Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are 1 Kings 11:1–12:19; Acts 9:1-25; Psalm 131:1-3; and Proverbs 17:4-5. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.
1 Kings 11-12:19 (Contemporary English Version)
1 Kings 11
Solomon Disobeys the LORD
1-2The LORD did not want the Israelites to worship foreign gods, so he had warned them not to marry anyone who was not from Israel. Solomon loved his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt. But he also loved some women from Moab, Ammon, and Edom, and others from Sidon and the land of the Hittites. 3-4Seven hundred of his wives were daughters of kings, but he also married three hundred other women. a<="" value="[a]" >[] As Solomon got older, some of his wives led him to worship their gods. He wasn't like his father David, who had worshiped only the LORD God. 5Solomon also worshiped Astarte the goddess of Sidon, and Milcom the disgusting god of Ammon. 6Solomon's father had obeyed the LORD with all his heart, but Solomon disobeyed and did what the LORD hated.
7Solomon built shrines on a hill east of Jerusalem to worship Chemosh the disgusting god of Moab, and Molech the disgusting god of Ammon. 8In fact, he built a shrine for each of his foreign wives, so all of them could burn incense and offer sacrifices to their own gods.
9-10The LORD God of Israel had appeared to Solomon two times and warned him not to worship foreign gods. But Solomon disobeyed and did it anyway. This made the LORD very angry, 11and he said to Solomon:
You did what you wanted and not what I told you to do. Now I'm going to take your kingdom from you and give it to one of your officials. 12But because David was your father, you will remain king as long as you live. I will wait until your son becomes king, then I will take the kingdom from him. 13When I do, I will still let him rule one tribe, because I have not forgotten that David was my servant and Jerusalem is my city.
7Solomon built shrines on a hill east of Jerusalem to worship Chemosh the disgusting god of Moab, and Molech the disgusting god of Ammon. 8In fact, he built a shrine for each of his foreign wives, so all of them could burn incense and offer sacrifices to their own gods.
9-10The LORD God of Israel had appeared to Solomon two times and warned him not to worship foreign gods. But Solomon disobeyed and did it anyway. This made the LORD very angry, 11and he said to Solomon:
You did what you wanted and not what I told you to do. Now I'm going to take your kingdom from you and give it to one of your officials. 12But because David was your father, you will remain king as long as you live. I will wait until your son becomes king, then I will take the kingdom from him. 13When I do, I will still let him rule one tribe, because I have not forgotten that David was my servant and Jerusalem is my city.
Hadad Becomes an Enemy of Solomon
14Hadad was from the royal family of Edom, and here is how the LORD made him Solomon's enemy: 15-16Some time earlier, when David conquered the nation of Edom, [b<="">] Joab his army commander went there to bury those who had died in battle. Joab and his soldiers stayed in Edom six months, and during that time they killed every man and boy who lived there. 17-19Hadad was a boy at the time, but he escaped to Midian with some of his father's officials. At Paran some other men joined them, and they went to the king of Egypt. The king liked Hadad and gave him food, some land, and a house, and even let him marry the sister of Queen Tahpenes. 20Hadad and his wife had a son named Genubath, and the queen let the boy grow up in the palace with her own children.
21When Hadad heard that David and Joab were dead, he said to the king, "Your Majesty, please let me go back to my own country."
22"Why?" asked the king. "Do you want something I haven't given you?"
"No, I just want to go home."
21When Hadad heard that David and Joab were dead, he said to the king, "Your Majesty, please let me go back to my own country."
22"Why?" asked the king. "Do you want something I haven't given you?"
"No, I just want to go home."
Rezon Becomes an Enemy of Solomon
23Here is how God made Rezon son of Eliada an enemy of Solomon: Rezon had run away from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah. 24-25He formed his own small army and became its leader after David had defeated Hadadezer's troops. [c<="">] Then Rezon and his army went to Damascus, where he became the ruler of Syria and an enemy of Israel. Both Hadad and Rezon were enemies of Israel while Solomon was king, and they caused him a lot of trouble.
The LORD Makes a Promise to Jeroboam
26Jeroboam was from the town of Zeredah in Ephraim. His father Nebat had died, but his mother Zeruah was still alive. Jeroboam was one of Solomon's officials, but even he rebelled against Solomon. 27Here is how it happened: While Solomon's workers were filling in the land on the east side of Jerusalem [d<="">] and repairing the city walls, 28Solomon noticed that Jeroboam was a hard worker. So he put Jeroboam in charge of the work force from Manasseh and Ephraim. 29-30One day when Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, he met Ahijah, a prophet from Shiloh. No one else was anywhere around. Suddenly, Ahijah took off his new coat and ripped it into twelve pieces. 31Then he said:
Jeroboam, take ten pieces of this coat and listen to what the LORD God of Israel says to you. "Jeroboam, I am the LORD God, and I am about to take Solomon's kingdom from him and give you ten tribes to rule. 32But Solomon will still rule one tribe, [e<="">] since he is the son of David my servant, and Jerusalem is my chosen city. 33"Solomon and the Israelites are not like their ancestor David. They will not listen to me, obey me, or do what is right. They have turned from me to worship Astarte the goddess of Sidon, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of Ammon.
34"Solomon is David's son, and David was my chosen leader, who did what I commanded. So I will let Solomon be king until he dies. 35Then I will give you ten tribes to rule, 36but Solomon's son will still rule one tribe. This way, my servant David will always have a descendant ruling in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to be worshiped.
37"You will be king of Israel and will rule every nation you want. 38I'll help you if you obey me. And if you do what I say, as my servant David did, I will always let someone from your family rule in Israel, just as someone from David's family will always rule in Judah. The nation of Israel will be yours.
39"I will punish the descendants of David, but not forever."
40When Solomon learned what the LORD had told Jeroboam, Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam. But he escaped to King Shishak of Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died.
Jeroboam, take ten pieces of this coat and listen to what the LORD God of Israel says to you. "Jeroboam, I am the LORD God, and I am about to take Solomon's kingdom from him and give you ten tribes to rule. 32But Solomon will still rule one tribe, [e<="">] since he is the son of David my servant, and Jerusalem is my chosen city. 33"Solomon and the Israelites are not like their ancestor David. They will not listen to me, obey me, or do what is right. They have turned from me to worship Astarte the goddess of Sidon, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of Ammon.
34"Solomon is David's son, and David was my chosen leader, who did what I commanded. So I will let Solomon be king until he dies. 35Then I will give you ten tribes to rule, 36but Solomon's son will still rule one tribe. This way, my servant David will always have a descendant ruling in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to be worshiped.
37"You will be king of Israel and will rule every nation you want. 38I'll help you if you obey me. And if you do what I say, as my servant David did, I will always let someone from your family rule in Israel, just as someone from David's family will always rule in Judah. The nation of Israel will be yours.
39"I will punish the descendants of David, but not forever."
40When Solomon learned what the LORD had told Jeroboam, Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam. But he escaped to King Shishak of Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died.
Solomon Dies
(2 Chronicles 9.29-31)
41Everything else Solomon did while he was king is written in the book about him and his wisdom. 42After he had ruled forty years from Jerusalem, 43he died and was buried there in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam then became king.
1 Kings 12
Some of the People Rebel against Rehoboam
(2 Chronicles 10.1-19)
1Rehoboam went to Shechem where everyone was waiting to crown him king. 2Jeroboam son of Nebat heard what was happening, and he stayed in Egypt, [f<="">] where he had gone to hide from Solomon. 3But the people from the northern tribes of Israel sent for him. Then together they went to Rehoboam and said, 4"Your father Solomon forced us to work very hard. But if you make our work easier, we will serve you and do whatever you ask." 5"Give me three days to think about it," Rehoboam replied, "then come back for my answer." So the people left.
6Rehoboam went to some leaders who had been his father's senior officials, and he asked them, "What should I tell these people?"
7They answered, "If you want them to serve and obey you, then you should do what they ask today. Tell them you will make their work easier."
8But Rehoboam refused their advice and went to the younger men who had grown up with him and were now his officials. 9He asked, "What do you think I should say to these people who asked me to make their work easier?"
10His younger advisors said:
Here's what we think you should say to them: "Compared to me, my father was weak. [g<="">] 11He made you work hard, but I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal!" 12Three days later, Jeroboam and the others came back. 13Rehoboam ignored the advice of the older advisors. 14He spoke bluntly and told them exactly what his own advisors had suggested: "My father made you work hard, but I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal!"
15-19When the people realized that Rehoboam would not listen to them, they shouted: "We don't have to be loyal to David's family. We can do what we want. Come on, people of Israel, let's go home! Rehoboam can rule his own people."
Adoniram [h<="">] was in charge of the forced labor, and Rehoboam sent him to talk to the people. But they stoned him to death. Then Rehoboam ran to his chariot and hurried back to Jerusalem. So the people from the northern tribes of Israel went home, leaving Rehoboam to rule only the people from the towns in Judah. Ever since that day, the people of Israel have opposed David's family in Judah. All of this happened just as the LORD's prophet Ahijah had told Jeroboam.
Footnotes:- 1 Kings 11:3 other women: This translates a Hebrew word for a woman who was legally bound to a man, but without the full privileges of a wife.
- 1 Kings 11:15 Edom: See 2 Samuel 8.13,14.
- 1 Kings 11:24 troops: See 2 Samuel 8.3-6.
- 1 Kings 11:27 filling. . . Jerusalem: See the note at 9.15.
- 1 Kings 11:32 ten tribes. . . one tribe: By this time the tribe of Simeon had become part of the tribe of Judah. "One tribe" refers to Judah. Instead of "one tribe," one ancient translation has "two tribes."
- 1 Kings 12:2 he stayed in Egypt: Hebrew; two ancient translations "he returned from Egypt" (see also 2 Chronicles 10.2).
- 1 Kings 12:10 Compared. . . weak: Hebrew "My little finger is bigger than my father's waist."
- 1 Kings 12:15 Adoniram: Two ancient translations (see also 4.6 and 5.14); Hebrew "Adoram."
6Rehoboam went to some leaders who had been his father's senior officials, and he asked them, "What should I tell these people?"
7They answered, "If you want them to serve and obey you, then you should do what they ask today. Tell them you will make their work easier."
8But Rehoboam refused their advice and went to the younger men who had grown up with him and were now his officials. 9He asked, "What do you think I should say to these people who asked me to make their work easier?"
10His younger advisors said:
Here's what we think you should say to them: "Compared to me, my father was weak. [g<="">] 11He made you work hard, but I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal!" 12Three days later, Jeroboam and the others came back. 13Rehoboam ignored the advice of the older advisors. 14He spoke bluntly and told them exactly what his own advisors had suggested: "My father made you work hard, but I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal!"
15-19When the people realized that Rehoboam would not listen to them, they shouted: "We don't have to be loyal to David's family. We can do what we want. Come on, people of Israel, let's go home! Rehoboam can rule his own people."
Adoniram [h<="">] was in charge of the forced labor, and Rehoboam sent him to talk to the people. But they stoned him to death. Then Rehoboam ran to his chariot and hurried back to Jerusalem. So the people from the northern tribes of Israel went home, leaving Rehoboam to rule only the people from the towns in Judah. Ever since that day, the people of Israel have opposed David's family in Judah. All of this happened just as the LORD's prophet Ahijah had told Jeroboam.
Footnotes:
- 1 Kings 11:3 other women: This translates a Hebrew word for a woman who was legally bound to a man, but without the full privileges of a wife.
- 1 Kings 11:15 Edom: See 2 Samuel 8.13,14.
- 1 Kings 11:24 troops: See 2 Samuel 8.3-6.
- 1 Kings 11:27 filling. . . Jerusalem: See the note at 9.15.
- 1 Kings 11:32 ten tribes. . . one tribe: By this time the tribe of Simeon had become part of the tribe of Judah. "One tribe" refers to Judah. Instead of "one tribe," one ancient translation has "two tribes."
- 1 Kings 12:2 he stayed in Egypt: Hebrew; two ancient translations "he returned from Egypt" (see also 2 Chronicles 10.2).
- 1 Kings 12:10 Compared. . . weak: Hebrew "My little finger is bigger than my father's waist."
- 1 Kings 12:15 Adoniram: Two ancient translations (see also 4.6 and 5.14); Hebrew "Adoram."
Acts 9:1-25 (Contemporary English Version)
Acts 9
Saul Becomes a Follower of the Lord
(Acts 22.6-16; 26.12-18)
1Saul kept on threatening to kill the Lord's followers. He even went to the high priest 2and asked for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the Lord's Way. a<="" value="[a]" >[] 3When Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice that said, "Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?" 5"Who are you?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus," the Lord answered. "I am the one you are so cruel to. 6Now get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do."
7The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had not seen anyone. 8Saul got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus, 9and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink.
10A follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered, "Lord, here I am."
11The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. When you get there, you will find a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. Saul is praying, 12and he has seen a vision. He saw a man named Ananias coming to him and putting his hands on him, so that he could see again."
13Ananias replied, "Lord, a lot of people have told me about the terrible things this man has done to your followers in Jerusalem. 14Now the chief priests have given him the power to come here and arrest anyone who worships in your name."
15The Lord said to Ananias, "Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for worshiping in my name."
17Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said, "Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit."
18Suddenly something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see. He got up and was baptized. 19Then he ate and felt much better.
For several days Saul stayed with the Lord's followers in Damascus.
7The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had not seen anyone. 8Saul got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus, 9and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink.
10A follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered, "Lord, here I am."
11The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. When you get there, you will find a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. Saul is praying, 12and he has seen a vision. He saw a man named Ananias coming to him and putting his hands on him, so that he could see again."
13Ananias replied, "Lord, a lot of people have told me about the terrible things this man has done to your followers in Jerusalem. 14Now the chief priests have given him the power to come here and arrest anyone who worships in your name."
15The Lord said to Ananias, "Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for worshiping in my name."
17Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said, "Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit."
18Suddenly something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see. He got up and was baptized. 19Then he ate and felt much better.
For several days Saul stayed with the Lord's followers in Damascus.
Saul Preaches in Damascus
20Soon he went to the Jewish meeting places and started telling people that Jesus is the Son of God. 21Everyone who heard Saul was amazed and said, "Isn't this the man who caused so much trouble for those people in Jerusalem who worship in the name of Jesus? Didn't he come here to arrest them and take them to the chief priests?" 22Saul preached with such power that he completely confused the Jewish people in Damascus, as he tried to show them that Jesus is the Messiah.
23Later some of them made plans to kill Saul, 24but he found out about it. He learned that they were guarding the gates of the city day and night in order to kill him. 25Then one night his followers let him down over the city wall in a large basket.
Footnotes:- Acts 9:2 accepted the Lord's Way: In the book of Acts, this means to become a follower of the Lord Jesus.
23Later some of them made plans to kill Saul, 24but he found out about it. He learned that they were guarding the gates of the city day and night in order to kill him. 25Then one night his followers let him down over the city wall in a large basket.
Footnotes:
- Acts 9:2 accepted the Lord's Way: In the book of Acts, this means to become a follower of the Lord Jesus.
Psalm 131:1-3 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 131
(A song by David for worship.)
Trust the LORD!
1I am not conceited, LORD, and I don't waste my time
on impossible schemes.
2But I have learned to feel safe
and satisfied,
just like a young child
on its mother's lap.
3People of Israel,
you must trust the LORD
now and forever.
on impossible schemes.
2But I have learned to feel safe
and satisfied,
just like a young child
on its mother's lap.
3People of Israel,
you must trust the LORD
now and forever.
Proverbs 17:4-5 (Contemporary English Version)
4Troublemakers listen
to troublemakers,
and liars listen to liars.
5By insulting the poor,
you insult your Creator.
You will be punished
if you make fun
of someone in trouble.
to troublemakers,
and liars listen to liars.
5By insulting the poor,
you insult your Creator.
You will be punished
if you make fun
of someone in trouble.
Thought for the Day
“As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.” (Luke 11:13 - Contemporary English Version) Although we're imperfect, we still know how to show love and compassion to our children. And so just imagine what a perfect God will show to us.
Quote for the Day
Son of Sultan Mahommed Shah, Aga Khan III, the leader of the Nizari Ismaili Muslims, a sect of Shia Islam, the father of Aga Khan IV and a sayyid descendant of Muhammad through his cousin Ali, daughter Fatimah and grandson Husayn ibn Ali, Aly Khan wrote, “It is not necessary to dwell on the political and social principles of Islam, to underline how close they also are in spirit to the concepts of human rights which govern the political and social systems of the West.”
A Joke for Today
Back in my hippie college days, a professor came up to me in the cafeteria and asked me, "Ya dig?"
I thought to myself, this guy's pretty far out. I answered, "Yeh, man. I dig!"
That's how I got hoodwinked into joining his archaeological expedition.
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 people take seriously God's call to be good stewards of creation.
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