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Daily Readings for November 4
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2Chronicles 33
1.Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2.He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, after the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel. 3.For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them. 4.He built altars in the house of Yahweh, of which Yahweh said, "My name shall be in Jerusalem forever." 5.He built altars for all the army of the sky in the two courts of the house of Yahweh. 6.He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he practiced sorcery, and used enchantments, and practiced sorcery, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he worked much evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger. 7.He set the engraved image of the idol, which he had made, in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever: 8.neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the ordinances given by Moses." 9.Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did more evil than the nations whom Yahweh destroyed before the children of Israel did. 10.Yahweh spoke to Manasseh, and to his people; but they gave no heed. 11.Therefore Yahweh brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. 12.When he was in distress, he begged Yahweh his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13.He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God. 14.Now after this he built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate; and he encircled Ophel with it, and raised it up to a very great height: and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15.He took away the foreign gods, and the idol out of the house of Yahweh, and all the altars that he had built in the mountain of the house of Yahweh, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. 16.He built up the altar of Yahweh, and offered thereon sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel. 17.Nevertheless the people sacrificed still in the high places, but only to Yahweh their God. 18.Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among the acts of the kings of Israel. 19.His prayer also, and how God was entreated of him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places in which he built high places, and set up the Asherim and the engraved images, before he humbled himself: behold, they are written in the history of Hozai. 20.So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his place. 21.Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22.He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as did Manasseh his father; and Amon sacrificed to all the engraved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them. 23.He didn't humble himself before Yahweh, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but this same Amon trespassed more and more. 24.His servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house. 25.But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.
Hosea 1
1.The word of Yahweh1 that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. 2.When Yahweh spoke at first by Hosea, Yahweh said to Hosea, "Go, take for yourself a wife of prostitution and children of unfaithfulness; for the land commits great adultery, forsaking Yahweh."
3.So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and bore him a son.
4.Yahweh said to him, "Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease. 5.It will happen in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel."
6.She conceived again, and bore a daughter.
Then he said to him, "Call her name Lo-Ruhamah2; for I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, that I should in any way pardon them. 7.But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by Yahweh their God3, and will not save them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen."
8.Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.
9.He said, "Call his name Lo-Ammi4; for you are not my people, and I will not be yours. 10.Yet the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which can't be measured nor numbered; and it will come to pass that, in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.' 11.The children of Judah and the children of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint themselves one head, and will go up from the land; for great will be the day of Jezreel.
Acts 14
1.It happened in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed. 2.But the disbelieving57 Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers. 3.Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4.But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. 5.When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them, 6.they became aware of it, and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region. 7.There they preached the Good News.
8.At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked. 9.He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole, 10.said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet!" He leaped up and walked. 11.When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!" 12.They called Barnabas "Jupiter," and Paul "Mercury," because he was the chief speaker. 13.The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes. 14.But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes, and sprang into the multitude, crying out, 15."Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them; 16.who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17.Yet he didn't leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you58 rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."
18.Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them. 19.But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
20.But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe. 21.When they had preached the Good News to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22.confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of God. 23.When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.
24.They passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. 25.When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26.From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. 27.When they had arrived, and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations. 28.They stayed there with the disciples for a long time.
Acts 15
1.Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can't be saved." 2.Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. 3.They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers.59 4.When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them.
5.But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."
6.The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. 7.When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News, and believe. 8.God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us. 9.He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10.Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11.But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus,60 just as they are."
12.All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them. 13.After they were silent, James answered, "Brothers, listen to me. 14.Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations, to take out of them a people for his name. 15.This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written, 16.'After these things I will return. I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up, 17.That the rest of men may seek after the Lord; All the Gentiles who are called by my name, Says the Lord, who does all these things.61 18.All his works are known to God from eternity.'
19."Therefore my judgment is that we don't trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20.but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. 21.For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."
22.Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers.62 23.They wrote these things by their hand:
"The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings. 24.Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, 'You must be circumcised and keep the law,' to whom we gave no commandment; 25.it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26.men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27.We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28.For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things: 29.that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell."
30.So, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. Having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. 31.When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement. 32.Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words, and strengthened them. 33.After they had spent some time there, they were sent back with greetings from the brothers to the apostles. 34.63 35.But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
36.After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing." 37.Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also. 38.But Paul didn't think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn't go with them to do the work. 39.Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus, 40.but Paul chose Silas, and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God. 41.He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.