The Daily Audio Bible
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22 You gave them kingdoms and peoples
and assigned them to be a boundary.
They took possession
of the land of Sihon[a] king of Heshbon
and of the land of Og king of Bashan.(A)
23 You multiplied their descendants
like the stars of heaven(B)
and brought them to the land
You told their ancestors to go in and take possession of it.
24 So their descendants went in and possessed the land:
You subdued the Canaanites who inhabited the land before them
and handed their kings and the surrounding peoples over to them,(C)
to do as they pleased with them.
25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land
and took possession of well-supplied houses,
cisterns cut out of rock, vineyards,
olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance.(D)
They ate, were filled,
became prosperous, and delighted in Your great goodness.
26 But they were disobedient and rebelled against You.
They flung Your law behind their backs(E)
and killed Your prophets(F)
who warned them
in order to turn them back to You.
They committed terrible blasphemies.
27 So You handed them over to their enemies,
who oppressed them.
In their time of distress, they cried out to You,
and You heard from heaven.
In Your abundant compassion
You gave them deliverers, who rescued them
from the power of their enemies.
28 But as soon as they had relief,
they again did what was evil in Your sight.
So You abandoned them to the power of their enemies,
who dominated them.
When they cried out to You again,
You heard from heaven and rescued them
many times in Your compassion.(G)
29 You warned them to turn back to Your law,
but they acted arrogantly
and would not obey Your commands.
They sinned against Your ordinances,
which a person will live by if he does them.(H)
They stubbornly resisted,[b]
stiffened their necks, and would not obey.
30 You were patient with them for many years,
and Your Spirit warned them through Your prophets,(I)
but they would not listen.
Therefore, You handed them over to the surrounding peoples.(J)
31 However, in Your abundant compassion,
You did not destroy them or abandon them,(K)
for You are a gracious and compassionate God.(L)
32 So now, our God—the great, mighty,
and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant(M)—
do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us,
our kings and leaders,
our priests and prophets,
our ancestors and all Your people,
from the days of the Assyrian kings(N) until today.
33 You are righteous concerning all that has come on us,
because You have acted faithfully,
while we have acted wickedly.(O)
34 Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors
did not obey Your law
or listen to Your commands
and warnings You gave them.
35 When they were in their kingdom,
with Your abundant goodness that You gave them,
and in the spacious and fertile land You set before them,(P)
they would not serve You or turn from their wicked ways.
36 Here we are today,
slaves in the land You gave our ancestors
so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness.
Here we are—slaves in it!(Q)
37 Its abundant harvest goes to the kings
You have set over us,
because of our sins.
They rule over our bodies
and our livestock as they please.(R)
We are in great distress.
Israel’s Vow of Faithfulness
38 [c]In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement(S) in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.(T)
10 Those whose seals were on the document were:
Nehemiah the governor,(U) son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,
2 Seraiah,(V) Azariah, Jeremiah,
3 Pashhur,(W) Amariah, Malchijah,
4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah.
These were the priests.
9 The Levites(X) were:
Jeshua son of Azaniah,
Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,
10 and their brothers
Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
14 The leaders of the people(Y) were:
Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,(Z)
17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,
19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
23 Hoshea, Hananiah,(AA) Hasshub,
24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
26 Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,
27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
28 The rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with their wives, sons, and daughters, everyone who is able to understand(AB) and who has separated themselves from the surrounding peoples(AC) to obey the law of God— 29 join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath[d](AD) to follow the law of God given through God’s servant Moses(AE) and to carefully obey all the commands, ordinances, and statutes of Yahweh our Lord.
Details of the Vow
30 We will not give our daughters in marriage to the surrounding peoples and will not take their daughters as wives for our sons.(AF)
31 When the surrounding peoples bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or a holy day.(AG) We will also leave the land uncultivated in the seventh year(AH) and will cancel every debt.(AI)
32 We will impose the following commands on ourselves:
To give an eighth of an ounce of silver[e] yearly for the service of the house of our God:(AJ) 33 the bread displayed before the Lord,[f](AK) the daily grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbath and New Moon offerings,(AL) the appointed festivals, the holy things, the sin offerings to atone for Israel,(AM) and for all the work of the house of our God.
34 We have cast lots(AN) among the priests, Levites, and people for the donation of wood by our ancestral houses at the appointed times each year. They are to bring the wood to our God’s house to burn on the altar of the Lord our God,(AO) as it is written in the law.
35 We will bring the firstfruits of our land and of every fruit tree to the Lord’s house year by year.(AP) 36 We will also bring the firstborn of our sons and our livestock, as prescribed by the law, and will bring the firstborn of our herds and flocks to the house of our God,(AQ) to the priests who serve in our God’s house. 37 We will bring a loaf from our first batch of dough(AR) to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God. We will also bring the firstfruits of our grain offerings, of every fruit tree, and of the new wine and oil.(AS) A tenth of our land’s produce belongs to the Levites, for the Levites are to collect the one-tenth offering in all our agricultural towns.(AT) 38 A priest of Aaronic descent must accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth,(AU) and the Levites must take a tenth of this offering to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God.(AV) 39 For the Israelites and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept(AW) and where the priests who minister are, along with the gatekeepers and singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.(AX)
19 Although I am a free man and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win(A) more people. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law[a]—to win those under the law.(B) 21 To those who are without that law,(C) like one without the law—not being without God’s law but within Christ’s law—to win those without the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.(D) 23 Now I do all this because of the gospel, so I may become a partner in its benefits.[b]
24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race,(E) but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.(F) 25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control(G) in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown(H) that will fade away,(I) but we a crown that will never fade away. 26 Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.(J)
Warnings from Israel’s Past
10 Now I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers(K) were all under the cloud,(L) all passed through the sea,(M) 2 and all were baptized(N) into Moses(O) in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food,(P) 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock(Q) that followed them, and that rock was Christ.(R) 5 But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.(S)
6 Now these things became examples for us, so that we will not desire(T) evil things as they did.[c](U) 7 Don’t become idolaters(V) as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play.[d](W)[e] 8 Let us not commit sexual immorality(X) as some of them did,[f] and in a single day 23,000 people fell dead.(Y) 9 Let us not test Christ as some of them did[g] and were destroyed by snakes.(Z) 10 Nor should we complain(AA) as some of them did,[h](AB) and were killed by the destroyer.[i](AC) 11 Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us,(AD) on whom the ends of the ages(AE) have come.(AF) 12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.(AG) 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful,(AH) and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape(AI) so that you are able to bear it.
Psalm 34
The Lord Delivers the Righteous
Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech,[a](A) who drove him out, and he departed.
1 I[b] will praise the Lord at all times;
His praise will always be on my lips.(B)
2 I will boast in the Lord;(C)
the humble will hear and be glad.(D)
3 Proclaim Yahweh’s greatness with me;(E)
let us exalt His name together.(F)
4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.(G)
5 Those who look to Him are[c] radiant with joy;(H)
their faces will never be ashamed.(I)
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him from all his troubles.(J)
7 The Angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear Him, and rescues them.(K)
13 The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
will himself also call out and not be answered.(A)
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