Day 170 of 365

1 Kgs 2:27–46

27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, that he might fulfill the word of the Lord, which he spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

28 The news came to Joab; for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he did not turn after Absalom. Joab fled to the Tent of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

29 It was told king Solomon, "Joab has fled to the Tent of the Lord, and behold, he is by the altar." Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, "Go, fall on him."

30 Benaiah came to the Tent of the Lord, and said to him, "Thus says the king, 'Come forth!'" He said, "No; but I will die here." Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, "Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me."

31 The king said to him, "Do as he has said, and fall on him, and bury him; that you may take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father's house.

32 The Lord will return his blood on his own head, because he fell on two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, and my father David did not know it: Abner the son of Ner, captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the army of Judah.

33 So shall their blood return on the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed forever. But to David, and to his seed, and to his house, and to his throne, there shall be peace forever from the Lord."

34 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell on him, and killed him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

35 The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army; and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.

36 The king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere.

37 For on the day you go out, and pass over the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall surely die: your blood shall be on your own head."

38 Shimei said to the king, "The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so will your servant do." Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.

39 It happened at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. They told Shimei, saying, "Behold, your servants are in Gath."

40 Shimei arose, and saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish, to seek his servants; and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.

41 It was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had come again.

42 The king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, "Did I not adjure you by the Lord, and warn you, saying, 'Know for certain, that on the day you go out, and walk abroad any where, you shall surely die?' You said to me, 'The saying that I have heard is good.'

43 Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment that I have instructed you with?"

44 The king said moreover to Shimei, "You know all the wickedness which your heart is privy to, that you did to David my father. Therefore the Lord shall return your wickedness on your own head.

45 But king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever."

46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out, and fell on him, so that he died. The kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

Acts 3:1–26

1 Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

2 A certain man who was lame from his mother's womb was being carried, whom they put daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple.

3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy.

4 Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, "Look at us."

5 He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them.

6 But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"

7 He took him by the right hand, and raised him up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength.

8 Leaping up, he stood, and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God.

9 All the people saw him walking and praising God.

10 They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

11 And as he held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

12 When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, "You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk?

13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him.

14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a man who was a murderer to be granted to you,

15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses.

16 By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

17 "Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

18 But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Messiah should suffer, he thus fulfilled.

19 "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,

20 and that he may send the Messiah Jesus, who was ordained for you before,

21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets.

22 For Moses indeed said to the fathers, 'The Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you.

23 It will be, that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.'

24 Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days.

25 You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'In your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed.'

26 God, having raised up his Servant, sent him to you first, to bless you, in turning away everyone of you from your wickedness."

Ps 73:1–28

1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had nearly slipped.

3 For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 For there are no struggles in their death, but their strength is firm.

5 They are free from burdens of men, neither are they plagued like other men.

6 Therefore pride is like a chain around their neck. Violence covers them like a garment.

7 Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit.

8 They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression.

9 They have set their mouth in the heavens. Their tongue walks through the earth.

10 Therefore their people return to them, and they drink up waters of abundance.

11 They say, "How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?"

12 Behold, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches.

13 Surely in vain I have cleansed my heart, and washed my hands in innocence,

14 For all day long have I been plagued, and punished every morning.

15 If I had said, "I will speak thus;" behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

16 When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me;

17 Until I entered God's sanctuary, and considered their latter end.

18 Surely you set them in slippery places. You throw them down to destruction.

19 How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors.

20 As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies.

21 For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart.

22 I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you.

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand.

24 You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

25 Who do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth who I desire besides you.

26 My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

27 For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you.

28 But it is good for me to come close to God. I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.