the Third Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
June 10 - Old & New Testament
niv
1 Kings 3,4
Solomon Asks for Wisdom(a)
1 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married(b) his daughter.(c) He brought her to the City of David(d) until he finished building his palace(e) and the temple of the Lord , and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places,(f) because a temple had not yet been built for the Name(g) of the Lord . 3 Solomon showed his love(h) for the Lord by walking(i) according to the instructions(j) given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.(k)
4 The king went to Gibeon(l) to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared(m) to Solomon during the night in a dream,(n) and God said, "Ask(o) for whatever you want me to give you."
6 Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful(p) to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son(q) to sit on his throne this very day.
7 "Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child(r) and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen,(s) a great people, too numerous to count or number.(t) 9 So give your servant a discerning(u) heart to govern your people and to distinguish(v) between right and wrong. For who is able(w) to govern this great people of yours?"
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, "Since you have asked(x) for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment(y) in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked.(z) I will give you a wise(aa) and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not(ab) asked for—both wealth and honor(ac)—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal(ad) among kings. 14 And if you walk(ae) in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."(af) 15 Then Solomon awoke(ag)—and he realized it had been a dream.(ah)
He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings(ai) and fellowship offerings.(aj) Then he gave a feast(ak) for all his court.
A Wise Ruling
16 Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, "Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.
19 "During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne."
22 The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours."
But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." And so they argued before the king.
23 The king said, "This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.'"
24 Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other."
26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved(al) out of love for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!"
But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"
27 Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."
28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom(am) from God to administer justice.
Solomon's Officials and Governors
1 So King Solomon ruled over all Israel. 2 And these were his chief officials:(a)
Azariah(b) son of Zadok—the priest;
3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha—secretaries;(c)
Jehoshaphat(d) son of Ahilud—recorder;
4 Benaiah(e) son of Jehoiada—commander in chief;
Zadok(f) and Abiathar—priests;
5 Azariah son of Nathan—in charge of the district governors;
Zabud son of Nathan—a priest and adviser to the king;
6 Ahishar—palace administrator;(g)
Adoniram(h) son of Abda—in charge of forced labor.(i)
7 Solomon had twelve district governors(j) over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year. 8 These are their names:
Ben-Hur—in the hill country(k) of Ephraim;
9 Ben-Deker—in Makaz, Shaalbim,(l) Beth Shemesh(m) and Elon Bethhanan;
10 Ben-Hesed—in Arubboth (Sokoh(n) and all the land of Hepher(o) were his);
11 Ben-Abinadab—in Naphoth Dor(p) (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);
12 Baana son of Ahilud—in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan(q) next to Zarethan(r) below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah(s) across to Jokmeam;(t)
13 Ben-Geber—in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair(u) son of Manasseh in Gilead(v) were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities(w) with bronze gate bars);
14 Ahinadab son of Iddo—in Mahanaim;(x)
15 Ahimaaz(y)—in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);
16 Baana son of Hushai(z)—in Asher and in Aloth;
17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah—in Issachar;
18 Shimei(aa) son of Ela—in Benjamin;
19 Geber son of Uri—in Gilead (the country of Sihon(ab) king of the Amorites and the country of Og(ac) king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district.
Solomon's Daily Provisions
20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand(ad) on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.(ae) 21 And Solomon ruled(af) over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River(ag) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.(ah) These countries brought tribute(ai) and were Solomon's subjects all his life.
22 Solomon's daily provisions(aj) were thirty cors[a] of the finest flour and sixty cors[b] of meal, 23 ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.(ak) 24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah(al) to Gaza, and had peace(am) on all sides. 25 During Solomon's lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,(an) lived in safety,(ao) everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.(ap)
26 Solomon had four[c] thousand stalls for chariot horses,(aq) and twelve thousand horses.[d]
27 The district governors,(ar) each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king's table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. 28 They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.
Solomon's Wisdom
29 God gave Solomon wisdom(as) and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand(at) on the seashore. 30 Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East,(au) and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.(av) 31 He was wiser(aw) than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs(ax) and his songs(ay) numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop(az) that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings(ba) of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.[e]
Proverbs 1
Chapter 1
Purpose and Theme
1 The proverbs(a) of Solomon(b) son of David, king of Israel:(c)
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a](d)
knowledge and discretion(e) to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,(f)
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,(g)
the sayings and riddles(h) of the wise.[b](i)
7 The fear of the
Lord
(j) is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools[c] despise wisdom(k) and instruction.(l)
Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men
8 Listen, my son,(m) to your father's(n) instruction
and do not forsake your mother's teaching.(o)
9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.(p)
10 My son, if sinful men entice(q) you,
do not give in(r) to them.(s)
11 If they say, "Come along with us;
let's lie in wait(t) for innocent blood,
let's ambush some harmless soul;
12 let's swallow(u) them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;(v)
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot(w)"—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot(x) on their paths;(y)
16 for their feet rush into evil,(z)
they are swift to shed blood.(aa)
17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait(ab) for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!(ac)
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.(ad)
Wisdom's Rebuke
20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,(ae)
she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[d] she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:
22 "How long will you who are simple(af) love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate(ag) knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse(ah) to listen when I call(ai)
and no one pays attention(aj) when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh(ak) when disaster(al) strikes you;
I will mock(am) when calamity overtakes you(an)—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster(ao) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer;(ap)
they will look for me but will not find me,(aq)
29 since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the
Lord
.(ar)
30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,(as)
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.(at)
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;(au)
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety(av)
and be at ease, without fear of harm."(aw)
John 19:1-22
Chapter 19
Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified(a)
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.(b) 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!"(c) And they slapped him in the face.(d)
4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, "Look, I am bringing him out(e) to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him."(f) 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe,(g) Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"
6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"
But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him.(h) As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."(i)
7 The Jewish leaders insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die,(j) because he claimed to be the Son of God."(k)
8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace.(l) "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.(m) 10 "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
11 Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.(n) Therefore the one who handed me over to you(o) is guilty of a greater sin."
12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king(p) opposes Caesar."
13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat(q) at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic(r) is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation(s) of the Passover; it was about noon.(t)
"Here is your king,"(u) Pilate said to the Jews.
15 But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.(v)
The Crucifixion of Jesus(w)
So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross,(x) he went out to the place of the Skull(y) (which in Aramaic(z) is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others(aa)—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth ,(ab) the king of the jews .(ac) 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,(ad) and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."(ae)
22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."
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