For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Nehemiah 12:27-13:31English Standard Version (ESV)
Dedication of the Wall
27 And at (
A)the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, (
B)with cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; 29 also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30 And the priests and the Levites (
C)purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.
31 Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. (
D)One went to the south on the wall to (
E)the Dung Gate. 32 And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, 33 and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, 35 and certain of the priests' sons (
F)with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; 36 and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, (
G)with the musical instruments of David(
H)the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37 At (
I)the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by (
J)the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to (
K)the Water Gate on the east.
38 (
L)The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above (
M)the Tower of the Ovens, to (
N)the Broad Wall, 39 and above (
O)the Gate of Ephraim, and by (
P)the Gate of Yeshanah,[
a] and by(
Q)the Fish Gate and (
R)the Tower of Hananel and (
S)the Tower of the Hundred, to (
T)the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at (
U)the Gate of the Guard. 40 So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me; 41 and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, (
V)with trumpets; 42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. 43 And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.
Service at the Temple
44 (
W)On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered. 45 And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, (
X)according to the command of David and his son Solomon. 46 For long ago in the days of David and(
Y)Asaph there were directors of the singers, and there were songs[
b] of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the (
Z)daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; (
AA)and they set apart that which was for the Levites; (
AB)and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.
Nehemiah's Final Reforms
13 On that day (
AC)they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written (
AD)that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2 for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 As soon as the people heard the law, (
AE)they separated from Israel all (
AF)those of foreign descent.
4 Now before this, (
AG)Eliashib the priest, who (
AH)was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to (
AI)Tobiah, 5 prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, (
AJ)which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. 6 While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for (
AK)in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes(
AL)king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king7 and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, (
AM)preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 8 And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I gave orders, and they (
AN)cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
10 I also found out that (
AO)the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each (
AP)to his field.11 (
AQ)So I confronted the officials and said, (
AR)“Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. 12 Then all Judah brought(
AS)the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13 And (
AT)I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, (
AU)for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers.14 (
AV)Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.
15 In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses (
AW)on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, (
AX)which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And(
AY)I warned them on the day when they sold food. 16 Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! 17 (
AZ)Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, (
BA)profaning the Sabbath day? 18 (
BB)Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster[
c] on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
19 As soon as it (
BC)began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 (
BD)But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites (
BE)that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. (
BF)Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.
23 In those days also I saw the Jews (
BG)who had married women (
BH)of Ashdod,(
BI)Ammon, and (
BJ)Moab. 24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.25 (
BK)And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. (
BL)And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 (
BM)Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women?(
BN)Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was (
BO)beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. 27 Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and (
BP)act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”
28 And one of the sons of (
BQ)Jehoiada, the son of (
BR)Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of (
BS)Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me.29 Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood (
BU)and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; 31 and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits.
Remember me, O my God, for good.
1 Corinthians 11 English Standard Version (ESV)
11 (A)Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Head Coverings
2 Now I commend you (B)because you remember me in everything and (C)maintain the traditions (D)even as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that (E)the head of every man is Christ, (F)the head of a wife[a] is her husband, and (G)the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wife[b] who prays or (H)prophesies (I)with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same (J)as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since (K)he is the image and glory of God, but (L)woman is the glory of man. 8 For(M)man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but (N)woman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.[c] 11 Nevertheless, (O)in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And (P)all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 (Q)If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do (R)the churches of God.
Psalm 35: 1-16
Psalm 35 English Standard Version (ESV)
Great Is the Lord
Of David.
35 Contend, O Lord, with those who (A)contend with me;
(B)fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of (C)shield and buckler
and rise for my help!
3 Draw the spear and javelin[a]
against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation!”
4 (D)Let them be (E)put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life!
Let them be (F)turned back and disappointed
who devise evil against me!
5 Let them be like (G)chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away!
6 Let their way be dark and (H)slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!
7 For (I)without cause (J)they hid their net for me;
without cause they dug (K)a pit for my life.[b]
8 Let (L)destruction come upon him (M)when he does not know it!
And let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his destruction!
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord,
(N)exulting in his salvation.
10 All my (O)bones shall say,
“O Lord, (P)who is like you,
delivering the poor
from him who is too strong for him,
the poor and needy from him who robs him?”
11 (Q)Malicious[c] witnesses rise up;
they ask me of things that I do not know.
12 (R)They repay me evil for good;
my soul is bereft.[d]
13 But I, (S)when they were sick—
I (T)wore sackcloth;
I (U)afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed (V)with head bowed[e] on my chest.
14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
I (W)bowed down in mourning.
15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;
they gathered together against me;
wretches whom I did not know
tore at me without ceasing;
16 like profane mockers at a feast,
they gnash at me with their teeth.
This afternoon, when I came back from school, I was pleased to hear my hubby mention that Boko Haram agreed to release the schoolgirls. Here is the article in the BBC news. Nigeria's military says it has agreed a ceasefire with Islamist militants Boko Haram - and that the schoolgirls the group has abducted will be released.
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