Day 181 of 365

1 Kgs 17:1–24

1 Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the foreigners of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."

2 The word of the Lord came to him, saying,

3 "Go away from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.

4 It shall be, that you shall drink of the brook. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."

5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord; for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.

6 The ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

7 It happened after a while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

8 The word of the Lord came to him, saying,

9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you."

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks: and he called to her, and said, "Please get me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink."

11 As she was going to get it, he called to her, and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."

12 She said, "As the Lord your God lives, I do not have a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the jar. Behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die."

13 Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you have said; but make me of it a little cake first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son.

14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'The jar of meal shall not empty, neither shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.'"

15 She went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, ate many days.

16 The jar of meal did not empty, neither did the jar of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Elijah.

17 It happened after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so severe, that there was no breath left in him.

18 She said to Elijah, "What have I to do with you, you man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my son!"

19 He said to her, "Give me your son." He took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the room where he stayed, and laid him on his own bed.

20 He cried to the Lord, and said, "Lord my God, have you also brought disaster on the widow with whom I stay, by killing her son?"

21 He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to the Lord, and said, "Lord my God, please let this child's soul come into him again."

22 The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

23 Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the room into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, "Behold, your son lives."

24 The woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth."

Acts 9:13–33

13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem.

14 Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name."

15 But the Lord said to him, "Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the sons of Israel.

16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake."

17 Ananias departed, and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

18 Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized.

19 He took food and was strengthened. He stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus.

20 Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God.

21 All who heard him were amazed, and said, "Is not this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!"

22 But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah.

23 When many days were fulfilled, the Jews conspired together to kill him,

24 but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him,

25 but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.

26 When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

28 He was with them coming in and going out in Jerusalem, proclaiming boldly in the name of the Lord.

29 He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him.

30 When the brothers knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus.

31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

32 It happened, as Peter went throughout all those parts, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.

33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, because he was paralyzed.

Eccl 10:9–20

9 Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered thereby.

10 If the axe is blunt, and one doesn't sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.

11 If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer's tongue.

12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips.

13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

14 A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn't know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?

15 The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn't know how to go to the city.

16 Woe to you, land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat in the morning!

17 Happy are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

18 By slothfulness the roof sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.

19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.

20 Do not curse the king, no, not in your thoughts; and do not curse the rich in your bedchamber: for a bird of the sky may carry your voice, and that which has wings may tell the matter.