Daily Readings

¹ Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,² The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.³ The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.⁴ And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.⁵ Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.⁶ But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:⁷ But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.⁸ These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.⁹ And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:¹⁰ He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.¹¹ And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.¹² But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.¹³ And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.¹⁴ And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.¹⁵ And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!¹⁶ And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.¹⁷ And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.¹⁸ And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.¹⁹ Was he not most honourable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.²⁰ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:²¹ And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.²² These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.²³ He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.²⁴ Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,²⁵ Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,²⁶ Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,²⁷ Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,²⁸ Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,²⁹ Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,³⁰ Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,³¹ Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,³² Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,³³ Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,³⁴ Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,³⁵ Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,³⁶ Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,³⁸ Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,³⁹ Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.

¹ In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,² Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:³ If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.⁴ And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,⁵ To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;⁶ Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.⁷ So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.⁸ Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.⁹ Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.¹⁰ When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD's house.¹¹ Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.¹² Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.¹³ Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.¹⁴ As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.¹⁵ But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.¹⁶ Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.¹⁷ Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,¹⁸ Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.¹⁹ Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.²⁰ And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.²¹ And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;²² And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.²³ And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.²⁴ Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

¹ We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.² Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.³ For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.⁴ For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.⁵ Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:⁶ That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.⁷ Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.⁸ Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:⁹ And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.¹⁰ And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.¹¹ And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.¹² And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.¹³ Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.¹⁴ And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.¹⁵ Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,¹⁶ That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.¹⁷ I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.¹⁸ For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,¹⁹ Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.²⁰ Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:²¹ But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.²² For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.²³ But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;²⁴ Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.²⁵ But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.²⁶ For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.²⁷ It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.²⁸ When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.²⁹ And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.³⁰ Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;³¹ That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;³² That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.³³ Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

¹ I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:² That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.³ Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:⁴ Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.⁵ Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.⁶ Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.⁷ Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.⁸ Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.⁹ Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.¹⁰ Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household.¹¹ Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.¹² Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.¹³ Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.¹⁴ Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.¹⁵ Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.¹⁶ Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.¹⁷ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.¹⁸ For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.¹⁹ For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.²⁰ And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.²¹ Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.²² I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.²³ Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.²⁴ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.²⁵ Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,²⁶ But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:²⁷ To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.