Daily Readings for July 10
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1Samuel 23

 

1.David was told, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors."

2.Therefore David inquired of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I go and strike these Philistines?"

Yahweh said to David, "Go strike the Philistines, and save Keilah."

3.David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"

4.Then David inquired of Yahweh yet again. Yahweh answered him, and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."

5.David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their livestock, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. 6.It happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

7.It was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. Saul said, "God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars." 8.Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9.David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." 10.Then David said, "O Yahweh, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. 11.Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Yahweh, the God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant."

Yahweh said, "He will come down."

12.Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?"

Yahweh said, "They will deliver you up."

13.Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. It was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he gave up going there. 14.David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn't deliver him into his hand. 15.David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.

16.Jonathan, Saul's son, arose, and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God. 17.He said to him, "Don't be afraid; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; and that also Saul my father knows." 18.They both made a covenant before Yahweh: and David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his house. 19.Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doesn't David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert? 20.Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king's hand."

21.Saul said, "You are blessed by Yahweh; for you have had compassion on me. 22.Please go make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for it is told me that he deals very subtly. 23.See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself, and come again to me with certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah."

24.They arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert. 25.Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. 26.Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men surrounded David and his men to take them. 27.But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land!" 28.So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth. 29.David went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.

 

Isaiah 66

 

1.Thus says Yahweh, "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what kind of house will you build to me? and what place shall be my rest? 2.For all these things has my hand made, and so all these things came to be," says Yahweh: "but to this man will I look, even to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word. 3.He who kills an ox is as he who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog's neck; he who offers an offering, as he who offers pig's blood; he who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations: 4.I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears on them; because when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they didn't listen; but they did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I didn't delight."

5.Hear the word of Yahweh, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for my name's sake, have said, 'Let Yahweh be glorified, that we may see your joy;' but it is those who shall be disappointed. 6.A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of Yahweh that renders recompense to his enemies.

7."Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she delivered a son. 8.Who has heard such a thing? who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? shall a nation be brought forth at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9.Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth?" says Yahweh: "shall I who cause to bring forth shut the womb?" says your God. 10."Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her: rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn over her; 11.that you may nurse and be satisfied at the comforting breasts; that you may drink deeply, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory."

12.For thus says Yahweh, "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream: and you will nurse. You will be carried on her side, and will be dandled on her knees. 13.As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted in Jerusalem."

14.You will see it, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like the tender grass: and the hand of Yahweh shall be known toward his servants; and he will have indignation against his enemies. 15.For, behold, Yahweh will come with fire, and his chariots shall be like the whirlwind; to render his anger with fierceness, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16.For by fire will Yahweh execute judgment, and by his sword, on all flesh; and the slain of Yahweh shall be many.

17."Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens, behind one in the midst, eating pig's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, they shall come to an end together," says Yahweh.

18."For I know their works and their thoughts: the time comes, that I will gather all nations and languages; and they shall come, and shall see my glory.

19."I will set a sign among them, and I will send such as escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the islands afar off, who have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20.They shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations for an offering to Yahweh, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says Yahweh, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into the house of Yahweh. 21.Of them also will I take for priests and for Levites," says Yahweh.

22."For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me," says Yahweh, "so your seed and your name shall remain. 23.It shall happen, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me," says Yahweh. 24."They shall go forth, and look on the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they will be loathsome to all mankind."

 

Matthew 11

 

1.It happened that when Jesus had finished directing his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. 2.Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3.and said to him, "Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?"

4.Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5.the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear,[54] the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.[55] 6.Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me."

7.As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8.But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king's houses. 9.But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. 10.For this is he, of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.'[56] 11.Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. 12.From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.⁵⁷ 13.For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14.If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come. 15.He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

16."But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions 17.and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you didn't dance. We mourned for you, and you didn't lament.' 18.For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19.The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children.⁵⁸"

20.Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they didn't repent. 21."Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22.But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23.You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades.⁵⁹ For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until this day. 24.But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, on the day of judgment, than for you."

25.At that time, Jesus answered, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants. 26.Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight. 27.All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.

28."Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 29.Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 30.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

 

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