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Daily Readings for November 21
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Nehemiah 9
1.Now in the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth on them. 2.The seed of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. 3.They stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Yahweh their God a fourth part of the day; and a fourth part they confessed, and worshiped Yahweh their God. 4.Then Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani of the Levites stood up on the stairs, and cried with a loud voice to Yahweh their God. 5.Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, "Stand up and bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting! Bessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise! 6.You are Yahweh, even you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their army, the earth and all things that are on it, the seas and all that is in them, and you preserve them all. The army of heaven worships you. 7.You are Yahweh, the God who chose Abram, and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham, 8.and found his heart faithful before you, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it to his seed, and have performed your words; for you are righteous.
9."You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heard their cry by the Red Sea4, 10.and showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, and against all his servants, and against all the people of his land; for you knew that they dealt proudly against them, and made a name for yourself, as it is this day. 11.You divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into the mighty waters. 12.Moreover, in a pillar of cloud you led them by day; and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light in the way in which they should go.
13."You came down also on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments, 14.and made known to them your holy Sabbath, and commanded them commandments, and statutes, and a law, by Moses your servant, 15.and gave them bread from the sky for their hunger, and brought forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and commanded them that they should go in to possess the land which you had sworn to give them.
16."But they and our fathers dealt proudly and hardened their neck, didn't listen to your commandments, 17.and refused to obey, neither were they mindful of your wonders that you did among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and didn't forsake them. 18.Yes, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,' and had committed awful blasphemies; 19.yet you in your manifold mercies didn't forsake them in the wilderness: the pillar of cloud didn't depart from over them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way in which they should go. 20.You gave also your good Spirit to instruct them, and didn't withhold your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.
21."Yes, forty years you sustained them in the wilderness. They lacked nothing. Their clothes didn't grow old, and their feet didn't swell. 22.Moreover you gave them kingdoms and peoples, which you allotted according to their portions. So they possessed the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. 23.You also multiplied their children as the stars of the sky, and brought them into the land concerning which you said to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.
24."So the children went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hands, with their kings, and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they pleased. 25.They took fortified cities, and a rich land, and possessed houses full of all good things, cisterns dug out, vineyards, and olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, were filled, became fat, and delighted themselves in your great goodness.
26."Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against you, and cast your law behind their back, and killed your prophets that testified against them to turn them again to you, and they committed awful blasphemies. 27.Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed them. In the time of their trouble, when they cried to you, you heard from heaven; and according to your manifold mercies you gave them saviors who saved them out of the hand of their adversaries. 28.But after they had rest, they did evil again before you; therefore left you them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them; yet when they returned, and cried to you, you heard from heaven; and many times you delivered them according to your mercies, 29.and testified against them, that you might bring them again to your law. Yet they dealt proudly, and didn't listen to your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances, (which if a man does, he shall live in them), turned their backs, stiffened their neck, and would not hear. 30.Yet many years you put up with them, and testified against them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet would they not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
31."Nevertheless in your manifold mercies you did not make a full end of them, nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God. 32.Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness, don't let all the travail seem little before you, that has come on us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day. 33.However you are just in all that has come on us; for you have dealt truly, but we have done wickedly; 34.neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept your law, nor listened to your commandments and your testimonies with which you testified against them. 35.For they have not served you in their kingdom, and in your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land which you gave before them, neither did they turn from their wicked works.
36."Behold, we are servants this day, and as for the land that you gave to our fathers to eat its fruit and its good, behold, we are servants in it. 37.It yields much increase to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins: also they have power over our bodies, and over our livestock, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. 38.Yet for all this, we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, seal it."
Amos 1
1.The words of Amos, who was among the herdsmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2.He said: "Yahweh1 will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the pastures of the shepherds will mourn, and the top of Carmel will wither."
3.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Damascus, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron; 4.but I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it will devour the palaces of Ben Hadad. 5.I will break the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from the house of Eden; and the people of Syria shall go into captivity to Kir," says Yahweh.
6.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Gaza, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they carried away captive the whole community, to deliver them up to Edom; 7.but I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, and it will devour its palaces. 8.I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; and I will turn my hand against Ekron; and the remnant of the Philistines will perish," says the Lord2 Yahweh.
9.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Tyre, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they delivered up the whole community to Edom, and didn't remember the brotherly covenant; 10.but I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, and it will devour its palaces."
11.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Edom, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because he pursued his brother with the sword, and cast off all pity, and his anger raged continually, and he kept his wrath forever; 12.but I will send a fire on Teman, and it will devour the palaces of Bozrah."
13.Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they have ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead, that they may enlarge their border. 14.But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it will devour its palaces, with shouting in the day of battle, with a storm in the day of the whirlwind; 15.and their king will go into captivity, he and his princes together," says Yahweh.
1Timothy 1
1.Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and Christ Jesus our hope; 2.to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3.As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine, 4.neither to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than God's stewardship, which is in faith-- 5.but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith; 6.from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned aside to vain talking; 7.desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm. 8.But we know that the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully, 9.as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10.for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine; 11.according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. 12.And I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service; 13.although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14.The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15.The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16.However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life. 17.Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
18.This instruction I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to you, that by them you may wage the good warfare; 19.holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith; 20.of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered to Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.
1Timothy 2
1.I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men: 2.for kings and all who are in high places; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence. 3.For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; 4.who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth. 5.For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6.who gave himself as a ransom for all; the testimony in its own times; 7.to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8.I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting. 9.In the same way, that women also adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and propriety; not just with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing; 10.but (which becomes women professing godliness) with good works. 11.Let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection. 12.But I don't permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness. 13.For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14.Adam wasn't deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience; 15.but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and sanctification with sobriety.
1Timothy 3
1.This is a faithful saying: if a man seeks the office of an overseer1, he desires a good work. 2.The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching; 3.not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4.one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence; 5.(but if a man doesn't know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the assembly of God?) 6.not a new convert, lest being puffed up he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7.Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8.Servants2, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money; 9.holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10.Let them also first be tested; then let them serve3 if they are blameless. 11.Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12.Let servants4 be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13.For those who have served well5 gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
14.These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly; 15.but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16.Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.