Daily Lectionary Readings for June 21, 2026

Daily Lectionary Readings (Two-Year Cycle)

Lectionary Readings for Sunday, June 21, 2026

Morning Psalm 19 1   The heavens are telling the glory of God;           and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. 2   Day to day pours forth speech,           and night to night declares knowledge. 3   There is no speech, nor are there words;           their voice is not heard; 4   yet their voice goes out through all the earth,           and their words to the end of the world.      In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, 5   which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,           and like a strong man runs its course with joy. 6   Its rising is from the end of the heavens,           and its circuit to the end of them;           and nothing is hidden from its heat. 7   The law of the LORD is perfect,           reviving the soul;      the decrees of the LORD are sure,           making wise the simple; 8   the precepts of the LORD are right,           rejoicing the heart;      the commandment of the LORD is clear,           enlightening the eyes; 9   the fear of the LORD is pure,           enduring forever;      the ordinances of the LORD are true           and righteous altogether. 10  More to be desired are they than gold,           even much fine gold;      sweeter also than honey,           and drippings of the honeycomb. 11  Moreover by them is your servant warned;           in keeping them there is great reward. 12   But who can detect their errors?           Clear me from hidden faults. 13  Keep back your servant also from the insolent;           do not let them have dominion over me.      Then I shall be blameless,           and innocent of great transgression. 14  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart           be acceptable to you,           O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Morning Psalm 150 1   Praise the Lord!      Praise God in his sanctuary;           praise him in his mighty firmament! 2   Praise him for his mighty deeds;           praise him according to his surpassing greatness! 3   Praise him with trumpet sound;           praise him with lute and harp! 4   Praise him with tambourine and dance;           praise him with strings and pipe! 5   Praise him with clanging cymbals;           praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6   Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!      Praise the Lord! First Reading Numbers 14:26-45 26And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: 27How long shall this wicked congregation complain against me? I have heard the complaints of the Israelites, which they complain against me. 28Say to them, "As I live," says the LORD, "I will do to you the very things I heard you say: 29your dead bodies shall fall in this very wilderness; and of all your number, included in the census, from twenty years old and upward, who have complained against me, 30not one of you shall come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31But your little ones, who you said would become booty, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have despised. 32But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. 33And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. 34According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day a year, you shall bear your iniquity, forty years, and you shall know my displeasure." 35I the LORD have spoken; surely I will do thus to all this wicked congregation gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die. 36And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report about the land - 37the men who brought an unfavorable report about the land died by a plague before the LORD. 38But Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh alone remained alive, of those men who went to spy out the land. 39When Moses told these words to all the Israelites, the people mourned greatly. 40They rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, "Here we are. We will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned." 41But Moses said, "Why do you continue to transgress the command of the LORD? That will not succeed. 42Do not go up, for the LORD is not with you; do not let yourselves be struck down before your enemies. 43For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will confront you there, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you." 44But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, even though the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, had not left the camp. 45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them, pursuing them as far as Hormah. Second Reading Acts 15:1-12 1Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." 2And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders. 3So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the believers. 4When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 5But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, "It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses." 6The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. 7After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "My brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers. 8And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; 9and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. 10Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? 11On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will." 12The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. Gospel Reading Luke 12:49-56 49"I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! 51Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 52From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." 54He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, 'It is going to rain'; and so it happens. 55And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. 56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? Evening Psalm 81 1   Sing aloud to God our strength;           shout for joy to the God of Jacob. 2   Raise a song, sound the tambourine,           the sweet lyre with the harp. 3   Blow the trumpet at the new moon,           at the full moon, on our festal day. 4   For it is a statute for Israel,           an ordinance of the God of Jacob. 5   He made it a decree in Joseph,           when he went out over the land of Egypt.      I hear a voice I had not known: 6   “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;           your hands were freed from the basket. 7   In distress you called, and I rescued you;           I answered you in the secret place of thunder;           I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah 8   Hear, O my people, while I admonish you;           O Israel, if you would but listen to me! 9   There shall be no strange god among you;           you shall not bow down to a foreign god. 10  I am the LORD your God,           who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.           Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. 11“But my people did not listen to my voice;           Israel would not submit to me. 12  So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,           to follow their own counsels. 13  O that my people would listen to me,           that Israel would walk in my ways! 14  Then I would quickly subdue their enemies,           and turn my hand against their foes. 15  Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him,           and their doom would last forever. 16  I would feed you with the finest of the wheat,           and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Evening Psalm 113 1   Praise the LORD!      Praise, O servants of the LORD;           praise the name of the LORD. 2   Blessed be the name of the LORD           from this time on and forevermore. 3   From the rising of the sun to its setting           the name of the LORD is to be praised. 4   The LORD is high above all nations,           and his glory above the heavens. 5   Who is like the LORD our God,           who is seated on high, 6   who looks far down           on the heavens and the earth? 7   He raises the poor from the dust,           and lifts the needy from the ash heap, 8   to make them sit with princes,           with the princes of his people. 9   He gives the barren woman a home,           making her the joyous mother of children.      Praise the LORD!

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Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202

Daily Lectionary Readings for June 20, 2026

Daily Lectionary Readings (Two-Year Cycle)

Lectionary Readings for Saturday, June 20, 2026

Morning Psalm 104 1   Bless the LORD, O my soul.           O LORD my God, you are very great.      You are clothed with honor and majesty, 2        wrapped in light as with a garment.      You stretch out the heavens like a tent, 3        you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,      you make the clouds your chariot,           you ride on the wings of the wind, 4   you make the winds your messengers,           fire and flame your ministers. 5   You set the earth on its foundations,           so that it shall never be shaken. 6   You cover it with the deep as with a garment;           the waters stood above the mountains. 7   At your rebuke they flee;           at the sound of your thunder they take to flight. 8   They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys           to the place that you appointed for them. 9   You set a boundary that they may not pass,           so that they might not again cover the earth. 10  You make springs gush forth in the valleys;           they flow between the hills, 11  giving drink to every wild animal;           the wild asses quench their thirst. 12  By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation;           they sing among the branches. 13  From your lofty abode you water the mountains;           the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. 14  You cause the grass to grow for the cattle,           and plants for people to use,      to bring forth food from the earth, 15       and wine to gladden the human heart,      oil to make the face shine,           and bread to strengthen the human heart. 16  The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly,           the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. 17  In them the birds build their nests;           the stork has its home in the fir trees. 18  The high mountains are for the wild goats;           the rocks are a refuge for the coneys. 19  You have made the moon to mark the seasons;           the sun knows its time for setting. 20  You make darkness, and it is night,           when all the animals of the forest come creeping out. 21  The young lions roar for their prey,           seeking their food from God. 22  When the sun rises, they withdraw           and lie down in their dens. 23  People go out to their work           and to their labor until the evening. 24  O LORD, how manifold are your works!           In wisdom you have made them all;           the earth is full of your creatures. 25  Yonder is the sea, great and wide,           creeping things innumerable are there,           living things both small and great. 26There go the ships,           and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. 27  These all look to you           to give them their food in due season; 28  when you give to them, they gather it up;           when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29  When you hide your face, they are dismayed;           when you take away their breath, they die           and return to their dust. 30  When you send forth your spirit, they are created;           and you renew the face of the ground. 31  May the glory of the LORD endure for ever;           may the LORD rejoice in his works — 32  who looks on the earth and it trembles,           who touches the mountains and they smoke. 33  I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;           I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 34  May my meditation be pleasing to him,           for I rejoice in the LORD. 35  Let sinners be consumed from the earth,           and let the wicked be no more.      Bless the LORD, O my soul.      Praise the Lord! Morning Psalm 149 1   Praise the Lord!      Sing to the Lord a new song,           his praise in the assembly of the faithful. 2   Let Israel be glad in its Maker;           let the children of Zion rejoice in their King. 3   Let them praise his name with dancing,           making melody to him with tambourine and lyre. 4   For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;           he adorns the humble with victory. 5   Let the faithful exult in glory;           let them sing for joy on their couches. 6   Let the high praises of God be in their throats           and two-edged swords in their hands, 7   to execute vengeance on the nations           and punishment on the peoples, 8   to bind their kings with fetters           and their nobles with chains of iron, 9   to execute on them the judgment decreed.           This is glory for all his faithful ones.      Praise the Lord! First Reading Numbers 13:31-14:25 31Then the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against this people, for they are stronger than we." 32So they brought to the Israelites an unfavorable report of the land that they had spied out, saying, "The land that we have gone through as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are of great size. 33There we saw the Nephilim (the Anakites come from the Nephilim); and to ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them." 1Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2And all the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron; the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become booty; would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?" 4So they said to one another, "Let us choose a captain, and go back to Egypt." 5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the Israelites. 6And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7and said to all the congregation of the Israelites, "The land that we went through as spies is an exceedingly good land. 8If the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9Only, do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they are no more than bread for us; their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them." 10But the whole congregation threatened to stone them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12I will strike them with pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they." 13But Moses said to the LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for in your might you brought up this people from among them, 14and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people; for you, O LORD, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go in front of them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15Now if you kill this people all at one time, then the nations who have heard about you will say, 16'It is because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them that he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.' 17And now, therefore, let the power of the LORD be great in the way that you promised when you spoke, saying, 18'The LORD is slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children to the third and the fourth generation.' 19Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now." 20Then the LORD said, "I do forgive, just as you have asked; 21nevertheless - as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD - 22none of the people who have seen my glory and the signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23shall see the land that I swore to give to their ancestors; none of those who despised me shall see it. 24But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. 25Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea." Second Reading Romans 3:9-20 9What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, 10as it is written: "There is no one who is righteous, not even one; 11there is no one who has understanding, there is no one who seeks God. 12All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, there is not even one." 13"Their throats are opened graves; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of vipers is under their lips." 14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." 15"Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16ruin and misery are in their paths, 17and the way of peace they have not known." 18"There is no fear of God before their eyes." 19Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For "no human being will be justified in his sight" by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. Gospel Reading Matthew 19:1-12 1When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2Large crowds followed him, and he cured them there. 3Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?" 4He answered, "Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' 5and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." 7They said to him, "Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?" 8He said to them, "It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery." 10His disciples said to him, "If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." 11But he said to them, "Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. 12For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can." Evening Psalm 138 1   I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;           before the gods I sing your praise; 2   I bow down toward your holy temple           and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;           for you have exalted your name and your word           above everything. 3   On the day I called, you answered me,           you increased my strength of soul. 4   All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O LORD,           for they have heard the words of your mouth. 5   They shall sing of the ways of the LORD,           for great is the glory of the LORD. 6   For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly;           but the haughty he perceives from far away. 7   Though I walk in the midst of trouble,           you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;      you stretch out your hand,           and your right hand delivers me. 8   The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;           your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.           Do not forsake the work of your hands. Evening Psalm 98 1   O sing to the LORD a new song,           for he has done marvelous things.      His right hand and his holy arm           have gained him victory. 2   The LORD has made known his victory;           he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. 3   He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness           to the house of Israel.      All the ends of the earth have seen           the victory of our God. 4   Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;           break forth into joyous song and sing praises. 5   Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,           with the lyre and the sound of melody. 6   With trumpets and the sound of the horn           make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD. 7   Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;           the world and those who live in it. 8   Let the floods clap their hands;           let the hills sing together for joy 9   at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming           to judge the earth.      He will judge the world with righteousness,           and the peoples with equity.

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Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202

Bible Readings for June 20, 2026

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today, our passages are 1 Kings 22:1-53; Acts 13:16-41; Psalm 138:1-8; and Proverbs 17:17-18. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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1 Kings 22:1-53 (The Message)

1 Kings 22

 ^1-3 They enjoyed three years of peace—no fighting between Aram and Israel. In the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah had a meeting with the king of Israel. Israel's king remarked to his aides, "Do you realize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, and we're sitting around on our hands instead of taking it back from the king of Aram?"  ^4-5 He turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "Will you join me in fighting for Ramoth Gilead?"
    Jehoshaphat said, "You bet. I'm with you all the way—my troops are your troops, my horses are your horses." He then continued, "But before you do anything, ask God for guidance."
 ⁶ The king of Israel got the prophets together—all four hundred of them —and put the question to them: "Should I attack Ramoth Gilead? Or should I hold back?"
    "Go for it," they said. "God will hand it over to the king."
 ⁷ But Jehoshaphat dragged his heels: "Is there still another prophet of God around here we can consult?"
 ⁸ The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, "As a matter of fact, there is still one such man. But I hate him. He never preaches anything good to me, only doom, doom, doom—Micaiah son of Imlah."
    "The king shouldn't talk about a prophet like that," said Jehoshaphat.
 ⁹ So the king of Israel ordered one of his men, "On the double! Get Micaiah son of Imlah."
 ^10-12 Meanwhile, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat were seated on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, resplendent in front of the Samaria city gates. All the prophets were staging a prophecy-performance for their benefit. Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had even made a set of iron horns, and brandishing them called out, "God's word! With these horns you'll gore Aram until there's nothing left of him!" All the prophets chimed in, "Yes! Go for Ramoth Gilead! An easy victory! God's gift to the king!"
 ¹³ The messenger who went to get Micaiah said, "The prophets have all said Yes to the king. Make it unanimous—vote Yes!"
 ¹⁴ But Micaiah said, "As surely as God lives, what God says, I'll say."
 ¹⁵ With Micaiah before him, the king asked him, "So Micaiah—do we attack Ramoth Gilead, or do we hold back?"
    "Go ahead," he said. "An easy victory. God's gift to the king."
 ¹⁶ "Not so fast," said the king. "How many times have I made you promise under oath to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth?"
 ¹⁷ "All right," said Micaiah, "since you insist.
    I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills,
      sheep with no shepherd.
   Then God spoke: 'These poor people
      have no one to tell them what to do.
   Let them go home and do
      the best they can for themselves.'"
 ¹⁸ Then the king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, "See! What did I tell you? He never has a good word for me fromGod, only doom."
 ^19-23 Micaiah kept on: "I'm not done yet; listen to God's word:
    I saw God enthroned,
      and all the angel armies of heaven
   Standing at attention
      ranged on his right and his left.
   And God said, 'How can we seduce Ahab
      into attacking Ramoth Gilead?'
   Some said this,
      and some said that.
   Then a bold angel stepped out,
      stood before God, and said,
   'I'll seduce him.'
      'And how will you do it?' said God.
   'Easy,' said the angel,
      'I'll get all the prophets to lie.'
   'That should do it,' said God.
      'On your way—seduce him!'
"And that's what has happened. God filled the mouths of your puppet prophets with seductive lies. God has pronounced your doom."
 ²⁴ Just then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came up and punched Micaiah in the nose, saying, "Since when did the Spirit of God leave me and take up with you?"
 ²⁵ Micaiah said, "You'll know soon enough; you'll know it when you're frantically and futilely looking for a place to hide."
 ^26-27 The king of Israel had heard enough: "Get Micaiah out of here! Turn him over to Amon the city magistrate and to Joash the king's son with this message, 'King's orders: Lock him up in jail; keep him on bread and water until I'm back in one piece.'"
 ²⁸ Micaiah said, "If you ever get back in one piece, I'm no prophet of God."
    He added,"When it happens, O people, remember where you heard it!"
 ^29-30 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Wear my kingly robe; I'm going into battle disguised." So the king of Israel entered the battle in disguise.
 ³¹ Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders (there were thirty-two of them): "Don't bother with anyone, whether small or great; go after the king of Israel and him only."
 ^32-33 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat they said, "There he is! The king of Israel!" and took after him. Jehoshaphat yelled out, and the chariot commanders realized they had the wrong man—it wasn't the king of Israel after all. They let him go.
 ³⁴ Just then someone, without aiming, shot an arrow randomly into the crowd and hit the king of Israel in the chink of his armor. The king told his charioteer, "Turn back! Get me out of here—I'm wounded."
 ^35-37 All day the fighting continued, hot and heavy. Propped up in his chariot, the king watched from the sidelines. He died that evening. Blood from his wound pooled in the chariot. As the sun went down, shouts reverberated through the ranks, "Abandon camp! Head for home! The king is dead!"
 ^37-38 The king was brought to Samaria and there they buried him. They washed down the chariot at the pool of Samaria where the town whores bathed, and the dogs lapped up the blood, just as God's word had said.
 ^39-40 The rest of Ahab's life—everything he did, the ivory palace he built, the towns he founded, and the defense system he built up—is all written up in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. He was buried in the family cemetery and his son Ahaziah was the next king. 

Jehoshaphat of Judah

^41-44 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king and he ruled for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. He continued the kind of life characteristic of his father Asa—no detours, no dead ends—pleasing God with his life. But he failed to get rid of the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines. People continued to pray and worship at these idolatrous shrines. And he kept on good terms with the king of Israel.  ^45-46 The rest of Jehoshaphat's life, his achievements and his battles, is all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. Also, he got rid of the sacred prostitutes left over from the days of his father Asa.
 ⁴⁷ Edom was kingless during his reign; a deputy was in charge.
 ^48-49 Jehoshaphat built ocean-going ships to sail to Ophir for gold. But they never made it; they shipwrecked at Ezion Geber. During that time Ahaziah son of Ahab proposed a joint shipping venture, but Jehoshaphat wouldn't go in with him.
 ⁵⁰ Then Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the family cemetery in the City of David his ancestor. Jehoram his son was the next king. 

Ahaziah of Israel

^51-53 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He ruled Israel for two years. As far as God was concerned, he lived an evil life, reproducing the bad life of his father and mother, repeating the pattern set down by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a life of sin. Worshiping at the Baal shrines, he made God, the God of Israel, angry, oh, so angry. If anything, he was worse than his father.

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Acts 13:16-41 (The Message)

 ^16-20Paul stood up, paused and took a deep breath, then said, "Fellow Israelites and friends of God, listen. God took a special interest in our ancestors, pulled our people who were beaten down in Egyptian exile to their feet, and led them out of there in grand style. He took good care of them for nearly forty years in that godforsaken wilderness and then, having wiped out seven enemies who stood in the way, gave them the land of Canaan for their very own—a span in all of about 450 years.
 ^20-22"Up to the time of Samuel the prophet, God provided judges to lead them. But then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, out of the tribe of Benjamin. After Saul had ruled forty years, God removed him from office and put King David in his place, with this commendation: 'I've searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He's a man whose heart beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him.'
 ^23-25"From out of David's descendants God produced a Savior for Israel, Jesus, exactly as he promised—but only after John had thoroughly alerted the people to his arrival by preparing them for a total life-change. As John was finishing up his work, he said, 'Did you think I was the One? No, I'm not the One. But the One you've been waiting for all these years is just around the corner, about to appear. And I'm about to disappear.'
 ^26-29"Dear brothers and sisters, children of Abraham, and friends of God, this message of salvation has been precisely targeted to you. The citizens and rulers in Jerusalem didn't recognize who he was and condemned him to death. They couldn't find a good reason, but demanded that Pilate execute him anyway. They did just what the prophets said they would do, but had no idea they were following to the letter the script of the prophets, even though those same prophets are read every Sabbath in their meeting places.
 ^29-31"After they had done everything the prophets said they would do, they took him down from the cross and buried him. And then God raised him from death. There is no disputing that—he appeared over and over again many times and places to those who had known him well in the Galilean years, and these same people continue to give witness that he is alive.
 ^32-35"And we're here today bringing you good news: the Message that what God promised the fathers has come true for the children—for us! He raised Jesus, exactly as described in the second Psalm:

   My Son! My very own Son!
   Today I celebrate you!
"When he raised him from the dead, he did it for good—no going back to that rot and decay for him. That's why Isaiah said, 'I'll give to all of you David's guaranteed blessings.' So also the psalmist's prayer: 'You'll never let your Holy One see death's rot and decay.'
 ^36-39"David, of course, having completed the work God set out for him, has been in the grave, dust and ashes, a long time now. But the One God raised up—no dust and ashes for him! I want you to know, my very dear friends, that it is on account of this resurrected Jesus that the forgiveness of your sins can be promised. He accomplishes, in those who believe, everything that the Law of Moses could never make good on. But everyone who believes in this raised-up Jesus is declared good and right and whole before God.
 ^40-41"Don't take this lightly. You don't want the prophet's sermon to describe you:

   Watch out, cynics;
   Look hard—watch your world fall to pieces.
   I'm doing something right before your eyes
   That you won't believe, though it's staring you in the face."

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Psalm 138:1-8 (The Message)

Psalm 138

A David Psalm

 ^1-3 Thank you! Everything in me says "Thank you!" Angels listen as I sing my thanks.
   I kneel in worship facing your holy temple
      and say it again: "Thank you!"
   Thank you for your love,
      thank you for your faithfulness;
   Most holy is your name,
      most holy is your Word.
   The moment I called out, you stepped in;
      you made my life large with strength.

 ^4-6 When they hear what you have to say, God,
      all earth's kings will say "Thank you."
   They'll sing of what you've done:
      "How great the glory of God!"
   And here's why: God, high above, sees far below;
      no matter the distance, he knows everything about us.

 ^7-8 When I walk into the thick of trouble,
      keep me alive in the angry turmoil.
   With one hand
      strike my foes,
   With your other hand
      save me.
   Finish what you started in me, God.
      Your love is eternal—don't quit on me now.

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Proverbs 17:17-18 (The Message)

One Who Knows Much Says Little

 ¹⁷ Friends love through all kinds of weather,
   and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.

 ¹⁸ It's stupid to try to get something for nothing,
   or run up huge bills you can never pay.

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Thought for the Day

“What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself?” (Mark 8:36 - Contemporary English Version) Because our lives are limited, it's tempting to seek out those things that offer immediate satisfaction. But genuine peace and joy come when we put aside the temporary and embrace the eternal.

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Quote for the Day

American mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division, Roy Nelson wrote, “A lot of people out there are bullies, and they pick on people and call people names. You need to grow up from that, and you need to become a better person.”

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Joke for Today

A lawyer meets with the family of a recently deceased millionaire for the reading of the will.

“To my loving wife, Rose, who always stood by me, I leave the house and $2 million,” the attorney reads.

“To my darling daughter, Jessica, who looked after me in sickness and kept the business going, I leave the yacht, the business and $1 million.”

“And finally,” the lawyer concludes, “to my cousin Dan, who hated me, argued with me and thought I would never mention him in my will. Well, you were wrong. Hi Dan!”

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A Prayer Request

As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we’re laying before God today.

That we celebrate the gifts and talents that God has given us.