Daily Readings for September 8

Daily Readings for September 8
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2Kings 14

1.In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel began Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah to reign. 2.He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3.He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, yet not like David his father: he did according to all that Joash his father had done. 4.However the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. 5.It happened, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he killed his servants who had slain the king his father: 6.but the children of the murderers he didn't put to death; according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as Yahweh commanded, saying, "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin." 7.He killed of Edom in the Valley of Salt ten thousand, and took Sela by war, and called its name Joktheel, to this day. 8.Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one another in the face."

9.Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife. Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled down the thistle. 10.You have indeed struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Enjoy the glory of it, and stay at home; for why should you meddle to your harm, that you should fall, even you, and Judah with you?'" 11.But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12.Judah was defeated by Israel; and they fled every man to his tent. 13.Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. 14.He took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of Yahweh, and in the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria. 15.Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 16.Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place. 17.Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. 18.Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 19.They made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there. 20.They brought him on horses; and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21.All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. 22.He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. 23.In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria for forty-one years. 24.He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: he didn't depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. 25.He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of Yahweh, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath Hepher. 26.For Yahweh saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; for there was none shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel. 27.Yahweh didn't say that he would blot out the name of Israel from under the sky; but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. 28.Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, for Israel, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 29.Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.

Ezekiel 4

1.You also, son of man, take a tile, and lay it before yourself, and portray on it a city, even Jerusalem: 2.and lay siege against it, and build forts against it, and cast up a mound against it; set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it all around. 3.Take for yourself an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between you and the city: and set your face toward it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel. 4.Moreover lie on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it; [according to] the number of the days that you shall lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity. 5.For I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be to you a number of days, even three hundred ninety days: so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6.Again, when you have accomplished these, you shall lie on your right side, and shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah: forty days, each day for a year, have I appointed it to you. 7.You shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm uncovered; and you shall prophesy against it. 8.Behold, I lay bands on you, and you shall not turn you from one side to the other, until you have accomplished the days of your siege. 9.Take for yourself also wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it; [according to] the number of the days that you shall lie on your side, even three hundred ninety days, you shall eat of it. 10.Your food which you shall eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time you shall eat it. 11.You shall drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin: from time to time you shall drink. 12.You shall eat it as barley cakes, and you shall bake it in their sight with dung that comes out of man. 13.Yahweh said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them. 14.Then I said, Ah Lord Yahweh! behold, my soul has not been polluted; for from my youth up even until now have I not eaten of that which dies of itself, or is torn of animals; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth. 15.Then he said to me, Behold, I have given you cow's dung for man's dung, and you shall prepare your bread thereon. 16.Moreover he said to me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness; and they shall drink water by measure, and in dismay: 17.that they may want bread and water, and be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity.

2Corinthians 12

1.It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. For I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2.I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I don't know, or whether out of the body, I don't know; God knows), such a one caught up into the third heaven. 3.I know such a man (whether in the body, or outside of the body, I don't know; God knows), 4.how he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5.On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses. 6.For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me, or hears from me. 7.By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. 8.Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9.He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

10.Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. 11.I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing was I inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing. 12.Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty works. 13.For what is there in which you were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, unless it is that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong.

14.Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I seek not your possessions, but you. For the children ought not to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15.I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less? 16.But be it so, I did not myself burden you. But, being crafty, I caught you with deception. 17.Did I take advantage of you by anyone of them whom I have sent to you? 18.I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Didn't we walk in the same spirit? Didn't we walk in the same steps? 19.Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying. 20.For I am afraid that by any means, when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you don't desire; that by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, riots; 21.that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness and sexual immorality and lustfulness which they committed.

2Corinthians 13

1.This is the third time I am coming to you. "At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established."¹¹ 2.I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before now, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare; 3.seeing that you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me; who toward you is not weak, but is powerful in you. 4.For he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him through the power of God toward you. 5.Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don't you know as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified. 6.But I hope that you will know that we aren't disqualified.

7.Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that you may do that which is honorable, though we are as reprobate. 8.For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9.For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. And this we also pray for, even your perfecting. 10.For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for tearing down.

11.Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12.Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13.All the saints greet you. 14.The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.