Daily Readings for November 17
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Nehemiah 4

 

1.But it happened that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. 2.He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?" 3.Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, "What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall."

4."Hear, our God; for we are despised; and turn back their reproach on their own head, give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity; 5.don't cover their iniquity, and don't let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders."

6.So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height: for the people had a mind to work. 7.But it happened that when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, then they were very angry; 8.and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein. 9.But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. 10.Judah said, "The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall." 11.Our adversaries said, "They shall not know, neither see, until we come into their midst, and kill them, and cause the work to cease."

12.It happened that when the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us." 13.Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14.I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses."

15.It happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, that we returned all of us to the wall, everyone to his work. 16.It happened from that time forth, that half of my servants worked in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. 17.They all built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands worked in the work, and with the other held his weapon; 18.and the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me. 19.I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and large, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another. 20.Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us."

21.So we worked in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared. 22.Likewise at the same time said I to the people, "Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day." 23.So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.

 

Hosea 14

 

1.Israel, return to Yahweh your God; for you have fallen because of your sin. 2.Take words with you, and return to Yahweh. Tell him, "Forgive all our sins, and accept that which is good: so we offer our lips like bulls. 3.Assyria can't save us. We won't ride on horses; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, 'Our gods!' for in you the fatherless finds mercy."

4."I will heal their waywardness. I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from him. 5.I will be like the dew to Israel. He will blossom like the lily, and send down his roots like Lebanon. 6.His branches will spread, and his beauty will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon. 7.Men will dwell in his shade. They will revive like the grain, and blossom like the vine. Their fragrance will be like the wine of Lebanon. 8.Ephraim, what have I to do any more with idols? I answer, and will take care of him. I am like a green fir tree; from me your fruit is found."

9.Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Who is prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of Yahweh are right, and the righteous walk in them; But the rebellious stumble in them.

 

1Thessalonians 3

 

1.Therefore, when we couldn't stand it any longer, we thought it good to be left behind at Athens alone, 2.and sent Timothy, our brother and God's servant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith; 3.that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task. 4.For most certainly, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction, even as it happened, and you know. 5.For this cause I also, when I couldn't stand it any longer, sent that I might know your faith, for fear that by any means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor would have been in vain. 6.But when Timothy came just now to us from you, and brought us glad news of your faith and love, and that you have good memories of us always, longing to see us, even as we also long to see you; 7.for this cause, brothers, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith. 8.For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. 9.For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God; 10.night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 11.Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you; 12.and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we also do toward you, 13.to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

 

1Thessalonians 4

 

1.Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more. 2.For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3.For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, 4.that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5.not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don't know God; 6.that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. 7.For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. 8.Therefore he who rejects this doesn't reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.

9.But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, 10.for indeed you do it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more; 11.and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you; 12.that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.

13.But we don't want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don't grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14.For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15.For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. 16.For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, 17.then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. 18.Therefore comfort one another with these words.

 

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