Day 224 of 365

2 Chr 19:1–20:37

19:1 Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.

19:2 Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked, and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath is on you from before the Lord.

19:3 Nevertheless there are good things found in you, in that you have put away the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God."

19:4 Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem: and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

19:5 He set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,

19:6 and said to the judges, "Consider what you do: for you do not judge for man, but for the Lord; and he is with you in the judgment.

19:7 Now therefore let the fear of the Lord be on you. Take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes."

19:8 Moreover in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed Levites and priests, and of the heads of the fathers' households of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord, and for controversies. They returned to Jerusalem.

19:9 He commanded them, saying, "Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.

19:10 Whenever any controversy shall come to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them, that they not be guilty towards the Lord, and so wrath come on you and on your brothers. Do this, and you shall not be guilty.

19:11 Behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and may the Lord be with the good."

20:1 It happened after this, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

20:2 Then some came who told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea from Syria. Behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi).

20:3 Jehoshaphat was alarmed, and set himself to seek to the Lord. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

20:4 Judah gathered themselves together, to seek help from the Lord. They came out of all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord.

20:5 Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court;

20:6 and he said, "O Lord, the God of our fathers, aren't you God in heaven? Aren't you ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, so that no one is able to withstand you.

20:7 Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham your friend forever?

20:8 They lived in it, and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name, saying,

20:9 'If evil comes on us-the sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine-we will stand before this house, and before you, (for your name is in this house), and cry to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.'

20:10 Now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and did not destroy them;

20:11 behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit.

20:12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us; neither know we what to do, but our eyes are on you."

20:13 All Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

20:14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly;

20:15 and he said, "Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you king Jehoshaphat. Thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not be afraid, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

20:16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz. You shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

20:17 You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you.'"

20:18 Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.

20:19 The Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with an exceeding loud voice.

20:20 They rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, so you shall be established! Believe his prophets, so you shall prosper."

20:21 When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and give praise in holy array, as they went out before the army, and say, Give thanks to the Lord; for his loving kindness endures forever.

20:22 When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushers against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were struck.

20:23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly to kill and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.

20:24 When Judah came to the place overlooking the wilderness, they looked at the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none who escaped.

20:25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much.

20:26 On the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Beracah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of that place was called The valley of Beracah to this day.

20:27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in their forefront, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

20:28 They came to Jerusalem with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets to the house of the Lord.

20:29 The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.

20:30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest all around.

20:31 Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: he was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

20:32 He walked in the way of Asa his father, and did not turn aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord.

20:33 However the high places were not taken away; neither as yet had the people set their hearts to the God of their fathers.

20:34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is inserted in the book of the kings of Israel.

20:35 After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel. The same did very wickedly:

20:36 and he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the ships in Ezion Geber.

20:37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works." The ships were broken, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

1 Pet 3:1–22

1 In like manner, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any do not obey the Word, they may be won by the behavior of their wives without a word;

2 seeing your pure behavior in fear.

3 Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing;

4 but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God very precious.

5 For this is how the holy women before, who hoped in God also adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands:

6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you now are, if you do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.

7 You husbands, in like manner, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as being also joint heirs of the grace of life; that your prayers may not be hindered.

8 Finally, be all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, humble,

9 not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but instead blessing; because to this were you called, that you may inherit a blessing.

10 For, "He who would love life, and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.

11 Let him turn away from evil, and do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it.

12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

13 Now who is he who will harm you, if you become zealous of that which is good?

14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear, neither be troubled."

15 But sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with humility and fear:

16 having a good conscience; so that when they speak evil against you, they may be put to shame who slander your good manner of life in Christ.

17 For it is better, if it is God's will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil.

18 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

19 in which he also went and preached to the spirits in prison,

20 who before were disobedient, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you-not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

Job 3:18–26

18 There the prisoners are at ease together. They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.

19 The small and the great are there. The servant is free from his master.

20 "Why is light given to him who is in misery, life to the bitter in soul,

21 Who long for death, but it doesn't come; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,

22 who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?

23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, whom God has hedged in?

24 For my sighing comes before I eat. My groanings are poured out like water.

25 For the thing which I fear comes on me, That which I am afraid of comes to me.

26 I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; but trouble comes."