APRIL
3
PSALMS: 3, 33,
63, 93, 123
PROVERBS: 3
OLD TESTAMENT: 2 KINGS 4:18 - 5:25
NEW TESTAMENT: ACTS 15:1 - 35
PSALMS: 3
A
psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.
1
O LORD, how many are my foes!
How
many rise up against me!
2
Many are saying of me,
"God
will not deliver him."
Selah
A
3
But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you
bestow glory on me and lift B up my head.
4
To the LORD I cry aloud,
and
he answers me from his holy hill.
Selah
5
I lie down and sleep;
I
wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6
I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn
up against me on every side.
7
Arise, O LORD!
Deliver
me, O my God!
Strike
all my enemies on the jaw;
break
the teeth of the wicked.
8
From the LORD comes deliverance.
May
your blessing be on your people. Selah [1]
PSALMS: 33
1
Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it
is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2
Praise the LORD with the harp;
make
music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3
Sing to him a new song;
play
skillfully, and shout for joy.
4
For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he
is faithful in all he does.
5
The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the
earth is full of his unfailing love.
6
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their
starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars A;
he
puts the deep into storehouses.
8
Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let
all the people of the world revere him.
9
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he
commanded, and it stood firm.
10
The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he
thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the
purposes of his heart through all generations.
12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the
people he chose for his inheritance.
13
From heaven the LORD looks down
and
sees all mankind;
14
from his dwelling place he watches
all
who live on earth--
15
he who forms the hearts of all,
who
considers everything they do.
16
No king is saved by the size of his army;
no
warrior escapes by his great strength. [2]
17
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite
all its great strength it cannot save.
18
But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on
those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19
to deliver them from death
and
keep them alive in famine.
20
We wait in hope for the LORD;
he
is our help and our shield.
21
In him our hearts rejoice,
for
we trust in his holy name.
22
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even
as we put our hope in you. [3]
PSALMS: 63
A
psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1
O God, you are my God,
earnestly
I seek you;
my
soul thirsts for you,
my
body longs for you,
in
a dry and weary land
where
there is no water.
2
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and
beheld your power and your glory.
3
Because your love is better than life,
my
lips will glorify you.
4I
will praise you as long as I live,
and
in your name I will lift up my hands.
5
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of
foods;
with
singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6
On my bed I remember you;
I
think of you through the watches of the night.
7
Because you are my help,
I
sing in the shadow of your wings.
8
My soul clings to you;
your
right hand upholds me.
9
They who seek my life will be destroyed;
they
will go down to the depths of the earth.
10
They will be given over to the sword
and
become food for jackals.[4]
11
But the king will rejoice in God;
all
who swear by God's name will praise him,
while
the mouths of liars will be silenced. [5]
PSALMS: 93
1
The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty;
the
LORD is robed in majesty
and
is armed with strength.
The
world is firmly established;
it
cannot be moved.
2
Your throne was established long ago;
you
are from all eternity.
3
The seas have lifted up, O LORD,
the
seas have lifted up their voice;
the
seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
4
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier
than the breakers of the sea--
the
LORD on high is mighty.
5
Your statutes stand firm;
holiness
adorns your house
for
endless days, O LORD. [6]
PSALMS: 123
A
song of ascents.
1
I lift up my eyes to you,
to
you whose throne is in heaven.
2
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as
the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so
our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till
he shows us his mercy.
3
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,
for
we have endured much contempt.
4
We have endured much ridicule from the proud,
much
contempt from the arrogant. [7]
PROVERBS: 3
3
1 My son, do not forget
my teaching,
but
keep my commands in your heart,
2
for they will prolong your life many years
and
bring you prosperity.
3
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind
them around your neck,
write
them on the tablet of your heart.
4
Then you will win favor and a good name
in
the sight of God and man.
5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and
lean not on your own understanding;
6
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and
he will make your paths straight. A
7
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear
the LORD and shun evil.
8
This will bring health to your body
and
nourishment to your bones.
9
Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with
the firstfruits of all your crops;
10
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and
your vats will brim over with new wine.
11
My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
and
do not resent his rebuke,
12
because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as
a father B the son he delights in. [8]
13
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the
man who gains understanding,
14
for she is more profitable than silver
and
yields better returns than gold.
15
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing
you desire can compare with her.
16
Long life is in her right hand;
in
her left hand are riches and honor.
17
Her ways are pleasant ways,
and
all her paths are peace.
18
She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those
who lay hold of her will be blessed.
19
By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations,
by
understanding he set the heavens in place;
20
by his knowledge the deeps were divided,
and
the clouds let drop the dew.
21
My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do
not let them out of your sight;
22
they will be life for you,
an
ornament to grace your neck.
23
Then you will go on your way in safety,
and
your foot will not stumble;
24
when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when
you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or
of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26
for the LORD will be your confidence
and
will keep your foot from being snared.
27
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when
it is in your power to act. [9]
28
Do not say to your neighbor,
"Come
back later; I'll give it tomorrow"--
when
you now have it with you.
29
Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who
lives trustfully near you.
30
Do not accuse a man for no reason--
when
he has done you no harm.
31Do
not envy a violent man
or
choose any of his ways,
32
for the LORD detests a perverse man
but
takes the upright into his confidence.
33
The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked,
but
he blesses the home of the righteous.
34
He mocks proud mockers
but
gives grace to the humble.
35
The wise inherit honor,
but
fools he holds up to shame.
OLD TESTAMENT: 2 KINGS 4:18 - 5:25
18 The
child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers.
19 "My
head! My head!" he said to his father.
His father told a
servant, "Carry him to his mother." 20 After the servant
had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until
noon, and then he died.
21 She
went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went
out.
22 She
called her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and a
donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return."
23 "Why
go to him today?" he asked. "It's not the New Moon or the
Sabbath."
"It's all
right," she said.
24 She
saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Lead on; don't slow down for
me unless I tell you." 25 So she set out and came to the man of
God at Mount Carmel.
When he saw her in the
distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, "Look! There's the
Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, `Are you all right? Is
your husband all right? Is your child all right?' "
"Everything is all
right," she said.
27 When
she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi
came over to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone! She
is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me
why."
28 "Did
I ask you for a son, my lord?" she said. "Didn't I tell you, `Don't
raise my hopes'?"
29 Elisha
said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my [10]staff
in your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone
greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy's face."
30 But
the child's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I
will not leave you." So he got up and followed her.
31 Gehazi
went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or
response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, "The boy has
not awakened."
32 When
Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He
went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. 34 Then
he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to
hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy's body grew warm. 35 Elisha
turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and
stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his
eyes.
36 Elisha
summoned Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite." And he did. When she
came, he said, "Take your son." 37 She came in, fell at
his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.
38 Elisha
returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of
the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, "Put on the
large pot and cook some stew for these men."
39 One
of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine. He
gathered some of its gourds and filled the fold of his cloak. When he returned,
he cut them up into the pot of stew, [11]though
no one knew what they were. 40 The stew was poured out for the men,
but as they began to eat it, they cried out, "O man of God, there is death
in the pot!" And they could not eat it.
41 Elisha
said, "Get some flour." He put it into the pot and said, "Serve
it to the people to eat." And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
42 A
man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley
bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain.
"Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said.
43 "How
can I set this before a hundred men?" his servant asked.
But Elisha answered,
"Give it to the people to eat. For this is
what the LORD says: `They will eat and have some left over.'" 44
Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over,
according to the word of the LORD.
5 1
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of
Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded,
because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant
soldier, but he had leprosy. A
2 Now
bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel,
and she served Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If
only my master would see the prophet who is in [12]Samaria!
He would cure him of his leprosy."
4 Naaman
went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 "By
all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to
the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents B
of silver, six thousand shekels C of gold and ten sets of clothing.
6 The
letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am
sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."
7 As
soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said,
"Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send
someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a
quarrel with me!"
8 When
Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent
him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me
and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So
Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's
house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash
yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you
will be cleansed."
11 But
Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out
to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over
the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar,
the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I
wash in them and [13]
be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman's
servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to
do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he
tells you, `Wash and be cleansed'!"
14 So
he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God
had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young
boy.
15 Then
Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him
and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in
Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant."
16 The
prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not
accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
17 "If
you will not," said Naaman, "please let me, your servant, be given as
much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make
burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD. 18 But
may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the
temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there
also--when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your
servant for this."
19 "Go
in peace," Elisha said.
After Naaman had
traveled some distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of
God, said to himself, "My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by
not accepting from him what he [14]brought.
As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from
him."
21 So
Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got
down from the chariot to meet him. "Is everything all right?" he
asked.
22 "Everything
is all right," Gehazi answered. "My master sent me to say, `Two young
men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country
of Ephraim. Please give them a talent D of silver and two sets of
clothing.'"
23 "By
all means, take two talents," said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them,
and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of
clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of
Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the
servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left. 25
Then he went in and stood before his master Elisha. [15]
NEW TESTAMENT: ACTS 15:1 - 35
15 1
Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were
teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the
custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." 2 This brought
Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas
were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see
the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them
on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how
the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. 4
When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the
apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through
them.
5 Then
some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and
said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of
Moses."
6 The
apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much
discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some
time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips
the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart,
showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did
to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified
their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting
on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been
able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord
Jesus [16]that
we are saved, just as they are."
12 The
whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling
about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through
them.
13 When
they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simon
A has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking
from the Gentiles a people for himself. 15 The words of the prophets
are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 "`After this I will return
and
rebuild David's fallen tent.
Its ruins
I will rebuild,
and I will
restore it,
17 that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all
the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the
Lord, who does these things' B
18 that have been known for ages.
C
19 "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it
difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we
should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from
sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
21 For Moses
has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the
synagogues on every Sabbath."
22 Then
the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their
own men and send them to Antioch with [17]
Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who
were leaders among the brothers. 23 With them they sent the
following letter:
The apostles and elders,
your brothers,
To the Gentile believers
in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 We
have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed
you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to
choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—26
men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27
Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what
we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not
to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You
are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled
animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
30 The
men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church
together and delivered the letter. 31 The people [18]
read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and
Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the
brothers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by
the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. D
35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many
others taught and preached the word of the Lord. [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]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
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[5]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
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[6]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[7]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[8]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[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
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[12] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[13] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[14] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[15] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[16] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
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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