Friday, 13 December

2.   Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God, 3.   for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. 4.   He commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. 5.   He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him. 6.   And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the LORD had given him rest. 7.   Therefore he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and make walls around them , and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him , and He has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered. 8.   And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty men of valor. 9.   Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10.   So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11.   And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!" 12.   So the LORD struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13.   And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the LORD and His army. And they carried away very much spoil. 14.   Then they defeated all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the LORD came upon them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much spoil in them. 15.   They also attacked the livestock enclosures, and carried off sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

1.   Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. 2.   And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3.   "For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; 4.   "but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. 5.   "And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands. 6.   "So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity. 7.   "But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!" 8.   And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of the LORD that was before the vestibule of the LORD. 9.   Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who dwelt with them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for they came over to him in great numbers from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. 10.   So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11.   And they offered to the LORD at that time seven hundred bulls and seven thousand sheep from the spoil they had brought. 12.   Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; 13.   and whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14.   Then they took an oath before the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams’ horns. 15.   And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around. 16.   Also he removed Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed and burned it by the Brook Kidron. 17.   But the high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days. 18.   He also brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and utensils. 19.   And there was no war until the thirty–fifth year of the reign of Asa.

1.   Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes; There is no cluster to eat Of the first–ripe fruit which my soul desires. 2.   The faithful man has perished from the earth, And there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother with a net. 3.   That they may successfully do evil with both hands––The prince asks for gifts , The judge seeks a bribe, And the great man utters his evil desire; So they scheme together. 4.   The best of them is like a brier; The most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge; The day of your watchman and your punishment comes; Now shall be their perplexity. 5.   Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom. 6.   For son dishonors father, Daughter rises against her mother, Daughter–in–law against her mother–in–law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own household. 7.   Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me. 8.   Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The LORD will be a light to me. 9.   I will bear the indignation of the LORD, Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness. 10.   Then she who is my enemy will see, And shame will cover her who said to me, "Where is the LORD your God?" My eyes will see her; Now she will be trampled down Like mud in the streets. 11.   In the day when your walls are to be built, In that day the decree shall go far and wide. 12.   In that day they shall come to you From Assyria and the fortified cities, From the fortress to the River, From sea to sea, And mountain to mountain. 13.   Yet the land shall be desolate Because of those who dwell in it, And for the fruit of their deeds. 14.   Shepherd Your people with Your staff, The flock of Your heritage, Who dwell solitarily in a woodland, In the midst of Carmel; Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, As in days of old. 15.   "As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders." 16.   The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; They shall put their hand over their mouth; Their ears shall be deaf. 17.   They shall lick the dust like a serpent; They shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth. They shall be afraid of the LORD our God, And shall fear because of You. 18.   Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. 19.   He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea. 20.   You will give truth to Jacob And mercy to Abraham, Which You have sworn to our fathers From days of old.

1.   After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." 2.   Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3.   And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4.   Around the throne were twenty–four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty–four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5.   And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6.   Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7.   The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8.   The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" 9.   Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10.   the twenty–four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11.   "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."