Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Ray Ortlund

Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Ray Ortlund

Download on the App Store
  • Favorites

    294

    Followers

  • Typical duration

    16 min

    per episode

  • If it hooks

    72%

    finish an episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Ray Ortlund episodes

  • July 6: 1 Chronicles 7; Psalm 5; Matthew 7
    Old Testament:
    1 Chronicles 7
    1 Chronicles 7 (Listen)
    Descendants of Issachar

    7 The sonsSyriac (compare Vulgate); Hebrew And to the sons">1 of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four. 2 The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers' houses, namely of Tola, mighty warriors of their generations, their number in the days of David being 22,600. 3 The sonHebrew sons; also verses 10, 12, 17">2 of Uzzi: Izrahiah. And the sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah, all five of them were chief men. 4 And along with them, by their generations, according to their fathers' houses, were units of the army for war, 36,000, for they had many wives and sons. 5 Their kinsmen belonging to all the clans of Issachar were in all 87,000 mighty warriors, enrolled by genealogy.

    Descendants of Benjamin

    6 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, and Jediael, three. 7 The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, five, heads of fathers' houses, mighty warriors. And their enrollment by genealogies was 22,034. 8 The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Becher. 9 And their enrollment by genealogies, according to their generations, as heads of their fathers' houses, mighty warriors, was 20,200. 10 The son of Jediael: Bilhan. And the sons of Bilhan: Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Chenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar. 11 All these were the sons of Jediael according to the heads of their fathers' houses, mighty warriors, 17,200, able to go to war. 12 And Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir, Hushim the son of Aher.

    Descendants of Naphtali

    13 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shallum, the descendants of Bilhah.

    Descendants of Manasseh

    14 The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bore; she bore Machir the father of Gilead. 15 And Machir took a wife for Huppim and for Shuppim. The name of his sister was Maacah. And the name of the second was Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had daughters. 16 And Maacah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. 17 The son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, son of Manasseh. 18 And his sister Hammolecheth bore Ishhod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. 19 The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.

    Descendants of Ephraim

    20 The sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, and Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, 21 Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in the land killed, because they came down to raid their livestock. 22 And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brothers came to comfort him. 23 And Ephraim went in to his wife, and she conceived and bore a son. And he called his name Beriah, because disaster had befallen his house.Beriah sounds like the Hebrew for disaster">3 24 His daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and Uzzen-sheerah. 25 Rephah was his son, Resheph his son, Telah his son, Tahan his son, 26 Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, 27 NunHebrew Non">4 his son, Joshua his son. 28 Their possessions and settlements were Bethel and its towns, and to the east Naaran, and to the west Gezer and its towns, Shechem and its towns, and Ayyah and its towns; 29 also in possession of the Manassites, Beth-shean and its towns, Taanach and its towns, Megiddo and its towns, Dor and its towns. In these lived the sons of Joseph the son of Israel.

    Descendants of Asher

    30 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. 31 The sons of Beriah: Heber, and Malchiel, who fathered Birzaith. 32 Heber fathered Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and their sister Shua. 33 The sons of Japhlet: Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the sons of Japhlet. 34 The sons of Shemer his brother: Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram. 35 The sons of Helem his brother: Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. 36 The sons of Zophah: Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah. 37 Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. 38 The sons of Jether: Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara. 39 The sons of Ulla: Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia. 40 All of these were men of Asher, heads of fathers' houses, approved, mighty warriors, chiefs of the princes. Their number enrolled by genealogies, for service in war, was 26,000 men.

    Footnotes

    [1] 7:1 Syriac (compare Vulgate); Hebrew And to the sons


    [2] 7:3 Hebrew sons; also verses 10, 12, 17

    [3] 7:23 Beriah sounds like the Hebrew for disaster

    [4] 7:27 Hebrew Non

    (ESV)

    Psalm:
    Psalm 5
    Psalm 5 (Listen)
    Lead Me in Your Righteousness
    To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

    5   Give ear to my words, O LORD;
        consider my groaning.
    2   Give attention to the sound of my cry,
        my King and my God,
        for to you do I pray.
    3   O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
        in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for youOr I direct my prayer to you">1 and watch.
    4   For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
        evil may not dwell with you.
    5   The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
        you hate all evildoers.
    6   You destroy those who speak lies;
        the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
    7   But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
        will enter your house.
      I will bow down toward your holy temple
        in the fear of you.
    8   Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
        because of my enemies;
        make your way straight before me.
    9   For there is no truth in their mouth;
        their inmost self is destruction;
      their throat is an open grave;
        they flatter with their tongue.
    10   Make them bear their guilt, O God;
        let them fall by their own counsels;
      because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
        for they have rebelled against you.
    11   But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
        let them ever sing for joy,
      and spread your protection over them,
        that those who love your name may exult in you.
    12   For you bless the righteous, O LORD;
        you cover him with favor as with a shield.

    Footnotes

    [1] 5:3 Or I direct my prayer to you

    (ESV)

    New Testament:
    Matthew 7
    Matthew 7 (Listen)
    Judging Others

    7 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

    6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

    Ask, and It Will Be Given

    7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

    The Golden Rule

    12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

    13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easySome manuscripts For the way is wide and easy">1 that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

    A Tree and Its Fruit

    15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

    I Never Knew You

    21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

    Build Your House on the Rock

    24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

    The Authority of Jesus

    28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

    Footnotes

    [1] 7:13 Some manuscripts For the way is wide and easy

    (ESV)

    11 min
  • July 5: 1 Chronicles 6; Psalm 4; Matthew 6
    Old Testament:
    1 Chronicles 6
    1 Chronicles 6 (Listen)
    Descendants of Levi

    6 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 3 The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 4 Eleazar fathered Phinehas, Phinehas fathered Abishua, 5 Abishua fathered Bukki, Bukki fathered Uzzi, 6 Uzzi fathered Zerahiah, Zerahiah fathered Meraioth, 7 Meraioth fathered Amariah, Amariah fathered Ahitub, 8 Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Ahimaaz, 9 Ahimaaz fathered Azariah, Azariah fathered Johanan, 10 and Johanan fathered Azariah (it was he who served as priest in the house that Solomon built in Jerusalem). 11 Azariah fathered Amariah, Amariah fathered Ahitub, 12 Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Shallum, 13 Shallum fathered Hilkiah, Hilkiah fathered Azariah, 14 Azariah fathered Seraiah, Seraiah fathered Jehozadak; 15 and Jehozadak went into exile when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

    16  The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 17 And these are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their fathers. 20 Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21 Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son. 22 The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23 Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, 24 Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. 25 The sons of Elkanah: Amasai and Ahimoth, 26 Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, 27 Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28 The sons of Samuel: JoelSeptuagint, Syriac (compare verse 33 and 1 Samuel 8:2); Hebrew lacks Joel">1 his firstborn, the second Abijah.Hebrew and Abijah">2 29 The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, 30 Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.

    31 These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there. 32 They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they performed their service according to their order. 33 These are the men who served and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer the son of Joel, son of Samuel, 34 son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah, 35 son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasai, 36 son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah, 37 son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, 38 son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel; 39 and his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, namely, Asaph the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea, 40 son of Michael, son of Baaseiah, son of Malchijah, 41 son of Ethni, son of Zerah, son of Adaiah, 42 son of Ethan, son of Zimmah, son of Shimei, 43 son of Jahath, son of Gershom, son of Levi. 44 On the left hand were their brothers, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, son of Abdi, son of Malluch, 45 son of Hashabiah, son of Amaziah, son of Hilkiah, 46 son of Amzi, son of Bani, son of Shemer, 47 son of Mahli, son of Mushi, son of Merari, son of Levi. 48 And their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

    49 But Aaron and his sons made offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense for all the work of the Most Holy Place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50 These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53 Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.

    54 These are their dwelling places according to their settlements within their borders: to the sons of Aaron of the clans of Kohathites, for theirs was the first lot, 55 to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands, 56 but the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57 To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, 58 Hilen with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, 59 Ashan with its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands; 60 and from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon,Septuagint, Syriac (compare Joshua 21:17); Hebrew lacks Gibeon">3 Geba with its pasturelands, Alemeth with its pasturelands, and Anathoth with its pasturelands. All their cities throughout their clans were thirteen.

    61 To the rest of the Kohathites were given by lot out of the clan of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities. 62 To the Gershomites according to their clans were allotted thirteen cities out of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Manasseh in Bashan. 63 To the Merarites according to their clans were allotted twelve cities out of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 64 So the people of Israel gave the Levites the cities with their pasturelands. 65 They gave by lot out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin these cities that are mentioned by name.

    66 And some of the clans of the sons of Kohath had cities of their territory out of the tribe of Ephraim. 67 They were given the cities of refuge: Shechem with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, 68 Jokmeam with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands, 69 Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands, 70 and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Aner with its pasturelands, and Bileam with its pasturelands, for the rest of the clans of the Kohathites.

    71 To the Gershomites were given out of the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands and Ashtaroth with its pasturelands; 72 and out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, 73 Ramoth with its pasturelands, and Anem with its pasturelands; 74 out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, 75 Hukok with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands; 76 and out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, Hammon with its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim with its pasturelands. 77 To the rest of the Merarites were allotted out of the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasturelands, Tabor with its pasturelands, 78 and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands, 79 Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands; 80 and out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, 81 Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands.

    Footnotes

    [1] 6:28 Septuagint, Syriac (compare verse 33 and 1 Samuel 8:2); Hebrew lacks Joel


    [2] 6:28 Hebrew and Abijah

    [3] 6:60 Septuagint, Syriac (compare Joshua 21:17); Hebrew lacks Gibeon

    (ESV)

    Psalm:
    Psalm 4
    Psalm 4 (Listen)
    Answer Me When I Call
    To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

    4   Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
        You have given me relief when I was in distress.
        Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
    2   O men,Or O men of rank">1 how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
        How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
    3   But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
        the LORD hears when I call to him.
    4   Be angry,Or Be agitated">2 and do not sin;
        ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
    5   Offer right sacrifices,
        and put your trust in the LORD.
    6   There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
        Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”
    7   You have put more joy in my heart
        than they have when their grain and wine abound.
    8   In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
        for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

    Footnotes

    [1] 4:2 Or O men of rank


    [2] 4:4 Or Be agitated

    (ESV)

    New Testament:
    Matthew 6
    Matthew 6 (Listen)
    Giving to the Needy

    6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

    2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

    The Lord's Prayer

    5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

    7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

      “Our Father in heaven,
      hallowed be your name.Or Let your name be kept holy, or Let your name be treated with reverence">1
    10   Your kingdom come,
      your will be done,Or Let your kingdom come, let your will be done">2
        on earth as it is in heaven.
    11   Give us this day our daily bread,Or our bread for tomorrow">3
    12   and forgive us our debts,
        as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    13   And lead us not into temptation,
        but deliver us from evil.Or the evil one; some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen">4

    14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

    Fasting

    16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

    Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

    19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rustOr worm; also verse 20">5 destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

    22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

    24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions">6

    Do Not Be Anxious

    25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?Or a single cubit to his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters">7 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

    34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

    Footnotes

    [1] 6:9 Or Let your name be kept holy, or Let your name be treated with reverence


    [2] 6:10 Or Let your kingdom come, let your will be done

    [3] 6:11 Or our bread for tomorrow

    [4] 6:13 Or the evil one; some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen

    [5] 6:19 Or worm; also verse 20

    [6] 6:24 Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions

    [7] 6:27 Or a single cubit to his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

    (ESV)

    14 min
  • July 4: 1 Chronicles 5; Psalm 3; Matthew 5
    Old Testament:
    1 Chronicles 5
    1 Chronicles 5 (Listen)
    Descendants of Reuben

    5 The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father's couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, so that he could not be enrolled as the oldest son; 2 though Judah became strong among his brothers and a chief came from him, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph), 3 the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 4 The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, 5 Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, 6 Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-pileserHebrew Tilgath-pilneser; also verse 26">1 king of Assyria carried away into exile; he was a chief of the Reubenites. 7 And his kinsmen by their clans, when the genealogy of their generations was recorded: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah, 8 and Bela the son of Azaz, son of Shema, son of Joel, who lived in Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. 9 He also lived to the east as far as the entrance of the desert this side of the Euphrates, because their livestock had multiplied in the land of Gilead. 10 And in the days of Saul they waged war against the Hagrites, who fell into their hand. And they lived in their tents throughout all the region east of Gilead.

    Descendants of Gad

    11 The sons of Gad lived over against them in the land of Bashan as far as Salecah: 12 Joel the chief, Shapham the second, Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan. 13 And their kinsmen according to their fathers' houses: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia and Eber, seven. 14 These were the sons of Abihail the son of Huri, son of Jaroah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jeshishai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz. 15 Ahi the son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was chief in their fathers' houses, 16 and they lived in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the pasturelands of Sharon to their limits. 17 All of these were recorded in genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

    18 The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had valiant men who carried shield and sword, and drew the bow, expert in war, 44,760, able to go to war. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. 20 And when they prevailedOr they were helped to prevail">2 over them, the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hands, for they cried out to God in the battle, and he granted their urgent plea because they trusted in him. 21 They carried off their livestock: 50,000 of their camels, 250,000 sheep, 2,000 donkeys, and 100,000 men alive. 22 For many fell, because the war was of God. And they lived in their place until the exile.

    The Half-Tribe of Manasseh

    23 The members of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land. They were very numerous from Bashan to Baal-hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. 24 These were the heads of their fathers' houses: Epher,Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew and Epher">3 Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty warriors, famous men, heads of their fathers' houses. 25 But they broke faith with the God of their fathers, and whored after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and he took them into exile, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.

    Footnotes

    [1] 5:6 Hebrew Tilgath-pilneser; also verse 26


    [2] 5:20 Or they were helped to prevail

    [3] 5:24 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew and Epher

    (ESV)

    Psalm:
    Psalm 3
    Psalm 3 (Listen)
    Save Me, O My God
    A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

    3   O LORD, how many are my foes!
        Many are rising against me;
    2   many are saying of my soul,
        “There is no salvation for him in God.” SelahThe meaning of the Hebrew word Selah, used frequently in the Psalms, is uncertain. It may be a musical or liturgical direction">1
    3   But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
        my glory, and the lifter of my head.
    4   I cried aloud to the LORD,
        and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah
    5   I lay down and slept;
        I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
    6   I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
        who have set themselves against me all around.
    7   Arise, O LORD!
        Save me, O my God!
      For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
        you break the teeth of the wicked.
    8   Salvation belongs to the LORD;
        your blessing be on your people! Selah

    Footnotes

    [1] 3:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word Selah, used frequently in the Psalms, is uncertain. It may be a musical or liturgical direction

    (ESV)

    New Testament:
    Matthew 5
    Matthew 5 (Listen)
    The Sermon on the Mount

    5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

    The Beatitudes

    2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

    3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

    5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

    6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

    7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

    8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

    9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sonsGreek huioi; see Preface">1 of God.

    10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

    Salt and Light

    13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

    14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so thatOr house. 16Let your light so shine before others that">2 they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

    Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

    17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

    Anger

    21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brotherSome manuscripts insert without cause">3 will be liable to judgment; whoever insultsGreek says Raca to (a term of abuse)">4 his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hellGreek Gehenna; also verses 29, 30">5 of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.Greek kodrantes, Roman copper coin (Latin quadrans) worth about 1/64 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)">6

    Lust

    27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

    Divorce

    31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

    Oaths

    33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.Or the evil one">7

    Retaliation

    38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin">8 let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

    Love Your Enemies

    43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers,Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters">9 what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

    Footnotes

    [1] 5:9 Greek huioi; see Preface


    [2] 5:16 Or house. 16Let your light so shine before others that

    [3] 5:22 Some manuscripts insert without cause

    [4] 5:22 Greek says Raca to (a term of abuse)

    [5] 5:22 Greek Gehenna; also verses 29, 30

    [6] 5:26 Greek kodrantes, Roman copper coin (Latin quadrans) worth about 1/64 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)

    [7] 5:37 Or the evil one

    [8] 5:40 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin

    [9] 5:47 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters

    (ESV)

    11 min
  • July 3: 1 Chronicles 3–4; Psalm 2; Matthew 3–4
    Old Testament:
    1 Chronicles 3–4
    1 Chronicles 3–4 (Listen)
    Descendants of David

    3 These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite, 2 the third, Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; 3 the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah; 4 six were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years and six months. And he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 5 These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua, the daughter of Ammiel; 6 then Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, 7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. 9 All these were David's sons, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar was their sister.

    10 The son of Solomon was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, 11 Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, 12 Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, 13 Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, 14 Amon his son, Josiah his son. 15 The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. 16 The descendants of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son; 17 and the sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son, 18 Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah; 19 and the sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei; and the sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah, and Shelomith was their sister; 20 and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed, five. 21 The sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, his sonSeptuagint (compare Syriac, Vulgate); Hebrew sons of; four times in this verse">1 Rephaiah, his son Arnan, his son Obadiah, his son Shecaniah. 22 The sonHebrew sons">2 of Shecaniah: Shemaiah. And the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat, six. 23 The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam, three. 24 The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani, seven.

    Descendants of Judah

    4 The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. 2 Reaiah the son of Shobal fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites. 3 These were the sonsSeptuagint (compare Vulgate); Hebrew father">3 of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi, 4 and Penuel fathered Gedor, and Ezer fathered Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. 5 Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah; 6 Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. 7 The sons of Helah: Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan. 8 Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the clans of Aharhel, the son of Harum. 9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”Jabez sounds like the Hebrew for pain">4 10 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harmOr evil">5 so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. 11 Chelub, the brother of Shuhah, fathered Mehir, who fathered Eshton. 12 Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah. 13 The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah; and the sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks Meonothai">6 14 Meonothai fathered Ophrah; and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of Ge-harashim,Ge-harashim means valley of craftsmen">7 so-called because they were craftsmen. 15 The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the sonHebrew sons">8 of Elah: Kenaz. 16 The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. 17 The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. These are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married;The clause These are . . . married is transposed from verse 18">9 and she conceived and boreHebrew lacks and bore">10 Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa. 18 And his Judahite wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. 19 The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. 20 The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. 21 The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the clans of the house of linen workers at Beth-ashbea; 22 and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and returned to LehemVulgate (compare Septuagint); Hebrew and Jashubi-lahem">11 (now the recordsOr matters">12 are ancient). 23 These were the potters who were inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the king's service.

    Descendants of Simeon

    24 The sons of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, Shaul; 25 Shallum was his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son. 26 The sons of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zaccur his son, Shimei his son. 27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many children, nor did all their clan multiply like the men of Judah. 28 They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar-shual, 29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 31 Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth-biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until David reigned. 32 And their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, five cities, 33 along with all their villages that were around these cities as far as Baal. These were their settlements, and they kept a genealogical record.

    34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amaziah, 35 Joel, Jehu the son of Joshibiah, son of Seraiah, son of Asiel, 36 Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 37 Ziza the son of Shiphi, son of Allon, son of Jedaiah, son of Shimri, son of Shemaiah—38 these mentioned by name were princes in their clans, and their fathers' houses increased greatly. 39 They journeyed to the entrance of Gedor, to the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks, 40 where they found rich, good pasture, and the land was very broad, quiet, and peaceful, for the former inhabitants there belonged to Ham. 41 These, registered by name, came in the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and destroyed their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and marked them for destruction to this day, and settled in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks. 42 And some of them, five hundred men of the Simeonites, went to Mount Seir, having as their leaders Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. 43 And they defeated the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day.

    Footnotes

    [1] 3:21 Septuagint (compare Syriac, Vulgate); Hebrew sons of; four times in this verse


    [2] 3:22 Hebrew sons

    [3] 4:3 Septuagint (compare Vulgate); Hebrew father

    [4] 4:9 Jabez sounds like the Hebrew for pain

    [5] 4:10 Or evil

    [6] 4:13 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks Meonothai

    [7] 4:14 Ge-harashim means valley of craftsmen

    [8] 4:15 Hebrew sons

    [9] 4:17 The clause These are . . . married is transposed from verse 18

    [10] 4:17 Hebrew lacks and bore

    [11] 4:22 Vulgate (compare Septuagint); Hebrew and Jashubi-lahem

    [12] 4:22 Or matters

    (ESV)

    Psalm:
    Psalm 2
    Psalm 2 (Listen)
    The Reign of the Lord's Anointed

    2   Why do the nations rageOr nations noisily assemble">1
        and the peoples plot in vain?
    2   The kings of the earth set themselves,
        and the rulers take counsel together,
        against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,
    3   “Let us burst their bonds apart
        and cast away their cords from us.”
    4   He who sits in the heavens laughs;
        the Lord holds them in derision.
    5   Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
        and terrify them in his fury, saying,
    6   “As for me, I have set my King
        on Zion, my holy hill.”
    7   I will tell of the decree:
      The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
        today I have begotten you.
    8   Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
        and the ends of the earth your possession.
    9   You shall breakRevocalization yields (compare Septuagint) You shall rule">2 them with a rod of iron
        and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”
    10   Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
        be warned, O rulers of the earth.
    11   Serve the LORD with fear,
        and rejoice with trembling.
    12   Kiss the Son,
        lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
        for his wrath is quickly kindled.
      Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

    Footnotes

    [1] 2:1 Or nations noisily assemble


    [2] 2:9 Revocalization yields (compare Septuagint) You shall rule

    (ESV)

    New Testament:
    Matthew 3–4
    Matthew 3–4 (Listen)
    John the Baptist Prepares the Way

    3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”Or the kingdom of heaven has come near">1 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

      “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
      ‘PrepareOr crying: Prepare in the wilderness">2 the way of the Lord;
        make his paths straight.’”

    4 Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

    7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

    11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

    The Baptism of Jesus

    13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,Some manuscripts omit to him">3 and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved">4 with whom I am well pleased.”

    The Temptation of Jesus

    4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,

      “‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
        but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

    5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

      “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

    and

      “‘On their hands they will bear you up,
        lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

    7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

      “‘You shall worship the Lord your God
        and him only shall you serve.’”

    11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

    Jesus Begins His Ministry

    12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

    15   “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
        the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
    16   the people dwelling in darkness
        have seen a great light,
      and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
        on them a light has dawned.”

    17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”Or the kingdom of heaven has come near">5

    Jesus Calls the First Disciples

    18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women">6 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

    Jesus Ministers to Great Crowds

    23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

    Footnotes

    [1] 3:2 Or the kingdom of heaven has come near


    [2] 3:3 Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness

    [3] 3:16 Some manuscripts omit to him

    [4] 3:17 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved

    [5] 4:17 Or the kingdom of heaven has come near

    [6] 4:19 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women

    (ESV)

    15 min
  • July 2: 1 Chronicles 2; Psalm 1; Matthew 1–2
    Old Testament:
    1 Chronicles 2
    1 Chronicles 2 (Listen)
    A Genealogy of David

    2 These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, 2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 3 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah; these three Bath-shua the Canaanite bore to him. Now Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death. 4 His daughter-in-law Tamar also bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.

    5 The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 6 The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara, five in all. 7 The sonHebrew sons">1 of Carmi: Achan, the troubler of Israel, who broke faith in the matter of the devoted thing; 8 and Ethan's son was Azariah.

    9 The sons of Hezron that were born to him: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai. 10 Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, prince of the sons of Judah. 11 Nahshon fathered Salmon,Septuagint (compare Ruth 4:21); Hebrew Salma">2 Salmon fathered Boaz, 12 Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse. 13 Jesse fathered Eliab his firstborn, Abinadab the second, Shimea the third, 14 Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, 15 Ozem the sixth, David the seventh. 16 And their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three. 17 Abigail bore Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.

    18 Caleb the son of Hezron fathered children by his wife Azubah, and by Jerioth; and these were her sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 19 When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. 20 Hur fathered Uri, and Uri fathered Bezalel.

    21 Afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old, and she bore him Segub. 22 And Segub fathered Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. 23 But Geshur and Aram took from them Havvoth-jair, Kenath, and its villages, sixty towns. All these were descendants of Machir, the father of Gilead. 24 After the death of Hezron, Caleb went in to Ephrathah,Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew in Caleb Ephrathah">3 the wife of Hezron his father, and she bore him Ashhur, the father of Tekoa.

    25 The sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron: Ram, his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel also had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam. 27 The sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker. 28 The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada. The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. 29 The name of Abishur's wife was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid. 30 The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim; and Seled died childless. 31 The sonHebrew sons; three times in this verse">4 of Appaim: Ishi. The son of Ishi: Sheshan. The son of Sheshan: Ahlai. 32 The sons of Jada, Shammai's brother: Jether and Jonathan; and Jether died childless. 33 The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel. 34 Now Sheshan had no sons, only daughters, but Sheshan had an Egyptian slave whose name was Jarha. 35 So Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to Jarha his slave, and she bore him Attai. 36 Attai fathered Nathan, and Nathan fathered Zabad. 37 Zabad fathered Ephlal, and Ephlal fathered Obed. 38 Obed fathered Jehu, and Jehu fathered Azariah. 39 Azariah fathered Helez, and Helez fathered Eleasah. 40 Eleasah fathered Sismai, and Sismai fathered Shallum. 41 Shallum fathered Jekamiah, and Jekamiah fathered Elishama.

    42 The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel: MareshahSeptuagint; Hebrew Mesha">5 his firstborn, who fathered Ziph. The sonHebrew sons">6 of Mareshah: Hebron.Hebrew the father of Hebron">7 43 The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem and Shema. 44 Shema fathered Raham, the father of Jorkeam; and Rekem fathered Shammai. 45 The son of Shammai: Maon; and Maon fathered Beth-zur. 46 Ephah also, Caleb's concubine, bore Haran, Moza, and Gazez; and Haran fathered Gazez. 47 The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. 48 Maacah, Caleb's concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. 49 She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea; and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah. 50 These were the descendants of Caleb.

    The sonsSeptuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew son">8 of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim, 51 Salma, the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth-gader. 52 Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had other sons: Haroeh, half of the Menuhoth. 53 And the clans of Kiriath-jearim: the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; from these came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites. 54 The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites. 55 The clans also of the scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites and the Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.

    Footnotes

    [1] 2:7 Hebrew sons


    [2] 2:11 Septuagint (compare Ruth 4:21); Hebrew Salma

    [3] 2:24 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew in Caleb Ephrathah

    [4] 2:31 Hebrew sons; three times in this verse

    [5] 2:42 Septuagint; Hebrew Mesha

    [6] 2:42 Hebrew sons

    [7] 2:42 Hebrew the father of Hebron

    [8] 2:50 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew son

    (ESV)

    Psalm:
    Psalm 1
    Psalm 1 (Listen)
    Book One
    The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

    1   Blessed is the manThe singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person; see Preface">1
        who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
      nor stands in the way of sinners,
        nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
    2   but his delight is in the lawOr instruction">2 of the LORD,
        and on his law he meditates day and night.
    3   He is like a tree
        planted by streams of water
      that yields its fruit in its season,
        and its leaf does not wither.
      In all that he does, he prospers.
    4   The wicked are not so,
        but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
    5   Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
        nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
    6   for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
        but the way of the wicked will perish.

    Footnotes

    [1] 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person; see Preface


    [2] 1:2 Or instruction

    (ESV)

    New Testament:
    Matthew 1–2
    Matthew 1–2 (Listen)
    The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

    1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

    2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,Greek Aram; also verse 4">1 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

    And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,Asaph is probably an alternate spelling of Asa; some manuscripts Asa; also verse 8">2 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,Amos is probably an alternate spelling of Amon; some manuscripts Amon; twice in this verse">3 and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

    12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,Greek Salathiel; twice in this verse">4 and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

    17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

    The Birth of Jesus Christ

    18 Now the birth of Jesus ChristSome manuscripts of the Christ">5 took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothedThat is, legally pledged to be married">6 to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

    23   “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
        and they shall call his name Immanuel”

    (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

    The Visit of the Wise Men

    2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise menGreek magi; also verses 7, 16">7 from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it roseOr in the east; also verse 9">8 and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

    6   “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
        are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
      for from you shall come a ruler
        who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

    7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

    The Flight to Egypt

    13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

    Herod Kills the Children

    16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

    18   “A voice was heard in Ramah,
        weeping and loud lamentation,
      Rachel weeping for her children;
        she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

    The Return to Nazareth

    19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

    Footnotes

    [1] 1:3 Greek Aram; also verse 4


    [2] 1:7 Asaph is probably an alternate spelling of Asa; some manuscripts Asa; also verse 8

    [3] 1:10 Amos is probably an alternate spelling of Amon; some manuscripts Amon; twice in this verse

    [4] 1:12 Greek Salathiel; twice in this verse

    [5] 1:18 Some manuscripts of the Christ

    [6] 1:18 That is, legally pledged to be married

    [7] 2:1 Greek magi; also verses 7, 16

    [8] 2:2 Or in the east; also verse 9

    (ESV)

    14 min
  • July 1: 1 Chronicles 1; Psalm 150; Revelation 20–22
    Old Testament:
    1 Chronicles 1
    1 Chronicles 1 (Listen)
    From Adam to Abraham

    1 Adam, Seth, Enosh; 2 Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared; 3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; 4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

    5 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 6 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath,Septuagint; Hebrew Diphath">1 and Togarmah. 7 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.

    8 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 9 The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 10 Cush fathered Nimrod. He was the first on earth to be a mighty man.Or He began to be a mighty man on the earth">2

    11 Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 12 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

    13 Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, 14 and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 15 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 16 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites.

    17 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. And the sons of Aram:Septuagint; Hebrew lacks And the sons of Aram">3 Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. 18 Arpachshad fathered Shelah, and Shelah fathered Eber. 19 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was PelegPeleg means division">4 (for in his days the earth was divided), and his brother's name was Joktan. 20 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22 Obal,Septuagint, Syriac (compare Genesis 10:28); Hebrew Ebal">5 Abimael, Sheba, 23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.

    24 Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah; 25 Eber, Peleg, Reu; 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah; 27 Abram, that is, Abraham.

    From Abraham to Jacob

    28 The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. 29 These are their genealogies: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael. 32 The sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. 33 The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the descendants of Keturah.

    34 Abraham fathered Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. 35 The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. 36 The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, and of Timna,Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:12); Hebrew lacks and of">6 Amalek. 37 The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

    38 The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. 39 The sons of Lotan: Hori and Hemam;Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:22); Hebrew Homam">7 and Lotan's sister was Timna. 40 The sons of Shobal: Alvan,Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Alian">8 Manahath, Ebal, Shepho,Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Shephi">9 and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. 41 The sonHebrew sons">10 of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hemdan,Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:26); Hebrew Hamran">11 Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 42 The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:27); Hebrew Jaakan">12 The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

    43 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the people of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, the name of his city being Dinhabah. 44 Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. 45 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 46 Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place, the name of his city being Avith. 47 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 48 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the EuphratesHebrew the River">13 reigned in his place. 49 Shaul died, and Baal-hanan, the son of Achbor, reigned in his place. 50 Baal-hanan died, and Hadad reigned in his place, the name of his city being Pai; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 51 And Hadad died.

    The chiefs of Edom were: chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 52 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 53 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 54 Magdiel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom.

    Footnotes

    [1] 1:6 Septuagint; Hebrew Diphath


    [2] 1:10 Or He began to be a mighty man on the earth

    [3] 1:17 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks And the sons of Aram

    [4] 1:19 Peleg means division

    [5] 1:22 Septuagint, Syriac (compare Genesis 10:28); Hebrew Ebal

    [6] 1:36 Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:12); Hebrew lacks and of

    [7] 1:39 Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:22); Hebrew Homam

    [8] 1:40 Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Alian

    [9] 1:40 Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:23); Hebrew Shephi

    [10] 1:41 Hebrew sons

    [11] 1:41 Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:26); Hebrew Hamran

    [12] 1:42 Septuagint (compare Genesis 36:27); Hebrew Jaakan

    [13] 1:48 Hebrew the River

    (ESV)

    Psalm:
    Psalm 150
    Psalm 150 (Listen)
    Let Everything Praise the Lord

    150   Praise the LORD!
      Praise God in his sanctuary;
        praise him in his mighty heavens!Hebrew expanse (compare Genesis 1:6–8)">1
    2   Praise him for his mighty deeds;
        praise him according to his excellent greatness!
    3   Praise him with trumpet sound;
        praise him with lute and harp!
    4   Praise him with tambourine and dance;
        praise him with strings and pipe!
    5   Praise him with sounding cymbals;
        praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
    6   Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
      Praise the LORD!

    Footnotes

    [1] 150:1 Hebrew expanse (compare Genesis 1:6–8)

    (ESV)

    New Testament:
    Revelation 20–22
    Revelation 20–22 (Listen)
    The Thousand Years

    20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pitGreek the abyss; also verse 3">1 and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

    4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

    The Defeat of Satan

    7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heavenSome manuscripts from God, out of heaven, or out of heaven from God">2 and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

    Judgment Before the Great White Throne

    11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

    The New Heaven and the New Earth

    21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling placeOr tabernacle">3 of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,Some manuscripts peoples">4 and God himself will be with them as their God.Some manuscripts omit as their God">5 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

    5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

    The New Jerusalem

    9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed—13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

    15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.About 1,380 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters">6 Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubitsA cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters">7 by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

    22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

    The River of Life

    22 Then the angelGreek he">8 showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of lifeOr the Lamb. In the midst of the street of the city, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life">9 with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

    Jesus Is Coming

    6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

    7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

    8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

    10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

    12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

    14 Blessed are those who wash their robes,Some manuscripts do his commandments">10 so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

    16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

    17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

    18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

    20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

    21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.Some manuscripts all the saints">11 Amen.

    Footnotes

    [1] 20:1 Greek the abyss; also verse 3


    [2] 20:9 Some manuscripts from God, out of heaven, or out of heaven from God

    [3] 21:3 Or tabernacle

    [4] 21:3 Some manuscripts peoples

    [5] 21:3 Some manuscripts omit as their God

    [6] 21:16 About 1,380 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters

    [7] 21:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

    [8] 22:1 Greek he

    [9] 22:2 Or the Lamb. In the midst of the street of the city, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life

    [10] 22:14 Some manuscripts do his commandments

    [11] 22:21 Some manuscripts all the saints

    (ESV)

    17 min
  • June 30: 2 Kings 25; Psalm 149; Revelation 18–19
    Old Testament:
    2 Kings 25
    2 Kings 25 (Listen)
    Fall and Captivity of Judah

    25 And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it. 2 So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3 On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 4 Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. 6 Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. 7 They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon.

    8 In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 And he burned the house of the LORD and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile. 12 But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

    13 And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service, 15 the fire pans also and the bowls. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver. 16 As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. 17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits,A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters">1 and on it was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits. A latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were all around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with the latticework.

    18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold; 19 and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and five men of the king's council who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the city. 20 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21 And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land.

    Gedaliah Made Governor of Judah

    22 And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, governor. 23 Now when all the captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite. 24 And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.” 25 But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck down Gedaliah and put him to death along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26 Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

    Jehoiachin Released from Prison

    27 And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freedHebrew reign, lifted up the head of">2 Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. 28 And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table, 30 and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.

    Footnotes

    [1] 25:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters


    [2] 25:27 Hebrew reign, lifted up the head of

    (ESV)

    Psalm:
    Psalm 149
    Psalm 149 (Listen)
    Sing to the Lord a New Song

    149   Praise the LORD!
      Sing to the LORD a new song,
        his praise in the assembly of the godly!
    2   Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
        let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
    3   Let them praise his name with dancing,
        making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
    4   For the LORD takes pleasure in his people;
        he adorns the humble with salvation.
    5   Let the godly exult in glory;
        let them sing for joy on their beds.
    6   Let the high praises of God be in their throats
        and two-edged swords in their hands,
    7   to execute vengeance on the nations
        and punishments on the peoples,
    8   to bind their kings with chains
        and their nobles with fetters of iron,
    9   to execute on them the judgment written!
        This is honor for all his godly ones.
      Praise the LORD!

    (ESV)

    New Testament:
    Revelation 18–19
    Revelation 18–19 (Listen)
    The Fall of Babylon

    18 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,

      “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
        She has become a dwelling place for demons,
      a haunt for every unclean spirit,
        a haunt for every unclean bird,
        a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
    3   For all nations have drunkSome manuscripts fallen by">1
        the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
      and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
        and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”

    4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

      “Come out of her, my people,
        lest you take part in her sins,
      lest you share in her plagues;
    5   for her sins are heaped high as heaven,
        and God has remembered her iniquities.
    6   Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,
        and repay her double for her deeds;
        mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.
    7   As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
        so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
      since in her heart she says,
        ‘I sit as a queen,
      I am no widow,
        and mourning I shall never see.’
    8   For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,
        death and mourning and famine,
      and she will be burned up with fire;
        for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

    9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,

      “Alas! Alas! You great city,
        you mighty city, Babylon!
      For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

    11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.Or and slaves, and human lives">2

    14   “The fruit for which your soul longed
        has gone from you,
      and all your delicacies and your splendors
        are lost to you,
        never to be found again!”

    15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,

    16   “Alas, alas, for the great city
        that was clothed in fine linen,
          in purple and scarlet,
        adorned with gold,
          with jewels, and with pearls!
    17   For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”

    And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning,

      “What city was like the great city?”

    19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,

      “Alas, alas, for the great city
        where all who had ships at sea
        grew rich by her wealth!
      For in a single hour she has been laid waste.
    20   Rejoice over her, O heaven,
        and you saints and apostles and prophets,
      for God has given judgment for you against her!”

    21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,

      “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence,
        and will be found no more;
    22   and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,
        will be heard in you no more,
      and a craftsman of any craft
        will be found in you no more,
      and the sound of the mill
        will be heard in you no more,
    23   and the light of a lamp
        will shine in you no more,
      and the voice of bridegroom and bride
        will be heard in you no more,
      for your merchants were the great ones of the earth,
        and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.
    24   And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,
        and of all who have been slain on earth.”

    Rejoicing in Heaven

    19 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,

      “Hallelujah!
      Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
    2     for his judgments are true and just;
      for he has judged the great prostitute
        who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
      and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

    3 Once more they cried out,

      “Hallelujah!
      The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”

    4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne came a voice saying,

      “Praise our God,
        all you his servants,
      you who fear him,
        small and great.”

    The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

    6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

      “Hallelujah!
      For the Lord our God
        the Almighty reigns.
    7   Let us rejoice and exult
        and give him the glory,
      for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
        and his Bride has made herself ready;
    8   it was granted her to clothe herself
        with fine linen, bright and pure”—

    for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

    9 And the angel saidGreek he said">3 to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

    The Rider on a White Horse

    11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped inSome manuscripts sprinkled with">4 blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will ruleGreek shepherd">5 them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

    17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave,For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface">6 both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presenceOr on its behalf">7 had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

    Footnotes

    [1] 18:3 Some manuscripts fallen by


    [2] 18:13 Or and slaves, and human lives

    [3] 19:9 Greek he said

    [4] 19:13 Some manuscripts sprinkled with

    [5] 19:15 Greek shepherd

    [6] 19:18 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface

    [7] 19:20 Or on its behalf

    (ESV)

    15 min
  • June 29: 2 Kings 23–24; Psalm 148; Revelation 16–17
    Old Testament:
    2 Kings 23–24
    2 Kings 23–24 (Listen)
    Josiah's Reforms

    23 Then the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. 2 And the king went up to the house of the LORD, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. 3 And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.

    4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5 And he deposed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and the moon and the constellations and all the host of the heavens. 6 And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people. 7 And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. 8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one's left at the gate of the city. 9 However, the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10 And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech.Hebrew might cause his son or daughter to pass through the fire for Molech">1 11 And he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the precincts.The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain">2 And he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 And the altars on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, he pulled down and broke in piecesHebrew pieces from there">3 and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron. 13 And the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 14 And he broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with the bones of men.

    15 Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, that altar with the high place he pulled down and burned,Septuagint broke in pieces its stones">4 reducing it to dust. He also burned the Asherah. 16 And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mount. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar and defiled it, according to the word of the LORD that the man of God proclaimed, who had predicted these things. 17 Then he said, “What is that monument that I see?” And the men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predictedHebrew called">5 these things that you have done against the altar at Bethel.” 18 And he said, “Let him be; let no man move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. 19 And Josiah removed all the shrines also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made, provoking the LORD to anger. He did to them according to all that he had done at Bethel. 20 And he sacrificed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

    Josiah Restores the Passover

    21 And the king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 22 For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the LORD in Jerusalem.

    24 Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. 25 Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.

    26 Still the LORD did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. 27 And the LORD said, “I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.”

    Josiah's Death in Battle

    28 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 29 In his days Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him, and Pharaoh Neco killed him at Megiddo, as soon as he saw him. 30 And his servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's place.

    Jehoahaz's Reign and Captivity

    31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talentsA talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms">6 of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco.

    Jehoiakim Reigns in Judah

    36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

    24 In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servants the prophets. 3 Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon. 5 Now the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. 7 And the king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

    Jehoiachin Reigns in Judah

    8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

    Jerusalem Captured

    10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, 12 and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign 13 and carried off all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the LORD, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the LORD had foretold. 14 He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. 15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war. 17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

    Zedekiah Reigns in Judah

    18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For because of the anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence.

    And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

    Footnotes

    [1] 23:10 Hebrew might cause his son or daughter to pass through the fire for Molech


    [2] 23:11 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain

    [3] 23:12 Hebrew pieces from there

    [4] 23:15 Septuagint broke in pieces its stones

    [5] 23:17 Hebrew called

    [6] 23:33 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms

    (ESV)

    Psalm:
    Psalm 148
    Psalm 148 (Listen)
    Praise the Name of the Lord

    148   Praise the LORD!
      Praise the LORD from the heavens;
        praise him in the heights!
    2   Praise him, all his angels;
        praise him, all his hosts!
    3   Praise him, sun and moon,
        praise him, all you shining stars!
    4   Praise him, you highest heavens,
        and you waters above the heavens!
    5   Let them praise the name of the LORD!
        For he commanded and they were created.
    6   And he established them forever and ever;
        he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.Or it shall not be transgressed">1
    7   Praise the LORD from the earth,
        you great sea creatures and all deeps,
    8   fire and hail, snow and mist,
        stormy wind fulfilling his word!
    9   Mountains and all hills,
        fruit trees and all cedars!
    10   Beasts and all livestock,
        creeping things and flying birds!
    11   Kings of the earth and all peoples,
        princes and all rulers of the earth!
    12   Young men and maidens together,
        old men and children!
    13   Let them praise the name of the LORD,
        for his name alone is exalted;
        his majesty is above earth and heaven.
    14   He has raised up a horn for his people,
        praise for all his saints,
        for the people of Israel who are near to him.
      Praise the LORD!

    Footnotes

    [1] 148:6 Or it shall not be transgressed

    (ESV)

    New Testament:
    Revelation 16–17
    Revelation 16–17 (Listen)
    The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath

    16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”

    2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

    3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.

    4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel in charge of the watersGreek angel of the waters">1 say,

      “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was,
        for you brought these judgments.
    6   For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
        and you have given them blood to drink.
      It is what they deserve!”

    7 And I heard the altar saying,

      “Yes, Lord God the Almighty,
        true and just are your judgments!”

    8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. 9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursedGreek blasphemed; also verses 11, 21">2 the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

    10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.

    12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

    The Seventh Bowl

    17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings,Or voices, or sounds">3 peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 21 And great hailstones, about one hundred poundsGreek a talent in weight">4 each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

    The Great Prostitute and the Beast

    17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.Greek the witnesses to Jesus">5

    When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 7 But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pitGreek the abyss">6 and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. 9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

    15 And the angelGreek he">7 said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

    Footnotes

    [1] 16:5 Greek angel of the waters


    [2] 16:9 Greek blasphemed; also verses 11, 21

    [3] 16:18 Or voices, or sounds

    [4] 16:21 Greek a talent in weight

    [5] 17:6 Greek the witnesses to Jesus

    [6] 17:8 Greek the abyss

    [7] 17:15 Greek he

    (ESV)

    19 min
  • June 28: 2 Kings 21–22; Psalm 147; Revelation 13–15
    Old Testament:
    2 Kings 21–22
    2 Kings 21–22 (Listen)
    Manasseh Reigns in Judah

    21 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6 And he burned his son as an offeringHebrew made his son pass through the fire">1 and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 8 And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them.” 9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel.

    Manasseh's Idolatry Denounced

    10 And the LORD said by his servants the prophets, 11 “Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations and has done things more evil than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, 12 therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disasterOr evil">2 that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria, and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, 15 because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.”

    16 Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.

    17 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did, and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 18 And Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son reigned in his place.

    Amon Reigns in Judah

    19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done. 21 He walked in all the way in which his father walked and served the idols that his father served and worshiped them. 22 He abandoned the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD. 23 And the servants of Amon conspired against him and put the king to death in his house. 24 But the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place. 25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 26 And he was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son reigned in his place.

    Josiah Reigns in Judah

    22 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

    Josiah Repairs the Temple

    3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying, 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. 5 And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the LORD, repairing the house 6 (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. 7 But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.”

    Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law

    8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.

    11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

    14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her. 15 And she said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.’” And they brought back word to the king.

    Footnotes

    [1] 21:6 Hebrew made his son pass through the fire


    [2] 21:12 Or evil

    (ESV)

    Psalm:
    Psalm 147
    Psalm 147 (Listen)
    He Heals the Brokenhearted

    147   Praise the LORD!
      For it is good to sing praises to our God;
        for it is pleasant,Or for he is beautiful">1 and a song of praise is fitting.
    2   The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
        he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
    3   He heals the brokenhearted
        and binds up their wounds.
    4   He determines the number of the stars;
        he gives to all of them their names.
    5   Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
        his understanding is beyond measure.
    6   The LORD lifts up the humble;Or afflicted">2
        he casts the wicked to the ground.
    7   Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;
        make melody to our God on the lyre!
    8   He covers the heavens with clouds;
        he prepares rain for the earth;
        he makes grass grow on the hills.
    9   He gives to the beasts their food,
        and to the young ravens that cry.
    10   His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
        nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
    11   but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,
        in those who hope in his steadfast love.
    12   Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!
        Praise your God, O Zion!
    13   For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
        he blesses your children within you.
    14   He makes peace in your borders;
        he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
    15   He sends out his command to the earth;
        his word runs swiftly.
    16   He gives snow like wool;
        he scatters frost like ashes.
    17   He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
        who can stand before his cold?
    18   He sends out his word, and melts them;
        he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
    19   He declares his word to Jacob,
        his statutes and rulesOr and just decrees">3 to Israel.
    20   He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
        they do not know his rules.Or his just decrees">4
      Praise the LORD!

    Footnotes

    [1] 147:1 Or for he is beautiful


    [2] 147:6 Or afflicted

    [3] 147:19 Or and just decrees

    [4] 147:20 Or his just decrees

    (ESV)

    New Testament:
    Revelation 13–15
    Revelation 13–15 (Listen)
    The First Beast

    13 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

    5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling,Or tabernacle">1 that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.Some manuscripts omit this sentence">2 And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

    10   If anyone is to be taken captive,
        to captivity he goes;
      if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
        with the sword must he be slain.

    Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

    The Second Beast

    11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence,Or on its behalf">3 and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence ofOr on behalf of">4 the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface">5 to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.Some manuscripts 616">6

    The Lamb and the 144,000

    14 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

    The Messages of the Three Angels

    6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

    8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passionOr wrath">7 of her sexual immorality.”

    9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

    12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.Greek and the faith of Jesus">8

    13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

    The Harvest of the Earth

    14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

    17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.About 184 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters">9

    The Seven Angels with Seven Plagues

    15 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.

    2 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. 3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

      “Great and amazing are your deeds,
        O Lord God the Almighty!
      Just and true are your ways,
        O King of the nations!Some manuscripts the ages">10
    4   Who will not fear, O Lord,
        and glorify your name?
      For you alone are holy.
        All nations will come
        and worship you,
      for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

    5 After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tentOr tabernacle">11 of witness in heaven was opened, 6 and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. 7 And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, 8 and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

    Footnotes

    [1] 13:6 Or tabernacle


    [2] 13:7 Some manuscripts omit this sentence

    [3] 13:12 Or on its behalf

    [4] 13:14 Or on behalf of

    [5] 13:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface

    [6] 13:18 Some manuscripts 616

    [7] 14:8 Or wrath

    [8] 14:12 Greek and the faith of Jesus

    [9] 14:20 About 184 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters

    [10] 15:3 Some manuscripts the ages

    [11] 15:5 Or tabernacle

    (ESV)

    18 min
  • June 27: 2 Kings 19–20; Psalm 146; Revelation 10–12
    Old Testament:
    2 Kings 19–20
    2 Kings 19–20 (Listen)
    Isaiah Reassures Hezekiah

    19 As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. 2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the LORD your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.” 5 When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’”

    Sennacherib Defies the Lord

    8 The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that the king had left Lachish. 9 Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “Behold, he has set out to fight against you.” So he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?’”

    Hezekiah's Prayer

    14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said: “O LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 17 Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands 18 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 19 So now, O LORD our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.”

    Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib's Fall

    20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. 21 This is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him:

      “She despises you, she scorns you—
        the virgin daughter of Zion;
      she wags her head behind you—
        the daughter of Jerusalem.
    22   “Whom have you mocked and reviled?
        Against whom have you raised your voice
      and lifted your eyes to the heights?
        Against the Holy One of Israel!
    23   By your messengers you have mocked the Lord,
        and you have said, ‘With my many chariots
      I have gone up the heights of the mountains,
        to the far recesses of Lebanon;
      I felled its tallest cedars,
        its choicest cypresses;
      I entered its farthest lodging place,
        its most fruitful forest.
    24   I dug wells
        and drank foreign waters,
      and I dried up with the sole of my foot
        all the streams of Egypt.’
    25   “Have you not heard
        that I determined it long ago?
      I planned from days of old
        what now I bring to pass,
      that you should turn fortified cities
        into heaps of ruins,
    26   while their inhabitants, shorn of strength,
        are dismayed and confounded,
      and have become like plants of the field
        and like tender grass,
      like grass on the housetops,
        blighted before it is grown.
    27   “But I know your sitting down
        and your going out and coming in,
        and your raging against me.
    28   Because you have raged against me
        and your complacency has come into my ears,
      I will put my hook in your nose
        and my bit in your mouth,
      and I will turn you back on the way
        by which you came.

    29 “And this shall be the sign for you: this year eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs of the same. Then in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 30 And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD will do this.

    32 “Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. 33 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the LORD. 34 For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

    35 And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 36 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. 37 And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

    Hezekiah's Illness and Recovery

    20 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3 “Now, O LORD, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5 “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD, 6 and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake.” 7 And Isaiah said, “Bring a cake of figs. And let them take and lay it on the boil, that he may recover.”

    8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?” 9 And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?” 10 And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.” 11 And Isaiah the prophet called to the LORD, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.

    Hezekiah and the Babylonian Envoys

    12 At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13 And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 14 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, from Babylon.” 15 He said, “What have they seen in your house?” And Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”

    16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD: 17 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD. 18 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” 19 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?”

    20 The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 21 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh his son reigned in his place.

    (ESV)

    Psalm:
    Psalm 146
    Psalm 146 (Listen)
    Put Not Your Trust in Princes

    146   Praise the LORD!
      Praise the LORD, O my soul!
    2   I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
        I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
    3   Put not your trust in princes,
        in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
    4   When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
        on that very day his plans perish.
    5   Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
        whose hope is in the LORD his God,
    6   who made heaven and earth,
        the sea, and all that is in them,
      who keeps faith forever;
    7     who executes justice for the oppressed,
        who gives food to the hungry.
      The LORD sets the prisoners free;
    8     the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
      The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
        the LORD loves the righteous.
    9   The LORD watches over the sojourners;
        he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
        but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
    10   The LORD will reign forever,
        your God, O Zion, to all generations.
      Praise the LORD!

    (ESV)

    New Testament:
    Revelation 10–12
    Revelation 10–12 (Listen)
    The Angel and the Little Scroll

    10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

    8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

    The Two Witnesses

    11 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

    4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pitOr the abyss">1 will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolicallyGreek spiritually">2 is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

    14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.

    The Seventh Trumpet

    15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,

      “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
        who is and who was,
      for you have taken your great power
        and begun to reign.
    18   The nations raged,
        but your wrath came,
        and the time for the dead to be judged,
      and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
        and those who fear your name,
        both small and great,
      and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

    19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings,Or voices, or sounds">3 peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

    The Woman and the Dragon

    12 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to ruleGreek shepherd">4 all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

    Satan Thrown Down to Earth

    7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothersOr brothers and sisters">5 has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

    13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stoodSome manuscripts And I stood, connecting the sentence with 13:1">6 on the sand of the sea.

    Footnotes

    [1] 11:7 Or the abyss


    [2] 11:8 Greek spiritually

    [3] 11:19 Or voices, or sounds

    [4] 12:5 Greek shepherd

    [5] 12:10 Or brothers and sisters

    [6] 12:17 Some manuscripts And I stood, connecting the sentence with 13:1

    (ESV)

    20 min

About Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Ray Ortlund

From the publisher's feed

Listen to the ESV Bible in 365 days with bestselling author Ray Ortlund. Each daily podcast includes one Old Testament reading, one New Testament reading, and one reading from the Psalms. Over the…

Best of Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Ray Ortlund

Ranked by our users in the last 21 days

More shows like Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Ray Ortlund

Renewing Your Mind by Ligonier Ministries

Renewing Your Mind

5,193 Listeners

The Briefing with Albert Mohler by R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

The Briefing with Albert Mohler

8,586 Listeners

TGC Podcast by The Gospel Coalition

TGC Podcast

1,124 Listeners

Ask Pastor John by Desiring God

Ask Pastor John

3,940 Listeners

5 Minutes in Church History with Stephen Nichols by Ligonier Ministries

5 Minutes in Church History with Stephen Nichols

1,673 Listeners

Light + Truth by Desiring God

Light + Truth

1,454 Listeners

Ultimately with R.C. Sproul by Ligonier Ministries

Ultimately with R.C. Sproul

1,327 Listeners

Mortification of Spin by Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

Mortification of Spin

843 Listeners

Truth in Love by Association of Certified Biblical Counselors

Truth in Love

611 Listeners

The M'Cheyne ESV Bible Plan with Conrad Mbewe by Crossway

The M'Cheyne ESV Bible Plan with Conrad Mbewe

233 Listeners

Solid Joys Daily Devotional by Desiring God

Solid Joys Daily Devotional

2,189 Listeners

The Crossway Podcast by Crossway

The Crossway Podcast

639 Listeners

Simply Put by Ligonier Ministries

Simply Put

1,435 Listeners

Gospelbound by The Gospel Coalition, Collin Hansen

Gospelbound

340 Listeners

Gentle and Lowly: A 14-Day Devotional with Dane Ortlund by Crossway

Gentle and Lowly: A 14-Day Devotional with Dane Ortlund

270 Listeners

The Big Picture Story Bible by Crossway

The Big Picture Story Bible

64 Listeners

A Psalm a Day with Kristyn Getty (ESV) by Crossway

A Psalm a Day with Kristyn Getty (ESV)

144 Listeners

In the Lord I Take Refuge: Daily Devotions Through the Psalms with Dane Ortlund by Crossway

In the Lord I Take Refuge: Daily Devotions Through the Psalms with Dane Ortlund

327 Listeners

Conversations on the Bible with Nancy Guthrie by Crossway

Conversations on the Bible with Nancy Guthrie

262 Listeners

Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson by Ligonier Ministries

Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson

1,556 Listeners

Daily Strength: A 365-Day Devotional for Men by Crossway

Daily Strength: A 365-Day Devotional for Men

116 Listeners

Daily Joy: A 365-Day Devotional for Women by Crossway

Daily Joy: A 365-Day Devotional for Women

87 Listeners

Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Jen Wilkin by Crossway

Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Jen Wilkin

402 Listeners

The Biggest Story by Crossway

The Biggest Story

294 Listeners

Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry by Crossway

Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

984 Listeners

Through the ESV New Testament in 90 Days with David Cochran Heath by Crossway

Through the ESV New Testament in 90 Days with David Cochran Heath

30 Listeners

The M'Cheyne ESV Bible Plan with Kristyn Getty by Crossway

The M'Cheyne ESV Bible Plan with Kristyn Getty

86 Listeners

5-Day ESV Bible Reading Plan with David Cochran Heath by Crossway

5-Day ESV Bible Reading Plan with David Cochran Heath

17 Listeners

Chronological ESV Bible Plan with Robert Smith by Crossway

Chronological ESV Bible Plan with Robert Smith

225 Listeners

Doctrine Matters with Kevin DeYoung by Crossway

Doctrine Matters with Kevin DeYoung

154 Listeners