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Daily Readings for August 11
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1Kings 6
1.It happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Yahweh. 2.The house which king Solomon built for Yahweh, its length was sixty cubits, and its breadth twenty, and its height thirty cubits. 3.The porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was its length, according to the breadth of the house. Ten cubits was its breadth before the house. 4.For the house he made windows of fixed lattice work. 5.Against the wall of the house he built stories all around, against the walls of the house all around, both of the temple and of the oracle; and he made side rooms all around. 6.The nethermost story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the outside he made offsets in the wall of the house all around, that the beams should not have hold in the walls of the house. 7.The house, when it was in building, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. 8.The door for the middle side rooms was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle story, and out of the middle into the third. 9.So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar. 10.He built the stories against all the house, each five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.
11.The word of Yahweh came to Solomon, saying, 12."Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13.I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel."
14.So Solomon built the house, and finished it. 15.He built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of fir. 16.He built twenty cubits on the hinder part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling: he built them for it within, for an oracle, even for the most holy place. 17.In front of the temple sanctuary was forty cubits. 18.There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen. 19.He prepared an oracle in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. 20.Within the oracle was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in its height; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar. 21.So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he drew chains of gold across before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold. 22.The whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished: also the whole altar that belonged to the oracle he overlaid with gold. 23.In the oracle he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24.Five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing to the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits. 25.The other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubim were of one measure and one form. 26.The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub. 27.He set the cherubim within the inner house; and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house. 28.He overlaid the cherubim with gold. 29.He carved all the walls of the house around with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, inside and outside. 30.The floor of the house he overlaid with gold, inside and outside. 31.For the entrance of the oracle he made doors of olive wood: the lintel and door posts were a fifth part of the wall. 32.So he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim, and on the palm trees. 33.So also made he for the entrance of the temple door posts of olive wood, out of a fourth part of the wall; 34.and two doors of fir wood: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 35.He carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted on the engraved work. 36.He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone, and a course of cedar beams. 37.In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of Yahweh laid, in the month Ziv. 38.In the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all its parts, and according to all its fashion. So was he seven years in building it.
Jeremiah 32
1.The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2.Now at that time the king of Babylon's army was besieging Jerusalem; and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the king of Judah's house. 3.For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Why do you prophesy, and say, Thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it; 4.and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall see his eyes; 5.and he shall bring Zedekiah to Babylon, and he shall be there until I visit him, says Yahweh: though you fight with the Chaldeans, you shall not prosper? 6.Jeremiah said, The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 7.Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle shall come to you, saying, Buy my field that is in Anathoth; for the right of redemption is yours to buy it. 8.So Hanamel my uncle's son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of Yahweh, and said to me, Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself. Then I knew that this was the word of Yahweh. 9.I bought the field that was in Anathoth of Hanamel my uncle's son, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver. 10.I subscribed the deed, and sealed it, and called witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. 11.So I took the deed of the purchase, both that which was sealed, containing the terms and conditions, and that which was open; 12.and I delivered the deed of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses who subscribed the deed of the purchase, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the guard. 13.I commanded Baruch before them, saying, 14.Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, this deed of the purchase which is sealed, and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel; that they may continue many days. 15.For thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall yet again be bought in this land. 16.Now after I had delivered the deed of the purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to Yahweh, saying, 17.Ah Lord Yahweh! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm; there is nothing too hard for you, 18.who show loving kindness to thousands, and recompense the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them; the great, the mighty God, Yahweh of Armies is his name; 19.great in counsel, and mighty in work; whose eyes are open on all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings: 20.who performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even to this day, both in Israel and among [other] men; and made yourself a name, as in this day; 21.and brought forth your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terror; 22.and gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; 23.and they came in, and possessed it, but they didn't obey your voice, neither walked in your law; they have done nothing of all that you commanded them to do: therefore you have caused all this evil to come on them. 24.Behold, the mounds, they have come to the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence; and what you have spoken has happened; and behold, you see it. 25.You have said to me, Lord Yahweh, Buy the field for money, and call witnesses; whereas the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26.Then came the word of Yahweh to Jeremiah, saying, 27.Behold, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? 28.Therefore thus says Yahweh: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: 29.and the Chaldeans, who fight against this city, shall come and set this city on fire, and burn it, with the houses, on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal, and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. 30.For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only that which was evil in my sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, says Yahweh. 31.For this city has been to me a provocation of my anger and of my wrath from the day that they built it even to this day; that I should remove it from before my face, 32.because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33.They have turned to me the back, and not the face: and though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction. 34.But they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. 35.They built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] to Molech; which I didn't command them, neither did it come into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. 36.Now therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning this city, about which you say, It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: 37.Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries, where I have driven them in my anger, and in my wrath, and in great indignation; and I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: 38.and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: 39.and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their good, and of their children after them: 40.and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good; and I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me. 41.Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. 42.For thus says Yahweh: Like as I have brought all this great evil on this people, so will I bring on them all the good that I have promised them. 43.Fields shall be bought in this land, about which you say, It is desolate, without man or animal; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. 44.Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe the deeds, and seal them, and call witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the hill country, and in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South: for I will cause their captivity to return, says Yahweh.
Mark 6
1.He went out from there. He came into his own country, and his disciples followed him. 2.When the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things?" and, "What is the wisdom that is given to this man, that such mighty works come about by his hands? 3.Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" They were offended at him.
4.Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5.He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people, and healed them. 6.He marveled because of their unbelief.
He went around the villages teaching. 7.He called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8.He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, 9.but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics. 10.He said to them, "Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11.Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"
12.They went out and preached that people should repent. 13.They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them. 14.King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, "John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him." 15.But others said, "He is Elijah." Others said, "He is a prophet, or like one of the prophets." 16.But Herod, when he heard this, said, "This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead." 17.For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her. 18.For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." 19.Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she couldn't, 20.for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.
21.Then a convenient day came, that Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. 22.When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you." 23.He swore to her, "Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."
24.She went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"
She said, "The head of John the Baptizer."
25.She came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter."
26.The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn't wish to refuse her. 27.Immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring John's head, and he went and beheaded him in the prison, 28.and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young lady; and the young lady gave it to her mother.
29.When his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.
30.The apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught. 31.He said to them, "You come apart into a deserted place, and rest awhile." For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32.They went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33.They9 saw them going, and many recognized him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to him. 34.Jesus came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things. 35.When it was late in the day, his disciples came to him, and said, "This place is deserted, and it is late in the day. 36.Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages, and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat."
37.But he answered them, "You give them something to eat."
They asked him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii10 worth of bread, and give them something to eat?"
38.He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go see."
When they knew, they said, "Five, and two fish."
39.He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass. 40.They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties. 41.He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all. 42.They all ate, and were filled. 43.They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish. 44.Those who ate the loaves were11 five thousand men.
45.Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the multitude away. 46.After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray.
47.When evening had come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48.Seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea,12 and he would have passed by them, 49.but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50.for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he immediately spoke with them, and said to them, "Cheer up! It is I!13 Don't be afraid." 51.He got into the boat with them; and the wind ceased, and they were very amazed among themselves, and marveled; 52.for they hadn't understood about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
53.When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54.When they had come out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, 55.and ran around that whole region, and began to bring those who were sick, on their mats, to where they heard he was. 56.Wherever he entered, into villages, or into cities, or into the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch just the fringe14 of his garment; and as many as touched him were made well.