Day 185 of 365

1 Kgs 22:1–53

1 They continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.

2 It happened in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

3 The king of Israel said to his servants, "You know that Ramoth Gilead is ours, and we are still, and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?"

4 He said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to battle to Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."

5 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire first for the word of the Lord."

6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" They said, "Go up; for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king."

7 But Jehoshaphat said, "Isn't there here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of him?"

8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." Jehoshaphat said, "Do not let the king say so."

9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, "Quickly get Micaiah the son of Imlah."

10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

11 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said, "Thus says the Lord, 'With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.'"

12 All the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king."

13 The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, "See now, the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak good."

14 Micaiah said, "As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I will speak."

15 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?" He answered him, "Go up and prosper; and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king."

16 The king said to him, "How many times do I have to adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?"

17 He said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. The Lord said, 'These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.'"

18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"

19 Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.

20 The Lord said, 'Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?' One said one thing; and another said another.

21 A spirit came out and stood before the Lord, and said, 'I will entice him.'

22 The Lord said to him, 'How?' He said, 'I will go out and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' He said, 'You will entice him, and will also prevail. Go out and do so.'

23 Now therefore, behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you."

24 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?"

25 Micaiah said, "Behold, you will see on that day, when you go into an inner room to hide yourself."

26 The king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son.

27 Say, 'Thus says the king, "Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace."'"

28 Micaiah said, "If you return at all in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me." He said, "Listen, all you people!"

29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes." The king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.

31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.

32 It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, "Surely that is the king of Israel!" and they turned aside to fight against him. Jehoshaphat cried out.

33 It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

34 A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn your hand, and carry me out of the battle; for I am severely wounded."

35 The battle increased that day. The king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot.

36 A cry went throughout the army about the going down of the sun, saying, "Every man to his city, and every man to his country!"

37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

38 They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood where the prostitutes washed themselves; according to the word of the Lord which he spoke.

39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he built, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

40 So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

41 Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

43 He walked in all the way of Asa his father; He did not turn aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord: however the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

44 Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

46 The remnant of the sodomites, that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land.

47 There was no king in Edom: a deputy was king.

48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they did not go; for the ships were broken at Ezion Geber.

49 Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships." But Jehoshaphat would not.

50 Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel.

52 He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, in which he made Israel to sin.

53 He served Baal, and worshiped him, and provoked to anger the Lord, the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

Acts 11:1–30

1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

2 When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him,

3 saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!"

4 But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying,

5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain container descending, like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me.

6 When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky.

7 I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter, kill and eat!'

8 But I said, 'Not so, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.'

9 But a voice answered the second time out of heaven, 'What God has cleansed, do not call unclean.'

10 This was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

11 Behold, immediately three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.

12 The Spirit told me to go with them, without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house.

13 He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying to him, 'Send to Joppa, and get Simon, whose surname is Peter,

14 who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.'

15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning.

16 I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'

17 If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?"

18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!"

19 They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.

20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, proclaiming the Lord Jesus.

21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

22 The report concerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch,

23 who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord.

24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.

25 Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul.

26 When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. It happened, that for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

27 Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

28 One of them named Agabus stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius.

29 As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea;

30 which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Eccl 11:7–10

7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to see the sun.

8 Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

9 Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.