Day 183 of 365

1 Kgs 19:1–21

1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.

2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time!"

3 When he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough. Now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers."

5 He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat!"

6 He looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on the coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.

7 The angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you."

8 He arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the Mount of God.

9 He came there to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

10 He said, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of Hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."

11 He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." Behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

12 After the earthquake a fire passed; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

13 It was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

14 He said, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of Hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."

15 The Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

16 You shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah to be prophet in your place.

17 It shall happen, that he who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and he who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.

18 Yet will I leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him."

19 So he departed there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed over to him, and cast his mantle on him.

20 He left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, "Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." He said to him, "Go back again; for what have I done to you?"

21 He returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and killed them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they ate. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and served him.

Acts 10:13–32

13 A voice came to him, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat!"

14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."

15 A voice came to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean."

16 This was done three times, and immediately the vessel was received up into heaven.

17 Now while Peter was very perplexed in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate,

18 and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, was lodging there.

19 While Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men seek you.

20 But arise, get down, and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."

21 Peter went down to the men, and said, "Behold, I am he whom you seek. Why have you come?"

22 They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man and one who fears God, and well spoken of by all the Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to invite you to his house, and to listen to what you say."

23 So he called them in and lodged them. On the next day he arose and went out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.

24 On the next day they entered into Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his relatives and his near friends.

25 When it happened that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet, and worshiped him.

26 But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up! I myself am also a man."

27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many gathered together.

28 He said to them, "You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.

29 Therefore also I came without complaint when I was sent for. I ask therefore, why did you send for me?"

30 Cornelius said, "Four days ago until this hour, the ninth hour, I was praying in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

31 and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your gifts to the needy are remembered in the sight of God.

32 Send therefore to Joppa, and summon Simon, who is surnamed Peter. He lodges in the house of Simon a tanner, by the seaside.'

Eccl 11:1–6

1 Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days.

2 Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight; for you do not know what evil will be on the earth.

3 If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.

4 He who observes the wind won't sow; and he who regards the clouds won't reap.

5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you do not know the work of God who does all.

6 In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be equally good.