I will sing a new song to you, God. On a ten-stringed lyre, I will sing praises to you. Psalm 144:9

2 Kings 10

Jehu Slaughters Ahab’s Family

¹ Now Ahab had 70 sons in Samaria. Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the rulers of Jezreel, the elders, and to those who brought up Ahab’s sons, saying, ² “Now as soon as this letter arrives to you, since your master’s sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, and also a fortified city, and armor, ³ select the best and fittest of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.”

⁴ But they were terrified and said, “Two kings couldn’t stand before him! How then shall we stand?” ⁵ So the manager of the palace, the governor of the city, the elders, and the guardians, sent a message to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants and will do all that you ask us. We will not make any man king. You do that which is good in your eyes.”

⁶ Then Jehu wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, “If you are on my side, and if you will listen to my voice, then take the heads of the men who are your master’s sons and come to me at Jezreel by tomorrow at this time.”

Now the king’s sons–there were 70–were with the leaders of the city, who brought them up. ⁷ When the letter came to them, the leaders took the king’s sons and killed them, 70 people, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel. ⁸ A messenger came and told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons.”

He said, “Lay them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning.” ⁹ In the morning, he went out and stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? ¹⁰ Know now that nothing will fail of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning Ahab’s house. For the Lord has done that which he spoke through his servant Elijah.”

¹¹ So Jehu killed all that remained of Ahab’s house in Jezreel, including all his leading men, his close friends, and his priests, until he left him not one remaining.

Jehu Slays Ahaziah’s Brothers

¹² Jehu arose and departed and went to Samaria. As he was at the shearing house of the shepherds on the way, ¹³ he met with the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah and said, “Who are you?”

They answered, “We are the brothers of Ahaziah. We are going down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen.”

¹⁴ He said, “Take them alive!”

They took them alive and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, 42 men. He did not leave any of them.

Ahab’s Remaining Family Killed

¹⁵ When Jehu had departed from there, he met Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him. He greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with yours?”

Jehonadab answered, “It is.”

“If it is, give me your hand.” He gave him his hand, and he took him up to him into the chariot. ¹⁶ He said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” So they made him ride in his chariot. ¹⁷ When he came to Samaria, he struck down all who remained from the house of Ahab in Samaria, until he had destroyed them completely, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke to Elijah.

Jehu Kills the Priests of Baal

¹⁸ Jehu gathered all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. ¹⁹ Now therefore call all of the prophets of Baal, all of his worshipers, and all of his priests to me. Let no one be absent, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is absent, he shall not live.” But Jehu acted deceptively, intending to destroy the worshipers of Baal.

²⁰ Jehu said, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal!” So they proclaimed it.

²¹ Jehu sent through all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that did not come. They came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another. ²² He said to him who kept the wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal!” So he brought robes out to them.

²³ Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal. Then he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search and see that none of the servants of the Lord are here with you, but only the worshipers of Baal.” ²⁴ So they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for himself 80 men outside and said, “If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, he who lets him go, his life shall be for the life of him.”

²⁵ As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in and kill them! Let no one escape.” So they struck them with the edge of the sword. The guard and the captains threw the bodies out and went to the inner shrine of the house of Baal. ²⁶ They brought out the pillars that were in the house of Baal and burned them. ²⁷ They broke down the pillar of Baal and broke down the house of Baal and made it a public toilet, to this day. ²⁸ Thus Jehu destroyed Baal from Israel.

Jehu Repeats Jeroboam’s Sins

²⁹ However, Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he caused Israel to commit, with the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan. ³⁰ The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in executing that which is right in my eyes and have done to Ahab’s house according to all that was in my heart, your descendants shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”

³¹ But Jehu was not careful to follow the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, which he caused Israel to commit.

Hazael Oppresses Israel

³² In those days the Lord began to cut away parts of Israel, and Hazael struck them in all the borders of Israel. ³³ from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, to Gilead and Bashan.

Jehoahaz Succeeds Jehu in Israel

³⁴ Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, and all that he did, and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ³⁵ Jehu rested with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. Jehoahaz his son reigned in his place. ³⁶ The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was 28 years.

Acts 17:1-34

Paul Preaches at Thessalonica

¹ Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² Paul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and demonstrating that the Messiah had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, he is the Messiah.”

⁴ Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and many of the leading women.

Jason Seized

⁵ But the unpersuaded Jews took along some wicked men from the marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people. ⁶ When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here also, ⁷ whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!” ⁸ The multitude and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things. ⁹ When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Paul and Silas at Berea

¹⁰ The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

¹¹ Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. ¹² Many of them therefore believed, including a number of prominent Greek women, and not a few men. ¹³ But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of the Lord was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, agitating the crowds. ¹⁴ Then the brothers immediately sent Paul out to go as far as the sea, and Silas and Timothy remained at Beroea. ¹⁵ But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. After receiving a command to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.

Paul at Athens

¹⁶ Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout people, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him. ¹⁸ Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?”  Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign deities,” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

¹⁹ They took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which you are speaking about? ²⁰ For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.” ²¹ Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

Paul Before the Areopagus

²² Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said,

“You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things. ²³ For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you.

²⁴ The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands. ²⁵ He isn’t served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing that he himself gives to all life, and breath, and all things.

²⁶ He made, from one blood, every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, ²⁷ that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in him we live, move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’

²⁹ Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man. ³⁰ The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, ³¹ because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained, of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”

³² Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed, but others said, “We want to hear from you again concerning this.”

³³ Thus Paul went out from among them. ³⁴ But certain men joined with him and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Psalm 144

Blessed be the Lord, My Rock

By David.

¹ Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle,
² my steadfast love and my fortress,
my high tower, my deliverer,
my shield in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.

³ Lord, what is man, that you care for him?
Or the son of man, that you think of him?
⁴ Man is like a breath.
His days are like a shadow that passes away.
⁵ Part your heavens, Lord, and come down.
Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.
⁶ Throw out lightning, and scatter them.
Send out your arrows, and rout them.
⁷ Stretch out your hand from above,
rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters,
out of the hands of foreigners,
⁸ whose mouths speak deceit,
whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

⁹ I will sing a new song to you, God.
On a ten-stringed lyre, I will sing praises to you.
¹⁰ You are he who gives salvation to kings,
who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword.
¹¹ Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hands of foreigners,
whose mouths speak deceit,
whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

¹² Then our sons will be like well-nurtured plants,
our daughters like pillars carved to adorn a palace.
¹³ Our barns are full, filled with all kinds of provision.
Our sheep produce thousands and ten thousands in our fields.
¹⁴ Our oxen will pull heavy loads.
There is no breaking in, and no going away,
and no outcry in our streets.
¹⁵ Happy are the people who are in such a situation.
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.

Proverbs 17:27-28

²⁷ He who spares his words has knowledge.
He who is even tempered is a man of understanding.
²⁸ Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is counted wise.
When he shuts his lips, he is thought to be discerning.

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