Daily Readings

¹ And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.² And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us:³ And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.⁴ And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.⁵ So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.⁶ And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.⁷ And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.⁸ And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.⁹ And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.¹⁰ And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.¹¹ And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day.¹² And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?¹³ So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.¹⁴ And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had.

¹ Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him an house.² And David perceived that the LORD had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high, because of his people Israel.³ And David took more wives at Jerusalem: and David begat more sons and daughters.⁴ Now these are the names of his children which he had in Jerusalem; Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon,⁵ And Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpalet,⁶ And Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,⁷ And Elishama, and Beeliada, and Eliphalet.⁸ And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it, and went out against them.⁹ And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.¹⁰ And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand.¹¹ So they came up to Baalperazim; and David smote them there. Then David said, God hath broken in upon mine enemies by mine hand like the breaking forth of waters: therefore they called the name of that place Baalperazim.¹² And when they had left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.¹³ And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley.¹⁴ Therefore David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.¹⁵ And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.¹⁶ David therefore did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gazer.¹⁷ And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.

¹ And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,² Son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people: she is turned unto me: I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste:³ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up.⁴ And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.⁵ It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations.⁶ And her daughters which are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the LORD.⁷ For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people.⁸ He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee.⁹ And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.¹⁰ By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall cover thee: thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen, and of the wheels, and of the chariots, when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach.¹¹ With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets: he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground.¹² And they shall make a spoil of thy riches, and make a prey of thy merchandise: and they shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water.¹³ And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.¹⁴ And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.¹⁵ Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyrus; Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee?¹⁶ Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee.¹⁷ And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it!¹⁸ Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure.¹⁹ For thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee;²⁰ When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living;²¹ I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more: though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord GOD.

¹ And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.² And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.³ And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.⁴ Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.⁵ And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.⁶ When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.⁷ And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.⁸ And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.⁹ Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.¹⁰ And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.¹¹ And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.¹² And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.¹³ And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,¹⁴ Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:¹⁵ No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.¹⁶ I will therefore chastise him, and release him.¹⁷ (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)¹⁸ And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:¹⁹ (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)²⁰ Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.²¹ But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.²² And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.²³ And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.²⁴ And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.²⁵ And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.²⁶ And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.²⁷ And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.²⁸ But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.²⁹ For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.³⁰ Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.³¹ For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?³² And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.³³ And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.³⁴ Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.³⁵ And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.³⁶ And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,³⁷ And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.³⁸ And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.³⁹ And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.⁴⁰ But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?⁴¹ And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.⁴² And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.⁴³ And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.⁴⁴ And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.⁴⁵ And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.⁴⁶ And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.⁴⁷ Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.⁴⁸ And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.⁴⁹ And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.⁵⁰ And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counseller; and he was a good man, and a just:⁵¹ (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.⁵² This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.⁵³ And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.⁵⁴ And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.⁵⁵ And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.⁵⁶ And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.