July 7

Joshua 9
Psalms 140
Psalm 141
Jeremiah 3
Matthew 17

Daily Readings:

Joshua 9

1 ¶  And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;

2  That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

3 ¶  And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,

4  They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;

5  And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.

6  And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.

7  And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?

8  And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?

9  And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

10  And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.

11  Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us.

12  This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:

13  And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.

14  And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

15 ¶  And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.

16  And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.

17  And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.

18  And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.

19  But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

20  This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.

21  And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.

22 ¶  And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?

23  Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.

24  And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

25  And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.

26  And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.

27  And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.

Psalm 140

1 ¶  « To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. » Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

2  Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.

3  They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.

4  Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

5  The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.

6  I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.

7  O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

8 ¶  Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

9  As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

10  Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

11  Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

12  I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.

13  Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Psalm 141

1 ¶  « A Psalm of David. » LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

2  Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

3  Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

4  Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

5 ¶  Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.

6  When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

7  Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

8  But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

9  Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.

10  Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.

Jeremiah 3

1 ¶  They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.

2  Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

3  Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

4  Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?

5  Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.

6 ¶  The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.

7  And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

8  And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

9  And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

10  And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.

11  And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

12 ¶  Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

14  Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

15  And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16  And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

17  At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

18  In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

19  But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

20 ¶  Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.

21  A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.

22  Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

23  Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

24  For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

25  We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

Matthew 17

1 ¶  And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

2  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

3  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

4  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

5  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

6  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

7  And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

8  And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

9  And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

10  And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

11  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

12  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

13  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

14 ¶  And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

15  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

16  And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

17  Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

18  And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

19  Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

21  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

22 ¶  And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:

23  And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

24 ¶  And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

25  He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

26  Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

27  Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Mediation of the Day: from Charles J Rolls’ book, ‘Time’s Noblest Name’

N6-N01 The New Name4 N6-N02 The New Name5 N6-N03 The New Name6

 

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