Daily Readings for July 28

Daily Readings for July 28
Click the arrow above to the left of the audio strip to start audio for today

2Samuel 14

1.Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom. 2.Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched there a wise woman, and said to her, "Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don't anoint yourself with oil, but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead. 3.Go in to the king, and speak like this to him." So Joab put the words in her mouth. 4.When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, "Help, O king!"

5.The king said to her, "What ails you?"

She answered, "Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead. 6.Your handmaid had two sons, and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other, and killed him. 7.Behold, the whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, 'Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.' Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth."

8.The king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you."

9.The woman of Tekoa said to the king, "My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house; and the king and his throne be guiltless."

10.The king said, "Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more."

11.Then she said, "Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son."

He said, "As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth."

12.Then the woman said, "Please let your handmaid speak a word to my lord the king."

He said, "Say on."

13.The woman said, "Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one. 14.For we must die, and are as water split on the ground, which can't be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him. 15.Now therefore seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and your handmaid said, 'I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.' 16.For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God. 17.Then your handmaid said, 'Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May Yahweh, your God, be with you.'"

18.Then the king answered the woman, "Please don't hide anything from me that I ask you."

The woman said, "Let my lord the king now speak."

19.The king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?"

The woman answered, "As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab, he urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid; 20.to change the face of the matter has your servant Joab done this thing. My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth."

21.The king said to Joab, "Behold now, I have done this thing. Go therefore, bring the young man Absalom back."

22.Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant." 23.So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24.The king said, "Let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face." So Absalom returned to his own house, and didn't see the king's face. 25.Now in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26.When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year's end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight. 27.To Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a beautiful face. 28.Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem; and he didn't see the king's face. 29.Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would not come. 30.Therefore he said to his servants, "Behold, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire." Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

31.Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?"

32.Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I sent to you, saying, 'Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me."'"

33.So Joab came to the king, and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.

Jeremiah 18

1.The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, 2.Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear my words. 3.Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was making a work on the wheels. 4.When the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5.Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 6.House of Israel, can't I do with you as this potter? says Yahweh. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel. 7.At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it; 8.if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them. 9.At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; 10.if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they not obey my voice, then I will repent of the good, with which I said I would benefit them. 11.Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says Yahweh: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return you now everyone from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings. 12.But they say, It is in vain; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will do everyone after the stubbornness of his evil heart. 13.Therefore thus says Yahweh: Ask now among the nations, who has heard such things; the virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing. 14.Shall the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? Shall the cold waters that flow down from afar be dried up? 15.For my people have forgotten me, they have burned incense to false gods; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in byways, in a way not built up; 16.to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; everyone who passes thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head. 17.I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity. 18.Then they said, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words. 19.Give heed to me, Yahweh, and listen to the voice of those who contend with me. 20.Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them. 21.Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives become childless, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, and their young men struck of the sword in battle. 22.Let a cry be heard from their houses, when you shall bring a troop suddenly on them; for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet. 23.Yet, Yahweh, you know all their counsel against me to kill me; don't forgive their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from your sight; but let them be overthrown before you; deal you with them in the time of your anger.

Romans 1

1.Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God, 2.which he promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3.concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4.who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5.through whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake; 6.among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ; 7.to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

8.First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9.For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10.requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you. 11.For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established; 12.that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.

13.Now I don't desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14.I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15.So, as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome. 16.For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. 17.For in it is revealed God's righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, "But the righteous shall live by faith."[1] 18.For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19.because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. 20.For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse. 21.Because, knowing God, they didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

22.Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23.and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. 24.Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves, 25.who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26.For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. 27.Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. 28.Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29.being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers, 30.backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31.without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32.who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 2

1.Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. 2.We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3.Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4.Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5.But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; 6.who "will pay back to everyone according to their works:"[2] 7.to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life; 8.but to those who are self-seeking, and don't obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation, 9.oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

10.But glory, honor, and peace go to every man who works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 11.For there is no partiality with God. 12.For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without the law. As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13.For it isn't the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified 14.(for when Gentiles who don't have the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15.in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them) 16.in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my Good News, by Jesus Christ.

17.Indeed you bear the name of a Jew, and rest on the law, and glory in God, 18.and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19.and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20.a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth. 21.You therefore who teach another, don't you teach yourself? You who preach that a man shouldn't steal, do you steal? 22.You who say a man shouldn't commit adultery. Do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23.You who glory in the law, through your disobedience of the law do you dishonor God? 24.For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,"[3] just as it is written. 25.For circumcision indeed profits, if you are a doer of the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26.If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law, won't his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision? 27.Won't the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law? 28.For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; 29.but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.