Oct 23

2 Kings 4
Psalms 116
Daniel 8
1 Timothy 1

Daily Readings:

2 Kings 4

1 ¶  Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

2  And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

3  Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

4  And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

5  So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

6  And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

7  Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

8 ¶  And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

9  And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.

10  Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

11  And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.

12  And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.

13  And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.

14  And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.

15  And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

16  And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.

17  And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

18 ¶  And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.

19  And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.

20  And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

21  And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.

22  And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.

23  And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.

24  Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.

25  So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:

26  Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.

27  And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.

28  Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?

29  Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.

30  And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.

31  And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.

32  And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.

33  He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.

34  And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

35  Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

36  And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.

37  Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

38 ¶  And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.

39  And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.

40  So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

41  But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.

42  And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

43  And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

44  So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

Psalm 116

1 ¶  I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

2  Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

3  The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

4  Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

5  Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

6  The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

7  Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.

8  For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

9  I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

10 ¶  I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

11  I said in my haste, All men are liars.

12  What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

13  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

14  I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.

15  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

16  O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

17  I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

18  I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people,

19  In the courts of the LORD’S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

Daniel 8

1 ¶  In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.

2  And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.

3  Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.

4  I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

5  And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

6  And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.

7  And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

8  Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

9  And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.

10  And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.

11  Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

12  And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.

13  Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

14  And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

15 ¶  And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.

16  And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.

17  So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

18  Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.

19  And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.

20  The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

21  And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

22  Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

23  And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

24  And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

25  And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

26  And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.

27  And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

1 Timothy 1

1 ¶  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

2  Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

3  As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

4  Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

5 ¶  Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

6  From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

7  Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

8  But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

11  According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

12 ¶  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

13  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14  And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

17  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

18 ¶  This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;

19  Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

20  Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Mediation of the Day: from Charles J Rolls’ book, ‘His Glorious Name’

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