Church: +64 (09) 235 2238 Op Shop: +64 (09) 235 7914
Reading Plan
Day 171 Day 172Day 173

2 Kings chapter 6

1
One day the group of prophets that Elisha was in charge of complained to him, "The place where we live is too small!
2
Give us permission to go to the Jordan and cut down some trees, so that we can build a place to live." "All right," Elisha answered.
3
One of them urged him to go with them; he agreed,
4
and they set out together. When they arrived at the Jordan, they began to work.
5
As one of them was cutting down a tree, suddenly his iron ax head fell in the water. "What shall I do, sir?" he exclaimed to Elisha. "It was a borrowed ax!"
6
"Where did it fall?" Elisha asked. The man showed him the place, and Elisha cut off a stick, threw it in the water, and made the ax head float.
7
"Take it out," he ordered, and the man reached down and picked it up.
8
The king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his officers and chose a place to set up his camp.
9
But Elisha sent word to the king of Israel, warning him not to go near that place, because the Syrians were waiting in ambush there.
10
So the king of Israel warned the people who lived in that place, and they were on guard. This happened several times.
11
The Syrian king became greatly upset over this; he called in his officers and asked them, "Which one of you is on the side of the king of Israel?"
12
One of them answered, "No one is, Your Majesty. The prophet Elisha tells the king of Israel what you say even in the privacy of your own room."
13
"Find out where he is," the king ordered, "and I will capture him." When he was told that Elisha was in Dothan,
14
he sent a large force there with horses and chariots. They reached the town at night and surrounded it.
15
Early the next morning Elisha's servant got up, went out of the house, and saw the Syrian troops with their horses and chariots surrounding the town. He went back to Elisha and exclaimed, "We are doomed, sir! What shall we do?"
16
"Don't be afraid," Elisha answered. "We have more on our side than they have on theirs."
17
Then he prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!" The LORD answered his prayer, and Elisha's servant looked up and saw the hillside covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18
When the Syrians attacked, Elisha prayed, "O LORD, strike these men blind!" The LORD answered his prayer and struck them blind.
19
Then Elisha went to them and said, "You are on the wrong road; this is not the town you are looking for. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are after." And he led them to Samaria.
20
As soon as they had entered the city, Elisha prayed, "Open their eyes, LORD, and let them see." The LORD answered his prayer; he restored their sight, and they saw that they were inside Samaria.
21
When the king of Israel saw the Syrians, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, sir? Shall I kill them?"
22
"No," he answered. "Not even soldiers you had captured in combat would you put to death. Give them something to eat and drink, and let them return to their king."
23
So the king of Israel provided a great feast for them; and after they had eaten and drunk, he sent them back to the king of Syria. From then on the Syrians stopped raiding the land of Israel.
24
Some time later King Benhadad of Syria led his entire army against Israel and laid siege to the city of Samaria.
25
As a result of the siege the food shortage in the city was so severe that a donkey's head cost eighty pieces of silver, and half a pound of dove's dung cost five pieces of silver.
26
The king of Israel was walking by on the city wall when a woman cried out, "Help me, Your Majesty!"
27
He replied, "If the LORD won't help you, what help can I provide? Do I have any wheat or wine?
28
What's your trouble?" She answered, "The other day this woman here suggested that we eat my child, and then eat her child the next day.
29
So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I told her that we would eat her son, but she had hidden him!"
30
Hearing this, the king tore his clothes in dismay, and the people who were close to the wall could see that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes.
31
He exclaimed, "May God strike me dead if Elisha is not beheaded before the day is over!"
32
And he sent a messenger to get Elisha. Meanwhile Elisha was at home with some elders who were visiting him. Before the king's messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, "That murderer is sending someone to kill me! Now, when he gets here, shut the door and don't let him come in. The king himself will be right behind him."
33
He had hardly finished saying this, when the king arrived and said, "It's the LORD who has brought this trouble on us! Why should I wait any longer for him to do something?"

2 Kings chapter 7

1
Elisha answered, "Listen to what the LORD says! By this time tomorrow you will be able to buy in Samaria ten pounds of the best wheat or twenty pounds of barley for one piece of silver."
2
The personal attendant of the king said to Elisha, "That can't happen---not even if the LORD himself were to send grain at once!" "You will see it happen, but you won't get to eat any of the food," Elisha replied.
3
Four men who were suffering from a dreaded skin disease were outside the gates of Samaria, and they said to each other, "Why should we wait here until we die?
4
It's no use going into the city, because we would starve to death in there; but if we stay here, we'll die also. So let's go to the Syrian camp; the worst they can do is kill us, but maybe they will spare our lives."
5
So, as it began to get dark, they went to the Syrian camp, but when they reached it, no one was there.
6
The Lord had made the Syrians hear what sounded like the advance of a large army with horses and chariots, and the Syrians thought that the king of Israel had hired Hittite and Egyptian kings and their armies to attack them.
7
So that evening the Syrians had fled for their lives, abandoning their tents, horses, and donkeys, and leaving the camp just as it was.
8
When the four men reached the edge of the camp, they went into a tent, ate and drank what was there, grabbed the silver, gold, and clothing they found, and went off and hid them; then they returned, entered another tent, and did the same thing.
9
But then they said to each other, "We shouldn't be doing this! We have good news, and we shouldn't keep it to ourselves. If we wait until morning to tell it, we are sure to be punished. Let's go right now and tell the king's officers!"
10
So they left the Syrian camp, went back to Samaria, and called out to the guards at the gates: "We went to the Syrian camp and didn't see or hear anybody; the horses and donkeys have not been untied, and the tents are just as the Syrians left them."
11
The guards announced the news, and it was reported in the palace.
12
It was still night, but the king got out of bed and said to his officials, "I'll tell you what the Syrians are planning! They know about the famine here, so they have left their camp to go and hide in the countryside. They think that we will leave the city to find food, and then they will take us alive and capture the city."
13
One of his officials said, "The people here in the city are doomed anyway, like those that have already died. So let's send some men with five of the horses that are left, so that we can find out what has happened."
14
They chose some men, and the king sent them in two chariots with instructions to go and find out what had happened to the Syrian army.
15
The men went as far as the Jordan, and all along the road they saw the clothes and equipment that the Syrians had abandoned as they fled. Then they returned and reported to the king.
16
The people of Samaria rushed out and looted the Syrian camp. And as the LORD had said, ten pounds of the best wheat or twenty pounds of barley were sold for one piece of silver.
17
It so happened that the king of Israel had put the city gate under the command of the officer who was his personal attendant. The officer was trampled to death there by the people and died, as Elisha had predicted when the king went to see him.
18
Elisha had told the king that by that time the following day ten pounds of the best wheat or twenty pounds of barley would be sold in Samaria for one piece of silver,
19
to which the officer had answered, "That can't happen---not even if the LORD himself were to send grain at once!" And Elisha had replied, "You will see it happen, but you won't get to eat any of the food."
20
And that is just what happened to him---he died, trampled to death by the people at the city gate.

2 Chronicles chapter 20

1
Some time later the armies of Moab and Ammon, together with their allies, the Meunites, invaded Judah.
2
Some messengers came and announced to King Jehoshaphat: "A large army from Edom has come from the other side of the Dead Sea to attack you. They have already captured Hazazon Tamar." (This is another name for Engedi.)
3
Jehoshaphat was frightened and prayed to the LORD for guidance. Then he gave orders for a fast to be observed throughout the country.
4
From every city of Judah people hurried to Jerusalem to ask the LORD for guidance,
5
and they and the people of Jerusalem gathered in the new courtyard of the Temple. King Jehoshaphat went and stood before them
6
and prayed aloud, "O LORD God of our ancestors, you rule in heaven over all the nations of the world. You are powerful and mighty, and no one can oppose you.
7
You are our God. When your people Israel moved into this land, you drove out the people who were living here and gave the land to the descendants of Abraham, your friend, to be theirs forever.
8
They have lived here and have built a temple to honor you, knowing
9
that if any disaster struck them to punish them---a war, an epidemic, or a famine---then they could come and stand in front of this Temple where you are worshiped. They could pray to you in their trouble, and you would hear them and rescue them.
10
"Now the people of Ammon, Moab, and Edom have attacked us. When our ancestors came out of Egypt, you did not allow them to enter those lands, so our ancestors went around them and did not destroy them.
11
This is how they repay us---they come to drive us out of the land that you gave us.
12
You are our God! Punish them, for we are helpless in the face of this large army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you for help."
13
All the men of Judah, with their wives and children, were standing there at the Temple.
14
The spirit of the LORD came upon a Levite who was present in the crowd. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah; he was a member of the clan of Asaph and was descended from Asaph through Mattaniah, Jeiel, and Benaiah.
15
Jahaziel said, "Your Majesty and all you people of Judah and Jerusalem, the LORD says that you must not be discouraged or be afraid to face this large army. The battle depends on God, not on you.
16
Attack them tomorrow as they come up the pass at Ziz. You will meet them at the end of the valley that leads to the wild country near Jeruel.
17
You will not have to fight this battle. Just take up your positions and wait; you will see the LORD give you victory. People of Judah and Jerusalem, do not hesitate or be afraid. Go out to battle, and the LORD will be with you!"
18
Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low, with his face touching the ground, and all the people bowed with him and worshiped the LORD.
19
The members of the Levite clans of Kohath and Korah stood up and with a loud shout praised the LORD, the God of Israel.
20
Early the next morning the people went out to the wild country near Tekoa. As they were starting out, Jehoshaphat addressed them with these words: "People of Judah and Jerusalem! Put your trust in the LORD your God, and you will stand your ground. Believe what his prophets tell you, and you will succeed."
21
After consulting with the people, the king ordered some musicians to put on the robes they wore on sacred occasions and to march ahead of the army, singing: "Praise the LORD! His love is eternal!"
22
When they began to sing, the LORD threw the invading armies into a panic.
23
The Ammonites and the Moabites attacked the Edomite army and completely destroyed it, and then they turned on each other in savage fighting.
24
When the Judean army reached a tower that was in the desert, they looked toward the enemy and saw that they were all lying on the ground dead. Not one had escaped.
25
Jehoshaphat and his troops moved in to take the loot, and they found many cattle, supplies, clothing, and other valuable objects. They spent three days gathering the loot, but there was so much that they could not take everything.
26
On the fourth day they assembled in Beracah Valley and praised the LORD for all he had done. That is why the valley is called "Beracah."
27
Jehoshaphat led his troops back to Jerusalem in triumph, because the LORD had defeated their enemies.
28
When they reached the city, they marched to the Temple to the music of harps and trumpets.
29
Every nation that heard how the LORD had defeated Israel's enemies was terrified,
30
so Jehoshaphat ruled in peace, and God gave him security on every side.
31
Jehoshaphat had become king of Judah at the age of thirty-five and had ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
32
Like his father Asa before him, he did what was right in the sight of the LORD;
33
but the pagan places of worship were not destroyed. The people still did not turn wholeheartedly to the worship of the God of their ancestors.
34
Everything else that Jehoshaphat did, from the beginning of his reign to its end, is recorded in The History of Jehu Son of Hanani,which is a part of The History of the Kings of Israel.
35
At one time King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who did many wicked things.
36
At the port of Eziongeber they built ocean-going ships.
37
But Eliezer son of Dodavahu, from the town of Mareshah, warned Jehoshaphat, "Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have built." And the ships were wrecked and never sailed.

1 Timothy chapter 3

1
This is a true saying: If a man is eager to be a church leader, he desires an excellent work.
2
A church leader must be without fault; he must have only one wife, be sober, self-controlled, and orderly; he must welcome strangers in his home; he must be able to teach;
3
he must not be a drunkard or a violent man, but gentle and peaceful; he must not love money;
4
he must be able to manage his own family well and make his children obey him with all respect.
5
For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of the church of God?
6
He must be mature in the faith, so that he will not swell up with pride and be condemned, as the Devil was.
7
He should be a man who is respected by the people outside the church, so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the Devil's trap.
8
Church helpers must also have a good character and be sincere; they must not drink too much wine or be greedy for money;
9
they should hold to the revealed truth of the faith with a clear conscience.
10
They should be tested first, and then, if they pass the test, they are to serve.
11
Their wives also must be of good character and must not gossip; they must be sober and honest in everything.
12
A church helper must have only one wife, and be able to manage his children and family well.
13
Those helpers who do their work well win for themselves a good standing and are able to speak boldly about their faith in Christ Jesus.
14
As I write this letter to you, I hope to come and see you soon.
15
But if I delay, this letter will let you know how we should conduct ourselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
16
No one can deny how great is the secret of our religion: He appeared in human form, was shown to be right by the Spirit, and was seen by angels. He was preached among the nations, was believed in throughout the world, and was taken up to heaven.

Translate

enzh-CNnlfrdeitjakoptrues

Subscribe To Our Newsletter