APRIL
13
PSALMS: 13,
43, 73, 103, 133
PROVERBS: 13
OLD TESTAMENT: 2 KINGS 22:2 - 23:30
NEW TESTAMENT: ACTS 21:37 - 22:16
PSALMS: 13
For
the director of music. A psalm of David.
1
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How
long will you hide your face from me?
2
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and
every day have sorrow in my heart?
How
long will my enemy triumph over me?
3
Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give
light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4
my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and
my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my
heart rejoices in your salvation.
6
I will sing to the LORD,
for
he has been good to me. [1]
PSALMS: 43
1
Vindicate A me, O God,
and
plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
rescue
me from deceitful and wicked men.
2
You are God my stronghold.
Why
have you rejected me?
Why
must I go about mourning,
oppressed
by the enemy?
3
Send forth your light and your truth,
let
them guide me;
let
them bring me to your holy mountain,
to
the place where you dwell.
4
Then will I go to the altar of God,
to
God, my joy and my delight.
I
will praise you with the harp,
O
God, my God.
5
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why
so disturbed within me?
Put
your hope in God,
for
I will yet praise him,
my
Savior and my God. [2]
PSALMS: 73
A
psalm of Asaph.
1
Surely God is good to Israel,
to
those who are pure in heart.
2
But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I
had nearly lost my foothold.
3
For I envied the arrogant
when
I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4
They have no struggles;
their
bodies are healthy and strong. A
5
They are free from the burdens common to man;
they
are not plagued by human ills.
6
Therefore pride is their necklace;
they
clothe themselves with violence.
7
From their callous hearts comes iniquity B;
the
evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
8
They scoff, and speak with malice;
in
their arrogance they threaten oppression.
9
Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and
their tongues take possession of the earth.
10
Therefore their people turn to them
and
drink up waters in abundance. C
11
They say, "How can God know?
Does
the Most High have knowledge?"
12
This is what the wicked are like--
always
carefree, they increase in wealth. [3]
A
psalm of Asaph.
13
Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
in
vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
14
All day long I have been plagued;
I
have been punished every morning.
15
If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I
would have betrayed your children.
16
When I tried to understand all this,
it
was oppressive to me
17
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then
I understood their final destiny.
18
Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you
cast them down to ruin.
19
How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely
swept away by terrors!
20
As a dream when one awakes,
so
when you arise, O Lord,
you
will despise them as fantasies.
21
When my heart was grieved
and
my spirit embittered,
22
I was senseless and ignorant;
I
was a brute beast before you.
23
Yet I am always with you;
you
hold me by my right hand.
24
You guide me with your counsel,
and
afterward you will take me into glory.
25
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And
earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but
God is the strength of my heart
and
my portion forever. [4]
27
Those who are far from you will perish;
you
destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I
have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I
will tell of all your deeds. [5]
PSALMS: 103
Of
David.
1
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all
my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and
forget not all his benefits--
3
who forgives all your sins
and
heals all your diseases,
4
who redeems your life from the pit
and
crowns you with love and compassion,
5
who satisfies your desires with good things
so
that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6
The LORD works righteousness
and
justice for all the oppressed.
7
He made known his ways to Moses,
his
deeds to the people of Israel:
8
The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow
to anger, abounding in love.
9
He will not always accuse,
nor
will he harbor his anger forever;
10
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or
repay us according to our iniquities.
11
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so
great is his love for those who fear him;
12
as far as the east is from the west,
so
far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13
As a father has compassion on his children,
so
the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14
for he knows how we are formed, [6]
he
remembers that we are dust.
15
As for man, his days are like grass,
he
flourishes like a flower of the field;
16
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and
its place remembers it no more.
17
But from everlasting to everlasting
the
LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and
his righteousness with their children's children--
18
with those who keep his covenant
and
remember to obey his precepts.
19
The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and
his kingdom rules over all.
20
Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you
mighty ones who do his bidding,
who
obey his word.
21
Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you
his servants who do his will.
22
Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere
in his dominion.
Praise
the LORD, O my soul. [7]
PSALMS: 133
A
song of ascents. Of David.
1
How good and pleasant it is
when
brothers live together in unity!
2
It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running
down on the beard,
running
down on Aaron's beard,
down
upon the collar of his robes.
3
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were
falling on Mount Zion.
For
there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even
life forevermore. [8]
PROVERBS: 13
13
1 A wise son heeds his
father's instruction,
but
a mocker does not listen to rebuke.
2
From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things,
but
the unfaithful have a craving for violence.
3
He who guards his lips guards his life,
but
he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.
4
The sluggard craves and gets nothing,
but
the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
5
The righteous hate what is false,
but
the wicked bring shame and disgrace.
6
Righteousness guards the man of integrity,
but
wickedness overthrows the sinner.
7
One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another
pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
8
A man's riches may ransom his life,
but
a poor man hears no threat.
9
The light of the righteous shines brightly,
but
the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.
10
Pride only breeds quarrels,
but
wisdom is found in those who take advice.
11
Dishonest money dwindles away,
but
he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. [9]
12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but
a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
13
He who scorns instruction will pay for it,
but
he who respects a command is rewarded.
14
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
turning
a man from the snares of death.
15
Good understanding wins favor,
but
the way of the unfaithful is hard. A
16
Every prudent man acts out of knowledge,
but
a fool exposes his folly.
17
A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
but
a trustworthy envoy brings healing.
18
He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame,
but
whoever heeds correction is honored.
19
A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,
but
fools detest turning from evil.
20
He who walks with the wise grows wise,
but
a companion of fools suffers harm.
21
Misfortune pursues the sinner,
but
prosperity is the reward of the righteous.
22
A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's
children,
but
a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous. [10]
23
A poor man's field may produce abundant food,
but
injustice sweeps it away.
24
He who spares the rod hates his son,
but
he who loves him is careful to discipline him.
25
The righteous eat to their hearts' content,
but
the stomach of the wicked goes hungry. [11]
OLD TESTAMENT: 2 KINGS 22:3 - 23:30
3 In
the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son
of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the LORD. He said: 4 "Go
up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been
brought into the temple of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have collected from
the people. 5 Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise
the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the
temple of the LORD—6 the carpenters, the builders and the masons.
Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple. 7 But
they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are acting
faithfully."
8 Hilkiah
the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of
the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. 9
Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him:
"Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD
and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple." 10
Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest
has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the
king.
11 When
the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. 12 He
gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of
Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant: 13 "Go
and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what
is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that
burns [12]
against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they
have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning
us."
14 Hilkiah
the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophetess
Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of
the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District.
15 She
said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God
of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 `This is what
the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people,
according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they
have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by
all the idols their hands have made,A my anger will burn against
this place and will not be quenched.' 18 Tell the king of
Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, `This is
what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 19 Because your heart
was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I
have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed
and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have
heard you, declares the LORD.
20 Therefore I
will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes
will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.'"
So they took her answer
back to the king. [13]
23 1
Then the king called together all the elders of Judah
and Jerusalem. 2 He went up to the temple of the LORD with the men
of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets--all the people
from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the
Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD. 3 The
king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the
LORD--to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with
all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant
written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.
4 The
king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the
doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for
Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in
the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. 5 He
did away with the pagan priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense
on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem--those
who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to
all the starry hosts. 6 He took the Asherah pole from the temple of
the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground
it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people. 7
He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes, which were
in the temple of the LORD and where women did weaving for Asherah.
8 Josiah
brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places,
from Geba to Beersheba, where the [14]priests
had burned incense. He broke down the shrines A at the gates--at the
entrance to the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which is on the left of the
city gate. 9 Although the priests of the high places did not serve
at the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their
fellow priests.
10 He
desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use
it to sacrifice his son or daughter in B the fire to Molech. 11
He removed from the entrance to the temple of the LORD the horses that
the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room
of an official named Nathan-Melech. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated
to the sun.
12 He
pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the
upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts of the
temple of the LORD. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and
threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley. 13 The king also desecrated
the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of
Corruption--the ones Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile
goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molech C
the detestable god of the people of Ammon. 14 Josiah smashed the
sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.
15 Even
the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had
caused Israel to sin--even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned
the high place and ground it to [15]
powder, and burned the Asherah pole also. 16 Then Josiah looked
around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the
bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance
with the word of the LORD proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these
things.
17 The
king asked, "What is that tombstone I see?"
The men of the city
said, "It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and
pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to
it."
18 "Leave
it alone," he said. "Don't let anyone disturb his bones." So
they spared his bones and those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.
19 Just
as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed and defiled all the shrines at the
high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria that had
provoked the LORD to anger. 20 Josiah slaughtered all the priests of
those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them. Then he went
back to Jerusalem.
21 The
king gave this order to all the people: "Celebrate the Passover to the LORD
your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant." 22 Not
since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the
kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had any such Passover been observed. 23
But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated
to the LORD in Jerusalem.
24 Furthermore,
Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and
all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to
fulfill the requirements of the [16]
law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of
the LORD. 25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like
him who turned to the LORD as he did--with all his heart and with all his soul
and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
26 Nevertheless,
the LORD did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned
against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke him to anger. 27
So the LORD said, "I will remove Judah also
from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I
chose, and this temple, about which I said, `There shall my Name be.' D"
28 As
for the other events of Josiah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in
the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?
29 While
Josiah was king, Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to
help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but
Neco faced him and killed him at Megiddo. 30 Josiah's servants
brought his body in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his
own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and anointed
him and made him king in place of his father. [17]
NEW TESTAMENT: ACTS 21:37 - 22:16
37 As
the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander,
"May I say something to you?"
"Do you speak
Greek?" he replied. 38 "Aren't you the Egyptian who
started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time
ago?"
39 Paul
answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary
city. Please let me speak to the people."
40 Having
received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to
the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic A:
22 1
"Brothers and fathers, listen now to my
defense."
2 When
they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.
Then Paul said: 3 "I
am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under
Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as
zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the
followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing
them into prison, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council can
testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and
went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 "About
noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed
around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a [18]
voice say to me, `Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute
me?'
8 "`Who
are you, Lord?' I asked.
"`I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,'
he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not
understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
10 "`What
shall I do, Lord?' I asked.
"`Get up,' the Lord said, `and
go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.'
11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the
brilliance of the light had blinded me.
12 "A
man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and
highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me
and said, `Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was
able to see him.
14 "Then
he said: `The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the
Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his
witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what
are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on
his name.' [19]
[1]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[2]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
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[3]
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[4]
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Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[5]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[6]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[7]
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[8]
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[9]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[10] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[11] Excerpted from Compton's
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Inc. All Rights Reserved
[12] Excerpted from Compton's
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Inc. All Rights Reserved
[13] Excerpted from Compton's
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Inc. All Rights Reserved
[14] Excerpted from Compton's
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Inc. All Rights Reserved
[15] Excerpted from Compton's
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Inc. All Rights Reserved
[16] Excerpted from Compton's
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Inc. All Rights Reserved
[17] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[18] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[19] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
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