Tuesday, 23 July

1.   Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2.   And he said to his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you put a curse, even saying it in my ears––here is the silver with me; I took it." And his mother said, " May you be blessed by the LORD, my son!" 3.   So when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, "I had wholly dedicated the silver from my hand to the LORD for my son, to make a carved image and a molded image; now therefore, I will return it to you." 4.   Thus he returned the silver to his mother. Then his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith, and he made it into a carved image and a molded image; and they were in the house of Micah. 5.   The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod and household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. 6.   In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. 7.   Now there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah; he was a Levite, and was staying there. 8.   The man departed from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place . Then he came to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. 9.   And Micah said to him, "Where do you come from?" So he said to him, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am on my way to find a place to stay." 10.   Micah said to him, "Dwell with me, and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your sustenance." So the Levite went in. 11.   Then the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man became like one of his sons to him. 12.   So Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and lived in the house of Micah. 13.   Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest!"

1.   In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for itself to dwell in; for until that day their inheritance among the tribes of Israel had not fallen to them. 2.   So the children of Dan sent five men of their family from their territory, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and search it. They said to them, "Go, search the land." So they went to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. 3.   While they were at the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. They turned aside and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place ? What do you have here?" 4.   He said to them, "Thus and so Micah did for me. He has hired me, and I have become his priest." 5.   So they said to him, "Please inquire of God, that we may know whether the journey on which we go will be prosperous." 6.   And the priest said to them, "Go in peace. The presence of the LORD be with you on your way." 7.   So the five men departed and went to Laish. They saw the people who were there, how they dwelt safely, in the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. There were no rulers in the land who might put them to shame for anything. They were far from the Sidonians, and they had no ties with anyone. 8.   Then the spies came back to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brethren said to them, "What is your report ?" 9.   So they said, "Arise, let us go up against them. For we have seen the land, and indeed it is very good. Would you do nothing? Do not hesitate to go, and enter to possess the land. 10.   "When you go, you will come to a secure people and a large land. For God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth." 11.   And six hundred men of the family of the Danites went from there, from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war. 12.   Then they went up and encamped in Kirjath Jearim in Judah. (Therefore they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. There it is , west of Kirjath Jearim.) 13.   And they passed from there to the mountains of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah. 14.   Then the five men who had gone to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brethren, "Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, household idols, a carved image, and a molded image? Now therefore, consider what you should do." 15.   So they turned aside there, and came to the house of the young Levite man––to the house of Micah––and greeted him. 16.   The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate. 17.   Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up. Entering there, they took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image. The priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were armed with weapons of war. 18.   When these went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molded image, the priest said to them, "What are you doing?" 19.   And they said to him, "Be quiet, put your hand over your mouth, and come with us; be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest to the household of one man, or that you be a priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?" 20.   So the priest’s heart was glad; and he took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image, and took his place among the people. 21.   Then they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods in front of them. 22.   When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan. 23.   And they called out to the children of Dan. So they turned around and said to Micah, "What ails you, that you have gathered such a company?" 24.   So he said, "You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and you have gone away. Now what more do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What ails you?’" 25.   And the children of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry men fall upon you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household!" 26.   Then the children of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house. 27.   So they took the things Micah had made, and the priest who had belonged to him, and went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. 28.   There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no ties with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth Rehob. So they rebuilt the city and dwelt there. 29.   And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel. However, the name of the city formerly was Laish. 30.   Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. 31.   So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

1.   The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil. 2.   He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness. 3.   "But come here, You sons of the sorceress, You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot! 4.   Whom do you ridicule? Against whom do you make a wide mouth And stick out the tongue? Are you not children of transgression, Offspring of falsehood, 5.   Inflaming yourselves with gods under every green tree, Slaying the children in the valleys, Under the clefts of the rocks? 6.   Among the smooth stones of the stream Is your portion; They, they, are your lot! Even to them you have poured a drink offering, You have offered a grain offering. Should I receive comfort in these? 7.   "On a lofty and high mountain You have set your bed; Even there you went up To offer sacrifice. 8.   Also behind the doors and their posts You have set up your remembrance; For you have uncovered yourself to those other than Me, And have gone up to them; You have enlarged your bed And made a covenant with them; You have loved their bed, Where you saw their nudity. 9.   You went to the king with ointment, And increased your perfumes; You sent your messengers far off, And even descended to Sheol. 10.   You are wearied in the length of your way; Yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.’ You have found the life of your hand; Therefore you were not grieved. 11.   "And of whom have you been afraid, or feared, That you have lied And not remembered Me, Nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old That you do not fear Me? 12.   I will declare your righteousness And your works, For they will not profit you. 13.   When you cry out, Let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry them all away, A breath will take them . But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, And shall inherit My holy mountain." 14.   And one shall say, "Heap it up! Heap it up! Prepare the way, Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people." 15.   For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place , With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 16.   For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would fail before Me, And the souls which I have made. 17.   For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. 18.   I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners. 19.   "I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near," Says the LORD, "And I will heal him." 20.   But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21.   " There is no peace," Says my God, "for the wicked."

1.   But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2.   For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3.   For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4.   But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5.   You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6.   Therefore let us not sleep, as others do , but let us watch and be sober. 7.   For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8.   But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9.   For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10.   who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 11.   Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. 12.   And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13.   and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. 14.   Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15.   See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16.   Rejoice always, 17.   pray without ceasing, 18.   in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19.   Do not quench the Spirit. 20.   Do not despise prophecies. 21.   Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22.   Abstain from every form of evil. 23.   Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24.   He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it . 25.   Brethren, pray for us. 26.   Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. 27.   I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. 28.   The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.