Monday, July 23, 2012 - Recap of 2 Kings June 27 part A(One Year Bible)

4:45 am prayer
Devotion Song - You've been so Faithful

6:00 am - P90x - Upper Body

One Year Bible - Recap of 2 Kings

My disclaimer: I seem to be spending a lot of time in the book of Kings because there is a lot going on and I just don't want to read and rush through it so I can finish reading the Bible in One year..besides..I've been doing this project for about 8 years now..and I'm just half way through the bible.. :)  LOL..

My prayer is that I can be consistent with reading my One Year Bible.. reading through each day should only take 15 min but the teacher in me..needs to understand..so I could possibly could be on one  day for a week..

Scriptures- June 27 (One Year Bible)

2 Kings 10:32-12:21

New Living Translation (NLT)

The Death of Jehu

³² At about that time the Lord began to cut down the size of Israel’s territory. King Hazael conquered several sections of the country ³³ east of the Jordan River, including all of Gilead, Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh. He conquered the area from the town of Aroer by the Arnon Gorge to as far north as Gilead and Bashan.

³⁴ The rest of the events in Jehu’s reign—everything he did and all his achievements—are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.
³⁵ When Jehu died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoahaz became the next king. ³⁶ In all, Jehu reigned over Israel from Samaria for twenty-eight years.

Queen Athaliah Rules in Judah

11 When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of the royal family. ² But Ahaziah’s sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram,^[a] took Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king’s children, who were about to be killed. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, so the child was not murdered. ³ Joash remained hidden in the Temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.

Revolt against Athaliah

⁴ In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada the priest summoned the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, and the palace guards to come to the Temple of the Lord. He made a solemn pact with them and made them swear an oath of loyalty there in the Lord’s Temple; then he showed them the king’s son.

⁵ Jehoiada told them, “This is what you must do. A third of you who are on duty on the Sabbath are to guard the royal palace itself. ⁶ Another third of you are to stand guard at the Sur Gate. And the final third must stand guard behind the palace guard. These three groups will all guard the palace. ⁷ The other two units who are off duty on the Sabbath must stand guard for the king at the Lord’s Temple. ⁸ Form a bodyguard around the king and keep your weapons in hand. Kill anyone who tries to break through. Stay with the king wherever he goes.”
⁹ So the commanders did everything as Jehoiada the priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. They brought them all to Jehoiada the priest, ¹⁰ and he supplied them with the spears and small shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of the Lord. ¹¹ The palace guards stationed themselves around the king, with their weapons ready. They formed a line from the south side of the Temple around to the north side and all around the altar.
¹² Then Jehoiada brought out Joash, the king’s son, placed the crown on his head, and presented him with a copy of God’s laws.^[b] They anointed him and proclaimed him king, and everyone clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”

The Death of Athaliah

¹³ When Athaliah heard all the noise made by the palace guards and the people, she hurried to the Lord’s Temple to see what was happening. ¹⁴ When she arrived, she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar, as was the custom at times of coronation. The commanders and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. When Athaliah saw all this, she tore her clothes in despair and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁵ Then Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders who were in charge of the troops, “Take her to the soldiers in front of the Temple,^[c] and kill anyone who tries to rescue her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be killed in the Temple of the Lord.” ¹⁶ So they seized her and led her out to the gate where horses enter the palace grounds, and she was killed there.

Jehoiada’s Religious Reforms

¹⁷ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. ¹⁸ And all the people of the land went over to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They demolished the altars and smashed the idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

Jehoiada the priest stationed guards at the Temple of the Lord. ¹⁹ Then the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, the palace guards, and all the people of the land escorted the king from the Temple of the Lord. They went through the gate of the guards and into the palace, and the king took his seat on the royal throne. ²⁰ So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed at the king’s palace.
^21 [d]Joash^[e] was seven years old when he became king.

Joash Repairs the Temple

12 ^[f]Joash^[g] began to rule over Judah in the seventh year of King Jehu’s reign in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba. ² All his life Joash did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. ³ Yet even so, he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.

⁴ One day King Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money brought as a sacred offering to the Lord’s Temple, whether it is a regular assessment, a payment of vows, or a voluntary gift. ⁵ Let the priests take some of that money to pay for whatever repairs are needed at the Temple.”
⁶ But by the twenty-third year of Joash’s reign, the priests still had not repaired the Temple. ⁷ So King Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, “Why haven’t you repaired the Temple? Don’t use any more money for your own needs. From now on, it must all be spent on Temple repairs.” ⁸ So the priests agreed not to accept any more money from the people, and they also agreed to let others take responsibility for repairing the Temple.
⁹ Then Jehoiada the priest bored a hole in the lid of a large chest and set it on the right-hand side of the altar at the entrance of the Temple of the Lord. The priests guarding the entrance put all of the people’s contributions into the chest. ¹⁰ Whenever the chest became full, the court secretary and the high priest counted the money that had been brought to the Lord’s Temple and put it into bags. ¹¹ Then they gave the money to the construction supervisors, who used it to pay the people working on the Lord’s Temple—the carpenters, the builders, ¹² the masons, and the stonecutters. They also used the money to buy the timber and the finished stone needed for repairing the Lord’s Temple, and they paid any other expenses related to the Temple’s restoration.
¹³ The money brought to the Temple was not used for making silver bowls, lamp snuffers, basins, trumpets, or other articles of gold or silver for the Temple of the Lord. ¹⁴ It was paid to the workmen, who used it for the Temple repairs. ¹⁵ No accounting of this money was required from the construction supervisors, because they were honest and trustworthy men. ¹⁶ However, the money that was contributed for guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the Lord’s Temple. It was given to the priests for their own use.

The End of Joash’s Reign

¹⁷ About this time King Hazael of Aram went to war against Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. ¹⁸ King Joash collected all the sacred objects that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the previous kings of Judah, had dedicated, along with what he himself had dedicated. He sent them all to Hazael, along with all the gold in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace. So Hazael called off his attack on Jerusalem.

¹⁹ The rest of the events in Joash’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.
²⁰ Joash’s officers plotted against him and assassinated him at Beth-millo on the road to Silla. ²¹ The assassins were Jozacar^[h] son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer—both trusted advisers. Joash was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Amaziah became the next king.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Kings 11:2 Hebrew Joram, a variant spelling of Jehoram.
2. 2 Kings 11:12 Or a copy of the covenant.
3. 2 Kings 11:15 Or Bring her out from between the ranks; or Take her out of the Temple precincts. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
4. 2 Kings 11:21 Verse 11:21 is numbered 12:1 in Hebrew text.
5. 2 Kings 11:21 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant spelling of Joash.
6. 2 Kings 12:1 Verses 12:1-21 are numbered 12:2-22 in Hebrew text.
7. 2 Kings 12:1 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant spelling of Joash; also in 12:2, 4, 6, 7, 18.
8. 2 Kings 12:21 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads Jozabad.

RECAP OF THE KINGS:

Israel split into two Kingdoms : Israel vs Judah

Edom	Moab	ISRAEL	JUDAH	Aram
		JEROBOAM	REHOBOAM
		JEROBOAM (18TH YEAR AS KING)	ABIJAM
		JEROBOAM (20th year as king)	ASA – did was was right beforeGod (1 King 15:8)
		NADAB	ASA (2nd Year as King)
		BAASHA	ASA (3RD YEAR AS KING)
		ELAH	ASA (26TH YEAR)
		ZIMRI	ASA (27th year)
		OMRI	ASA (31ST YEAR)
		AHAB (ruled over Israel 22 yrs)	ASA (38th YEAR)	**King Ben-hadad of Aram
		Ahab (1 King 15) – 4th yr	King Jehoshaphat (1 King 15:24; when Asa died)	King Benhadad of Aram
		God told Elijah to anoint Jehu (grandson of Nimshi) to be king of Israel (1 King 19)	King Jehoshaphat  (of Judah)	God told Elijah to anoint Hazel to be king of Aram (1 King 19)
		Ahaziah (Ahab’s son) Kings 22:40 – Ahab died	Jehoshaphat –(17th year)	King Benhadad of Aram
	King of Mesha of Moab rebelled against King of Israel	Joram (Ahaziah’sbrother) –Ahaziah died 2 King 1:17 -  Kings 1 [2 Kings 3 (Joram* reign in Samaria 12 yrs, he was evil in God’s sight)]	Jehoshaphat – (18th year)	King Benhadad of Aram (2  King 6) Besieges Samaria
		King Joram (5th year)	King Jehoram (is king now) 2 King 8:16
			Jehoram (1 King 22) (2nd year)
		King Joram (12th year) in Israel Note: Jehu son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi formed a conspiracy against King Joram	2 Kings 8 (Ahaziah son of Jehoram) rule over Judah	King Hazel (of Aram)
		Jehu kills King Joram(2 Kings 9)	Jehu kills King Jehoram(2 Kings 9)
		Jehu died – son Jehoahaz  became King (2 Kings 10)	Queen Athaliah rules Judah (mother of King Ahaziah) – she set out to destroy the royal family -
		Jehu ruled 27 years when (King Joash becomes King)	Athaliah is killed – Ahaziah’s infant son (Joash is 7 years old when he becomes King) is the new King – 2 Kings 10	King Hazael of Aram wars against Gath and captures it.
			King Amaziah (Joash’s son became King after he was assassinated by his trusted advisors)

Thursday, July 12, 2012 - One Year Bible- June 27

6:30 a.m. Prayer

7:00 a.m. Jog

5:00 pm Devotion

June 27 - One Year Bible
2 Kings 10:32-12:21; Acts 18:1-22: Psalm 145:1-21; Proverbs 18:1

2 Kings 10:32-12:21

New Living Translation (NLT)

The Death of Jehu

³² At about that time the Lord began to cut down the size of Israel’s territory. King Hazael conquered several sections of the country ³³ east of the Jordan River, including all of Gilead, Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh. He conquered the area from the town of Aroer by the Arnon Gorge to as far north as Gilead and Bashan.

³⁴ The rest of the events in Jehu’s reign—everything he did and all his achievements—are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.
³⁵ When Jehu died, he was buried in Samaria. Then his son Jehoahaz became the next king. ³⁶ In all, Jehu reigned over Israel from Samaria for twenty-eight years.

Queen Athaliah Rules in Judah

11 When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of the royal family. ² But Ahaziah’s sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram,^[a] took Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king’s children, who were about to be killed. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, so the child was not murdered. ³ Joash remained hidden in the Temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.

Revolt against Athaliah

⁴ In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada the priest summoned the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, and the palace guards to come to the Temple of the Lord. He made a solemn pact with them and made them swear an oath of loyalty there in the Lord’s Temple; then he showed them the king’s son.

⁵ Jehoiada told them, “This is what you must do. A third of you who are on duty on the Sabbath are to guard the royal palace itself. ⁶ Another third of you are to stand guard at the Sur Gate. And the final third must stand guard behind the palace guard. These three groups will all guard the palace. ⁷ The other two units who are off duty on the Sabbath must stand guard for the king at the Lord’s Temple. ⁸ Form a bodyguard around the king and keep your weapons in hand. Kill anyone who tries to break through. Stay with the king wherever he goes.”
⁹ So the commanders did everything as Jehoiada the priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. They brought them all to Jehoiada the priest, ¹⁰ and he supplied them with the spears and small shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of the Lord. ¹¹ The palace guards stationed themselves around the king, with their weapons ready. They formed a line from the south side of the Temple around to the north side and all around the altar.
¹² Then Jehoiada brought out Joash, the king’s son, placed the crown on his head, and presented him with a copy of God’s laws.^[b] They anointed him and proclaimed him king, and everyone clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”

The Death of Athaliah

¹³ When Athaliah heard all the noise made by the palace guards and the people, she hurried to the Lord’s Temple to see what was happening. ¹⁴ When she arrived, she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar, as was the custom at times of coronation. The commanders and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. When Athaliah saw all this, she tore her clothes in despair and shouted, “Treason! Treason!”

¹⁵ Then Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders who were in charge of the troops, “Take her to the soldiers in front of the Temple,^[c] and kill anyone who tries to rescue her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be killed in the Temple of the Lord.” ¹⁶ So they seized her and led her out to the gate where horses enter the palace grounds, and she was killed there.

Jehoiada’s Religious Reforms

¹⁷ Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. ¹⁸ And all the people of the land went over to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They demolished the altars and smashed the idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

Jehoiada the priest stationed guards at the Temple of the Lord. ¹⁹ Then the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, the palace guards, and all the people of the land escorted the king from the Temple of the Lord. They went through the gate of the guards and into the palace, and the king took his seat on the royal throne. ²⁰ So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed at the king’s palace.
^21 [d]Joash^[e] was seven years old when he became king.

Joash Repairs the Temple

12 ^[f]Joash^[g] began to rule over Judah in the seventh year of King Jehu’s reign in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba. ² All his life Joash did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. ³ Yet even so, he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.

⁴ One day King Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money brought as a sacred offering to the Lord’s Temple, whether it is a regular assessment, a payment of vows, or a voluntary gift. ⁵ Let the priests take some of that money to pay for whatever repairs are needed at the Temple.”
⁶ But by the twenty-third year of Joash’s reign, the priests still had not repaired the Temple. ⁷ So King Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, “Why haven’t you repaired the Temple? Don’t use any more money for your own needs. From now on, it must all be spent on Temple repairs.” ⁸ So the priests agreed not to accept any more money from the people, and they also agreed to let others take responsibility for repairing the Temple.
⁹ Then Jehoiada the priest bored a hole in the lid of a large chest and set it on the right-hand side of the altar at the entrance of the Temple of the Lord. The priests guarding the entrance put all of the people’s contributions into the chest. ¹⁰ Whenever the chest became full, the court secretary and the high priest counted the money that had been brought to the Lord’s Temple and put it into bags. ¹¹ Then they gave the money to the construction supervisors, who used it to pay the people working on the Lord’s Temple—the carpenters, the builders, ¹² the masons, and the stonecutters. They also used the money to buy the timber and the finished stone needed for repairing the Lord’s Temple, and they paid any other expenses related to the Temple’s restoration.
¹³ The money brought to the Temple was not used for making silver bowls, lamp snuffers, basins, trumpets, or other articles of gold or silver for the Temple of the Lord. ¹⁴ It was paid to the workmen, who used it for the Temple repairs. ¹⁵ No accounting of this money was required from the construction supervisors, because they were honest and trustworthy men. ¹⁶ However, the money that was contributed for guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the Lord’s Temple. It was given to the priests for their own use.

The End of Joash’s Reign

¹⁷ About this time King Hazael of Aram went to war against Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. ¹⁸ King Joash collected all the sacred objects that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the previous kings of Judah, had dedicated, along with what he himself had dedicated. He sent them all to Hazael, along with all the gold in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace. So Hazael called off his attack on Jerusalem.

¹⁹ The rest of the events in Joash’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.
²⁰ Joash’s officers plotted against him and assassinated him at Beth-millo on the road to Silla. ²¹ The assassins were Jozacar^[h] son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer—both trusted advisers. Joash was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Amaziah became the next king.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Kings 11:2 Hebrew Joram, a variant spelling of Jehoram.
2. 2 Kings 11:12 Or a copy of the covenant.
3. 2 Kings 11:15 Or Bring her out from between the ranks; or Take her out of the Temple precincts. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
4. 2 Kings 11:21 Verse 11:21 is numbered 12:1 in Hebrew text.
5. 2 Kings 11:21 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant spelling of Joash.
6. 2 Kings 12:1 Verses 12:1-21 are numbered 12:2-22 in Hebrew text.
7. 2 Kings 12:1 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant spelling of Joash; also in 12:2, 4, 6, 7, 18.
8. 2 Kings 12:21 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads Jozabad.

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Acts 18:1-22

New Living Translation (NLT)

Paul Meets Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth

18 Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.^{[a] 2} There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. ³ Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers^[b] just as he was.

⁴ Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. ⁵ And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶ But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”
⁷ Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. ⁸ Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized.
⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.
¹² But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment. ¹³ They accused Paul of “persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to our law.”
¹⁴ But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul’s accusers and said, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would have a reason to accept your case. ¹⁵ But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish law, take care of it yourselves. I refuse to judge such matters.” ¹⁶ And he threw them out of the courtroom.
¹⁷ The crowd^[c] then grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention.

Paul Returns to Antioch of Syria

¹⁸ Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters^[d] and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him.

¹⁹ They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews. ²⁰ They asked him to stay longer, but he declined. ²¹ As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later,^[e] God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus. ²² The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem^[f] and then went back to Antioch.

Footnotes:

1. Acts 18:1 Athens and Corinth were major cities in Achaia, the region in the southern portion of the Greek peninsula.
2. Acts 18:3 Or leatherworkers.
3. Acts 18:17 Greek Everyone; other manuscripts read All the Greeks.
4. Acts 18:18 Greek brothers; also in 18:27.
5. Acts 18:21 Some manuscripts read “I must by all means be at Jerusalem for the upcoming festival, but I will come back later.”
6. Acts 18:22 Greek the church.

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Psalm 1

New Living Translation (NLT)

Book One (Psalms 1–41)

Psalm 1

¹ Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
² But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.
³ They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
    bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
    and they prosper in all they do.

⁴ But not the wicked!
    They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
⁵ They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
    Sinners will have no place among the godly.
⁶ For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
    but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

2 Kings 10 - 12 Summary ·         The Lord began to reduce the size of Israel’s Territory. ·         King Hazel conquered several sections of the country east of the Jordan River, including al of Gilead, Gad, Reuben and Manasseh. ·         He conquered the area from the town of Aroer by Arnon Gorge as far as North Gilead and Bashan ·         Death of Jehu ·         Queen Athaliah rules in Judah ·         Revolt against Athaliah ·         The Death of Athaliah ·         Jehoiada’ Religious Reforms ·         Joash Repairs the Temple ·         The End of Joash’s Reign

Friday, July 6, 2012 - One Year Bible (II June 26 Reading)

4:45 am Prayer /Devotion

5:30 a.m. Insanity Warm Up / Shoulders and Arms

June 24 Reading -

Acts 17:1-34; Psalm 144:1-15; Proverbs 17:27-28

Acts 17:1-34

New Living Translation (NLT)

Paul Preaches in Thessalonica

17 Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. ³ He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” ⁴ Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.^[a]

⁵ But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd.^{[b] 6} Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers^[c] instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too. ⁷ And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”
⁸ The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. ⁹ So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them.

Paul and Silas in Berea

¹⁰ That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. ¹² As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

¹³ But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. ¹⁴ The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. ¹⁵ Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.

Paul Preaches in Athens

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. ¹⁷ He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.

¹⁸ He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”
¹⁹ Then they took him to the high council of the city.^[d] “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. ²⁰ “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” ²¹ (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)
²² So Paul, standing before the council,^[e] addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, ²³ for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.
²⁴ “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, ²⁵ and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. ²⁶ From one man^[f] he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
²⁷ “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your^[g] own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ ²⁹ And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
³⁰ “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. ³¹ For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
³² When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” ³³ That ended Paul’s discussion with them, ³⁴ but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council,^[h] a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Footnotes:

1. Acts 17:4 Some manuscripts read quite a few of the wives of the leading men.
2. Acts 17:5 Or the city council.
3. Acts 17:6 Greek brothers; also in 17:10, 14.
4. Acts 17:19 Or the most learned society of philosophers in the city. Greek reads the Areopagus.
5. Acts 17:22 Traditionally rendered standing in the middle of Mars Hill; Greek reads standing in the middle of the Areopagus.
6. Acts 17:26 Greek From one; other manuscripts read From one blood.
7. Acts 17:28 Some manuscripts read our.
8. Acts 17:34 Greek an Areopagite.

Psalm 144:1-15

New Living Translation (NLT)

Psalm 144

A psalm of David.

¹ Praise the Lord, who is my rock.
    He trains my hands for war
    and gives my fingers skill for battle.
² He is my loving ally and my fortress,
    my tower of safety, my rescuer.
He is my shield, and I take refuge in him.
    He makes the nations^[a] submit to me.

³ O Lord, what are human beings that you should notice them,
    mere mortals that you should think about them?
⁴ For they are like a breath of air;
    their days are like a passing shadow.

⁵ Open the heavens, Lord, and come down.
    Touch the mountains so they billow smoke.
⁶ Hurl your lightning bolts and scatter your enemies!
    Shoot your arrows and confuse them!
⁷ Reach down from heaven and rescue me;
    rescue me from deep waters,
    from the power of my enemies.
⁸ Their mouths are full of lies;
    they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.

⁹ I will sing a new song to you, O God!
    I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp.
¹⁰ For you grant victory to kings!
    You rescued your servant David from the fatal sword.
¹¹ Save me!
    Rescue me from the power of my enemies.
Their mouths are full of lies;
    they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.

¹² May our sons flourish in their youth
    like well-nurtured plants.
May our daughters be like graceful pillars,
    carved to beautify a palace.
¹³ May our barns be filled
    with crops of every kind.
May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands,
    even tens of thousands,
¹⁴     and may our oxen be loaded down with produce.
May there be no enemy breaking through our walls,
    no going into captivity,
    no cries of alarm in our town squares.
¹⁵ Yes, joyful are those who live like this!
    Joyful indeed are those whose God is the Lord.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 144:2 Some manuscripts read my people.

Proverbs 17:27-28

New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁷ A truly wise person uses few words;
    a person with understanding is even-tempered.

²⁸ Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
    with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.