Daily Readings

¹ Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem.² Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.³ And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.⁴ And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.⁵ Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.⁶ Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.⁷ Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.⁸ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.⁹ Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.¹⁰ And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.¹¹ Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.¹² And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.¹³ And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.¹⁴ Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.¹⁵ And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:¹⁶ But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.¹⁷ Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.¹⁸ And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.¹⁹ And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.²⁰ And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:²¹ To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.²² Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,²³ Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.

¹ Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.² By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.³ Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.⁴ Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.⁵ Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.⁷ As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.⁸ They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.⁹ And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.¹⁰ For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.¹¹ Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.¹² My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.¹³ They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.¹⁴ I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.¹⁵ Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.¹⁶ For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.¹⁷ Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.¹⁸ Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.¹⁹ The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.

¹ And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.² And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece,³ And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.⁴ And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.⁵ These going before tarried for us at Troas.⁶ And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.⁷ And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.⁸ And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.⁹ And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.¹⁰ And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.¹¹ When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.¹² And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.¹³ And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot.¹⁴ And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene.¹⁵ And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus.¹⁶ For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.¹⁷ And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.¹⁸ And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,¹⁹ Serving the LORD with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:²⁰ And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,²¹ Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.²² And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:²³ Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.²⁴ But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.²⁵ And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.²⁶ Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.²⁷ For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.²⁸ Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.²⁹ For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.³⁰ Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.³¹ Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.³² And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.³³ I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.³⁴ Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.³⁵ I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.³⁶ And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.³⁷ And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him,³⁸ Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.