that projects out and on to the wall of the 'Ofel.

28 Above the Horse Gate the cohanim made repairs, each one opposite his own house.

29 After them Tzadok the son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. After him Sh'ma'yah the son of Sh'khanyah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs.

30 After him Hananyah the son of Shelemyah and Hanun the sixth son of Tzalaf made repairs on another section. After him Meshulam the son of Berekhyah made repairs opposite his own room.

31 After him Malkiyah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Mustering Gate and on to the upper room at the corner.

32 Finally, between the upper room at the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.

Psalm 97

1 ADONAI is king, let the earth rejoice, let the many coasts and islands be glad.

2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3 Fire goes before him, setting ablaze his foes on every side.

4 His flashes of lightning light up the world; the earth sees it and trembles.

5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of ADONAI, at the presence of the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.

7 All who worship images will be put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols. Bow down to him, all you gods!

8 Tziyon hears and is glad, ADONAI; the daughters of Y'hudah rejoice at your rulings.

9 For you, ADONAI, most high over all the earth, you are exalted far above all gods.

10 You who love ADONAI, hate evil! He keeps his faithful servants safe. He rescues them from the power of the wicked.

11 Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart.

12 Rejoice in ADONAI, you righteous; and give thanks on recalling his holiness.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

October 2

Revelation 3; Nehemiah 4; Psalm 98 CJB

Revelation 3

1 "To the angel of the Messianic Community in Sardis, write: 'Here is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: "I know what you are doing - you have a reputation for being alive, but in fact you are dead!

2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains, before it dies too! For I have found what you are doing incomplete in the sight of my God.

3 So remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and turn from your sin! For if you don't wake up, I will come like a thief; and you don't know at what moment I will come upon you.

4 Nevertheless, you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; and they will walk with me, clothed in white, because they are worthy.

5 He who wins the victory will, like them, be dressed in white clothing; and I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life; in fact, I will acknowledge him individually before my Father and before his angels.

6 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities."'

7 "To the angel of the Messianic Community in Philadelphia, write: 'Here is the message of HaKadosh, the True One, the one who has the key of David, who, if he opens something, no one else can shut it, and if he closes something, no one else can open it.

8 "I know what you are doing. Look, I have put in front of you an open door, and no one can shut it. I know that you have but little power, yet you have obeyed my message and have not disowned me.

9 Here, I will give you some from the synagogue of the Adversary, those who call themselves Jews but aren't - on the contrary, they are lying - see, I will cause them to come and prostrate themselves at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you.

10 Because you did obey my message about persevering, I will keep you from the time of trial coming upon the whole world to put the people living on earth to the test.

11 I am coming soon; hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.

12 I will make him who wins the victory a pillar in the Temple of my God, and he will never leave it. Also I will write on him the name of my God and the name of my God's city, the new Yerushalayim coming down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.

13 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities."'

14 "To the angel of the Messianic Community in Laodicea, write: 'Here is the message from the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the Ruler of God's creation:

15 "I know what you are doing: you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either one or the other!

16 So, because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth!

17 For you keep saying, 'I am rich, I have gotten rich, I don't need a thing!' You don't know that you are the one who is wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked!

18 My advice to you is to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich; and white clothing, so that you may be dressed and not have to be ashamed of your nakedness; and eyesalve to rub on your eyes, so that you may see.

19 As for me, I rebuke and discipline everyone I love; so exert yourselves, and turn from your sins!

20 Here, I'm standing at the door, knocking. If someone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me.

21 I will let him who wins the victory sit with me on my throne, just as I myself also won the victory and sat down with my Father on his throne.

22 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities."'"

Nehemiah 4

1 But when Sanvalat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious. Greatly enraged, he ridiculed the Judeans;

2 before his kinsmen and the army of Shomron he said, "What are these pathetic Judeans doing? Are they going to rebuild anything they want? Are they going to sacrifice? Are they going to finish today? Are they going to recover useful stones from the piles of rubble, burned rubble at that?"

3 Toviyah the 'Amoni was with him, and he said, "Whatever they're building, why, if even a fox went up it, he'd knock their stone wall down!"

4 Our God, listen! We are being treated with contempt. Turn back their jeers on their own heads; give them over to be plundered in a land of exile.

5 Don't cover their guilt, don't let their sin be wiped out from before you; because they have insulted the builders to their face.

6 So we kept building the wall, which was soon joined together and completed to half its height all the way around; because the people worked with a will.

7 But when Sanvalat, Toviyah, the Arabs, the 'Amonim and the Ashdodim heard that the repairs on the walls of Yerushalayim were going forward, and the breaks were being filled in, they became very angry.

8 All of them together plotted to come and fight against Yerushalayim and thus throw us into confusion.

9 However, we prayed to our God and, because of them, organized a watch against them day and night.

10 Y'hudah was saying, "The strength of the people who carry loads away is starting to fail, and there is so much rubble that we can't build the wall."

11 Our enemies were saying, "They won't know or see anything, until we have already infiltrated them and begun killing them and stopping the work."

12 And even the Judeans living near them came and must have said to us ten times, "From every place you must come back to us."

13 So in the lower parts of the space behind the wall, I stationed men according to their families, with their swords, spears and bows.

14 After inspecting them, I stood up and addressed the nobles, leaders and the rest of the people: "Don't be afraid of them! Remember Adonai, who is great and fearful; and fight for your brothers, sons, daughters, wives and homes."

15 When our enemies heard that the plot was known to us, and God had foiled their plans, we all returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

16 From then on, half of my men would do the work; and half of them held the spears, shields, bows and armor; while the leaders stood guard behind the entire house of Y'hudah,

17 as they continued building the wall. Those who carried loads held their loads with one hand and carried a weapon in the other.

18 As for the construction-workers, each one had his sword sheathed at his side; that is how they built. The man to sound the alarm on the shofar stayed with me.

19 I said to the nobles, the leaders and the rest of the people, "This is a great work, and it is spread out; we are separated on the wall, one far from another.

20 But wherever you are, when you hear the sound of the shofar, come to that place, to us. Our God will fight for us!"

21 So we kept doing the work. Half of them held spears from daybreak until the stars appeared.

22 Also at that time I told the people, "Let everyone with a servant stay the night within Yerushalayim, so that at night they can be a guard for us, even as they work during the day."

23 I, my kinsmen, my servants and my bodyguards never took off our clothes, and everyone who went to get water took his weapon.

Psalm 98

1 A psalm: Sing a new song to ADONAI, because he has done wonders. His right hand, his holy arm have won him victory.

2 ADONAI has made known his victory; revealed his vindication in full view of the nations,

3 remembered his grace and faithfulness to the house of Isra'el. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

4 Shout for joy to ADONAI, all the earth! Break forth, sing for joy, sing praises!

5 Sing praises to ADONAI with the lyre, with the lyre and melodious music!

6 With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, shout for joy before the king, ADONAI!

7 Let the sea roar, and everything in it; the world, and those living in it.

8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the mountains sing together for joy

9 before ADONAI, for he has come to judge the earth; he will judge the world rightly and the peoples fairly.