2 Samuel 10

• 1. Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king.
• 2. David said, "I am going to show complete loyalty to Hanun because his father, Nahash, was always completely loyal to me." So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun about his father's death. But when David's ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon,
• 3. Hanun's advisers said to their master, "Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the city so that they can come in and conquer it!"
• 4. So Hanun seized David's ambassadors and shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.
• 5. When David heard what had happened, he sent messengers to tell the men to stay at Jericho until their beards grew out, for they were very embarrassed by their appearance.
• 6. Now the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, so they hired twenty thousand Aramean mercenaries from the lands of Beth-rehob and Zobah, one thousand from the king of Maacah, and twelve thousand from the land of Tob.
• 7. When David heard about this, he sent Joab and the entire Israelite army to fight them.
• 8. The Ammonite troops drew up their battle lines at the entrance of the city gates, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah positioned themselves to fight in the open fields.
• 9. When Joab saw that he would have to fight on two fronts, he chose the best troops in his army. He placed them under his personal command and led them out to fight the Arameans in the fields.
• 10. He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites.
• 11. "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me," Joab told his brother. "And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you.
• 12. Be courageous! Let us fight bravely to save our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD's will be done."
• 13. When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away.
• 14. And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. After the battle was over, Joab returned to Jerusalem.
• 15. The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel. So when they regrouped,
• 16. they were joined by additional Aramean troops summoned by Hadadezer from the other side of the Euphrates River. These troops arrived at Helam under the command of Shobach, the commander of all Hadadezer's forces.
• 17. When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and led the army to Helam. The Arameans positioned themselves there in battle formation and then attacked David.
• 18. But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David's forces killed seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand horsemen, including Shobach, the commander of their army.
• 19. When Hadadezer and his Aramean allies realized they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to them and became their subjects. After that, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites.

2 Corinthians 3

• 1. Are we beginning again to tell you how good we are? Some people need to bring letters of recommendation with them or ask you to write letters of recommendation for them.
• 2. But the only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves! Your lives are a letter written in our hearts, and everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you.
• 3. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ prepared by us. It is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on stone, but on human hearts.
• 4. We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.
• 5. It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God.
• 6. He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant. This is a covenant, not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old way ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives life.
• 7. That old system of law etched in stone led to death, yet it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses' face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away.
• 8. Shouldn't we expect far greater glory when the Holy Spirit is giving life?
• 9. If the old covenant, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new covenant, which makes us right with God!
• 10. In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new covenant.
• 11. So if the old covenant, which has been set aside, was full of glory, then the new covenant, which remains forever, has far greater glory.
• 12. Since this new covenant gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.
• 13. We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory fading away.
• 14. But the people's minds were hardened, and even to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, a veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.
• 15. Yes, even today when they read Moses' writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
• 16. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the veil is taken away.
• 17. Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom.
• 18. And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.

Ezekiel 17

• 1. Then this message came to me from the LORD:
• 2. "Son of man, tell this story to the people of Israel.
• 3. Give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: A great eagle with broad wings full of many-colored feathers came to Lebanon. He took hold of the highest branch of a cedar tree
• 4. and plucked off its topmost shoot. Then he carried it away to a city filled with merchants, where he planted it.
• 5. "Then he planted one of its seedlings in fertile ground beside a broad river, where it would grow as quickly as a willow tree.
• 6. It took root there and grew into a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned up toward the eagle, and its roots grew down beneath it. It soon produced strong branches and luxuriant leaves.
• 7. But then another great eagle with broad wings and full plumage came along. So the vine sent its roots and branches out toward him for water.
• 8. The vine did this even though it was already planted in good soil and had plenty of water so it could grow into a splendid vine and produce rich leaves and luscious fruit.
• 9. "So now the Sovereign LORD asks: Should I let this vine grow and prosper? No! I will pull it out, roots and all! I will cut off its fruit and let its leaves wither and die. I will pull it out easily enough--it won't take a strong arm or a large army to do it.
• 10. Then when the vine is transplanted, will it thrive? No, it will wither away completely when the east wind blows against it. It will die in the same good soil where it had grown so well."
• 11. Then this message came to me from the LORD:
• 12. "Say to these rebels of Israel: Don't you understand the meaning of this riddle of the eagles? I will tell you, says the Sovereign LORD. The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took away her king and princes, and brought them to Babylon.
• 13. He made a treaty with a member of the royal family and made him take an oath of loyalty. He also exiled Israel's most influential leaders,
• 14. so Israel would not become strong again and revolt. Only by keeping her treaty with Babylon could Israel maintain her national identity.
• 15. "Nevertheless, this man of Israel's royal family rebelled against Babylon, sending ambassadors to Egypt to request a great army and many horses. Can Israel break her sworn treaties like that and get away with it?
• 16. No! For as surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, the king of Israel will die in Babylon, the land of the king who put him in power and whose treaty he despised and broke.
• 17. Pharaoh and all his mighty army will fail to help Israel when the king of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem again and destroys the lives of many.
• 18. For the king of Israel broke his treaty after swearing to obey; therefore, he will not escape.
• 19. "So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, I will punish him for breaking my covenant and despising the solemn oath he made in my name.
• 20. I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and deal with him there for this treason against me.
• 21. And all the best warriors of Israel will be killed in battle, and those remaining in the city will be scattered to the four winds. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken these words.
• 22. "And the Sovereign LORD says: I will take a tender shoot from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel's highest mountain.
• 23. It will become a noble cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter beneath its branches.
• 24. And all the trees will know that it is I, the LORD, who cuts down the tall tree and helps the short tree to grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree wither and gives new life to the dead tree. I, the LORD, have spoken! I will do what I have said."

New Living Translation: 257 of 365 days.