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Daily Readings for May 13
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Deuteronomy 30
1.It shall happen, when all these things have come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where Yahweh your God has driven you, 2.and shall return to Yahweh your God, and shall obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul; 3.that then Yahweh your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples, where Yahweh your God has scattered you. 4.If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there will Yahweh your God gather you, and from there he will bring you back: 5.and Yahweh your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and he will do you good, and multiply you above your fathers. 6.Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live. 7.Yahweh your God will put all these curses on your enemies, and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8.You shall return and obey the voice of Yahweh, and do all his commandments which I command you this day. 9.Yahweh your God will make you plenteous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, for good: for Yahweh will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers; 10.if you shall obey the voice of Yahweh your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law; if you turn to Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul.
11.For this commandment which I command you this day, it is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12.It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?" 13.Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?" 14.But the word is very near to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it. 15.Behold, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil; 16.in that I command you this day to love Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, that you may live and multiply, and that Yahweh your God may bless you in the land where you go in to possess it. 17.But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but shall be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; 18.I denounce to you this day, that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land, where you pass over the Jordan to go in to possess it. 19.I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your seed; 20.to love Yahweh your God, to obey his voice, and to cling to him; for he is your life, and the length of your days; that you may dwell in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Isaiah 2
1.This is what Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2.It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. 3.Many peoples shall go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. 4.He will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
5.House of Jacob, come, and let us walk in the light of Yahweh. 6.For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled from the east, with those who practice divination like the Philistines, and they clasp hands with the children of foreigners. 7.Their land is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures. Their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots. 8.Their land also is full of idols. They worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. 9.Man is brought low, and mankind is humbled; therefore don't forgive them. 10.Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty. 11.The lofty looks of man will be brought low, the haughtiness of men will be bowed down, and Yahweh alone will be exalted in that day. 12.For there will be a day of Yahweh of Armies for all that is proud and haughty, and for all that is lifted up; and it shall be brought low: 13.For all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, for all the oaks of Bashan, 14.For all the high mountains, for all the hills that are lifted up, 15.For every lofty tower, for every fortified wall, 16.For all the ships of Tarshish, and for all pleasant imagery. 17.The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and Yahweh alone shall be exalted in that day. 18.The idols shall utterly pass away. 19.Men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily. 20.In that day, men shall cast away their idols of silver, and their idols of gold, which have been made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats; 21.To go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily. 22.Stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he?
Acts 28
1.When we had escaped, then they81 learned that the island was called Malta. 2.The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 3.But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4.When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said one to another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live." 5.However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn't harmed. 6.But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
7.Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and courteously entertained us for three days. 8.It happened that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him. 9.Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came, and were cured. 10.They also honored us with many honors, and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed.
11.After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose sign was "The Twin Brothers." 12.Touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. 13.From there we circled around and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli, 14.where we found brothers,82 and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome. 15.From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God, and took courage. 16.When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.
17.It happened that after three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, "I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, 18.who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me. 19.But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation. 20.For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain."
21.They said to him, "We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you. 22.But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against."
23.When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about the Kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening. 24.Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25.When they didn't agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one word, "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah, the prophet, to our fathers, 26.saying, 'Go to this people, and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive. 27.For this people's heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.'83
28."Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the nations. They will also listen."
29.When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.
30.Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who were coming to him, 31.preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.