Bible Reading Plan

1 Kings 17

Chapter 17

Elijah Announces a Great Drought

¹ Now Elijah^(a) the Tishbite, from Tishbe^[a] in Gilead,^(b) said to Ahab, "As the Lord , the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain^(c) in the next few years except at my word."

Elijah Fed by Ravens

² Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ³ "Leave here, turn eastward and hide^(d) in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. ⁴ You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens^(e) to supply you with food there."

⁵ So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. ⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning^(f) and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath

⁷ Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. ⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to him: ⁹ "Go at once to Zarephath^(g) in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow^(h) there to supply you with food." ¹⁰ So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?"^{(i) 11} As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."

¹² "As surely as the Lord your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil^(j) in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die."

¹³ Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain^(k) on the land.'"

¹⁵ She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. ¹⁶ For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

¹⁷ Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. ¹⁸ She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin^(l) and kill my son?"

¹⁹ "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. ²⁰ Then he cried^(m) out to the Lord , " Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" ²¹ Then he stretched⁽ⁿ⁾ himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord , " Lord my God, let this boy's life return to him!"

²² The Lord heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. ²³ Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother^(o) and said, "Look, your son is alive!"

²⁴ Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know^(p) that you are a man of God^(q) and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth."^(r)

Amos 1

Chapter 1

¹ The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa^(a)—the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake,^(b) when Uzziah^(c) was king of Judah and Jeroboam^(d) son of Jehoash^[a] was king of Israel.^(e)

² He said:

Judgment on Israel's Neighbors

³ This is what the Lord says:

⁶ This is what the Lord says:

⁹ This is what the Lord says:

¹¹ This is what the Lord says:

¹³ This is what the Lord says:

1 Corinthians 4

Chapter 4

The Nature of True Apostleship

¹ This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants^(a) of Christ and as those entrusted^(b) with the mysteries^(c) God has revealed. ² Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. ³ I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. ⁴ My conscience^(d) is clear, but that does not make me innocent.^(e) It is the Lord who judges me.^{(f) 5} Therefore judge nothing^(g) before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes.^(h) He will bring to light⁽ⁱ⁾ what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.^(j)

⁶ Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written."^(k) Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.^{(l) 7} For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?^(m) And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

⁸ Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!⁽ⁿ⁾ You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! ⁹ For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die^(o) in the arena. We have been made a spectacle^(p) to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. ¹⁰ We are fools for Christ,^(q) but you are so wise in Christ!^(r) We are weak, but you are strong!^(s) You are honored, we are dishonored! ¹¹ To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.^{(t) 12} We work hard with our own hands.^(u) When we are cursed, we bless;^(v) when we are persecuted,^(w) we endure it; ¹³ when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage^(x) of the world—right up to this moment.

Paul's Appeal and Warning

¹⁴ I am writing this not to shame you^(y) but to warn you as my dear children.^{(z) 15} Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father^(aa) through the gospel.^{(ab) 16} Therefore I urge you to imitate me.^{(ac) 17} For this reason I have sent to you^(ad) Timothy,^(ae) my son^(af) whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.^(ag)

¹⁸ Some of you have become arrogant,^(ah) as if I were not coming to you.^{(ai) 19} But I will come to you very soon,^(aj) if the Lord is willing,^(ak) and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. ²⁰ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of^(al) talk but of power.^{(am) 21} What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline,^(an) or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?