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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
May 24 - Bible-in-a-Year
niv
1 Samuel 6-7
Chapter 6
The Ark Returned to Israel
1 When the ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory seven months, 2 the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners(a) and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the Lord ? Tell us how we should send it back to its place."
3 They answered, "If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it back to him without a gift;(b) by all means send a guilt offering(c) to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand(d) has not been lifted from you."
4 The Philistines asked, "What guilt offering should we send to him?"
They replied, "Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number(e) of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague(f) has struck both you and your rulers. 5 Make models of the tumors(g) and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory(h) to Israel's god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land. 6 Why do you harden(i) your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When Israel's god dealt harshly with them,(j) did they(k) not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?
7 "Now then, get a new cart(l) ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked.(m) Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. 8 Take the ark of the Lord and put it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to him as a guilt offering. Send it on its way, 9 but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh,(n) then the Lord has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us but that it happened to us by chance."
10 So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves. 11 They placed the ark of the Lord on the cart and along with it the chest containing the gold rats and the models of the tumors. 12 Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh.
13 Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat(o) in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight. 14 The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering(p) to the Lord . 15 The Levites(q) took down the ark of the Lord , together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock.(r) On that day the people of Beth Shemesh(s) offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord . 16 The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron.
17 These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the Lord —one each(t) for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. 18 And the number of the gold rats was according to the number of Philistine towns belonging to the five rulers—the fortified towns with their country villages. The large rock on which the Levites set the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
19 But God struck down(u) some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy[a] of them to death because they looked(v) into the ark of the Lord . The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them. 20 And the people of Beth Shemesh asked, "Who can stand(w) in the presence of the Lord , this holy(x) God? To whom will the ark go up from here?"
21 Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim,(y) saying, "The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord . Come down and take it up to your town."
Chapter 7
1 1 So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark(a) of the Lord . They brought it to Abinadab's(b) house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord . 2 The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim(c) a long time—twenty years in all.
Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah
Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord .(d) 3 So Samuel said to all the Israelites, "If you are returning(e) to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid(f) yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths(g) and commit(h) yourselves to the Lord and serve him only,(i) and he will deliver(j) you out of the hand of the Philistines." 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.
5 Then Samuel(k) said, "Assemble all Israel at Mizpah,(l) and I will intercede(m) with the Lord for you." 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah,(n) they drew water and poured(o) it out before the Lord . On that day they fasted and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the Lord ." Now Samuel was serving as leader[a](p) of Israel at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid(q) because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, "Do not stop crying(r) out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines." 9 Then Samuel(s) took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord . He cried out to the Lord on Israel's behalf, and the Lord answered him.(t)
10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered(u) with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic(v) that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.
12 Then Samuel took a stone(w) and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,[b](x) saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us."
13 So the Philistines were subdued(y) and they stopped invading Israel's territory. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. 14 The towns from Ekron(z) to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.(aa)
15 Samuel(ab) continued as Israel's leader(ac) all(ad) the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel(ae) to Gilgal(af) to Mizpah, judging(ag) Israel in all those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah,(ah) where his home was, and there he also held court(ai) for Israel. And he built an altar(aj) there to the Lord .
Psalms 53
Chapter 53
Psalm 53[a](a)
For the director of music. According to mahalath.[b] A maskil[c] of David.
1 The fool(b) says in his heart,
"There is no God."(c)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven(d)
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(e)
any who seek God.(f)
3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.(g)
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on God.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread.(h)
God scattered the bones(i) of those who attacked you;(j)
you put them to shame,(k) for God despised them.(l)
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Acts 28:17-31
Chapter 28
17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders.(o) When they had assembled, Paul said to them: "My brothers,(p) although I have done nothing against our people(q) or against the customs of our ancestors,(r) I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me(s) and wanted to release me,(t) because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.(u) 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar.(v) I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel(w) that I am bound with this chain."(x)
21 They replied, "We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people(y) who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect."(z)
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God,(aa) and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets(ab) he tried to persuade them about Jesus.(ac) 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.(ad) 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said(ae) through Isaiah the prophet:
26 "‘Go to this people and say,
"You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving."
27 For this people's heart has become calloused;(af)
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.'[a](ag)
28 "Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation(ah) has been sent to the Gentiles,(ai) and they will listen!" [29] [b]
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God(aj) and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness(ak) and without hindrance!
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
