Day 179 of 365

1 Kgs 14:1–31

1 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.

2 Jeroboam said to his wife, "Please get up and disguise yourself, that you won't be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Go to Shiloh. Behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, who spoke concerning me that I should be king over this people.

3 Take with you ten loaves, and cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will become of the child."

4 Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.

5 The Lord said to Ahijah, "Behold, the wife of Jeroboam comes to inquire of you concerning her son; for he is sick. Thus and thus you shall tell her; for it will be, when she comes in, that she will pretend to be another woman."

6 It was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, "Come in, you wife of Jeroboam! Why do you pretend to be another? For I am sent to you with heavy news.

7 Go, tell Jeroboam, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: "Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you prince over my people Israel,

8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it you; and yet you have not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in my eyes,

9 but have done evil above all who were before you, and have gone and made you other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and have cast me behind your back:

10 therefore, behold, I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam everyone who urinates on a wall, he who is shut up and he who is left at large in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweeps away dung, until it is all gone.

11 He who dies of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and he who dies in the field shall the birds of the sky eat: for the Lord has spoken it."'

12 Arise therefore, and go to your house. When your feet enter into the city, the child shall die.

13 All Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him; for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.

14 Moreover the Lord will raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam. This is day! What? Even now.

15 For the Lord will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and he will root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger.

16 He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he has sinned, and with which he has made Israel to sin."

17 Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah. As she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.

18 All Israel buried him, and mourned for him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the prophet.

19 The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

20 The days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place.

21 Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there: and his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

22 Judah did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, above all that their fathers had done.

23 For they also built them high places, and pillars, and Asherim, on every high hill, and under every green tree;

24 and there were also sodomites in the land: they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord drove out before the children of Israel.

25 It happened in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem;

26 and he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

27 King Rehoboam made in their place shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house.

28 It was so, that as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard bore them, and brought them back into the guard room.

29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

30 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

31 Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. Abijam his son reigned in his place.

Acts 8:1–40

1 Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the church which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

2 Devout men buried Stephen, and lamented greatly over him.

3 But Saul ravaged the church, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison.

4 Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around proclaiming the word.

5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Messiah.

6 The multitudes listened with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard and saw the signs which he did.

7 For unclean spirits came out of many of those who had them. They came out, crying with a loud voice. Many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.

8 There was great joy in that city.

9 But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who used to practice sorcery in the city, and amazed the people of Samaria, making himself out to be some great one,

10 to whom they all listened, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is that power of God which is called Great."

11 They listened to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.

12 But when they believed Philip proclaiming good news concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

13 Simon himself also believed. Being baptized, he continued with Philip. Seeing signs and great miracles occurring, he was amazed.

14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,

15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit;

16 for as yet he had fallen on none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,

19 saying, "Give me also this power, that whomever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit."

20 But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.

22 Repent therefore of this, your wickedness, and ask the Lord if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity."

24 Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that none of the things which you have spoken happen to me."

25 They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the Good News to many villages of the Samaritans.

26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert."

27 He arose and went; and behold, there was a man from Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship.

28 He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

29 The Spirit said to Philip, "Go near, and join yourself to this chariot."

30 Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

31 He said, "How can I, unless someone explains it to me?" He begged Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he does not open his mouth.

33 In his humiliation, justice was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth."

34 The eunuch answered Philip, "Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?"

35 Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him Jesus.

36 As they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?" [

37 Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' He answered, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.]

38 He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing.

40 But Philip was found at Azotus. Passing through, he preached the Good News to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.

Ps 77:1–20

1 My cry goes to God! Indeed, I cry to God for help, and for him to listen to me.

2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord. My hand was stretched out in the night, and did not get tired. My soul refused to be comforted.

3 I remember God, and I groan. I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed. Selah.

4 You hold my eyelids open. I am so troubled that I can't speak.

5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.

6 I remember my song in the night. I consider in my own heart; my spirit diligently inquires:

7 "Will the Lord reject us forever? Will he be favorable no more?

8 Has his loving kindness vanished forever? Does his promise fail for generations?

9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he, in anger, withheld his compassion?" Selah.

10 Then I thought, "I will appeal to this: the years of the right hand of the Most High."

11 I will remember Yah's deeds; for I will remember your wonders of old.

12 I will also meditate on all your work, and consider your doings.

13 Your way, God, is in the sanctuary. What god is great like God?

14 You are the God who does wonders. You have made your strength known among the peoples.

15 You have redeemed your people with your arm, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

16 The waters saw you, God. The waters saw you, and they writhed. The depths also convulsed.

17 The clouds poured out water. The skies resounded with thunder. Your arrows also flashed around.

18 The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.

19 Your way was through the sea; your paths through the great waters. Your footsteps were not known.

20 You led your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.