The Daily Audio Bible
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CONQUEST OF CANAAN
22 You gave kingdoms and nations to the Israelites
and assigned them their boundaries.
So they took possession of the land of Sihon,
the land of the king of Heshbon,
and the land of King Og of Bashan.
23 You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky.
You brought them into the land you told their parents to enter and possess.
24 Their children took possession of the land.
You defeated for them the Canaanites, who lived in the land.
You handed the Canaanite kings and their people over to them
to do whatever they wanted with the Canaanites.
25 The Israelites captured fortified cities and a rich land.
They took possession of houses filled with all sorts of good things,
cisterns, vineyards, olive trees,
and plenty of fruit trees.
So they ate and were satisfied and grew fat.
They enjoyed the vast supply of good things you gave them.
ISRAEL’S REBELLION
26 But they were defiant and rebelled against you.
They threw your teachings over their shoulders
and killed your prophets who warned them to turn back to you.
They committed outrageous sins.
27 You handed them over to their enemies, who made them suffer.
When they began to suffer, they cried to you.
You heard them from heaven.
You gave them saviors to rescue them from their enemies
because of your endless compassion.
28 As soon as they felt some relief,
they were again doing what you considered evil.
You abandoned them to their enemies, who conquered them.
They cried to you again, and you heard them from heaven.
You rescued them many times because of your compassion.
29 You warned them in order to bring them back to your teachings,
but they became arrogant and would not obey your commandments.
They sinned by not following your regulations.
If anyone follows them, he will find life in them.
But they gave you the cold shoulder,
became impossible to deal with, and wouldn’t listen.
30 You were patient with them for many years.
You warned them by your Spirit through your prophets.
However, they wouldn’t listen.
So you handed them over to the people in the surrounding nations.
31 But your compassion is endless.
You didn’t destroy them or abandon them.
You are a merciful and compassionate God.
THE PRESENT
32 And now, our God, you are the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God.
You faithfully keep your promises.
Do not consider all the hardships
that we have been going through as unimportant.
The hardships have come to our kings, leaders, priests, prophets,
ancestors, and all your people
from the time of the kings of Assyria until now.
33 But you were fair about everything that has happened to us.
You have been faithful, but we have been wicked.
34 Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors didn’t obey your teachings.
They didn’t pay attention to your commandments or the warnings
that you gave them.
35 When they lived in their own kingdom and enjoyed the many good things
that you gave them in a vast, fertile land
which was set in front of them, they didn’t serve you
or turn away from their wicked lives.
36 Look ⌞at us⌟ now. We’re slaves!
In the land you gave our ancestors,
they could eat its produce and ⌞enjoy⌟ its good things.
But now we’re slaves!
37 The many products ⌞from our land⌟ go to the kings you put over us.
This is because of our sins.
These kings have control over our bodies,
and they do as they please with our livestock.
We are in agony.[a]
An Agreement in Writing
38 “We are making a binding agreement ⌞and putting it⌟ in writing because of all this. Our leaders, Levites, and priests are putting their seals on the document.”
10 [b]The following people sealed the agreement: Governor Nehemiah (son of Hacaliah), Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchiah, 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 These were the Levites: Jeshua (son of Azaniah), Binnui (of the sons of Henadad), Kadmiel, 10 and their relatives Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
14 These were the leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 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, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
28 The rest of the people took an oath. These people included the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the inhabitants of the land for the sake of God’s Teachings. Their wives, sons, daughters, and everyone who is capable of understanding also took an oath. 29 They joined their relatives, the nobles, in binding themselves with a curse and an oath to follow God’s teachings given by Moses, God’s servant. They also bound themselves to follow all the commandments, rules, and regulations of the Lord our Lord.
30 We will not allow our daughters to marry the inhabitants of the land or allow their daughters to marry our sons. 31 If the inhabitants of the land bring merchandise or grain to sell on the day of rest—a holy day, we won’t buy anything from them on the day of rest or any other holy day. During the seventh year, we won’t plant the fields or collect any debts.
32 Also, we take upon ourselves the obligation to give an eighth of an ounce of silver every year for worship in our God’s temple: 33 for rows of the bread of the presence, and for the daily grain offerings and daily burnt offerings, on the weekly days of rest—holy days, and on the New Moon Festivals, and at the appointed annual festivals, for the holy gifts and offerings for sin that make peace with God for Israel, and for all the other work in the temple of our God.
34 We priests, Levites, and laypeople have drawn lots to decide the order in which the heads of our families should bring wood to our God’s temple to burn on the altar of the Lord our God at appointed times every year according to the directions in the Teachings. 35 We have drawn lots to decide who should bring the first produce harvested and the first fruit from every tree each year to the Lord’s temple. 36 Following the directions in the Teachings, we have drawn lots to decide who should bring the firstborn of our sons, our cattle, and our flocks to the priests serving in our God’s temple. 37 Also, we have drawn lots to decide who should bring the best of our coarse flour, contributions, fruit from every tree, new wine, and olive oil to the priests, to the storerooms. We will bring for the Levites one-tenth of the produce from our fields, because the Levites are the ones who collect one-tenth of the produce from all our farm communities. 38 A priest—one of Aaron’s descendants—should be with the Levites when they collect the tenth. Then the Levites should bring one-tenth of these tenths to our God’s temple, into the rooms of the storehouses there. 39 The Israelites and the Levites should bring into the storerooms their contributions of grain, new wine, and olive oil. They should bring these products to the place where the utensils of the holy place are and where the priests who serve and the gatekeepers and the singers are. We won’t neglect our God’s temple.
Paul’s Work as an Apostle
19 Although I’m free from all people, I have made myself a slave for all people to win more of them. 20 I became Jewish for Jewish people. I became subject to the laws in Moses’ Teachings for those who are subject to those laws. I did this to win them even though I’m not subject to Moses’ Teachings. 21 I became like a person who does not have Moses’ Teachings for those who don’t have those teachings. I did this to win them even though I have God’s teachings. I’m really subject to Christ’s teachings. 22 I became like a person weak in faith to win those who are weak in faith. I have become everything to everyone in order to save at least some of them. 23 I do all this for the sake of the Good News in order to share what it offers.
24 Don’t you realize that everyone who runs in a race runs to win, but only one runner gets the prize? Run like them, so that you can win. 25 Everyone who enters an athletic contest goes into strict training. They do it to win a temporary crown, but we do it to win one that will be permanent. 26 So I run—but not without a clear goal ahead of me. So I box—but not as if I were just shadow boxing. 27 Rather, I toughen my body with punches and make it my slave so that I will not be disqualified after I have spread the Good News to others.
Learn from What Happened in the Time of Moses
10 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that all our ancestors ⌞who left Egypt⌟ were under the cloud, and they all went through the sea. 2 They were all united with Moses by baptism in the cloud and in the sea. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Yet, God was not pleased with most of them, so their dead bodies were scattered over the desert.
6 These things have become examples for us so that we won’t desire what is evil, as they did. 7 So don’t worship false gods as some of them did, as Scripture says, “The people sat down to a feast which turned into an orgy.” 8 We shouldn’t sin sexually as some of them did. Twenty-three thousand of them died on one day. 9 We shouldn’t put the Lord [a] to the test as some of them did. They were killed by snakes. 10 Don’t complain as some of them did. The angel of death destroyed them. 11 These things happened to make them an example for others. These things were written down as a warning for us who are living in the closing days of history. 12 So, people who think they are standing firmly should be careful that they don’t fall.
13 There isn’t any temptation that you have experienced which is unusual for humans. God, who faithfully keeps his promises, will not allow you to be tempted beyond your power to resist. But when you are tempted, he will also give you the ability to endure the temptation as your way of escape.
By David when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech; Abimelech threw him out, so David left.
34 I will thank the Lord at all times.
My mouth will always praise him.
2 My soul will boast about the Lord.
Those who are oppressed will hear it and rejoice.
3 Praise the Lord’s greatness with me.
Let us highly honor his name together.
4 I went to the Lord for help.
He answered me and rescued me from all my fears.
5 All who look to him will be radiant.
Their faces will never be covered with shame.
6 Here is a poor man who called out.
The Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles.
7 The Messenger of the Lord camps around those who fear him,
and he rescues them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Blessed is the person who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you holy people who belong to him.
Those who fear him are never in need.
10 Young lions go hungry and may starve,
but those who seek the Lord’s help have all the good things they need.
13 Whoever shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will call and not be answered.
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