Today's Reading

¹It happened, when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established, and he was strong, that he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

²It happened in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had trespassed against the Lord,

³with twelve hundred chariots, and sixty thousand horsemen. The people were without number who came with him out of Egypt: the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians.

⁴He took the fortified cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

⁵Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, who were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, "Thus says the Lord, 'You have forsaken me, therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.'"

⁶Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, "The Lord is righteous."

⁷When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, "They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them; but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

⁸Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries."

⁹So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house. He took it all away. He also took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

¹⁰King Rehoboam made in their place shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house.

¹¹It was so, that as often as the king entered into the house of the Lord, the guard came and bore them, and brought them back into the guard room.

¹²When he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to destroy him altogether: and moreover in Judah there were good things found.

¹³So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there: and his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess.

¹⁴He did that which was evil, because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.

¹⁵Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, aren't they written in the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, after the way of genealogies? There were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

¹⁶Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his place.

¹In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

²He reigned three years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

³Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor.

⁴Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

⁵Ought you not to know that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

⁶Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.

⁷There were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

⁸"Now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.

⁹Haven't you driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves after the ways of the peoples of other lands? so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, the same may be a priest of those who are no gods.

¹⁰"But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and we have priests ministering to the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work:

¹¹and they burn to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in order on the pure table; and the lampstand of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening: for we keep the instruction of the Lord our God; but you have forsaken him.

¹²Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers; for you shall not prosper."

¹³But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

¹⁴When Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

¹⁵Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened, that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

¹⁶The children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand.

¹⁷Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

¹⁸Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers.

¹⁹Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with its towns, and Jeshanah with its towns, and Ephron with its towns.

²⁰Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah. The Lord struck him, and he died.

²¹But Abijah grew mighty, and took to himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.

²²The rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.

¹So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet ten years.

²Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God:

³for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and cut down the Asherim,

⁴and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.

⁵Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.

⁶He built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because the Lord had given him rest.

⁷For he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities, and make walls around them, with towers, gates, and bars. 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.

⁸Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valor.

⁹There came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a million troops, and three hundred chariots; and he came to Mareshah.

¹⁰Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

¹¹Asa cried to the Lord his God, and said, "Lord, there is none besides you to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength. Help us, Lord our God; for we rely on you, and in your name are we come against this multitude. Lord, you are our God. Do not let man prevail against you."

¹²So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.

¹³Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar: and there fell of the Ethiopians so many that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before his army; and they carried away very much booty.

¹⁴They struck all the cities around Gerar; for the fear of the Lord came on them: and they despoiled all the cities; for there was much spoil in them.

¹⁵They struck also the tents of livestock, and carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.

¹Brothers, my heart's desire and my prayer to God is for them, that they may be saved.

²For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

³For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

⁴For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

⁵For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, "The one who does them will live by them."

⁶But the righteousness which is of faith says this, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down);

⁷or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)"

⁸But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;" that is, the word of faith, which we proclaim:

⁹that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

¹⁰For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

¹¹For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed."

¹²For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on him.

¹³For, "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

¹⁴How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a proclaimer?

¹⁵And how will they proclaim unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!"

¹⁶But they did not all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"

¹⁷So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

¹⁸But I say, did they not hear? Yes, truly, "Their sound went out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

¹⁹But I ask, did not Israel know? First Moses says, "I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation, with a nation void of understanding I will make you angry."

²⁰Isaiah is very bold, and says, "I was found by those who did not seek me. I was revealed to those who did not ask for me."

²¹But as to Israel he says, "All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people."

¹ Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain.

²It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil; for he gives sleep to his loved ones.

³Behold, children are a heritage of the Lord. The fruit of the womb is his reward.

⁴As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth.

⁵Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They won't be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

¹My son, do not forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments:

²for length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they add to you.

³Do not let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

⁶In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

⁸It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.

⁹Honor the Lord with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase:

¹⁰so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, neither be weary of his reproof:

¹²for whom the Lord loves, he reproves; even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.

¹³Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.

¹⁴For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.

¹⁶Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.

¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.

¹⁹By wisdom the Lord founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.

²⁰By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.

²¹My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion:

²²so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.

²³Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won't stumble.

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes:

²⁶for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you," when you have it by you.

²⁹Do not devise evil against your neighbor, seeing he dwells securely by you.

³⁰Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.

³²For the perverse is an abomination to the Lord, but his friendship is with the upright.

³³The Lord's curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.

³⁴Surely he is scornful to scoffers, but he gives grace to the humble.

³⁵The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.