2 Samuel 17

• 1. Now Ahithophel urged Absalom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men to start out after David tonight.
• 2. I will catch up to him while he is weary and discouraged. He and his troops will panic, and everyone will run away. Then I will kill only the king,
• 3. and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride returns to her husband. After all, it is only this man's life that you seek. Then all the people will remain unharmed and peaceful."
• 4. This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the other leaders of Israel.
• 5. But then Absalom said, "Bring in Hushai the Arkite. Let's see what he thinks about this."
• 6. When Hushai arrived, Absalom told him what Ahithophel had said. Then he asked, "What is your opinion? Should we follow Ahithophel's advice? If not, speak up."
• 7. "Well," Hushai replied, "this time I think Ahithophel has made a mistake.
• 8. You know your father and his men; they are mighty warriors. Right now they are probably as enraged as a mother bear who has been robbed of her cubs. And remember that your father is an experienced soldier. He won't be spending the night among the troops.
• 9. He has probably already hidden in some pit or cave. And when he comes out and attacks and a few of your men fall, there will be panic among your troops, and everyone will start shouting that your men are being slaughtered.
• 10. Then even the bravest of them, though they have the heart of a lion, will be paralyzed with fear. For all Israel knows what a mighty man your father is and how courageous his warriors are.
• 11. "I suggest that you mobilize the entire army of Israel, bringing them from as far away as Dan and Beersheba. That way you will have an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And I think that you should personally lead the troops.
• 12. When we find David, we can descend on him like the dew that falls to the ground, so that not one of his men is left alive.
• 13. And if David has escaped into some city, you will have the entire army of Israel there at your command. Then we can take ropes and drag the walls of the city into the nearest valley until every stone is torn down."
• 14. Then Absalom and all the leaders of Israel said, "Hushai's advice is better than Ahithophel's." For the LORD had arranged to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, which really was the better plan, so that he could bring disaster upon Absalom!
• 15. Then Hushai reported to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, what Ahithophel had said and what he himself had suggested instead.
• 16. "Quick!" he told them. "Find David and urge him not to stay at the shallows of the Jordan River tonight. He must go across at once into the wilderness beyond. Otherwise he will die and his entire army with him."
• 17. Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been staying at En-rogel so as not to be seen entering and leaving the city. Arrangements had been made for a servant girl to bring them the message they were to take to King David.
• 18. But a boy saw them leaving En-rogel to go to David, and he told Absalom about it. Meanwhile, they escaped to Bahurim, where a man hid them inside a well in his courtyard.
• 19. The man's wife put a cloth over the top of the well with grain on it to dry in the sun; so no one suspected they were there.
• 20. When Absalom's men arrived, they asked her, "Have you seen Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" She replied, "They were here, but they crossed the brook." Absalom's men looked for them without success and returned to Jerusalem.
• 21. Then the two men crawled out of the well and hurried on to King David. "Quick!" they told him, "cross the Jordan tonight!" And they told him how Ahithophel had advised that he be captured and killed.
• 22. So David and all the people with him went across the Jordan River during the night, and they were all on the other bank before dawn.
• 23. Meanwhile, Ahithophel was publicly disgraced when Absalom refused his advice. So he saddled his donkey, went to his hometown, set his affairs in order, and hanged himself. He died there and was buried beside his father.
• 24. David soon arrived at Mahanaim. By now, Absalom had mobilized the entire army of Israel and was leading his troops across the Jordan River.
• 25. Absalom had appointed Amasa as commander of his army, replacing Joab, who had been commander under David. (Amasa was Joab's cousin. His father was Jether, an Ishmaelite. His mother, Abigail daughter of Nahash, was the sister of Joab's mother, Zeruiah.)
• 26. Absalom and the Israelite army set up camp in the land of Gilead.
• 27. When David arrived at Mahanaim, he was warmly greeted by Shobi son of Nahash of Rabbah, an Ammonite, and by Makir son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and by Barzillai of Gilead from Rogelim.
• 28. They brought sleeping mats, cooking pots, serving bowls, wheat and barley flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,
• 29. honey, butter, sheep, and cheese for David and those who were with him. For they said, "You must all be very tired and hungry and thirsty after your long march through the wilderness."

2 Corinthians 10

• 1. Now I, Paul, plead with you. I plead with the gentleness and kindness that Christ himself would use, even though some of you say I am bold in my letters but timid in person.
• 2. I hope it won't be necessary, but when I come I may have to be very bold with those who think we act from purely human motives.
• 3. We are human, but we don't wage war with human plans and methods.
• 4. We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds.
• 5. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.
• 6. And we will punish those who remained disobedient after the rest of you became loyal and obedient.
• 7. The trouble with you is that you make your decisions on the basis of appearance. You must recognize that we belong to Christ just as much as those who proudly declare that they belong to Christ.
• 8. I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But this authority is to build you up, not to tear you down. And I will not be put to shame by having my work among you destroyed.
• 9. Now this is not just an attempt to frighten you by my letters.
• 10. For some say, "Don't worry about Paul. His letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are really bad!"
• 11. The ones who say this must realize that we will be just as demanding and forceful in person as we are in our letters.
• 12. Oh, don't worry; I wouldn't dare say that I am as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, and measuring themselves by themselves. What foolishness!
• 13. But we will not boast of authority we do not have. Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God's plan for us, and this plan includes our working there with you.
• 14. We are not going too far when we claim authority over you, for we were the first to travel all the way to you with the Good News of Christ.
• 15. Nor do we claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow and that our work among you will be greatly enlarged.
• 16. Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places that are far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question about being in someone else's territory.
• 17. As the Scriptures say, "The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done."
• 18. When people boast about themselves, it doesn't count for much. But when the Lord commends someone, that's different!

Ezekiel 24

• 1. On January 15, during the ninth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD:
• 2. "Son of man, write down today's date, because on this very day the king of Babylon is beginning his attack against Jerusalem.
• 3. Then show these rebels an illustration; give them a message from the Sovereign LORD. Put a pot of water on the fire to boil.
• 4. Fill it with choice meat--the rump and the shoulder and all the most tender cuts.
• 5. Use only the best sheep from the flock and heap fuel on the fire beneath the pot. Bring the pot to a boil, and cook the bones along with the meat.
• 6. "Now this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Destruction is certain for Jerusalem, the city of murderers! She is a pot filled with corruption. So take the meat out chunk by chunk in whatever order it comes,
• 7. for her wickedness is evident to all. She murders boldly, leaving blood on the rocks for all to see. She doesn't even try to cover it!
• 8. So I will splash her blood on a rock as an open expression of my anger and vengeance against her.
• 9. "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Destruction is certain for Jerusalem, the city of murderers! I myself will pile up the fuel beneath her.
• 10. Yes, heap on the wood! Let the fire roar to make the pot boil. Cook the meat well with many spices. Then empty the pot and burn the bones.
• 11. Now set the empty pot on the coals to scorch away the filth and corruption.
• 12. But it's hopeless; the corruption remains. So throw it into the fire!
• 13. It is the filth and corruption of your lewdness and idolatry. And now, because I tried to cleanse you but you refused, you will remain filthy until my fury against you has been satisfied.
• 14. I, the LORD, have spoken! The time has come and I won't hold back; I will not change my mind. You will be judged on the basis of all your wicked actions, says the Sovereign LORD."
• 15. Then this message came to me from the LORD:
• 16. "Son of man, I am going to take away your dearest treasure. Suddenly she will die. Yet you must not show any sorrow. Do not weep; let there be no tears.
• 17. You may sigh but only quietly. Let there be no wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the rituals of mourning or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends."
• 18. So I proclaimed this to the people the next morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did everything I had been told to do.
• 19. Then the people asked, "What does all this mean? What are you trying to tell us?"
• 20. So I said to them, "A message came to me from the LORD,
• 21. and I was told to give this message to the people of Israel. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will desecrate my Temple, the source of your security and pride. Your sons and daughters in Judea will be slaughtered by the sword.
• 22. Then you will do as Ezekiel has done. You will not mourn in public or console yourselves by eating the food brought to you by sympathetic friends.
• 23. Your heads must remain covered, and your sandals must not be taken off. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins. You will mourn privately for all the evil you have done.
• 24. Ezekiel is an example for you to follow; you will do as he has done. And when that time comes, you will know that I am the LORD."
• 25. Then the LORD said to me, "Son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold--their joy and glory, their heart's desire, their dearest treasure--I will also take away their sons and daughters.
• 26. And on that day a refugee from Jerusalem will come to you in Babylon and tell you what has happened.
• 27. And when he arrives, your voice will suddenly return so you can talk to him, and you will be a symbol for these people. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

New Living Translation: 264 of 365 days.