Daily Readings for July 25
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2Samuel 11

 

1.It happened, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. 2.It happened at evening, that David arose from off his bed, and walked on the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look on. 3.David sent and inquired after the woman. One said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

4.David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house. 5.The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, "I am with child."

6.David sent to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." Joab sent Uriah to David. 7.When Uriah had come to him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered. 8.David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." Uriah departed out of the king's house, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9.But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and didn't go down to his house. 10.When they had told David, saying, "Uriah didn't go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Haven't you come from a journey? Why didn't you go down to your house?"

11.Uriah said to David, "The ark, Israel, and Judah, are staying in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go into my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing!"

12.David said to Uriah, "Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day, and the next day. 13.When David had called him, he ate and drink before him; and he made him drunk. At evening, he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but didn't go down to his house. 14.It happened in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15.He wrote in the letter, saying, "Send Uriah to the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck, and die."

16.It happened, when Joab kept watch on the city, that he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were. 17.The men of the city went out, and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. 18.Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; 19.and he commanded the messenger, saying, "When you have finished telling all the things concerning the war to the king, 20.it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he asks you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Didn't you know that they would shoot from the wall? 21.who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Didn't a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?' then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'"

22.So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for. 23.The messenger said to David, "The men prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field, and we were on them even to the entrance of the gate. 24.The shooters shot at your servants from off the wall; and some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also."

25.Then David said to the messenger, "Thus you shall tell Joab, 'Don't let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.' Encourage him."

26.When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. 27.When the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh.

 

Jeremiah 15

 

1.Then Yahweh said to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. 2.It shall happen, when they tell you, Where shall we go forth? Then you shall tell them, Thus says Yahweh: Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity. 3.I will appoint over them four kinds, says Yahweh: the sword to kill, and the dogs to tear, and the birds of the sky, and the animals of the earth, to devour and to destroy. 4.I will cause them to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem. 5.For who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? or who will bemoan you? or who will turn aside to ask of your welfare? 6.You have rejected me, says Yahweh, you have gone backward: therefore have I stretched out my hand against you, and destroyed you; I am weary with repenting. 7.I have winnowed them with a fan in the gates of the land; I have bereaved them of children, I have destroyed my people; they didn't return from their ways. 8.Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas; I have brought on them against the mother of the young men a destroyer at noonday: I have caused anguish and terrors to fall on her suddenly. 9.She who has borne seven languishes; she has given up the spirit; her sun is gone down while it was yet day; she has been disappointed and confounded: and their residue will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, says Yahweh. 10.Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet everyone of them curses me. 11.Yahweh said, Most certainly I will strengthen you for good; most certainly I will cause the enemy to make supplication to you in the time of evil and in the time of affliction. 12.Can one break iron, even iron from the north, and brass? 13.Your substance and your treasures will I give for a spoil without price, and that for all your sins, even in all your borders. 14.I will make them to pass with your enemies into a land which you don't know; for a fire is kindled in my anger, which shall burn on you. 15.Yahweh, you know; remember me, and visit me, and avenge me of my persecutors; don't take me away in your longsuffering: know that for your sake I have suffered reproach. 16.Your words were found, and I ate them; and your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by your name, Yahweh, God of Armies. 17.I didn't sit in the assembly of those who make merry, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of your hand; for you have filled me with indignation. 18.Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will you indeed be to me as a deceitful brook, as waters that fail? 19.Therefore thus says Yahweh, If you return, then will I bring you again, that you may stand before me; and if you take forth the precious from the vile, you shall be as my mouth: they shall return to you, but you shall not return to them. 20.I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall; and they shall fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and to deliver you, says Yahweh. 21.I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you out of the hand of the terrible.

 

Matthew 26

 

1.It happened, when Jesus had finished all these words, that he said to his disciples, 2."You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."

3.Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. 4.They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit, and kill him. 5.But they said, "Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among the people."

6.Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7.a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. 8.But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? 9.For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor."

10.However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? Because she has done a good work for me. 11.For you always have the poor with you; but you don't always have me. 12.For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13.Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her."

14.Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, 15.and said, "What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?" They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16.From that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

17.Now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

18.He said, "Go into the city to a certain person, and tell him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples."'"

19.The disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and they prepared the Passover. 20.Now when evening had come, he was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. 21.As they were eating, he said, "Most certainly I tell you that one of you will betray me."

22.They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each began to ask him, "It isn't me, is it, Lord?"

23.He answered, "He who dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same will betray me. 24.The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born."

25.Judas, who betrayed him, answered, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?"

He said to him, "You said it."

26.As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for¹²³ it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." 27.He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, "All of you drink it, 28.for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins. 29.But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's Kingdom." 30.When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

31.Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'[124] 32.But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee."

33.But Peter answered him, "Even if all will be made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble."

34.Jesus said to him, "Most certainly I tell you that tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."

35.Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you." All of the disciples also said likewise.

36.Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go there and pray." 37.He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled. 38.Then he said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with me."

39.He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire."

40.He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What, couldn't you watch with me for one hour? 41.Watch and pray, that you don't enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

42.Again, a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cup can't pass away from me unless I drink it, your desire be done." 43.He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44.He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words. 45.Then he came to his disciples, and said to them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46.Arise, let's be going. Behold, he who betrays me is at hand."

47.While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priest and elders of the people. 48.Now he who betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, "Whoever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him." 49.Immediately he came to Jesus, and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed him.

50.Jesus said to him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. 51.Behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear. 52.Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword. 53.Or do you think that I couldn't ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54.How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?"

55.In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and you didn't arrest me. 56.But all this has happened, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."

Then all the disciples left him, and fled. 57.Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. 58.But Peter followed him from a distance, to the court of the high priest, and entered in and sat with the officers, to see the end. 59.Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death; 60.and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward, 61.and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'"

62.The high priest stood up, and said to him, "Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?" 63.But Jesus held his peace. The high priest answered him, "I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God."

64.Jesus said to him, "You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky."

65.Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy. 66.What do you think?"

They answered, "He is worthy of death!" 67.Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him, 68.saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who hit you?"

69.Now Peter was sitting outside in the court, and a maid came to him, saying, "You were also with Jesus, the Galilean!"

70.But he denied it before them all, saying, "I don't know what you are talking about."

71.When he had gone out onto the porch, someone else saw him, and said to those who were there, "This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth."

72.Again he denied it with an oath, "I don't know the man."

73.After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, "Surely you are also one of them, for your speech makes you known."

74.Then he began to curse and to swear, "I don't know the man!"

Immediately the rooster crowed. 75.Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and wept bitterly.

 

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