ABP - King James Version - Blended Mix - April Start
Day 131: 1 Samuel 6-8; 19 Psalms 86-88; 2 Corinthians 11-12
6. And the Ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months, and the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do to the Ark of the Lord? Tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place." And they said, "If ye send away the Ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty, but in any wise return him a trespass offering. Then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you." Then said they, "What shall be the trespass offering, which we shall return to him?" They answered, "Five golden emeralds and five golden mice according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on you all and on your lords. Wherefore you shall make images of your emeralds and images of your mice that mar the land, and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel. For adventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh harden their hearts, when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? Now therefore make a new cart, and take to milk-kind, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kind to the cart, and bring their calves home from them, and take the Ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart, and put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof, and send it away that it may go. And see if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth Shemish, then he hath done us this great evil. But if not, we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us, it was a chance that happened to us. And the men did so, and took to milk-kind, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. And they laid the Ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold, and the images of their emeralds. Kind took the straight way to the way of Beth Shemish, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the borders of Beth Shemish. And they of Beth Shemish were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the Ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth Shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone, and they claved the wood of the cart, and offered the kind a burnt offering unto the Lord. And the Levites took down the Ark of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, were in the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone, and the men of Beth Shemish offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord. And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Echron the same day. And these are the golden emeralds which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord, for Ashdod I, for Geza I, for Askelon I, for Gath I, for Echron I. And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines, belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, where on they set down the Ark of the Lord, which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth Shemite. And he smote the men of Beth Shemish because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and three score and ten men, and the people lamented because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter, and the men of Beth Shemish said, "Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God, and to whom shall he go up from us?" And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath, Georim, saying, "The Philistines have brought again the Ark of the Lord, come ye down and fetch it up to you." CHAPTER VII And the men of Kirjath, Georim, came and fetched up the Ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of a minidab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar, his son, to keep the Ark of the Lord. And it came to pass while the Ark abode in Kirjath, Georim, that the time was long, for it was twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. And Samuel spaken to all the house of Israel, saying, "If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods, and ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." Then the children of Israel did put away Balaam and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only. And Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mispa, and I will pray for you unto the Lord." And they gathered together to Mispa and drew water, and put it out before the Lord infested on that day, and said there, we have sinned against the Lord, and Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mispa. And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mispa, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel, and when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. And the children of Israel said to Samuel, "Seas not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines." And Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it for a burnt offering, holy unto the Lord, and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord fundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them, and they were smitten before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mispa and pursued the Philistines and smote them until they came under Bethkar. Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mispa and Shen, and called the name of it, Eben Ezer, saying, "Hither too hath the Lord helped us." So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel, and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Echron even unto Gath, and the coast thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines, and there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life, and he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mispa, and judged Israel in all those places. And his return was to Rama; for there was his house, and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar unto the Lord. Chapter 8 And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second Abaya. They were judges in Birsheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after Luka, and took bribes and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Rama, and said unto him, "Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways. Now make us a king to judge over us like all the nations." But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us," and Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, "Harken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore harken unto their voice, how be it yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, "This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you. He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots; and he will appoint him captains over thousands and captains over fifties, and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots; and he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks and to be bakers; and he will take your fields and your vineyards and your oliveyards even the best of them, and give them to his servants; and he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his officers and to his servants. And he will take your men's servants and your maid's servants, and your goodliest young men and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep, and ye shall be his servants, and ye shall cry out in that day because of your king, which ye shall have chosen you, and the Lord will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, Nay, but we will have a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles; and Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord; and the Lord said to Samuel, Harken unto their voice, and make them a king; and Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city. Psalm 86, a prayer of David. Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul, for I am holy, O thou my God, save thy servant, that trusteth in thee. Be merciful unto me, O Lord, for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice the soul of thy servant, for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer, and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee, for thou wilt answer me. Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord. Neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come, and worship before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and dewest wondrous things, thou art God alone. Teach me thy way, O Lord, I will walk and thy truth, unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord, my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify thy name forever. For great is thy mercy toward me, and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. O God, the prouder risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul, and have not set thee before them. With thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion and gracious, long-suffering, and plintious in mercy and truth. O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me, give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. Show me a token for good, that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed, because thou Lord hast hope in me, and comforted me. Psalm 87. A psalm or psalm for the sons of Korah. His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Sila. I will make mention of Rahab, and Babylon, to them that know me, behold Philistia, and tire with Ethiopia. This man was born there, and of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her, and the highest himself shall establish her. The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Sila. As well the singers as the players on instrument shall be there, so my springs are in thee. Psalm 88. A psalm or psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief musician, upon Mahalath Leonoth, Maskel of Heman, the Ezra height. O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee. Let my prayer come before thee, incline vine ear unto my cry, for my soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit, I am as a man that hath no strength. Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberst no more, and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darkness in the deeps. Thy wrath lieeth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Sila. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me. Thou hast made me an abomination unto them. I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. Mine I mourneth by reason of affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon thee. I have stretched out my hands unto thee. Will thou show wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise thee? Sila. Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark, and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But unto thee have I cried, O Lord, and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. Lord, why castest thou off my soul? Why hideest thou thy face from me? I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up, while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off. They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness. Chapter 11 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly, and indeed bear with me? For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preaching another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if he receive another's spirit, which he have not received, or another gospel, which he have not accepted, he might well bear with him. For I suppose I was not a hoot behind the very chiefest apostles, but though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge, but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things. Have I committed an offense in abasing myself that ye might be exalted because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. And when I was present with you and wanted, I was chargeable to no man. For that which was lacking to me, the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied. And in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself. As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Wherefore, because I love you not, had noeth, but what I do that I will do that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion, that wherein they glory they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ, and no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. I say again, let no man think me of fool, if otherwise yet as a fool receive me that I may boast myself a little. That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. For ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face. I speak as concerning reproach as though we had been weak, how be it, where in so ever any is bold, I speak foolishly, I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more, in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths off. Of the Jews five times received I for he stripes save one, thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, and night and a day have I been in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness. In perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak? And am I not weak? Who is offended? And I burn not? If I must need glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed forevermore, knoweth that I lie not. In Damascus the governor under Aratus, the king kept the city of the Damas scenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me, and threw a window in a basket was I let down by the wall and escaped his hands. Chapter 12 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago. Whether in the body I cannot tell, or whether out of the body I cannot tell, God knoweth, such in one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth, how that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such in one will I glory, yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be full, for I will say the truth. But now I forbear lest any man should think of me above that which he seeeth me to be, or that he hearth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh. The messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord Fries, but it might depart from me, and he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then am I strong. I am become a fool in glory, ye have compelled me, for I ought to have been commended of you, for in nothing am I behind the very cheapest apostles, though I be nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were rot among you in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches except at be, that I myself was not burdensome to you, forgive me this wrong. Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you, for I will seek not yours but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children, and I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. But be it so, I did not burden you, nevertheless being crafty I caught you with guile. Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? I desired Titus and with him I sent a brother, did Titus make a gain of you? Walked we not in the same spirit, walked we not in the same steps. Again think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you, we speak before God in Christ, but we do all things dearly beloved for your edifying. For I fear last when I come I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not; lest there be debates, envings, rafts, strifes, back-biting's, whisperings, swellings, tumults, and lest when I come again my God will humble me among you, and that I shall be wail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication, and lasciviousness which they have committed. [BLANK_AUDIO]