Day 182 of 365

1 Kgs 18:1–46

1 It happened after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth."

2 Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.

3 Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly:

4 for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

5 Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals."

6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

7 As Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?"

8 He answered him, "It is I. Go, tell your lord, 'Behold, Elijah is here!'"

9 He said, "Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?

10 As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom, where my lord has not sent to seek you. When they said, 'He is not here,' he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they did not find you.

11 Now you say, 'Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Elijah is here."'

12 It will happen, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the Lord will carry you I do not know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can't find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the Lord from my youth.

13 Wasn't it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid one hundred men of the Lord's prophets with fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

14 Now you say, 'Go, tell your lord, "Behold, Elijah is here";' and he will kill me."

15 Elijah said, "As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today."

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17 It happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?"

18 He answered, "I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and you have followed the Baals.

19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."

20 So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel.

21 Elijah came near to all the people, and said, "How long will you waver between the two sides? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." The people answered him not a word.

22 Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred fifty men.

23 Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.

24 You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The God who answers by fire, let him be God." All the people answered, "It is well said."

25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first; for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it."

26 They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any who answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.

27 It happened at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, "Cry aloud; for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened."

28 They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.

29 It was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the offering; but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any who regarded.

30 Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me"; and all the people came near to him. He repaired the altar of the Lord that was thrown down.

31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, "Israel shall be your name."

32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. He made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed.

33 He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, "Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood."

34 He said, "Do it a second time"; and they did it the second time. He said, "Do it a third time"; and they did it the third time.

35 The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

36 It happened at the time of the offering of the offering, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, "Lord, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.

37 Hear me, Lord, hear me, that this people may know that you, Lord, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again."

38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, "The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!"

40 Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" They seized them. Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.

41 Elijah said to Ahab, "Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain."

42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.

43 He said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." He went up, and looked, and said, "There is nothing." He said, "Go again" seven times.

44 It happened at the seventh time, that he said, "Behold, a small cloud, like a man's hand, is rising out of the sea." He said, "Go up, tell Ahab, 'Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn't stop you.'"

45 It happened in a little while, that the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

46 The hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Acts 9:34–10:12

9:34 Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!" Immediately he arose.

9:35 All who lived at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

9:36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which when translated, means Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and acts of mercy which she did.

9:37 It happened in those days that she fell sick, and died. When they had washed her, they placed her in an upper chamber.

9:38 As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to us.

9:39 Peter got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper chamber. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

9:40 Peter put them all out, and kneeled down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

9:41 He gave her his hand, and raised her up. Calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

9:42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

9:43 It happened, that he stayed many days in Joppa with one Simon, a tanner.

10:1 Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,

10:2 a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave gifts for the needy generously to the people, and always prayed to God.

10:3 At about the ninth hour of the day, he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God coming to him, and saying to him, "Cornelius!"

10:4 He, fastening his eyes on him, and being frightened, said, "What is it, Lord?" He said to him, "Your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up for a memorial before God.

10:5 Now send men to Joppa, and get Simon, who is surnamed Peter.

10:6 He lodges with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside."

10:7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of those who waited on him continually.

10:8 Having explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

10:9 Now on the next day as they were on their journey, and got close to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about noon.

10:10 He became hungry and desired to eat, but while they were preparing, he fell into a trance.

10:11 He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth,

10:12 in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky.

Ps 78:1–72

1 Hear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old,

3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

4 We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, his strength, and his wondrous works that he has done.

5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;

6 that the generation to come might know, even the children who should be born; who should arise and tell their children,

7 that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments,

8 and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

10 They did not keep God's covenant, and refused to walk by his Law.

11 They forgot his doings, his wondrous works that he had shown them.

12 He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He split the sea, and caused them to pass through. He made the waters stand as a heap.

14 In the daytime he also led them with a cloud, and all night with a light of fire.

15 He split rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.

16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

17 Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.

18 They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.

19 Yes, they spoke against God. They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

20 Behold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people?"

21 Therefore the Lord heard, and was angry. A fire was kindled against Jacob, anger also went up against Israel,

22 because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in his salvation.

23 Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven.

24 He rained down manna on them to eat, and gave them bread from heaven.

25 Man ate the bread of angels. He sent them food to the full.

26 He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.

27 He rained also flesh on them as the dust; winged birds as the sand of the seas.

28 He let them fall in the midst of their camp, around their habitations.

29 So they ate, and were well filled. He gave them their own desire.

30 They did not turn from their cravings. Their food was yet in their mouths,

31 when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of the fattest of them, and struck down the young men of Israel.

32 For all this they still sinned, and did not believe in his wondrous works.

33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.

34 When he killed them, then they inquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.

35 They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.

36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.

38 But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away, and doesn't come again.

40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!

41 They turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

42 They did not remember his hand, nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;

43 how he set his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the field of Zoan,

44 he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.

45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

46 He gave also their increase to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust.

47 He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost.

48 He gave over their livestock also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

49 He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of destroying angels.

50 He made a path for his anger. He did not spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,

51 and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.

52 But he led forth his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

53 He led them safely, so that they weren't afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54 He brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain, which his right hand had taken.

55 He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and did not keep his testimonies;

57 but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.

59 When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel;

60 So that he forsook the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;

61 and delivered his strength into captivity, his glory into the adversary's hand.

62 He also gave his people over to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.

63 Fire devoured their young men. Their virgins had no wedding song.

64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows couldn't weep.

65 Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine.

66 He struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.

67 Moreover he rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

68 But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loved.

69 He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.

70 He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;

71 from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.

72 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.