Today’s
Reading : Ezra 8 – 10 and Philippians
1 (KJV)
Ezra 8
Ezr 8:1 These are
now the chief of their fathers, and this
is the genealogy of them that went up
with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the
king.
Ezr 8:2 Of the sons of Phinehas;
Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar;
Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush.
Ezr 8:3 Of the sons of Shechaniah,
of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were
reckoned by genealogy of the males a hundred and fifty.
Ezr 8:4 Of the sons of Pahath-moab;
Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah,
and with him two hundred males.
Ezr 8:5 Of the sons of Shechaniah;
the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred
males.
Ezr 8:6 Of the sons also of Adin;
Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.
Ezr 8:7 And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah
the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males.
Ezr 8:8 And of the sons of Shephatiah;
Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore
males.
Ezr 8:9 Of the sons of Joab;
Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred
and eighteen males.
Ezr 8:10 And of the sons of Shelomith;
the son of Josiphiah, and with him a hundred and
threescore males.
Ezr 8:11 And of the sons of Bebai;
Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and
eight males.
Ezr 8:12 And of the sons of Azgad;
Johanan the son of Hakkatan,
and with him a hundred and ten males.
Ezr 8:13 And of the last sons of Adonikam,
whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.
Ezr 8:14 Of the sons also of Bigvai;
Uthai, and Zabbud, and with
them seventy males.
Ezr 8:15 And I gathered them together to the river
that runneth to Ahava; and
there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests,
and found there none of the sons of Levi.
Ezr 8:16 Then sent I for Eliezer,
for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan,
and for Jarib, and for Elnathan,
and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam,
chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.
Ezr 8:17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia,
and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims,
at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us
ministers for the house of our God.
Ezr 8:18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they
brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli,
the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah,
with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;
Ezr 8:19 And Hashabiah, and
with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari,
his brethren and their sons, twenty;
Ezr 8:20 Also of the Nethinims,
whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two
hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were
expressed by name.
Ezr 8:21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river
of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our
God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all
our substance.
Ezr 8:22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a
band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because
we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his
power and his wrath is against all them
that forsake him.
Ezr 8:23 So we fasted and besought our God for this:
and he was entreated of us.
Ezr 8:24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the
priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah,
and ten of their brethren with them,
Ezr 8:25 And weighed unto them the silver, and the
gold, and the vessels, even the offering
of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords,
and all Israel there present, had
offered:
Ezr 8:26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred
and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels a hundred talents, and of gold a hundred talents;
Ezr 8:27 Also twenty basins of gold, of a thousand
drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.
Ezr 8:28 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your
fathers.
Ezr 8:29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them
before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of
Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.
Ezr 8:30 So took the priests and the Levites the
weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.
Ezr 8:31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day
of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us,
and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by
the way.
Ezr 8:32 And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there
three days.
Ezr 8:33 Now on the fourth day was the silver and the
gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was
Jozabad the son of Jeshua,
and Noadiah the son of Binnui,
Levites;
Ezr 8:34 By number and
by weight of every one: and all the weight was written at that time.
Ezr 8:35 Also
the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the
captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for
all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering: all this was a
burnt offering unto the LORD.
Ezr 8:36 And they delivered the king's commissions
unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and
they furthered the people, and the house of God.
Ezra 9
Ezr 9:1 Now when these things were done, the princes
came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites,
have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the
Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
Ezr 9:2 For they have taken of their daughters for
themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves
with the people of those lands: yea, the
hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
Ezr 9:3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my
garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and
sat down astonished.
Ezr 9:4 Then were assembled unto me every one that
trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of
those that had been carried away; and I sat astonished until the evening
sacrifice.
Ezr 9:5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from
my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees,
and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,
Ezr 9:6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to
lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the
heavens.
Ezr 9:7 Since the days of our fathers have we been
in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of
the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to
confusion of face, as it is this day.
Ezr 9:8 And now for a little space grace hath been showed from the LORD our God, to leave us a
remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may
lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
Ezr 9:9 For we were
bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended
mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to
set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give
us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
Ezr 9:10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after
this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,
Ezr 9:11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the
prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land
with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which
have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.
Ezr 9:12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto
their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace
or their wealth forever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land,
and leave it for an inheritance to your
children forever.
Ezr 9:13 And after all that is come upon us for our
evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished
us less than our iniquities deserve, and
hast given us such deliverance as this;
Ezr 9:14 Should we again break thy commandments, and
join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest
not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there
should be
no remnant nor escaping?
Ezr 9:15 O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this
day: behold, we are before thee in our
trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.
Ezra 10
Ezr 10:1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had
confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there
assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and
children: for the people wept very sore.
Ezr 10:2 And Shechaniah the
son of Jehiel, one
of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against
our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there
is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
Ezr 10:3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our
God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the
counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God;
and let it be done according to the law.
Ezr 10:4 Arise; for this
matter belongeth
unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.
Ezr 10:5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests,
the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this
word. And they swore.
Ezr 10:6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of
God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when
he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because
of the transgression of them that had been carried away.
Ezr 10:7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah
and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather
themselves together unto Jerusalem;
Ezr 10:8 And that whosoever would not come within
three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his
substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of
those that had been carried away.
Ezr 10:9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin
gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the
street of the house of God, trembling because of this
matter, and for the great rain.
Ezr 10:10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto
them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the
trespass of Israel.
Ezr 10:11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD
God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the
people of the land, and from the strange wives.
Ezr 10:12 Then all the congregation answered and said
with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.
Ezr 10:13 But the people are
many, and it is
a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a
work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.
Ezr 10:14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand,
and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed
times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until
the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.
Ezr 10:15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel
and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah
were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the
Levite helped them.
Ezr 10:16 And the children of the captivity did so. And
Ezra the priest, with certain chief of
the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the
first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
Ezr 10:17 And they made an end with all the men that
had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.
Ezr 10:18 And among the sons of the priests there were
found that had taken strange wives: namely,
of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak,
and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer,
and Jarib, and Gedaliah.
Ezr 10:19 And they gave their hands that they would put
away their wives; and being guilty, they offered
a ram of the flock for their trespass.
Ezr 10:20 And of the sons of Immer;
Hanani, and Zebadiah.
Ezr 10:21 And of the sons of Harim;
Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah,
and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
Ezr 10:22 And of the sons of Pashur;
Elioenai, Maaseiah,
Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad,
and Elasah.
Ezr 10:23 Also of the Levites; Jozabad,
and Shimei, and Kelaiah,
(the same is Kelita,)
Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
Ezr 10:24 Of the singers also; Eliashib:
and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem,
and Uri.
Ezr 10:25 Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
Ezr 10:26 And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah,
Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi,
and Jeremoth, and Eliah.
Ezr 10:27 And of the sons of Zattu;
Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
Ezr 10:28 Of the sons also of Bebai;
Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
Ezr 10:29 And of the sons of Bani;
Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.
Ezr 10:30 And of the sons of Pahath-moab;
Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
Ezr 10:31 And of
the sons of Harim; Eliezer,
Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
Ezr 10:32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
Ezr 10:33 Of the sons of Hashum;
Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and
Shimei.
Ezr 10:34 Of the sons of Bani;
Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
Ezr 10:35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
Ezr 10:36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
Ezr 10:37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
Ezr 10:38 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
Ezr 10:39 And Shelemiah, and
Nathan, and Adaiah,
Ezr 10:40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
Ezr 10:41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
Ezr 10:42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
Ezr 10:43 Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel,
Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.
Ezr 10:44 All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
Philippians 1
Php 1:1 Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus
Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the
bishops and deacons:
Php 1:2 Grace be
unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Php 1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Php 1:4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all
making request with joy,
Php 1:5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the
first day until now;
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he
which hath begun a good work in you will perform it
until the day of Jesus Christ:
Php 1:7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of
you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in
the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
Php 1:8 For God is my record, how greatly I long
after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
Php 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound
yet more and more in knowledge and in
all judgment;
Php 1:10 That ye may approve things that are
excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
Php 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of
righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Php 1:12 But I would ye should understand, brethren,
that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the
furtherance of the gospel;
Php 1:13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in
all the palace, and in all other places;
Php 1:14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing
confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Php 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and
strife; and some also of good will:
Php 1:16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely,
supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
Php 1:17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set
for the defence of the gospel.
Php 1:18 What then? notwithstanding, every way,
whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice,
yea, and will rejoice.
Php 1:19 For I know that this shall turn to my
salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
Php 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body,
whether it be
by life, or by death.
Php 1:21 For to me to live is
Christ, and to die is gain.
Php 1:22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall
choose I wot not.
Php 1:23 For I am in a strait between two, having a
desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Php 1:24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
Php 1:25 And having this confidence, I know that I
shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
Php 1:26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in
Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see
you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one
spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Php 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries:
which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and
that of God.
Php 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of
Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Php 1:30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me,
and now hear to be in me.