Jan 4

Genesis 4
Ezra 4
Matthew 4
Acts 4

Daily readings:

Genesis 4

1 ¶  And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

2  And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 ¶  And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5  But unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 ¶  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

8 ¶  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

9 ¶  And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

10  And He said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground.

11  And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

12  When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

13 ¶  And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

14  Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

15  And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

16 ¶  And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

17  And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

18  And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

19 ¶  And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

20  And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

21  And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

22  And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

23 ¶  And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

24  If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

25 ¶  And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

26  And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

Ezra 4

1 ¶  Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;

2  Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

3  But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.

4  Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

5  And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 ¶  And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7  And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.

8  Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:

9  Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,

10  And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time.

11  This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time.

12  Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.

13  Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.

14  Now because we have maintenance from the king’s palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

15  That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.

16  We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.

17 ¶  Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.

18  The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.

19  And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.

20  There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them.

21  Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me.

22  Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

23  Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.

24  Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Matthew 4

1 ¶  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred.

3  And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4  But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

5  Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6  And saith unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.

7  Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

8  Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9  And saith unto Him, All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship Me.

10  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.

11  Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.

12 ¶  Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into Galilee;

13  And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

14  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

15  The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

16  The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

18 ¶  And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

19  And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

20  And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him.

21  And going on from thence, He saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.

22  And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed Him.

23 ¶  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

24  And His fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and He healed them.

25  And there followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

Acts 4

1 ¶  And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,

2  Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

3  And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

4  Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

5 ¶  And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,

6  And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

7  And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

8  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

9  If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;

10  Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole.

11  This is the Stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the Head of the Corner.

12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

13  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

14  And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

15 ¶  But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,

16  Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

17  But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

18  And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

19  But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

20  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

21  So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.

22  For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.

23 ¶  And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

24  And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, Thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

25  Who by the mouth of Thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

26  The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ.

27  For of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

28  For to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done.

29  And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy word,

30  By stretching forth Thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of Thy holy child Jesus.

31  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

32 ¶  And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

33  And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

34  Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

35  And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

36  And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

37  Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Mediation of the Day: from Charles J Rolls’ book, ‘The Indescribable Christ’

A4-A01 The Almighty A4-A02 The Almighty

 

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