the Week of Proper 8 / Ordinary 13
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July 30 - Bible-in-a-Year
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2 Kings 10
Chapter 10
Jehu Kills the House of Ahab
1 Since Ahab had 70 sons in Samaria,(a) Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the rulers of Jezreel,(b) to the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab's sons,[a] saying:
2 When this letter(c) arrives, since your master's sons are with you and you have chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weaponry, 3 select the most qualified[b] of your master's sons, set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house.
4 However, they were terrified and reasoned, "Look, two kings(d) couldn't stand against him; how can we?"
5 So the overseer of the palace, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu: "We are your servants, and we will do whatever you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever you think is right."[c](e)
6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying:
If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, bring me the heads of your master's sons at this time tomorrow at Jezreel.
All 70 of the king's sons were being cared for by the city's prominent men. 7 When the letter came to them, they took the king's sons and slaughtered all 70, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger came and told him, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons," the king said, "Pile them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning."
9 The next morning when he went out and stood at the gate, he said to all the people, "You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him.(f) But who struck down all these? 10 Know, then, that not a word the Lord spoke against the house of Ahab will fail,(g) for the Lord has done what He promised through His servant Elijah."(h) 11 So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel—all his great men, close friends, and priests—leaving him no survivors.
12 Then he set out and went on his way to Samaria. On the way, while he was at Beth-eked of the Shepherds, 13 Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, "Who are you?"
They answered, "We're Ahaziah's(i) relatives. We've come down to greet the king's sons and the queen mother's(j) sons."
14 Then Jehu ordered, "Take them alive." So they took them alive and then slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked—42 men. He didn't spare any of them.(k)
15 When he left there, he found Jehonadab son of Rechab(l) coming to meet him. He greeted him and then asked, "Is your heart one with mine?"[d]
"It is," Jehonadab replied.
Jehu said, "If it is,[e] give me your hand."(m)
So he gave him his hand, and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot with him. 16 Then he said, "Come with me and see my zeal(n) for the Lord !" So he let him ride with him in his chariot. 17 When Jehu came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained from the house of Ahab in Samaria until he had annihilated his house, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.(o)
Jehu Kills the Baal Worshipers
18 Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, "Ahab served Baal(p) a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot. 19 Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests.(q) None must be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live." However, Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal. 20 Jehu commanded, "Consecrate a solemn assembly(r) for Baal." So they called one.
21 Then Jehu sent messengers throughout all Israel, and all the servants of Baal[f] came; there was not a man left who did not come.(s) They entered the temple of Baal,(t) and it was filled from one end to the other. 22 Then he said to the custodian of the wardrobe, "Bring out the garments for all the servants of Baal." So he brought out their garments.
23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal, and Jehu said to the servants of Baal, "Look carefully to see that there are no servants of the Lord here among you—only servants of Baal." 24 Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.
Now Jehu had stationed 80 men outside, and he warned them, "Whoever allows any of the men I am delivering into your hands to escape will forfeit his life for theirs."(u) 25 When he finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, "Go in and kill them. Don't let anyone out."(v) So they struck them down with the sword. Then the guards and officers threw the bodies out and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal. 26 They brought out the pillars of the temple of Baal and burned them 27 and tore down the pillar(w) of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it a latrine(x)—which it is to this day.
Evaluation of Jehu's Reign
28 Jehu eliminated Baal worship from Israel, 29 but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit—worshiping the gold calves that were in Bethel and Dan.(y) 30 Nevertheless, the Lord said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in My sight and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel."(z)
31 Yet Jehu was not careful to follow the instruction of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
32 In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel.(aa) Hazael(ab) defeated the Israelites throughout their territory: 33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead—the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites—from Aroer(ac) which is by the Arnon Valley(ad) through Gilead to Bashan.[g]
34 Now the rest of the events of Jehu's reign, along with all his accomplishments and all his might, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings.(ae) 35 Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz(af) became king in his place. 36 The length of Jehu's reign over Israel in Samaria was 28 years.(ag)
Micah 1
Chapter 1
1 The word of the Lord that came(a) to Micah(b) the Moreshite(c)—what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem in the days of Jotham,(d) Ahaz,(e) and Hezekiah,(f) kings of Judah.
Coming Judgment on Israel
2 Listen, all you peoples;(g)
pay attention, earth[a] and everyone in it!(h)
The Lord
God
will be a witness against you,(i)
the Lord, from His holy temple.(j)
3 Look, the
Lord
is leaving His place(k)
and coming down to trample
the heights[b] of the earth.(l)
4 The mountains will melt beneath Him,
and the valleys will split apart,
like wax near a fire,(m)
like water cascading down a mountainside.
5 All this will happen because of Jacob's rebellion
and the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the rebellion of Jacob?
Isn't it Samaria?(n)
And what is the high place of Judah?(o)
Isn't it Jerusalem?
6 Therefore, I will make Samaria
a heap of ruins(p) in the countryside,
a planting area(q) for a vineyard.
I will roll her stones(r) into the valley
and expose her foundations.(s)
7 All her carved images will be smashed(t) to pieces;
all her wages(u) will be burned in the fire,
and I will destroy all her idols.
Since she collected the wages of a prostitute,(v)
they will be used again for a prostitute.
Micah's Lament
8 Because of this I will lament and wail;
I will walk barefoot and naked.(w)
I will howl like the jackals(x)
and mourn like ostriches.[c]
9 For her wound is incurable(y)
and has reached even Judah;(z)
it has approached the gate of my people,(aa)
as far as Jerusalem.
10 Don't announce it in Gath,(ab)
don't weep at all.
Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah.
11 Depart in shameful nakedness,(ac)
you residents of Shaphir;
the residents of Zaanan(ad) will not come out.
Beth-ezel is lamenting;
its support[d] is taken from you.
12 Though the residents of Maroth
anxiously wait for something good,(ae)
disaster has come from the
Lord
(af)
to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the horses to the chariot,
you residents of Lachish.(ag)
This was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion,
because Israel's acts of rebellion(ah) can be traced to you.
14 Therefore, send farewell gifts(ai) to Moresheth-gath;
the houses of Achzib(aj) are a deception(ak)
to the kings of Israel.
15 I will again bring a conqueror
against you who live in Mareshah.(al)
The nobility[e] of Israel will come to Adullam.(am)
16 Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair(an)
in sorrow for your precious children;
make yourselves as bald as an eagle,
for they have been taken from you into exile.(ao)
1 Corinthians 15:1-34
Chapter 15
Resurrection Essential to the Gospel
1 Now brothers, I want to clarify[a] for you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand(a) on it. 2 You are also saved by it, if you hold to the message I proclaimed to you—unless you believed for no purpose.[b](b) 3 For I passed on to you(c) as most important what I also received:
that Christ died(d) for our sins
according to the Scriptures,(e)
4 that He was buried,(f)
that He was raised on the third day(g)
according to the Scriptures,(h)
5 and that He appeared to Cephas,(i)
then to the Twelve.(j)
6 Then He appeared to over 500 brothers at one time;(k)
most of them are still alive,
but some have fallen asleep.
7 Then He appeared to James,(l)
then to all the apostles.(m)
8 Last of all, as to one abnormally born,[c](n)
He also appeared to me.(o)
9 For I am the least of the apostles,(p) unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted(q) the church of God. 10 But by God's grace I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not ineffective. However, I worked more than any of them, yet not I, but God's grace that was with me.(r) 11 Therefore, whether it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.
Resurrection Essential to the Faith
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead,(s) how can some of you say, "There is no resurrection of the dead"?(t) 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith.[d] 15 In addition, we are found to be false witnesses(u) about God, because we have testified(v) about God that He raised up Christ—whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Therefore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ(w) have also perished. 19 If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
Christ's Resurrection Guarantees Ours
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits(x) of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death(y) came through a man,(z) the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man.(aa) 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.(ab) 23 But each in his own order:(ac) Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at His coming, those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end,(ad) when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father,(ae) when He abolishes all rule and all authority and power.(af) 25 For He must reign(ag) until He puts all His enemies under His feet.(ah) 26 The last enemy to be abolished is death.(ai) 27 For God has put everything under His feet. (aj)[e] But when it says "everything" is put under Him, it is obvious that He who puts everything under Him is the exception. 28 And when everything is subject to Christ, then the Son(ak) Himself will also be subject to the One who subjected everything to Him, so that God may be all in all.(al)
Resurrection Supported by Christian Experience
29 Otherwise what will they do who are being baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are people baptized for them?[f] 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I affirm by the pride in you that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord: I die every day!(am) 32 If I fought wild animals in Ephesus(an) with only human hope,[g] what good did that do me?[h](ao) If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. (ap)[i] 33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."[j] 34 Come to your senses[k](aq) and stop sinning, for some people are ignorant about God. I say this to your shame.(ar)
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