Daily Readings for September 3
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2Kings 8

 

1.Now Elisha had spoken to the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, "Arise, and go, you and your household, and stay for a while wherever you can; for Yahweh has called for a famine. It shall also come on the land seven years."

2.The woman arose, and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household, and lived in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3.It happened at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines. Then she went forth to cry to the king for her house and for her land. 4.Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, "Please tell me all the great things that Elisha has done." 5.It happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored to life him who was dead, that behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. Gehazi said, "My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life."

6.When the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to her a certain officer, saying, "Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now."

7.Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick. It was told him, saying, "The man of God has come here."

8.The king said to Hazael, "Take a present in your hand, and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of Yahweh by him, saying, 'Will I recover from this sickness?'"

9.So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, "Your son Benhadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, 'Will I recover from this sickness?'"

10.Elisha said to him, "Go, tell him, 'You shall surely recover;' however Yahweh has shown me that he shall surely die." 11.He settled his gaze steadfastly on him, until he was ashamed. Then the man of God wept.

12.Hazael said, "Why do you weep, my lord?"

He answered, "Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel. You will set their strongholds on fire, and you will kill their young men with the sword, and will dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their women with child."

13.Hazael said, "But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?"

Elisha answered, "Yahweh has shown me that you will be king over Syria."

14.Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, "What did Elisha say to you?"

He answered, "He told me that you would surely recover."

15.It happened on the next day, that he took a thick cloth, dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died. Then Hazael reigned in his place.

16.In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being king of Judah then, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. 17.He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign. He reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18.He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab; for he had the daughter of Ahab as wife. He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh. 19.However Yahweh would not destroy Judah, for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give to him a lamp for his children always.

20.In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. 21.Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and struck the Edomites who surrounded him, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents. 22.So Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time. 23.The rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 24.Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place. 25.In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. 26.Twenty-two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri king of Israel. 27.He walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as did the house of Ahab; for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab. 28.He went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram. 29.King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

 

Lamentations 4

 

1.How is the gold become dim! [how] is the most pure gold changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street. 2.The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! 3.Even the jackals draw out the breast, they nurse their young ones: The daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. 4.The tongue of the nursing child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst: The young children ask bread, and no man breaks it to them. 5.Those who fed delicately are desolate in the streets: Those who were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. 6.For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid on her. 7.Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire. 8.Their appearance is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: Their skin clings to their bones; it is withered, it has become like a stick. 9.Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; For these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field. 10.The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children; They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. 11.Yahweh has accomplished his wrath, he has poured out his fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations. 12.The kings of the earth didn't believe, neither all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem. 13.[It is] because of the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, That have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her. 14.They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, So that men can't touch their garments. 15.Depart! they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more live [here]. 16.The anger of Yahweh has scattered them; he will no more regard them: They didn't respect the persons of the priests, they didn't favor the elders. 17.Our eyes do yet fail [in looking] for our vain help: In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save. 18.They hunt our steps, so that we can't go in our streets: Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end has come. 19.Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky: They chased us on the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. 20.The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Yahweh, was taken in their pits; Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.

21.Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwell in the land of Uz: The cup shall pass through to you also; you shall be drunken, and shall make yourself naked. 22.The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity: He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom; he will uncover your sins.

 

2Corinthians 1

 

1.Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: 2.Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3.Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; 4.who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5.For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ. 6.But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. 7.Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so also are you of the comfort. 8.For we don't desire to have you uninformed, brothers,¹ concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life. 9.Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, 10.who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver; on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us; 11.you also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift bestowed on us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on your behalf. 12.For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you. 13.For we write no other things to you, than what you read or even acknowledge, and I hope you will acknowledge to the end; 14.as also you acknowledged us in part, that we are your boasting, even as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus. 15.In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit; 16.and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and to be sent forward by you on my journey to Judea. 17.When I therefore was thus determined, did I show fickleness? Or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the "Yes, yes" and the "No, no?" 18.But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not "Yes and no." 19.For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not "Yes and no," but in him is "Yes." 20.For however many are the promises of God, in him is the "Yes." Therefore also through him is the "Amen," to the glory of God through us.

21.Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; 22.who also sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts. 23.But I call God for a witness to my soul, that I didn't come to Corinth to spare you. 24.Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.

 

2Corinthians 2

 

1.But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow. 2.For if I make you sorry, then who will make me glad but he who is made sorry by me? 3.And I wrote this very thing to you, so that, when I came, I wouldn't have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy would be shared by all of you. 4.For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made sorry, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you. 5.But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I not press too heavily) to you all. 6.Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the many; 7.so that on the contrary you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his excessive sorrow. 8.Therefore I beg you to confirm your love toward him. 9.For to this end I also wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things. 10.Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11.that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

12.Now when I came to Troas for the Good News of Christ, and when a door was opened to me in the Lord, 13.I had no relief for my spirit, because I didn't find Titus, my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went out into Macedonia. 14.Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place. 15.For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God, in those who are saved, and in those who perish; 16.to the one a stench from death to death; to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17.For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

 

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