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Daily Readings for May 3
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Deuteronomy 20
1.When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 2.It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people, 3.and shall tell them, "Hear, Israel, you draw near this day to battle against your enemies: don't let your heart faint; don't be afraid, nor tremble, neither be scared of them; 4.for Yahweh your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you."
5.The officers shall speak to the people, saying, "What man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. 6.What man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not used its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use its fruit. 7.What man is there who has pledged to be married a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her." 8.The officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, "What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brother's heart melt as his heart." 9.It shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of armies at the head of the people.
10.When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it. 11.It shall be, if it makes you answer of peace, and opens to you, then it shall be, that all the people who are found therein shall become tributary to you, and shall serve you. 12.If it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it: 13.and when Yahweh your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword: 14.but the women, and the little ones, and the livestock, and all that is in the city, even all its spoil, you shall take for a prey to yourself; and you shall eat the spoil of your enemies, which Yahweh your God has given you. 15.Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations. 16.But of the cities of these peoples, that Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes; 17.but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as Yahweh your God has commanded you; 18.that they not teach you to do after all their abominations, which they have done to their gods; so would you sin against Yahweh your God. 19.When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them; for you may eat of them, and you shall not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged of you? 20.Only the trees of which you know that they are not trees for food, you shall destroy and cut them down; and you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it fall.
Ecclesiastes 12
1.Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, "I have no pleasure in them;" 2.Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain; 3.in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened, 4.and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; 5.yes, they shall be afraid of heights, and terrors will be in the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets: 6.before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7.and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8."Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher. "All is vanity!"
9.Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10.The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth. 11.The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12.Furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13.This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. 14.For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.
Acts 11
1.Now the apostles and the brothers45 who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2.When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him, 3.saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!"
4.But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying, 5."I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain container descending, like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me. 6.When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky. 7.I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter, kill and eat!' 8.But I said, 'Not so, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.' 9.But a voice answered me the second time out of heaven, 'What God has cleansed, don't you call unclean.' 10.This was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11.Behold, immediately three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me. 12.The Spirit told me to go with them, without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house. 13.He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying to him, 'Send to Joppa, and get Simon, whose surname is Peter, 14.who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.' 15.As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning. 16.I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.' 17.If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?"
18.When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!"
19.They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only. 20.But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists,46 preaching the Lord Jesus. 21.The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. 22.The report concerning them came to the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch, 23.who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord. 24.For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.
25.Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26.When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. It happened, that for a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
27.Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28.One of them named Agabus stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius. 29.As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea; 30.which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 12
1.Now about that time, King Herod stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly. 2.He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. 3.When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread. 4.When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. 5.Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him. 6.The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.
7.And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side, and woke him up, saying, "Stand up quickly!" His chains fell off from his hands. 8.The angel said to him, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." He did so. He said to him, "Put on your cloak, and follow me." 9.And he went out and followed him. He didn't know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision. 10.When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
11.When Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting." 12.Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13.When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. 14.When she recognized Peter's voice, she didn't open the gate for joy, but ran in, and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate.
15.They said to her, "You are crazy!" But she insisted that it was so. They said, "It is his angel." 16.But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed. 17.But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, "Tell these things to James, and to the brothers." Then he departed, and went to another place.
18.Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 19.When Herod had sought for him, and didn't find him, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there. 20.Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king's personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. 21.On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them. 22.The people shouted, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!" 23.Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn't give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.
24.But the word of God grew and multiplied. 25.Barnabas and Saul returned to47 Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John whose surname was Mark.