the Fifth Week after Easter
Click here to join the effort!
Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
July 2 - Bible-in-a-Year
nas
1 Kings 2
Chapter 2
David's Command to Solomon
1 As David's (F1)(C1)time to die drew near, he commanded his son Solomon, saying,2 "(C1)I am going the way of all the earth. So (C2)be strong, and (F1)prove yourself a man.3 "Do your duty to the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to (F1)keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, (C1)according to what is written in the Law of Moses, so that (C2)you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn,4 so that (C1)the LORD may fulfill His (F1)promise which He spoke regarding me, saying, '(C2)If your sons are careful about their way, (C3)to walk before Me in (F2)truth with all their heart and all their soul, (F3)(C4)you shall not be deprived of a man to occupy the throne of Israel.'
5 "Now you yourself also know what Joab the (C1)son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to (C2)Abner the son of Ner and to (C3)Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also (F1)shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt that was on his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet.6 "(C1)So act as your wisdom dictates, and do not let his gray hair go down to (F1)Sheol in peace.7 "However, (C1)show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and (C2)let them be among those who eat at your table; (C3)for (F1)they assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother.8 "And behold, you have with you (C1)Shimei the son of Gera the Benjaminite, of Bahurim; now it was he who cursed me with a painful curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. But when (C2)he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'9 "But now do not leave him unpunished, (C1)for you are a wise man; and you will know what to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to (F1)Sheol with blood."
Death of David
10 Then (C1)David (F1)lay down with his fathers, and he was buried in (C2)the city of David.11 Now (C1)the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: in Hebron he reigned for (C2)seven years, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years.12 Then (C1)Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly established.
13 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. So she said, "(C1)Do you come peacefully?" And he said, "Peacefully."14 Then he said, "I have something to say to you." And she said, "Speak."15 So he said, "You yourself know that (C1)the kingdom was mine and (C2)that all Israel (F1)intended for me to be king; (C3)however, the kingdom has turned around and become my brother's, (C4)for it was his from the LORD.16 "So now I am making one request of you; do not (F1)refuse me." And she said to him, "Speak."17 Then he said, "Please speak to Solomon the king—for he will not (F1)refuse you—that he may give me (C1)Abishag the Shunammite as a wife."18 And Bathsheba said, "Very well; I will speak to the king for you."
Adonijah Executed
19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king stood to meet her, bowed to her, and sat on his throne; then he (C1)had a throne set up for the king's mother, and (C2)she sat on his right.20 Then she said, "I am making one small request of you; (C1)do not (F1)refuse me." And the king said to her, "Ask, my mother, for I will not (F2)refuse you."21 So she said, "(C1)Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife."22 But King Solomon answered and said to his mother, "And why are you requesting Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? (C1)Request for him the kingdom as well—(C2)since he is my older brother—for him, for (C3)Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!"23 Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, "May God do so to me and more so, if Adonijah has (C1)not spoken this word against his own (F1)life!24 "Now then, as the LORD lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father, and (C1)has made me a house just as He (F1)promised, Adonijah certainly shall be put to death today!"25 Then King Solomon (C1)sent the order by Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he (F1)struck him so that he died.
26 Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, "(C1)Go to Anathoth to your own field, (C2)for you (F1)deserve to die; but I will not put you to death at this (F2)time, because (C3)you carried the ark of the Lord (F3)GOD before my father David, and because (C4)you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted."27 So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, to fulfill (C1)the word of the LORD, which He had spoken regarding the house of Eli in Shiloh.
Joab Executed
28 Now the news came to Joab (C1)because Joab had followed Adonijah, (C2)though he had not followed Absalom. So Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and (C3)took hold of the horns of the altar.29 And it was reported to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the LORD, and (F1)was beside the altar. Then Solomon (C1)sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, "(C2)Go, (F2)execute him."30 So Benaiah came to the tent of the LORD and said to him, "This is what the king has said: 'Come out.'" But he said, "No, for I will die here." So Benaiah brought back word to the king, saying, "This is what Joab spoke, and so he answered me."31 And the king said to him, "(C1)Do just as he has spoken, and (F1)execute him and bury him, (C2)so that you may remove from me and from my father's house the blood which Joab shed without (F2)justification.32 "(C1)The LORD will return his blood on his own head, (C2)because he (F1)struck two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know about it: (C3)Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and (C4)Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.33 "(C1)So their blood shall return on the head of Joab and on the head of his (F1)descendants forever; but for David and his (F1)descendants, and his house and his throne, may there be peace from the LORD forever."34 Then (C1)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and (F1)struck him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house (C2)in the wilderness.35 And (C1)the king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed (C2)Zadok the priest (C3)in place of Abiathar.
Shimei Executed
36 Now the king sent men and summoned (C1)Shimei, and said to him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not leave there for any other place.37 "For on the day you leave and (C1)cross the (F1)brook Kidron, you will know for certain that you will assuredly die; (C2)your blood will be (F2)on your own head."38 Shimei then said to the king, "The word is good. Just as my lord the king has spoken, so your servant shall do." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for many days.
39 But it came about at the end of three years, that two of Shimei's servants ran away (C1)to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. And others told Shimei, saying, "Behold, your servants are in Gath."40 Then Shimei got up and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish, to search for his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath.41 And it was reported to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned.42 So the king sent men and summoned Shimei, and said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the LORD, and solemnly warn you, saying, 'Know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere, you shall assuredly die'? And you said to me, 'The word I have heard is good.'43 "Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD, and the command which I (F1)imposed on you?"44 The king also said to Shimei, "(C1)You yourself know all the evil that (F1)you acknowledge in your heart, which you did to my father David; therefore (C2)the LORD will return your evil on your own head.45 "But King Solomon will be blessed, and (C1)the throne of David will be established before the LORD forever."
46 (C1)So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and (F1)struck him so that he died.
Hosea 5:5-15
Chapter 5
5 Moreover, the (C1)pride of Israel testifies against him,
And Israel and Ephraim stumble in their wrongdoing;
(C2)Judah also has stumbled with them.
6 They will (C1)go with their flocks and herds
To seek the LORD, but they will (C2)not find Him;
He has (C3)withdrawn from them.
7 They have (C1)dealt treacherously with the LORD,
For they have given birth to (F1)(C2)illegitimate children.
Now the (C3)new moon will devour them with their (F2)land.
8 (C1)Blow the horn in (C2)Gibeah,
And the trumpet in Ramah.
Sound an alarm at Beth-aven:
"(C3)Behind you, Benjamin!"
9 Ephraim will become a (C1)desolation in the (C2)day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I (C3)make known what is trustworthy.
10 The leaders of Judah have become like those who (C1)displace a boundary marker;
On them I will (C2)pour out My anger (C3)like water.
11 Ephraim is (C1)oppressed, broken by judgment,
(C2)Because he was determined to follow (F1)man's command.
12 Therefore I am like a (C1)moth to Ephraim,
And like rottenness to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his (F1)sore,
Ephraim then went to (C1)Assyria
And sent word to (F2)(C2)King Jareb.
But he is (C3)unable to heal you,
Or to cure you of your (F1)sore.
14 For I will be (C1)like a lion to Ephraim
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
(C2)I, yes I, will tear to pieces and go away,
I will carry away, and there will be (C3)no one to rescue.
15 I will go away and return to My place
Until they (F1)(C1)acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
In their distress they will (C2)search for Me.
Mark 11:15-33
Chapter 11
15 (C1)Then they (*)came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling (F1)doves;16 and He would not allow anyone to carry (F1)merchandise through the temple grounds.17 And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written: '(C1)MY HOUSE WILL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? (C2)But you have made it a DEN OF ROBBERS."18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard this, and they (C1)began seeking how to put Him to death; for they were afraid of Him, because all (C2)the crowd was astonished at His teaching.
19 And (C1)whenever evening came, (F1)they would leave the city.
20 (C1)As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up.21 And being reminded, Peter (*)said to Him, "(C1)Rabbi, look, the fig tree that You cursed has withered."22 And Jesus answered and (*)said to them, "(C1)Have faith in God.23 "(C1)Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted to him.24 "Therefore, I say to you, (C1)all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you.25 "And whenever you (C1)stand praying, (C2)forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you for your (F1)offenses.26 ["(F1)(C1)But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your (F2)offenses."]
Jesus' Authority Questioned
27 And they (*)came again to Jerusalem. (C1)And as He was walking in the temple area, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders (*)came to Him,28 and began saying to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?"29 But Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.30 "Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? Answer Me."31 And they began considering the implications among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?'32 "But should we say, 'From men'?"—they were afraid of the (F1)people, for they all considered John to have been a real prophet.33 Answering Jesus, they (*)said, "We do not know." And Jesus (*)said to them, "Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things."
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995,2020 by The Lockman Foundation
