Daily Readings for July 15
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1Samuel 29

 

1.Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel. 2.The lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rear with Achish. 3.Then the princes of the Philistines said, "What about these Hebrews?"

Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, "Isn't this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away to this day?"

4.But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes of the Philistines said to him, "Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For with what should this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Should it not be with the heads of these men? 5.Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?'"

6.Then Achish called David, and said to him, "As Yahweh lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords don't favor you. 7.Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords of the Philistines."

8.David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"

9.Achish answered David, "I know that you are good in my sight, as an angel of God. Notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, 'He shall not go up with us to the battle.' 10.Therefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you; and as soon as you are up early in the morning, and have light, depart."

11.So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. The Philistines went up to Jezreel.

 

1Samuel 30

 

1.It happened, when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the South, and on Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire, 2.and had taken captive the women and all who were therein, both small and great. They didn't kill any, but carried them off, and went their way. 3.When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive. 4.Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5.David's two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6.David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God. 7.David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Please bring me here the ephod."

Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8.David inquired of Yahweh, saying, "If I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them?"

He answered him, "Pursue; for you shall surely overtake them, and shall without fail recover all."

9.So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10.But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they couldn't go over the brook Besor. 11.They found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink. 12.They gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. 13.David asked him, "To whom do you belong? Where are you from?"

He said, "I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick. 14.We made a raid on the South of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire."

15.David said to him, "Will you bring me down to this troop?"

He said, "Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop."

16.When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread around over all the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah. 17.David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped from there, except four hundred young men, who rode on camels and fled. 18.David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives. 19.There was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor anything that they had taken to them. David brought back all. 20.David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other livestock, and said, "This is David's spoil."

21.David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them. 22.Then all the wicked men and base fellows, of those who went with David, answered and said, "Because they didn't go with us, we will not give them anything of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart."

23.Then David said, "You shall not do so, my brothers, with that which Yahweh has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. 24.Who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who tarries by the baggage: they shall share alike." 25.It was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. 26.When David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil to the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, "Behold, a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of Yahweh." 27.He sent it to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the South, and to those who were in Jattir, 28.and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa, 29.and to those who were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites, 30.and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Borashan, and to those who were in Athach, 31.and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men used to stay.

 

Jeremiah 5

 

1."Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places of it, if you can find a man, if there are any who does justly, who seeks truth; and I will pardon her. 2.Though they say, 'As Yahweh lives;' surely they swear falsely."

3.O Yahweh, don't your eyes look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were not grieved. You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return.

4.Then I said, "Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they don't know the way of Yahweh, nor the law of their God. 5.I will go to the great men, and will speak to them; for they know the way of Yahweh, and the law of their God." But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. 6.Therefore a lion out of the forest shall kill them, a wolf of the evenings shall destroy them, a leopard shall watch against their cities; everyone who goes out there shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their backsliding is increased.

7."How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by what are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the prostitutes' houses. 8.They were as fed horses roaming at large: everyone neighed after his neighbor's wife. 9.Shouldn't I punish them for these things?" says Yahweh; "and shouldn't my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10."Go up on her walls, and destroy; but don't make a full end. Take away her branches; for they are not Yahweh's. 11.For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me," says Yahweh.

12.They have denied Yahweh, and said, "It is not he; neither shall evil come on us; neither shall we see sword nor famine. 13.The prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them."

14.Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Armies, "Because you speak this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them. 15.Behold, I will bring a nation on you from far, house of Israel," says Yahweh. "It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don't know, neither understand what they say. 16.Their quiver is an open tomb, they are all mighty men. 17.They shall eat up your harvest, and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds. They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees. They shall beat down your fortified cities, in which you trust, with the sword.

18."But even in those days," says Yahweh, "I will not make a full end with you. 19.It will happen, when you say, 'Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?' Then you shall say to them, 'Just like you have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'

20."Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, 21.'Hear now this, foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and don't see; who have ears, and don't hear: 22.Don't you fear me?' says Yahweh 'Won't you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it can't pass it? and though its waves toss themselves, yet they can't prevail; though they roar, yet they can't pass over it.'

23."But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart; they have revolted and gone. 24.Neither do they say in their heart, 'Let us now fear Yahweh our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.'

25."Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good from you. 26.For among my people are found wicked men. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men. 27.As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich. 28.They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excell in deeds of wickedness. They don't plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don't judge the right of the needy.

29."Shall I not punish for these things?" says Yahweh. "Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

30."An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land. 31.The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?

 

Matthew 16

 

1.The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2.But he answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' 3.In the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can't discern the signs of the times! 4.An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah."

He left them, and departed. 5.The disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take bread. 6.Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

7.They reasoned among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread."

8.Jesus, perceiving it, said, "Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, 'because you have brought no bread?' 9.Don't you yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up? 10.Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up? 11.How is it that you don't perceive that I didn't speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

12.Then they understood that he didn't tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 13.Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"

14.They said, "Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."

15.He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

16.Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17.Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18.I also tell you that you are Peter,⁷⁶ and on this rock⁷⁷ I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades⁷⁸ will not prevail against it. 19.I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven." 20.Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ. 21.From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.

22.Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you."

23.But he turned, and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men." 24.Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25.For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. 26.For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? 27.For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds. 28.Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."

 

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