4th October

¹ Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.² And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.³ And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.⁴ And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots.⁵ And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.⁶ Then David put garrisons in Syriadamascus; and the Syrians became David's servants, and brought gifts. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.⁷ And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.⁸ Likewise from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brasen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.⁹ Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah;¹⁰ He sent Hadoram his son to king David, to enquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;) and with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass.¹¹ Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.¹² Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen thousand.¹³ And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became David's servants. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.¹⁴ So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people.¹⁵ And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, recorder.¹⁶ And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Shavsha was scribe;¹⁷ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.

¹ Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.² And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.³ But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?⁴ Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.⁵ Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.⁶ And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah.⁷ So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.⁸ And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.⁹ And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field.¹⁰ Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.¹¹ And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.¹² And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee.¹³ Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.¹⁴ So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.¹⁵ And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.¹⁶ And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.¹⁷ And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.¹⁸ But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.¹⁹ And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.

¹ The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,² Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, Woe worth the day!³ For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.⁴ And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down.⁵ Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.⁶ Thus saith the LORD; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.⁷ And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted.⁸ And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed.⁹ In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh.¹⁰ Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.¹¹ He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.¹² And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I the LORD have spoken it.¹³ Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.¹⁴ And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No.¹⁵ And I will pour my fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No.¹⁶ And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall have great pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily.¹⁷ The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword: and these cities shall go into captivity.¹⁸ At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt: and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.¹⁹ Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt: and they shall know that I am the LORD.²⁰ And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²¹ Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword.²² Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.²³ And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.²⁴ And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh's arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man.²⁵ But I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt.²⁶ And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

¹ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.² Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.³ For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.⁴ Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.⁵ For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.⁶ For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.⁷ Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?⁸ This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.⁹ A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.¹⁰ I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.¹¹ And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.¹² I would they were even cut off which trouble you.¹³ For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.¹⁵ But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.¹⁶ This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.¹⁷ For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.¹⁸ But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.²⁴ And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.²⁶ Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

¹ Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.² Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.³ For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.⁴ But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.⁵ For every man shall bear his own burden.⁶ Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.⁹ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.¹⁰ As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.¹¹ Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.¹² As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.¹³ For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.¹⁴ But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.¹⁵ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.¹⁶ And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.¹⁷ From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.¹⁸ Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.