Daily Readings for June 19

Daily Readings for June 19
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Judges 21

1.Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, "There shall not any of us give his daughter to Benjamin as wife." 2.The people came to Bethel, and sat there until evening before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept severely. 3.They said, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?"

4.It happened on the next day that the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. 5.The children of Israel said, "Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who didn't come up in the assembly to Yahweh?" For they had made a great oath concerning him who didn't come up to Yahweh to Mizpah, saying, "He shall surely be put to death." 6.The children of Israel grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, "There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day. 7.How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since we have sworn by Yahweh that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?" 8.They said, "What one is there of the tribes of Israel who didn't come up to Yahweh to Mizpah?" Behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly. 9.For when the people were numbered, behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead there. 10.The congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the most valiant, and commanded them, saying, "Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones. 11.This is the thing that you shall do: you shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman who has lain with a man." 12.They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young virgins, who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. 13.The whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them. 14.Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead: and yet so they weren't enough for them. 15.The people grieved for Benjamin, because that Yahweh had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. 16.Then the elders of the congregation said, "How shall we provide wives for those who remain, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?" 17.They said, "There must be an inheritance for those who are escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe not be blotted out from Israel. 18.However we may not give them wives of our daughters, for the children of Israel had sworn, saying, 'Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin.'" 19.They said, "Behold, there is a feast of Yahweh from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah." 20.They commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, 21.and see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and each man catch his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. 22.It shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, 'Grant them graciously to us, because we didn't take for each man his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, otherwise you would now be guilty.'"

23.The children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of those who danced, whom they carried off. They went and returned to their inheritance, built the cities, and lived in them. 24.The children of Israel departed there at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance. 25.In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Isaiah 43

1.But now thus says Yahweh who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel: "Don't be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine. 2.When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you. 3.For I am Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4.Since you have been precious and honored in my sight, and I have loved you; therefore I will give people in your place, and nations instead of your life. 5.Don't be afraid; for I am with you. I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west. 6.I will tell the north, 'Give them up!' and tell the south, 'Don't hold them back! Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth-- 7.everyone who is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yes, whom I have made.'"

8.Bring out the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears. 9.Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, "That is true."

10."You are my witnesses," says Yahweh, "With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me. 11.I myself am Yahweh; and besides me there is no savior. 12.I have declared, I have saved, and I have shown; and there was no strange god among you. Therefore you are my witnesses," says Yahweh, "and I am God. 13.Yes, since the day was I am he; and there is no one who can deliver out of my hand. I will work, and who can hinder it?"

14.Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake, I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring all of them down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing. 15.I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King."

16.Thus says Yahweh, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; 17.who brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched like a wick): 18."Don't remember the former things, and don't consider the things of old. 19.Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs forth now. Don't you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 20.The animals of the field shall honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21.the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise. 22.Yet you have not called on me, Jacob; but you have been weary of me, Israel. 23.You have not brought me of your sheep for burnt offerings; neither have you honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, nor wearied you with frankincense. 24.You have bought me no sweet cane with money, nor have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices; but you have burdened me with your sins. You have wearied me with your iniquities. 25.I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins. 26.Put me in remembrance. Let us plead together. Set forth your case, that you may be justified. 27.Your first father sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against me. 28.Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel an insult."

2John 1

1.The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not I only, but also all those who know the truth; 2.for the truth's sake, which remains in us, and it will be with us forever: 3.Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

4.I rejoice greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, even as we have been commanded by the Father. 5.Now I beg you, dear lady, not as though I wrote to you a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6.This is love, that we should walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. 7.For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don't confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist. 8.Watch yourselves, that we don't lose the things which we have accomplished, but that we receive a full reward. 9.Whoever transgresses and doesn't remain in the teaching of Christ, doesn't have God. He who remains in the teaching, the same has both the Father and the Son. 10.If anyone comes to you, and doesn't bring this teaching, don't receive him into your house, and don't welcome him, 11.for he who welcomes him participates in his evil works.

12.Having many things to write to you, I don't want to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come to you, and to speak face to face, that our joy may be made full. 13.The children of your chosen sister greet you. Amen.

3John 1

1.The elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.

2.Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers. 3.For I rejoiced greatly, when brothers came and testified about your truth, even as you walk in truth. 4.I have no greater joy than this, to hear about my children walking in truth.

5.Beloved, you do a faithful work in whatever you accomplish for those who are brothers and strangers. 6.They have testified about your love before the assembly. You will do well to send them forward on their journey in a way worthy of God, 7.because for the sake of the Name they went out, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 8.We therefore ought to receive such, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

9.I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn't accept what we say. 10.Therefore, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words. Not content with this, neither does he himself receive the brothers, and those who would, he forbids and throws out of the assembly. 11.Beloved, don't imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn't seen God. 12.Demetrius has the testimony of all, and of the truth itself; yes, we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.

13.I had many things to write to you, but I am unwilling to write to you with ink and pen; 14.but I hope to see you soon, and we will speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.