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Daily Readings for June 6
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Judges 1
1.It happened after the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked of Yahweh,1 saying, "Who should go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?"
2.Yahweh said, "Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand."
3.Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your lot." So Simeon went with him. 4.Judah went up; and Yahweh delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they struck of them in Bezek ten thousand men. 5.They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they struck the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6.But Adoni-Bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. 7.Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, scavenged under my table: as I have done, so God2 has requited me." They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there. 8.The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. 9.Afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, and in the South, and in the lowland. 10.Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron before was Kiriath Arba); and they struck Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
11.From there he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (Now the name of Debir before was Kiriath Sepher.) 12.Caleb said, "He who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife." 13.Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.
14.It happened, when she came, that she got him to ask her father for a field: and she alighted from off her donkey; and Caleb said to her, "What would you like?"
15.She said to him, "Give me a blessing; for that you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water." Then Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. 16.The children of the Kenite, Moses' brother-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people. 17.Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. The name of the city was called Hormah. 18.Also Judah took Gaza with its border, and Ashkelon with its border, and Ekron with its border. 19.Yahweh was with Judah; and drove out the inhabitants of the hill country; for he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. 20.They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had spoken: and he drove out there the three sons of Anak. 21.The children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22.The house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel; and Yahweh was with them. 23.The house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.) 24.The watchers saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said to him, "Please show us the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with you." 25.He showed them the entrance into the city; and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man go and all his family. 26.The man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.
27.Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its towns, nor Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. 28.It happened, when Israel had grown strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and did not utterly drive them out. 29.Ephraim didn't drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them. 30.Zebulun didn't drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived among them, and became subject to forced labor. 31.Asher didn't drive out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob; 32.but the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out. 33.Naphtali didn't drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but he lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and of Beth Anath became subject to forced labor. 34.The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country; for they would not allow them to come down to the valley; 35.but the Amorites would dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim: yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became subject to forced labor. 36.The border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.
Isaiah 30
1."Woe to the rebellious children," says Yahweh, "who take counsel, but not from me; and who make an alliance, but not with my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin, 2.who set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked my advice; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt! 3.Therefore the strength of Pharaoh will be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. 4.For their princes are at Zoan, and their ambassadors have come to Hanes. 5.They shall all be ashamed because of a people that can't profit them, that are not a help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach."
6.The burden of the animals of the South. Through the land of trouble and anguish, of the lioness and the lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches on the shoulders of young donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to an unprofitable people. 7.For Egypt helps in vain, and to no purpose; therefore have I called her Rahab who sits still. 8.Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come forever and ever. 9.For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of Yahweh; 10.who tell the seers, "Don't see!" and to the prophets, "Don't prophesy to us right things. Tell us pleasant things. Prophesy deceits. 11.Get out of the way. Turn aside from the path. Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us." 12.Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, "Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and rely on it; 13.therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly in an instant. 14.He will break it as a potter's vessel is broken, breaking it in pieces without sparing, so that there won't be found among the broken piece a piece good enough to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern." 15.For thus said the Lord Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, "You will be saved in returning and rest. Your strength will be in quietness and in confidence." You refused, 16.but you said, "No, for we will flee on horses;" therefore you will flee; and, "We will ride on the swift;" therefore those who pursue you will be swift. 17.One thousand will flee at the threat of one. At the threat of five, you will flee until you are left like a beacon on the top of a mountain, and like a banner on a hill. 18.Therefore Yahweh will wait, that he may be gracious to you; and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy on you, for Yahweh is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him. 19.For the people will dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. You will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the voice of your cry. When he hears you, he will answer you. 20.Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers won't be hidden anymore, but your eyes will see your teachers; 21.and when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way. Walk in it." 22.You shall defile the overlaying of your engraved images of silver, and the plating of your molten images of gold. You shall cast them away as an unclean thing. You shall tell it, "Go away!" 23.He will give the rain for your seed, with which you will sow the ground; and bread of the increase of the ground will be rich and plentiful. In that day, your livestock will feed in large pastures. 24.The oxen likewise and the young donkeys that till the ground will eat savory provender, which has been winnowed with the shovel and with the fork. 25.There shall be brooks and streams of water on every lofty mountain and on every high hill in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. 26.Moreover the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, in the day that Yahweh binds up the fracture of his people, and heals the wound they were struck with.
27.Behold, the name of Yahweh comes from far away, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke. His lips are full of indignation, and his tongue is as a devouring fire. 28.His breath is as an overflowing stream that reaches even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction; and a bridle that leads to ruin will be in the jaws of the peoples. 29.You will have a song, as in the night when a holy feast is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goes with a flute to come to Yahweh's mountain, to Israel's Rock. 30.Yahweh will cause his glorious voice to be heard, and will show the descent of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and the flame of a devouring fire, with a blast, storm, and hailstones. 31.For through the voice of Yahweh the Assyrian will be dismayed. He will strike him with his rod. 32.Every stroke of the rod of punishment, which Yahweh will lay on him, will be with the sound of tambourines and harps. He will fight with them in battles, brandishing weapons. 33.For his burning place has long been ready. Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made its pyre deep and large with fire and much wood. Yahweh's breath, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it.
Hebrews 13
1.Let brotherly love continue. 2.Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3.Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body. 4.Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
5.Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, "I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you."54 6.So that with good courage we say, "The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?"55
7.Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith. 8.Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9.Don't be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by food, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.
10.We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat. 11.For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp.56 12.Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate. 13.Let us therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach. 14.For we don't have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come. 15.Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God57 continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name. 16.But don't forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
17.Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.
18.Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things. 19.I strongly urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you sooner.
20.Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, 21.make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
22.But I exhort you, brothers, endure the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. 23.Know that our brother Timothy has been freed, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you. 24.Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. The Italians greet you. 25.Grace be with you all. Amen.