the Third Week after Easter
Click here to join the effort!
Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
August 4 - Bible-in-a-Year
niv
2 Kings 17
Chapter 17
Hoshea Last King of Israel(a)
1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea(b) son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2 He did evil(c) in the eyes of the Lord , but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
3 Shalmaneser(d) king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser's vassal and had paid him tribute.(e) 4 But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So[a] king of Egypt,(f) and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.(g) 5 The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege(h) to it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria(i) captured Samaria(j) and deported(k) the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan(l) on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.
Israel Exiled Because of Sin
7 All this took place because the Israelites had sinned(m) against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt(n) from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods 8 and followed the practices of the nations(o) the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. 9 The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city(p) they built themselves high places in all their towns. 10 They set up sacred stones(q) and Asherah poles(r) on every high hill and under every spreading tree.(s) 11 At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord 's anger. 12 They worshiped idols,(t) though the Lord had said, "You shall not do this."[b] 13 The Lord warned(u) Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:(v) "Turn from your evil ways.(w) Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets."(x)
14 But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked(y) as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. 15 They rejected his decrees and the covenant(z) he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols(aa) and themselves became worthless.(ab) They imitated the nations(ac) around them although the Lord had ordered them, "Do not do as they do."
16 They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves,(ad) and an Asherah(ae) pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,(af) and they worshiped Baal.(ag) 17 They sacrificed(ah) their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens(ai) and sold(aj) themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord , arousing his anger.
18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.(ak) Only the tribe of Judah was left, 19 and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.(al) 20 Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers,(am) until he thrust them from his presence.(an)
21 When he tore(ao) Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king.(ap) Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin.(aq) 22 The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them 23 until the Lord removed them from his presence,(ar) as he had warned(as) through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland(at) into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.
Samaria Resettled
24 The king of Assyria(au) brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim(av) and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. 25 When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord ; so he sent lions(aw) among them and they killed some of the people. 26 It was reported to the king of Assyria: "The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires."
27 Then the king of Assyria gave this order: "Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires." 28 So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord .
29 Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns(ax) where they settled, and set them up in the shrines(ay) the people of Samaria had made at the high places.(az) 30 The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; 31 the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek(ba) and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim.(bb) 32 They worshiped the Lord , but they also appointed all sorts(bc) of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. 33 They worshiped the Lord , but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.
34 To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.(bd) 35 When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: "Do not worship(be) any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.(bf) 36 But the Lord , who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm,(bg) is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. 37 You must always be careful(bh) to keep the decrees(bi) and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. 38 Do not forget(bj) the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39 Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies."
40 They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. 41 Even while these people were worshiping the Lord ,(bk) they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.
Micah 6
Chapter 6
The Lord's Case Against Israel
1 Listen to what the Lord says:
"Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;(a)
let the hills hear what you have to say.
2 "Hear,(b) you mountains, the
Lord
's accusation;(c)
listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the
Lord
has a case(d) against his people;
he is lodging a charge(e) against Israel.
3 "My people, what have I done to you?
How have I burdened(f) you?(g) Answer me.
4 I brought you up out of Egypt(h)
and redeemed you from the land of slavery.(i)
I sent Moses(j) to lead you,
also Aaron(k) and Miriam.(l)
5 My people, remember
what Balak(m) king of Moab plotted
and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim(n) to Gilgal,(o)
that you may know the righteous acts(p) of the
Lord
."
6 With what shall I come before(q) the
Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?(r)
7 Will the
Lord
be pleased with thousands of rams,(s)
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(t)
Shall I offer my firstborn(u) for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(v)
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the
Lord
require of you?
To act justly(w) and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a](x) with your God.(y)
Israel's Guilt and Punishment
9 Listen! The
Lord
is calling to the city—
and to fear your name is wisdom—
"Heed the rod(z) and the One who appointed it.[b]
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
and the short ephah,[c] which is accursed?(aa)
11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,(ab)
with a bag of false weights?(ac)
12 Your rich people are violent;(ad)
your inhabitants are liars(ae)
and their tongues speak deceitfully.(af)
13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy(ag) you,
to ruin[d] you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied;(ah)
your stomach will still be empty.[e]
You will store up but save nothing,(ai)
because what you save[f] I will give to the sword.
15 You will plant but not harvest;(aj)
you will press olives but not use the oil,
you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.(ak)
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri(al)
and all the practices of Ahab's(am) house;
you have followed their traditions.(an)
Therefore I will give you over to ruin(ao)
and your people to derision;
you will bear the scorn(ap) of the nations.[g]"
2 Corinthians 4:1-5:10
Chapter 4
Present Weakness and Resurrection Life
1 Therefore, since through God's mercy(a) we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.(b) 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways;(c) we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.(d) On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience(e) in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel(f) is veiled,(g) it is veiled to those who are perishing.(h) 4 The god(i) of this age(j) has blinded(k) the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,(l) who is the image of God.(m) 5 For what we preach is not ourselves,(n) but Jesus Christ as Lord,(o) and ourselves as your servants(p) for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"[a](q) made his light shine in our hearts(r) to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.(s)
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay(t) to show that this all-surpassing power is from God(u) and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side,(v) but not crushed; perplexed,(w) but not in despair; 9 persecuted,(x) but not abandoned;(y) struck down, but not destroyed.(z) 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,(aa) so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.(ab) 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake,(ac) so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.(ad)
13 It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."[b](ae) Since we have that same spirit of[c] faith,(af) we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead(ag) will also raise us with Jesus(ah) and present us with you to himself.(ai) 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving(aj) to overflow to the glory of God.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart.(ak) Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly(al) we are being renewed(am) day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.(an) 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,(ao) since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Chapter 5
Awaiting the New Body
1 For we know that if the earthly(a) tent(b) we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan,(c) longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,(d) 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan(e) and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,(f) so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.(g)
6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight.(h) 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.(i) 9 So we make it our goal to please him,(j) whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us(k) for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
