the Fifth Week after Easter
Click here to learn more!
Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
June 18 - Bible-in-a-Year
nas
2 Samuel 9-10
Chapter 9
David's Kindness to Mephibosheth
1 Then David said, "Is there (F1)anyone still left of the house of Saul, (C1)so that I could show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they summoned him to David; and the king said to him, "Are you (C1)Ziba?" And he said, "I am your servant."3 Then the king said, "Is there no one remaining of the house of Saul to whom I could show the (C1)kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "(C2)There is still a son of Jonathan, one who is disabled in both feet."4 So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he is (C1)in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar."5 Then King David sent (F1)messengers who brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar.6 (C1)Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and (C2)fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, "Mephibosheth." And he said, "Here is your servant!"7 Then David said to him, "Do not be afraid, for (C1)I will assuredly show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I (C2)will restore to you all the (F1)land of your (F2)grandfather Saul; and (C3)you yourself shall (F3)eat at my table regularly."8 Again he prostrated himself, and said, "What is your servant, that you should be concerned about (C1)a dead dog like me?"
9 Then the king summoned Saul's servant Ziba and said to him, "(C1)Everything that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's (F1)grandson.10 "You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master's grandson will have food (F1)to eat; nevertheless (C1)Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, (C2)shall (F2)eat at my table regularly." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.11 Then Ziba said to the king, "In accordance (C1)with everything that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do." So Mephibosheth ate at (F1)David's table as one of the king's sons.12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth.13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because (C1)he ate at the king's table regularly. And (C2)he was disabled in his two feet.
Chapter 10
Ammon and Aram Defeated
1 (C1)Now it happened afterward that (C2)the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place.2 Then David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of (C1)Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me." So David sent (F1)some of his servants to console him about his father. But when David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites,3 the commanders of the Ammonites said to their lord Hanun, "(F1)Do you think that David is simply honoring your father since he has sent you servants (F2)to console you? (C1)Has David not sent his servants to you in order to explore the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?"4 So Hanun took David's servants and (C1)shaved off half of their beards, and (C2)cut off their robes in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away.5 When messengers informed David, he sent servants to meet them, because the men were extremely humiliated. And the king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back, and then you shall return."
6 Now when the sons of Ammon saw that (C1)they had become repulsive to David, the sons of Ammon sent messengers and (C2)hired the Arameans of (C3)Beth-rehob and the (C4)Arameans of Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of (C5)Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob with twelve thousand men.7 When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all the army, the warriors.8 And the sons of Ammon came out and lined up for battle (C1)at the entrance of the (F1)city, while the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of (C2)Tob and Maacah were stationed by themselves in the field.
9 Now when Joab saw that (F1)the battle was set against him at the front and at the rear, he selected warriors from all the choice men in Israel, and lined them up against the Arameans.10 But the remainder of the people he placed (F1)under the command of his brother Abishai, and he lined them up against the sons of Ammon.11 And he said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you.12 "(C1)Be strong, and let's show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and the cities of our God; and (C2)may the LORD do what is good in His sight."13 So Joab and the people who were with him advanced to the battle against the Arameans, and (C1)they fled from him.14 When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from Abishai and entered the city. (C1)Then Joab returned from fighting against the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.
15 When the Arameans saw that they had been (F1)defeated by Israel, they assembled together.16 (C1)And Hadadezer sent word and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam; and (C2)Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer (F1)led them.17 Now when it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans lined up against David and fought him.18 But the Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed (C1)seven hundred charioteers of the Arameans and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there.19 When all the kings, servants of Hadadezer, saw that they had been (F1)defeated by Israel, (C1)they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the sons of Ammon anymore.
Daniel 5
Chapter 5
Belshazzar's Feast
1 Belshazzar the king (F1)held a great (C1)feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.2 (F1)While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring the gold and silver (C1)vessels which his (F2)father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines could drink out of them.3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank out of them.4 They (C1)drank the wine and praised the gods of (C2)gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.6 Then the king's (F1)(C1)face became pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his (C2)hip joints (F2)loosened and his (C3)knees began knocking together.7 The king called aloud to bring in the (C1)sorcerers, the (F1)Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king began speaking and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Anyone who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be (C2)clothed with purple and have a (C3)necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as (C4)third ruler in the kingdom."8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but (C1)they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king.9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly (C1)alarmed, his (F1)(C2)face grew even more pale, and his nobles were perplexed.
10 The queen entered the banquet (F1)hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen began to speak and said, "(C1)O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your (F2)face be pale.11 "There is a (C1)man in your kingdom in whom is (F1)a (C2)spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father (F2)(C3)the king—appointed him chief of the soothsayer priests, sorcerers, Chaldeans, and diviners.12 "This was because an (C1)extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of riddles, and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named (C2)Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation."
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting on the Wall
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the (F1)(C1)exiles from Judah, whom my father the king (C2)brought from Judah?14 "Now I have heard about you that (F1)a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight, and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you.15 "Just now the (C1)wise men and the sorcerers were brought in before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they (C2)could not declare the interpretation of the (F1)message.16 "But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its (C1)interpretation known to me, you will be (C2)clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom."
17 Then Daniel replied and said before the king, "(F1)Keep your (C1)gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.18 "(F1)O king, the (C1)Most High God (C2)granted (F2)sovereignty, (C3)greatness, honor, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.19 "Now because of the greatness which He granted him, all the peoples, nations, and populations of all (F1)languages trembled and feared in his presence; (C1)whomever he wished, he killed, and whomever he wished, he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated, and whomever he wished he humbled.20 "But when his heart (F1)was (C1)arrogant and his spirit became so (F2)(C2)overbearing that he behaved presumptuously, he was (C3)deposed from his royal throne, and his dignity was taken away from him.21 "He was also (C1)driven away from (F1)mankind, and his heart was made like that of animals, and his dwelling place was with the (C2)wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he recognized that the (C3)Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind, and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.22 "Yet you, his (F1)son, Belshazzar, have (C1)not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this,23 but you have (C1)risen up against the (C2)Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines have been drinking wine out of them; and you have praised the (C3)gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor understand. But the God (C4)in whose hand are your life-breath and all your (C5)ways, you have not glorified.24 "Then the (F1)(C1)hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.
25 "Now this is the inscription that was written:
29 Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they (C1)clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 That same night (C1)Belshazzar the Chaldean king was (C2)killed.31 (F1)So (C1)Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.
Mark 4:1-20
Chapter 4
Parable of the Sower and Soils
1 Again (C1)He began to teach (C2)by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that (C3)He got into a boat on the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land.2 And He was teaching them many things in (C1)parables, and was saying to them in His teaching,3 "Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.5 "Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.6 "And when the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.7 "Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.8 "Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much."9 And He was saying, "(C1)He who has ears to hear, (F1)let him hear."
10 As soon as He was alone, (F1)His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables.11 And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for (C1)those who are outside, everything comes (C2)in parables,12 so that (C1)WHILE SEEING THEY MAY SEE, AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR, AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND IT WOULD BE FORGIVEN THEM."
Explanation of the Parable
13 (C1)And He (*)said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?14 "The sower sows the word.15 "These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately (C1)Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.16 "And in a similar way these are the ones sown with seed on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;17 and yet they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately they (F1)fall away.18 "And others are the ones sown with seed among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,19 but the worries of (C1)the (F1)world, and the (C2)deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter and choke the word, and it (F2)becomes unfruitful.20 "And those are the ones sown with seed on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and (C1)bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much."<
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995,2020 by The Lockman Foundation
