2 Samuel 23

• 1. These are the last words of David: "David, the son of Jesse, speaks--David, the man to whom God gave such wonderful success, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel.
• 2. "The Spirit of the LORD speaks through me; his words are upon my tongue.
• 3. The God of Israel spoke. The Rock of Israel said to me: `The person who rules righteously, who rules in the fear of God,
• 4. he is like the light of the morning, like the sunrise bursting forth in a cloudless sky, like the refreshing rains that bring tender grass from the earth.'
• 5. "It is my family God has chosen! Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is eternal, final, sealed. He will constantly look after my safety and success.
• 6. But the godless are like thorns to be thrown away, for they tear the hand that touches them.
• 7. One must be armed to chop them down; they will be utterly consumed with fire."
• 8. These are the names of David's mightiest men. The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite, who was commander of the Three--the three greatest warriors among David's men. He once used his spear to kill eight hundred enemy warriors in a single battle.
• 9. Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. Once Eleazar and David stood together against the Philistines when the entire Israelite army had fled.
• 10. He killed Philistines until his hand was too tired to lift his sword, and the LORD gave him a great victory that day. The rest of the army did not return until it was time to collect the plunder!
• 11. Next in rank was Shammah son of Agee from Harar. One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled,
• 12. but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.
• 13. Once during harvesttime, when David was at the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty--an elite group among David's fighting men) went down to meet him there.
• 14. David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem.
• 15. David remarked longingly to his men, "Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well in Bethlehem, the one by the gate."
• 16. So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out before the LORD.
• 17. "The LORD forbid that I should drink this!" he exclaimed. "This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me." So David did not drink it. This is an example of the exploits of the Three.
• 18. Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty. He once used his spear to kill three hundred enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three.
• 19. Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three.
• 20. There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two of Moab's mightiest warriors. Another time he chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it.
• 21. Another time, armed only with a club, he killed a great Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with it.
• 22. These are some of the deeds that made Benaiah almost as famous as the Three.
• 23. He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him commander of his bodyguard.
• 24. Other members of the Thirty included: Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem;
• 25. Shammah from Harod; Elika from Harod;
• 26. Helez from Pelon; Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa;
• 27. Abiezer from Anathoth; Sibbecai from Hushah;
• 28. Zalmon from Ahoah; Maharai from Netophah;
• 29. Heled son of Baanah from Netophah; Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah (from the tribe of Benjamin);
• 30. Benaiah from Pirathon; Hurai from Nahale-gaash;
• 31. Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth from Bahurim;
• 32. Eliahba from Shaalbon; the sons of Jashen;
• 33. Jonathan son of Shagee from Harar; Ahiam son of Sharar from Harar;
• 34. Eliphelet son of Ahasbai from Maacah; Eliam son of Ahithophel from Giloh;
• 35. Hezro from Carmel; Paarai from Arba;
• 36. Igal son of Nathan from Zobah; Bani from Gad;
• 37. Zelek from Ammon; Naharai from Beeroth (Joab's armor bearer);
• 38. Ira from Jattir; Gareb from Jattir;
• 39. Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.

Galatians 3

• 1. Oh, foolish Galatians! What magician has cast an evil spell on you? For you used to see the meaning of Jesus Christ's death as clearly as though I had shown you a signboard with a picture of Christ dying on the cross.
• 2. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you believed the message you heard about Christ.
• 3. Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?
• 4. You have suffered so much for the Good News. Surely it was not in vain, was it? Are you now going to just throw it all away?
• 5. I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law of Moses? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.
• 6. In the same way, "Abraham believed God, so God declared him righteous because of his faith."
• 7. The real children of Abraham, then, are all those who put their faith in God.
• 8. What's more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would accept the Gentiles, too, on the basis of their faith. God promised this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, "All nations will be blessed through you."
• 9. And so it is: All who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.
• 10. But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all these commands that are written in God's Book of the Law."
• 11. Consequently, it is clear that no one can ever be right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."
• 12. How different from this way of faith is the way of law, which says, "If you wish to find life by obeying the law, you must obey all of its commands."
• 13. But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."
• 14. Through the work of Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, and we Christians receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.
• 15. Dear brothers and sisters, here's an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case.
• 16. God gave the promise to Abraham and his child. And notice that it doesn't say the promise was to his children, as if it meant many descendants. But the promise was to his child--and that, of course, means Christ.
• 17. This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise.
• 18. For if the inheritance could be received only by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God's promise. But God gave it to Abraham as a promise.
• 19. Well then, why was the law given? It was given to show people how guilty they are. But this system of law was to last only until the coming of the child to whom God's promise was made. And there is this further difference. God gave his laws to angels to give to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people.
• 20. Now a mediator is needed if two people enter into an agreement, but God acted on his own when he made his promise to Abraham.
• 21. Well then, is there a conflict between God's law and God's promises? Absolutely not! If the law could have given us new life, we could have been made right with God by obeying it.
• 22. But the Scriptures have declared that we are all prisoners of sin, so the only way to receive God's promise is to believe in Jesus Christ.
• 23. Until faith in Christ was shown to us as the way of becoming right with God, we were guarded by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until we could put our faith in the coming Savior.
• 24. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian and teacher to lead us until Christ came. So now, through faith in Christ, we are made right with God.
• 25. But now that faith in Christ has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.
• 26. So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
• 27. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him.
• 28. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians--you are one in Christ Jesus.
• 29. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and now all the promises God gave to him belong to you.

Ezekiel 30

• 1. This is another message that came to me from the LORD:
• 2. "Son of man, prophesy and give this message from the Sovereign LORD: Weep,
• 3. for the terrible day is almost here--the day of the LORD! It is a day of clouds and gloom, a day of despair for the nations!
• 4. A sword will come against Egypt, and those who are slaughtered will cover the ground. Their wealth will be carried away and their foundations destroyed. The land of Ethiopia will be ravished.
• 5. Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, and Arabia, with all their other allies, will be destroyed in that war.
• 6. "For this is what the LORD says: All of Egypt's allies will fall, and the pride of their power will end. From Migdol to Aswan they will be slaughtered by the sword, says the Sovereign LORD.
• 7. Egypt will be desolate, surrounded by desolate nations, and its cities will be in ruins, surrounded by other ruined cities.
• 8. And the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD when I have set Egypt on fire and destroyed all their allies.
• 9. At that time I will send swift messengers in ships to terrify the complacent Ethiopians. Great panic will come upon them on that day of Egypt's certain destruction.
• 10. "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Through King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, I will destroy the hordes of Egypt.
• 11. He and his armies--ruthless among the nations--have been sent to demolish the land. They will make war against Egypt until slaughtered Egyptians cover the ground.
• 12. I will dry up the Nile River and hand the land over to wicked men. I will destroy the land of Egypt and everything in it, using foreigners to do it. I, the LORD, have spoken!
• 13. "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will smash the idols of Egypt and the images at Memphis. There will be no rulers left in Egypt; anarchy will prevail throughout the land!
• 14. I will destroy Pathros, Zoan, and Thebes, and they will lie in ruins, burned up by my anger.
• 15. I will pour out my fury on Pelusium, the strongest fortress of Egypt, and I will stamp out the people of Thebes.
• 16. Yes, I will set fire to all Egypt! Pelusium will be racked with pain; Thebes will be torn apart; Memphis will live in constant terror.
• 17. The young men of Heliopolis and Bubastis will die in battle, and the women will be taken away as slaves.
• 18. When I come to break the proud strength of Egypt, it will be a dark day for Tahpanhes, too. A dark cloud will cover Tahpanhes, and its daughters will be led away as captives.
• 19. And so I will greatly punish Egypt, and they will know that I am the LORD."
• 20. On April 29, during the eleventh year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the LORD:
• 21. "Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. His arm has not been put in a cast so that it may heal. Neither has it been bound up with a splint to make it strong enough to hold a sword.
• 22. Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am the enemy of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt! I will break both of his arms--the good arm along with the broken one--and I will make his sword clatter to the ground.
• 23. I will scatter the Egyptians to many lands throughout the world.
• 24. I will strengthen the arms of Babylon's king and put my sword in his hand. But I will break the arms of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he will lie there mortally wounded, groaning in pain.
• 25. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, while the arms of Pharaoh fall useless to his sides. And when I put my sword in the hand of Babylon's king and he brings it against the land of Egypt, Egypt will know that I am the LORD.
• 26. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

New Living Translation: 270 of 365 days.