Genesis 1:1 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
APRIL
2
PSALMS:
2, 32, 63, 92, 122
PROVERBS:
2
OLD
TESTAMENT:
2 KINGS 3:1 - 4:17
NEW
TESTAMENT:
ACTS 14:8 - 28
PSALMS:
2
1
Why
do the nations conspire A
and
the peoples plot in vain?
2
The
kings of the earth take their stand
and
the rulers gather together
against
the LORD
and
against his Anointed One. B
3
"Let
us break their chains," they say,
"and
throw off their fetters."
4
The
One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the
Lord scoffs at them.
5
Then
he rebukes them in his anger
and
terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
6
"I
have installed my King C
on
Zion, my holy hill."
7
I
will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
He
said to me, "You
are my Son D;
today
I have become your Father.
E
8
Ask
of me,
and
I will make the nations your inheritance,
the
ends of the earth your possession.
9
You
will rule them with an iron scepter F;
you
will dash them to pieces like pottery."
10
Therefore,
you kings, be wise;
be
warned, you rulers of the earth.
11
Serve
the LORD with fear
and
rejoice with trembling.
12
Kiss
the Son, lest he be angry
and
you be destroyed in your way,
for
his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed
are all who take refuge in him. 1
PSALMS:
32
Of
David. A maskil.
A
1
Blessed
is he
whose
transgressions are forgiven,
whose
sins are covered.
2
Blessed
is the man
whose
sin the LORD does not count against him
and
in whose spirit is no deceit.
3
When
I kept silent,
my
bones wasted away
through
my groaning all day long.
4
For
day and night
your
hand was heavy upon me;
my
strength was sapped
as
in the heat of summer.
Selah
5
Then
I acknowledged my sin to you
and
did not cover up my iniquity.
I
said, "I will confess
my
transgressions to the LORD"--
and
you forgave
the
guilt of my sin.
Selah
6
Therefore
let everyone who is godly pray to you
while
you may be found;
surely
when the mighty waters rise,
they
will not reach him.
you
will protect me from trouble
and
surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah
8
I
will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I
will counsel you and watch over you.
9
Do
not be like the horse or the mule,
which
have no understanding
but
must be controlled by bit and bridle
or
they will not come to you.
10
Many
are the woes of the wicked,
but
the LORD's unfailing love
surrounds
the man who trusts in him.
11
Rejoice
in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;
sing,
all you who are upright in heart! 3
PSALMS:
62
For
the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1
My
soul finds rest in God alone;
my
salvation comes from him.
2
He
alone is my rock and my salvation;
he
is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
3
How
long will you assault a man?
Would
all of you throw him down--
this
leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4
They
fully intend to topple him
from
his lofty place;
they
take delight in lies.
With
their mouths they bless,
but
in their hearts they curse.
Selah
5
Find
rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my
hope comes from him.
6
He
alone is my rock and my salvation;
he
is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7
My
salvation and my honor depend on God A;
he
is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8
Trust
in him at all times, O people;
pour
out your hearts to him,
for
God is our refuge.
Selah
the
highborn are but a lie;
if
weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together
they are only a breath.
10
Do
not trust in extortion
or
take pride in stolen goods;
though
your riches increase,
do
not set your heart on them.
11
One
thing God has spoken,
two
things have I heard:
that
you, O God, are strong,
12
and
that you, O Lord, are loving.
Surely
you will reward each person
according
to what he has done. 5
PSALMS:
92
A
psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.
1
It
is good to praise the LORD
and
make music to your name, O Most High,
2
to
proclaim your love in the morning
and
your faithfulness at night,
3
to
the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and
the melody of the harp.
4
For
you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD;
I
sing for joy at the works of your hands.
5
How
great are your works, O LORD,
how
profound your thoughts!
6
The
senseless man does not know,
fools
do not understand,
7
that
though the wicked spring up like grass
and
all evildoers flourish,
they
will be forever destroyed.
8
But
you, O LORD, are exalted forever.
9
For
surely your enemies, O LORD,
surely
your enemies will perish;
all
evildoers will be scattered.
10
You
have exalted my horn A
like that of a wild ox;
fine
oils have been poured upon me.
11
My
eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
my
ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
12
The
righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they
will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
14
They
will still bear fruit in old age,
they
will stay fresh and green,
15
proclaiming,
"The LORD is upright;
he
is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him." 7
PSALMS:
122
A
song of ascents. Of David.
1
I
rejoiced with those who said to me,
"Let
us go to the house of the LORD."
2
Our
feet are standing
in
your gates, O Jerusalem.
3
Jerusalem
is built like a city
that
is closely compacted together.
4
That
is where the tribes go up,
the
tribes of the LORD,
to
praise the name of the LORD
according
to the statute given to Israel.
5
There
the thrones for judgment stand,
the
thrones of the house of David.
6
Pray
for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May
those who love you be secure.
7
May
there be peace within your walls
and
security within your citadels."
8
For
the sake of my brothers and friends,
I
will say,
"Peace
be within you."
9
For
the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I
will seek your prosperity. 8
PROVERBS:
2
2
1
My son, if you accept my words
and
store up my commands within you,
2
turning
your ear to wisdom
and
applying your heart to understanding,
3
and
if you call out for insight
and
cry aloud for understanding,
4
and
if you look for it as for silver
and
search for it as for hidden treasure,
5
then
you will understand the fear of the LORD
and
find the knowledge of God.
6
For
the LORD gives wisdom,
and
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7
He
holds victory in store for the upright,
he
is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8
for
he guards the course of the just
and
protects the way of his faithful ones.
9
Then
you will understand what is right and just
and
fair--every good path.
10
For
wisdom will enter your heart,
and
knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11
Discretion
will protect you,
and
understanding will guard you.
12
Wisdom
will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from
men whose words are perverse,
13
who
leave the straight paths
to
walk in dark ways,
14
who
delight in doing wrong
and
rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15
whose
paths are crooked
and
who are devious in their ways.
16
It
will save you also from the adulteress,
from
the wayward wife with her seductive words 9
17
who
has left the partner of her youth
and
ignored the covenant she made before God. A
18
For
her house leads down to death
and
her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19
None
who go to her return
or
attain the paths of life.
20
Thus
you will walk in the ways of good men
and
keep to the paths of the righteous.
21
For
the upright will live in the land,
and
the blameless will remain in it;
22
but
the wicked will be cut off from the land,
OLD
TESTAMENT:
2 KINGS 3:1 - 4:17
3
1
Joram
A
son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year
of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. 2
He
did evil in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father and mother
had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had
made. 3
Nevertheless
he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused
Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.
4
Now
Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to supply the king of
Israel with a hundred thousand lambs and with the wool of a hundred
thousand rams. 5
But
after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of
Israel. 6
So
at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all
Israel. 7
He
also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: "The king
of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against
Moab?"
"I
will go with you," he replied. "I am as you are, my people
as your people, my horses as your horses."
8
"By
what route shall we attack?" he asked.
"Through
the Desert of Edom," he answered.
9
So
the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of
Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more
water for themselves or for the animals with them.
10
"What!"
exclaimed the king of Israel. "Has the LORD called us three
kings together only to hand us over to Moab?"
11
But
Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that
we may inquire of the LORD through him?"
An
officer of the king of Israel answered, "Elisha son of Shaphat
is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah. B"
11
12
Jehoshaphat
said, "The word of the LORD is with him." So the king of
Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13
Elisha
said to the king of Israel, "What do we have to do with each
other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your
mother."
"No,"
the king of Israel answered, "because it was the LORD who called
us three kings together to hand us over to Moab."
14
Elisha
said, "As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I
did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I
would not look at you or even notice you. 15
But
now bring me a harpist."
While
the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha 16
and
he said, "This
is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches.
17
For
this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet
this valley
will
be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals
will drink.
18
This
is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD;
he
will also hand Moab over to you.
19
You
will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will
cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every
good field with stones."
20
The
next morning, about the time for offering the sacrifice, there it
was--water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was
filled with water.
21
Now
all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against
them; so every man, young and old, who could bear 12
arms was called up and stationed on the border. 22
When
they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water.
To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red--like blood. 23
"That's
blood!" they said. "Those kings must have fought and
slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!"
24
But
when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up
and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land
and slaughtered the Moabites. 25
They
destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field
until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down
every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its stones in place,
but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.
26
When
the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took
with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of
Edom, but they failed.
27
Then
he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and
offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel
was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.
4
1
The
wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha,
"Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered
the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his
slaves."
2
Elisha
replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have
in your house?" 13
"Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except
a little oil."
3
Elisha
said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars.
Don't ask for just a few. 4
Then
go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into
all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side."
5
She
left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They
brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6
When
all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another
one."
But
he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped
flowing.
7
She
went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and
pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."
8
One
day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who
urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped
there to eat. 9
She
said to her husband, "I know that this man who often comes our
way is a holy man of God. 10
Let's
make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a
chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to
us."
11
One
day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12
He
said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite." So he
called her, and she stood before him. 13
Elisha
said to him, "Tell her, `You have gone to all this trouble for
us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the
king or the 14
commander of the army?' "
She
replied, "I have a home among my own people."
14
"What
can be done for her?" Elisha asked.
Gehazi
said, "Well, she has no son and her husband is old."
15
Then
Elisha said, "Call her." So he called her, and she stood in
the doorway. 16
"About
this time next year," Elisha said, "you will hold a son in
your arms."
"No,
my lord," she objected. "Don't mislead your servant, O man
of God!"
17
But
the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she
gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her. 15
NEW
TESTAMENT:
ACTS 14:8 - 28
8
In
Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth
and had never walked. 9
He
listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw
that he had faith to be healed 10
and
called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man
jumped up and began to walk.
11
When
the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian
language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" 12
Barnabas
they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the
chief speaker. 13
The
priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls
and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to
offer sacrifices to them.
14
But
when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their
clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15
"Men,
why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are
bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless
things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and
everything in them. 16
In
the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17
Yet
he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by
giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides
you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."
18
Even
with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from
sacrificing to them.
19
Then
some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They
stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.
20
But
after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back
into the city. The next day he and 16
Barnabas left for Derbe.
21
They
preached the good news in that city and won a large number of
disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22
strengthening
the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We
must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,"
they said. 23
Paul
and Barnabas appointed elders
A
for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them
to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24
After
going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25
and
when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26
From
Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to
the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27
On
arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all
that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of
faith to the Gentiles. 28
And
they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
17
1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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10
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11
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12
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14
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15
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16
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17
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John 3:16-21 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, F that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.G 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." H
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