2 Kings 6

• 1. One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, "As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small.
• 2. Let's go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet.All right," he told them, "go ahead."
• 3. "Please come with us," someone suggested. "I will," he said.
• 4. When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees.
• 5. But as one of them was chopping, his ax head fell into the river. "Ah, my lord!" he cried. "It was a borrowed ax!"
• 6. "Where did it fall?" the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water. Then the ax head rose to the surface and floated.
• 7. "Grab it," Elisha said to him. And the man reached out and grabbed it.
• 8. When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, "We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place."
• 9. But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, "Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there."
• 10. So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God, warning the people there to be on their guard. This happened several times.
• 11. The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called in his officers and demanded, "Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?"
• 12. "It's not us, my lord," one of the officers replied. "Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!"
• 13. The king commanded, "Go and find out where Elisha is, and we will send troops to seize him." And the report came back: "Elisha is at Dothan."
• 14. So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city.
• 15. When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. "Ah, my lord, what will we do now?" he cried out to Elisha.
• 16. "Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. "For there are more on our side than on theirs!"
• 17. Then Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!" The LORD opened his servant's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
• 18. As the Aramean army advanced toward them, Elisha prayed, "O LORD, please make them blind." And the LORD did as Elisha asked.
• 19. Then Elisha went out and told them, "You have come the wrong way! This isn't the right city! Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria.
• 20. As soon as they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, "O LORD, now open their eyes and let them see." And the LORD did, and they discovered that they were in Samaria.
• 21. When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, "My father, should I kill them?"
• 22. "Of course not!" Elisha told him. "Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master."
• 23. So the king made a great feast for them and then sent them home to their king. After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel.
• 24. Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mobilized his entire army and besieged Samaria.
• 25. As a result there was a great famine in the city. After a while even a donkey's head sold for two pounds of silver, and a cup of dove's dung cost about two ounces of silver.
• 26. One day as the king of Israel was walking along the wall of the city, a woman called to him, "Please help me, my lord the king!"
• 27. "If the LORD doesn't help you, what can I do?" he retorted. "I have neither food nor wine to give you."
• 28. But then the king asked, "What is the matter?" She replied, "This woman proposed that we eat my son one day and her son the next.
• 29. So we cooked my son and ate him. Then the next day I said, `Kill your son so we can eat him,' but she had hidden him."
• 30. When the king heard this, he tore his clothes in despair. And as the king walked along the wall, the people could see that he was wearing sackcloth underneath next to his skin.
• 31. "May God kill me if I don't execute Elisha son of Shaphat this very day," the king vowed.
• 32. Elisha was sitting in his house at a meeting with the leaders of Israel when the king sent a messenger to summon him. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the leaders, "A murderer has sent a man to kill me. When he arrives, shut the door and keep him out. His master will soon follow him."
• 33. While Elisha was still saying this, the messenger arrived. And the king said, "It is the LORD who has brought this trouble on us! Why should I wait any longer for the LORD?"

1 Timothy 3

• 1. It is a true saying that if someone wants to be an elder, he desires an honorable responsibility.
• 2. For an elder must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exhibit self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home and must be able to teach.
• 3. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, peace loving, and not one who loves money.
• 4. He must manage his own family well, with children who respect and obey him.
• 5. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?
• 6. An elder must not be a new Christian, because he might be proud of being chosen so soon, and the Devil will use that pride to make him fall.
• 7. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not fall into the Devil's trap and be disgraced.
• 8. In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers and must not be greedy for money.
• 9. They must be committed to the revealed truths of the Christian faith and must live with a clear conscience.
• 10. Before they are appointed as deacons, they should be given other responsibilities in the church as a test of their character and ability. If they do well, then they may serve as deacons.
• 11. In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not speak evil of others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.
• 12. A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well.
• 13. Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.
• 14. I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon,
• 15. so that if I can't come for a while, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and support of the truth.
• 16. Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ appeared in the flesh and was shown to be righteous by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and was announced to the nations. He was believed on in the world and was taken up into heaven.

Daniel 10

• 1. In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. It concerned events certain to happen in the future--times of war and great hardship--and Daniel understood what the vision meant.
• 2. When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three weeks.
• 3. All that time I had eaten no rich food or meat, had drunk no wine, and had used no fragrant oils.
• 4. On April 23, as I was standing beside the great Tigris River,
• 5. I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist.
• 6. His body looked like a dazzling gem. From his face came flashes like lightning, and his eyes were like flaming torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice was like the roaring of a vast multitude of people.
• 7. I, Daniel, am the only one who saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide.
• 8. So I was left there all alone to watch this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak.
• 9. When I heard him speak, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.
• 10. Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees.
• 11. And the man said to me, "O Daniel, greatly loved of God, listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you." When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling with fear.
• 12. Then he said, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.
• 13. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.
• 14. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come."
• 15. While he was speaking to me, I looked down at the ground, unable to say a word.
• 16. Then the one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, "I am terrified by the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak.
• 17. How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe."
• 18. Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning.
• 19. "Don't be afraid," he said, "for you are deeply loved by God. Be at peace; take heart and be strong!" As he spoke these words, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, "Now you may speak, my lord, for you have strengthened me."
• 20. He replied, "Do you know why I have come? Soon I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and then against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece.
• 21. But before I do that, I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (There is no one to help me against these spirit princes except Michael, your spirit prince. 1I have been standing beside Michael as his support and defense since the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede.)

New Living Translation: 298 of 365 days.