APRIL
9
PSALMS:
9, 39, 69, 99, 129
PROVERBS: 9
OLD TESTAMENT: 2 KINGS 15:1 - 16:20
NEW TESTAMENT: ACTS 19:13 - 41
PSALMS: 9
For
A the director of music. To the tune of "The Death of the
Son." A psalm of David.
1
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I
will tell of all your wonders.
2
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I
will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3
My enemies turn back;
they
stumble and perish before you.
4
For you have upheld my right and my cause;
you
have sat on your throne, judging righteously.
5
You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you
have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6
Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy,
you
have uprooted their cities;
even
the memory of them has perished.
7
The LORD reigns forever;
he
has established his throne for judgment.
8
He will judge the world in righteousness;
he
will govern the peoples with justice.
9
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a
stronghold in times of trouble.
10
Those who know your name will trust in you,
for
you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
11
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim
among the nations what he has done.
12
For he who avenges blood remembers;
he
does not ignore the cry of the afflicted. [1]
13
O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
Have
mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
14
that I may declare your praises
in
the gates of the Daughter of Zion
and
there rejoice in your salvation.
15
The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their
feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16
The LORD is known by his justice;
the
wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
Higgaion.
B Selah
17
The wicked return to the grave, C
all
the nations that forget God.
18
But the needy will not always be forgotten,
nor
the hope of the afflicted ever perish.
19
Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph;
let
the nations be judged in your presence.
20
Strike them with terror, O LORD;
let
the nations know they are but men.
Selah
[2]
PSALMS: 39
For
the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1
I said, "I will watch my ways
and
keep my tongue from sin;
I
will put a muzzle on my mouth
as
long as the wicked are in my presence."
2
But when I was silent and still,
not
even saying anything good,
my
anguish increased.
3
My heart grew hot within me,
and
as I meditated, the fire burned;
then
I spoke with my tongue:
4
"Show me, O LORD, my life's end
and
the number of my days;
let
me know how fleeting is my life.
5
You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the
span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each
man's life is but a breath.
Selah
6
Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:
He
bustles about, but only in vain;
he
heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.
7
"But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My
hope is in you.
8
Save me from all my transgressions;
do
not make me the scorn of fools.
9
I was silent; I would not open my mouth, [3]
for
you are the one who has done this.
10
Remove your scourge from me;
I
am overcome by the blow of your hand.
11
You rebuke and discipline men for their sin;
you
consume their wealth like a moth--
each
man is but a breath.
Selah
12
"Hear my prayer, O LORD,
listen
to my cry for help;
be
not deaf to my weeping.
For
I dwell with you as an alien,
a
stranger, as all my fathers were.
13
Look away from me, that I may rejoice again
before
I depart and am no more." [4]
PSALMS: 69
For
the director of music. To the tune of "Lilies." Of David.
1
Save me, O God,
for
the waters have come up to my neck.
2
I sink in the miry depths,
where
there is no foothold.
I
have come into the deep waters;
the
floods engulf me.
3
I am worn out calling for help;
my
throat is parched.
My
eyes fail,
looking
for my God.
4
Those who hate me without reason
outnumber
the hairs of my head;
many
are my enemies without cause,
those
who seek to destroy me.
I
am forced to restore
what
I did not steal.
5
You know my folly, O God;
my
guilt is not hidden from you.
6
May those who hope in you
not
be disgraced because of me,
O
Lord, the LORD Almighty;
may
those who seek you
not
be put to shame because of me,
O
God of Israel.
7
For I endure scorn for your sake,
and
shame covers my face.
8
I am a stranger to my brothers, [5]
an
alien to my own mother's sons;
9
for zeal for your house consumes me,
and
the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
10
When I weep and fast,
I
must endure scorn;
11
when I put on sackcloth,
people
make sport of me.
12
Those who sit at the gate mock me,
and
I am the song of the drunkards.
13
But I pray to you, O LORD,
in
the time of your favor;
in
your great love, O God,
answer
me with your sure salvation.
14
Rescue me from the mire,
do
not let me sink;
deliver
me from those who hate me,
from
the deep waters.
15
Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
or
the depths swallow me up
or
the pit close its mouth over me.
16
Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love;
in
your great mercy turn to me.
17
Do not hide your face from your servant;
answer
me quickly, for I am in trouble.
18
Come near and rescue me;
redeem
me because of my foes.
19
You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;
all
my enemies are before you.
20
Scorn has broken my heart [6]
and
has left me helpless;
I
looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for
comforters, but I found none.
21
They put gall in my food
and
gave me vinegar for my thirst.
22
May the table set before them become a snare;
may
it become retribution and A a trap.
23
May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and
their backs be bent forever.
24
Pour out your wrath on them;
let
your fierce anger overtake them.
25
May their place be deserted;
let
there be no one to dwell in their tents.
26
For they persecute those you wound
and
talk about the pain of those you hurt.
27
Charge them with crime upon crime;
do
not let them share in your salvation.
28
May they be blotted out of the book of life
and
not be listed with the righteous.
29
I am in pain and distress;
may
your salvation, O God, protect me.
30
I will praise God's name in song
and
glorify him with thanksgiving.
31
This will please the LORD more than an ox,
more
than a bull with its horns and hoofs.
32
The poor will see and be glad--
you
who seek God, may your hearts live!
33
The LORD hears the needy
and
does not despise his captive people. [7]
34
Let heaven and earth praise him,
the
seas and all that move in them,
35
for God will save Zion
and
rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then
people will settle there and possess it;
36
the children of his servants will inherit it,
and
those who love his name will dwell there. [8]
PSALMS: 99
1
The LORD reigns,
let
the nations tremble;
he
sits enthroned between the cherubim,
let
the earth shake.
2
Great is the LORD in Zion;
he
is exalted over all the nations.
3
Let them praise your great and awesome name--
he
is holy.
4
The King is mighty, he loves justice--
you
have established equity;
in
Jacob you have done
what
is just and right.
5
Exalt the LORD our God
and
worship at his footstool;
he
is holy.
6
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel
was among those who called on his name;
they
called on the LORD
and
he answered them.
7
He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;
they
kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.
8
O LORD our God,
you
answered them;
you
were to Israel A a forgiving God,
though
you punished their misdeeds. B
9
Exalt the LORD our God
and
worship at his holy mountain,
for
the LORD our God is holy. [9]
PSALMS: 129
A
song of ascents.
1
They have greatly oppressed me from my youth--
let
Israel say--
2
they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but
they have not gained the victory over me.
3
Plowmen have plowed my back
and
made their furrows long.
4
But the LORD is righteous;
he
has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.
5
May all who hate Zion
be
turned back in shame.
6
May they be like grass on the roof,
which
withers before it can grow;
7
with it the reaper cannot fill his hands,
nor
the one who gathers fill his arms.
8
May those who pass by not say,
"The
blessing of the LORD be upon you;
we
bless you in the name of the LORD." [10]
PROVERBS: 9
9
1 Wisdom has built her
house;
she
has hewn out its seven pillars.
2
She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
she
has also set her table.
3
She has sent out her maids, and she calls
from
the highest point of the city.
4
"Let all who are
simple come in here!"
she
says to those who lack judgment.
5
"Come, eat my food
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your
simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of understanding.
7
"Whoever corrects a
mocker invites insult;
whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.
8 Do not
rebuke a mocker or he will hate you;
rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
9 Instruct a
wise man and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
10
"The fear of the LORD
is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For
through me your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are
wise, your wisdom will reward you;
if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."
13
The woman Folly is loud;
she
is undisciplined and without knowledge.
14
She sits at the door of her house,
on
a seat at the highest point of the city,
15
calling out to those who pass by,
who
go straight on their way.
16
"Let all who are
simple come in here!" [11]
she
says to those who lack judgment.
17
"Stolen water is
sweet;
food eaten in secret is delicious!"
18
But little do they know that the dead are there,
that
her guests are in the depths of the grave. A [12]
OLD TESTAMENT: 2 KINGS 15:1 - 16:20
15 1
In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel,
Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. 2 He was
sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two
years. His mother's name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 3 He
did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had
done. 4 The high places, however, were not removed; the people
continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
5 The
LORD afflicted the king with leprosy A until the day he died, and he
lived in a separate house. B Jotham the king's son had charge of the
palace and governed the people of the land.
6 As
for the other events of Azariah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in
the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 7 Azariah rested with
his fathers and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jotham his son
succeeded him as king.
8 In
the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became
king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months. 9 He did evil
in the eyes of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the
sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.
10 Shallum
son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the
people, C assassinated him and succeeded him as king. 11 The
other events of Zechariah's reign are written in the book of the annals of the
kings of Israel. 12 So the word of the LORD spoken to Jehu was fulfilled:
"Your descendants will sit on the throne of
Israel to the fourth generation." D [13]
13 Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of
Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month.
14 Then
Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzah up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of
Jabesh in Samaria, assassinated him and succeeded him as king.
15 The
other events of Shallum's reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the
book of the annals of the kings of Israel.
16 At
that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in
the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked
Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.
17 In
the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king
of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years.
18 He
did evil in the eyes of the LORD. During his entire reign he did not turn away
from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.
19 Then
Pul E king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a
thousand talents F of silver to gain his support and strengthen his
own hold on the kingdom.
20 Menahem
exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy man had to contribute fifty
shekels G of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king
of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer.
21 As for the other events
of Menahem's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the
annals of the
kings of Israel? 22
Menahem rested with his fathers. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as
king. [14]
23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of
Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 24 Pekahiah
did evil in the eyes of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of
Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. 25 One
of his chief officers, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking
fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated Pekahiah, along with Argob and
Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah
and succeeded him as king.
26 The
other events of Pekahiah's reign, and all he did, are written in the book of
the annals of the kings of Israel.
27 In
the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became
king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. 28 He did
evil in the eyes of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam
son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.
29 In
the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took
Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee,
including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria. 30
Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He
attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth
year of Jotham son of Uzziah.
31 As
for the other events of Pekah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in
the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
32 In
the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, [15]
33 He
was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem
sixteen years. His mother's name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. 34 He
did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done.
35 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued
to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of
the temple of the LORD.
36 As
for the other events of Jotham's reign, and what he did, are they not written
in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 37 (In those days
the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against
Judah.) 38 Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried with them
in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as
king.
16 1
In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz
son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years
old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike
David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God.
3 He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed
his son in A the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations
the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 4 He offered
sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under
every spreading tree. [16]
5 Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel
marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not
overpower him. 6 At that time, Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath
for Aram by driving out the men of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and
have lived there to this day.
7 Ahaz
sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, "I am your
servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and
of the king of Israel, who are attacking me." 8 And Ahaz took
the silver and gold found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of
the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. 9 The
king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported
its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.
10 Then
King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an
altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with
detailed plans for its construction. 11 So Uriah the priest built an
altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus
and finished it before King Ahaz returned.
12 When
the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and
presented offerings B on it. 13 He offered up his burnt
offering and grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood
of his fellowship offerings C on the altar. 14 The bronze
altar that stood before the LORD he brought from the front of the temple--from
between the new altar and the temple of the LORD--and put it on the north side
of the new altar.
15 King Ahaz then gave
these orders to Uriah the priest: "On the [17]
large new altar, offer the morning burnt offering and the evening grain
offering, the king's burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt
offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their
drink offering. Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt
offerings and
sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance." 16
And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.
17 King
Ahaz took away the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands.
He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a
stone base. 18 He took away the Sabbath canopy D that had
been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of
the LORD, in deference to the king of Assyria.
19 As
for the other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are they not
written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 20 Ahaz
rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And
Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king. [18]
NEW TESTAMENT: ACTS 19:13 - 41
13 Some
Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the
Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the
name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14 Seven
sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day
the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but
who are you?" 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on
them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of
the house naked and bleeding.
17 When
this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all
seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18
Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil
deeds. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls
together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the
scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. D
20 In
this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
21 After
all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through
Macedonia and Achaia. "After I have been there," he said, "I
must visit Rome also."
22 He
sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in
the province of Asia a little longer.
23 About that time there
arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named
Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business
for the craftsmen. 25 He called [19]them
together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you
know we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and
hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people
here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that
man-made gods are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that
our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great
goddess Artemis will be discredited, and
the goddess herself, who
is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of
her divine majesty."
28 When
they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "Great is Artemis
of the Ephesians!" 29 Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The
people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from
Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater.
30 Paul
wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 31
Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a
message begging him not to venture into the theater.
32 The
assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of
the people did not even know why they were there. 33 The Jews pushed
Alexander to the front, and some of the crowd shouted instructions to him. He
motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34 But
when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two
hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
35 The
city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Men of Ephesus, [20]
doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the
temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? 36 Therefore,
since these facts are undeniable, you ought to be quiet and not do anything
rash. 37 You have brought these men here, though they have neither
robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.
38 If,
then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the
courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39 If
there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal
assembly. 40 As it is, we are in danger of being charged with
rioting because of today's events. In that case we would not be able to account
for this commotion, since there is no reason for it." 41 After
he had said this, he dismissed the assembly. [21]
[1]
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[8]
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[9]
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[10] Excerpted from Compton's
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