the Fifth Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
September 5 - Old & New Testament
niv
2 Chronicles 23
Chapter 23
1 In the seventh year Jehoiada showed his strength. He made a covenant with the commanders of units of a hundred: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. 2 They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites(a) and the heads of Israelite families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem, 3 the whole assembly made a covenant(b) with the king at the temple of God.
Jehoiada said to them, "The king's son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the descendants of David.(c) 4 Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors, 5 a third of you at the royal palace and a third at the Foundation Gate, and all the others are to be in the courtyards of the temple of the Lord . 6 No one is to enter the temple of the Lord except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe(d) the Lord 's command not to enter.[a] 7 The Levites are to station themselves around the king, each with weapon in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes."
8 The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered.(e) Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.(f) 9 Then he gave the commanders of units of a hundred the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of God. 10 He stationed all the men, each with his weapon in his hand, around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.
11 Jehoiada and his sons brought out the king's son and put the crown on him; they presented him with a copy(g) of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him and shouted, "Long live the king!"
12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the Lord . 13 She looked, and there was the king,(h) standing by his pillar(i) at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and musicians with their instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her robes and shouted, "Treason! Treason!"
14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: "Bring her out between the ranks[b] and put to the sword anyone who follows her." For the priest had said, "Do not put her to death at the temple of the Lord ." 15 So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate(j) on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.
16 Jehoiada then made a covenant(k) that he, the people and the king[c] would be the Lord 's people. 17 All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed(l) Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
18 Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the Lord in the hands of the Levitical priests,(m) to whom David had made assignments in the temple,(n) to present the burnt offerings of the Lord as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered. 19 He also stationed gatekeepers(o) at the gates of the Lord 's temple so that no one who was in any way unclean might enter.
20 He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people and all the people of the land and brought the king down from the temple of the Lord . They went into the palace through the Upper Gate(p) and seated the king on the royal throne. 21 All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword.(q)
Joel 2,3
An Army of Locusts
1 Blow the trumpet(a) in Zion;(b)
sound the alarm on my holy hill.(c)
Let all who live in the land tremble,
for the day of the
Lord
(d) is coming.
It is close at hand(e)—
2
a day of darkness(f) and gloom,(g)
a day of clouds(h) and blackness.(i)
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
a large and mighty army(j) comes,
such as never was in ancient times(k)
nor ever will be in ages to come.
3 Before them fire(l) devours,
behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,(m)
behind them, a desert waste(n)—
nothing escapes them.
4 They have the appearance of horses;(o)
they gallop along like cavalry.
5 With a noise like that of chariots(p)
they leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire(q) consuming stubble,
like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish;(r)
every face turns pale.(s)
7 They charge like warriors;(t)
they scale walls like soldiers.
They all march in line,(u)
not swerving(v) from their course.
8 They do not jostle each other;
each marches straight ahead.
They plunge through defenses
without breaking ranks.
9 They rush upon the city;
they run along the wall.
They climb into the houses;(w)
like thieves they enter through the windows.(x)
10 Before them the earth shakes,(y)
the heavens tremble,(z)
the sun and moon are darkened,(aa)
and the stars no longer shine.(ab)
11 The
Lord
(ac) thunders(ad)
at the head of his army;(ae)
his forces are beyond number,
and mighty is the army that obeys his command.
The day of the
Lord
is great;(af)
it is dreadful.
Who can endure it?(ag)
Rend Your Heart
12 "Even now," declares the
Lord
,
"return(ah) to me with all your heart,(ai)
with fasting and weeping and mourning."
13 Rend your heart(aj)
and not your garments.(ak)
Return(al) to the
Lord
your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,(am)
slow to anger and abounding in love,(an)
and he relents from sending calamity.(ao)
14 Who knows? He may turn(ap) and relent(aq)
and leave behind a blessing(ar)—
grain offerings and drink offerings(as)
for the
Lord
your God.
15 Blow the trumpet(at) in Zion,(au)
declare a holy fast,(av)
call a sacred assembly.(aw)
16 Gather the people,
consecrate(ax) the assembly;
bring together the elders,(ay)
gather the children,
those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom(az) leave his room
and the bride her chamber.
17 Let the priests, who minister(ba) before the
Lord
,
weep(bb) between the portico and the altar.(bc)
Let them say, "Spare your people,
Lord
.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,(bd)
a byword(be) among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?(bf)'"
The Lord's Answer
18 Then the
Lord
was jealous(bg) for his land
and took pity(bh) on his people.
19 The Lord replied[a] to them:
"I am sending you grain, new wine(bi) and olive oil,(bj)
enough to satisfy you fully;(bk)
never again will I make you
an object of scorn(bl) to the nations.
20 "I will drive the northern horde(bm) far from you,
pushing it into a parched and barren land;
its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
And its stench(bn) will go up;
its smell will rise."
Surely he has done great things!
21
Do not be afraid,(bo) land of Judah;
be glad and rejoice.(bp)
Surely the
Lord
has done great things!(bq)
22
Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.(br)
The trees are bearing their fruit;
the fig tree(bs) and the vine(bt) yield their riches.(bu)
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
rejoice(bv) in the
Lord
your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
because he is faithful.(bw)
He sends you abundant showers,(bx)
both autumn(by) and spring rains,(bz) as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
the vats will overflow(ca) with new wine(cb) and oil.
25 "I will repay you for the years the locusts(cc) have eaten(cd)—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm[b]—
my great army(ce) that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,(cf)
and you will praise(cg) the name of the
Lord
your God,
who has worked wonders(ch) for you;
never again will my people be shamed.(ci)
27 Then you will know(cj) that I am in Israel,
that I am the
Lord
(ck) your God,
and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.(cl)
The Day of the Lord
28 "And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit(cm) on all people.(cn)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,(co)
your old men will dream dreams,(cp)
your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants,(cq) both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.(cr)
30 I will show wonders in the heavens(cs)
and on the earth,(ct)
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness(cu)
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the
Lord
.(cv)
32 And everyone who calls
on the name of the
Lord
(cw) will be saved;(cx)
for on Mount Zion(cy) and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,(cz)
as the
Lord
has said,
even among the survivors(da)
whom the
Lord
calls.[c](db)
The Nations Judged
1 [a]"In those days and at that time,
when I restore the fortunes(a) of Judah(b) and Jerusalem,
2 I will gather(c) all nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.[b](d)
There I will put them on trial(e)
for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
because they scattered(f) my people among the nations
and divided up my land.
3 They cast lots(g) for my people
and traded boys for prostitutes;
they sold girls for wine(h) to drink.
4 "Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon(i) and all you regions of Philistia?(j) Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done.(k) 5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.[c](l) 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,(m) that you might send them far from their homeland.
7 "See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them,(n) and I will return(o) on your own heads what you have done. 8 I will sell your sons(p) and daughters to the people of Judah,(q) and they will sell them to the Sabeans,(r) a nation far away." The Lord has spoken.(s)
9 Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare for war!(t)
Rouse the warriors!(u)
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks(v) into spears.(w)
Let the weakling(x) say,
"I am strong!"(y)
11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
and assemble(z) there.
Bring down your warriors,(aa) Lord !
12 "Let the nations be roused;
let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,(ab)
for there I will sit
to judge(ac) all the nations on every side.
13 Swing the sickle,(ad)
for the harvest(ae) is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,(af)
for the winepress(ag) is full
and the vats overflow—
so great is their wickedness!"
14 Multitudes,(ah) multitudes
in the valley(ai) of decision!
For the day of the
Lord
(aj) is near
in the valley of decision.(ak)
15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
and the stars no longer shine.(al)
16 The
Lord
will roar(am) from Zion
and thunder from Jerusalem;(an)
the earth and the heavens will tremble.(ao)
But the
Lord
will be a refuge(ap) for his people,
a stronghold(aq) for the people of Israel.
Blessings for God's People
17 "Then you will know(ar) that I, the
Lord
your God,(as)
dwell in Zion,(at) my holy hill.(au)
Jerusalem will be holy;(av)
never again will foreigners invade her.(aw)
18 "In that day the mountains will drip new wine,(ax)
and the hills will flow with milk;(ay)
all the ravines of Judah will run with water.(az)
A fountain will flow out of the
Lord
's house(ba)
and will water the valley of acacias.[d](bb)
19 But Egypt(bc) will be desolate,
Edom(bd) a desert waste,
because of violence(be) done to the people of Judah,
in whose land they shed innocent blood.
20 Judah will be inhabited forever(bf)
and Jerusalem through all generations.
21 Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?(bg)
No, I will not.(bh)"
The Lord dwells in Zion!(bi)
2 Corinthians 10
Chapter 10
Paul's Defense of His Ministry
1 By the humility and gentleness(a) of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul,(b) who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" toward you when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold(c) as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.(d) 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.(e) 4 The weapons we fight with(f) are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power(g) to demolish strongholds.(h) 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,(i) and we take captive every thought to make it obedient(j) to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.(k)
7 You are judging by appearances.[a](l) If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ,(m) they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.(n) 8 So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us(o) for building you up rather than tearing you down,(p) I will not be ashamed of it. 9 I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive(q) and his speaking amounts to nothing."(r) 11 Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.
12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.(s) When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us,(t) a sphere that also includes you. 14 We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you(u) with the gospel of Christ.(v) 15 Neither do we go beyond our limits(w) by boasting of work done by others.(x) Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow,(y) our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 16 so that we can preach the gospel(z) in the regions beyond you.(aa) For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else's territory. 17 But, "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."[b](ab) 18 For it is not the one who commends himself(ac) who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.(ad)
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