Day 223 of 365

2 Chr 16:1–18:34

16:1 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

16:2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent to Ben Hadad king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying,

16:3 "Let there be a treaty between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me."

16:4 Ben Hadad listened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.

16:5 It happened, when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building Ramah, and let his work cease.

16:6 Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

16:7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him, "Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore is the army of the king of Syria escaped out of your hand.

16:8 Weren't the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge army, with chariots and horsemen exceeding many? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand.

16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run back and forth throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein you have done foolishly; for from henceforth you shall have wars."

16:10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.

16:11 Behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

16:12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet; his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but to the physicians.

16:13 Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.

16:14 They buried him in his own tombs, which he had dug out for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odors and various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumers' art: and they made a very great burning for him.

17:1 Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Israel.

17:2 He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.

17:3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and did not seek the Baals,

17:4 but sought to the God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

17:5 Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat tribute; and he had riches and honor in abundance.

17:6 His heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord: and furthermore he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.

17:7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Ben Hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;

17:8 and with them the Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests.

17:9 They taught in Judah, having the book of the law of the Lord with them; and they went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught among the people.

17:10 The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

17:11 Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and silver for tribute; the Arabians also brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred male goats.

17:12 Jehoshaphat grew great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles and cities of store.

17:13 He had many works in the cities of Judah; and men of war, mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem.

17:14 This was the numbering of them according to their fathers' houses: Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him mighty men of valor three hundred thousand;

17:15 and next to him Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred eighty thousand;

17:16 and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the Lord; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.

17:17 Of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield;

17:18 and next to him Jehozabad and with him one hundred eighty thousand ready prepared for war.

17:19 These were those who waited on the king, besides those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

18:1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he joined affinity with Ahab.

18:2 After certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.

18:3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?" He answered him, "I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war."

18:4 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire first for the word of the Lord."

18:5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" They said, "Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the king."

18:6 But Jehoshaphat said, "Isn't there here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we may inquire of him?"

18:7 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla." Jehoshaphat said, "Do not let the king say so."

18:8 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, "Get Micaiah the son of Imla quickly."

18:9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

18:10 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.'"

18:11 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."

18:12 The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, "Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good."

18:13 Micaiah said, "As the Lord lives, what my God says, that will I speak."

18:14 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" He said, "Go up, and prosper. They shall be delivered into your hand."

18:15 The king said to him, "How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?"

18:16 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 return every man to his house in peace.'"

18:17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"

18:18 Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.

18:19 The Lord said, 'Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?' One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way.

18:20 A spirit came out, stood before the Lord, and said, 'I will entice him.' "The Lord said to him, 'How?'

18:21 "He said, 'I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' "He said, 'You will entice him, and will prevail also. Go forth, and do so.'

18:22 "Now therefore, behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; and the Lord has pronounced disaster concerning you."

18:23 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?"

18:24 Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day, when you shall go into an inner room to hide yourself."

18:25 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;

18:26 and 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 return in peace."'"

18:27 Micaiah said, "If you return at all in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me." He said, "Listen, you peoples, all of you!"

18:28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

18:29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle.

18:30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, "Fight neither with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel."

18:31 It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, "It is the king of Israel!" Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

18:32 It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

18:33 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 the chariot, "Turn your hand, and carry me out of the army; for I am severely wounded."

18:34 The battle increased that day. However the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and about the time of the going down of the sun, he died.

1 Pet 2:11–25

11 Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

12 having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

13 Subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme;

14 or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.

15 For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

16 as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

18 Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.

19 For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God.

20 For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if, when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God.

21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,

22 who did not sin, "neither was deceit found in his mouth."

23 Who, when he was cursed, did not curse back. When he suffered, did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously;

24 who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by his stripes you were healed.

25 For you were going astray like sheep; but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Job 3:7–17

7 Behold, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come therein.

8 Let them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.

9 Let the stars of its twilight be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the morning,

10 because it did not shut up the doors of my mother's womb, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.

11 "Why did I not die from the womb? Why did I not give up the spirit when my mother bore me?

12 Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should suck?

13 For now should I have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,

14 with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;

15 or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver:

16 or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, as infants who never saw light.

17 There the wicked cease from troubling. There the weary are at rest.