Daily Readings for November 15
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Nehemiah 1

 

1.The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2.that Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3.They said to me, "The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire." 4.It happened, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God¹ of heaven, 5.and said, "I beg you, Yahweh,² the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments: 6.Let your ear now be attentive, and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father's house have sinned. 7.We have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.

8."Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples; 9.but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.'

10."Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power, and by your strong hand. 11.Lord³, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants, who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man."

Now I was cup bearer to the king.

 

Nehemiah 2

 

1.It happened in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, that I took up the wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad before in his presence. 2.The king said to me, "Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart."

Then I was very much afraid. 3.I said to the king, "Let the king live forever! Why shouldn't my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste, and its gates have been consumed with fire?"

4.Then the king said to me, "For what do you make request?"

So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5.I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may build it."

6.The king said to me (the queen was also sitting by him), "For how long shall your journey be? And when will you return?"

So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. 7.Moreover I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah; 8.and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into."

The king granted my requests, because of the good hand of my God on me. 9.Then I came to the governors beyond the River, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen. 10.When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. 11.So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12.I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem; neither was there any animal with me, except the animal that I rode on. 13.I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the jackal's well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire. 14.Then I went on to the spring gate and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the animal that was under me to pass. 15.Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned. 16.The rulers didn't know where I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who did the work. 17.Then I said to them, "You see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we won't be disgraced." 18.I told them of the hand of my God which was good on me, as also of the king's words that he had spoken to me.

They said, "Let's rise up and build." So they strengthened their hands for the good work.

19.But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they ridiculed us, and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?"

20.Then answered I them, and said to them, "The God of heaven will prosper us. Therefore we, his servants, will arise and build; but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem."

 

Hosea 12

 

1.Ephraim feeds on wind, and chases the east wind. He continually multiplies lies and desolation. They make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried into Egypt. 2.Yahweh also has a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his deeds he will repay him. 3.In the womb he took his brother by the heel; and in his manhood he contended with God. 4.Indeed, he struggled with the angel, and prevailed; he wept, and made supplication to him. He found him at Bethel, and there he spoke with us, 5.even Yahweh, the God of Armies; Yahweh is his name of renown! 6.Therefore turn to your God. Keep kindness and justice, and wait continually for your God.

7.A merchant has dishonest scales in his hand. He loves to defraud. 8.Ephraim said, "Surely I have become rich, I have found myself wealth. In all my wealth they won't find in me any iniquity that is sin."

9."But I am Yahweh your God from the land of Egypt. I will yet again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the solemn feast. 10.I have also spoken to the prophets, and I have multiplied visions; and by the ministry of the prophets I have used parables. 11.If Gilead is wicked, surely they are worthless. In Gilgal they sacrifice bulls. Indeed, their altars are like heaps in the furrows of the field. 12.Jacob fled into the country of Aram, and Israel served to get a wife, and for a wife he tended flocks and herds. 13.By a prophet Yahweh brought Israel up out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved. 14.Ephraim has bitterly provoked anger. Therefore his blood will be left on him, and his Lord⁸ will repay his contempt.

 

Colossians 3

 

1.If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2.Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. 3.For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4.When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory. 5.Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; 6.for which things' sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. 7.You also once walked in those, when you lived in them; 8.but now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth. 9.Don't lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, 10.and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator, 11.where there can't be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.

12.Put on therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; 13.bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.

14.Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. 15.And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16.Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.

17.Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.

18.Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

19.Husbands, love your wives, and don't be bitter against them.

20.Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord.

21.Fathers, don't provoke your children, so that they won't be discouraged.

22.Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. 23.And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men, 24.knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25.But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.

 

Colossians 4

 

1.Masters, give to your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

2.Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving; 3.praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds; 4.that I may reveal it as I ought to speak. 5.Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6.Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

7.All my affairs will be made known to you by Tychicus, the beloved brother, faithful servant, and fellow bondservant in the Lord. 8.I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, 9.together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you everything that is going on here. 10.Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you received commandments, "if he comes to you, receive him"), 11.and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the Kingdom of God who are of the circumcision, men who have been a comfort to me.

12.Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 13.For I testify about him, that he has great zeal for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those in Hierapolis. 14.Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. 15.Greet the brothers who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the assembly that is in his house. 16.When this letter has been read among you, cause it to be read also in the assembly of the Laodiceans; and that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17.Tell Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you fulfill it."

18.The salutation of me, Paul, with my own hand: remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.

 

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