2 Kings 16

• 1. Ahaz son of Jotham began to rule over Judah in the seventeenth year of King Pekah's reign in Israel.
• 2. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. He did not do what was pleasing in the sight of the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had done.
• 3. Instead, he followed the example of the kings of Israel, even sacrificing his own son in the fire. He imitated the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.
• 4. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the pagan shrines and on the hills and under every green tree.
• 5. Then King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel declared war on Ahaz. They besieged Jerusalem but did not conquer it.
• 6. At that time the king of Edom recovered the town of Elath for Edom. He drove out the people of Judah and sent Edomites to live there, as they do to this day.
• 7. King Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria with this message: "I am your servant and your vassal. Come up and rescue me from the attacking armies of Aram and Israel."
• 8. Then Ahaz took the silver and gold from the Temple of the LORD and the palace treasury and sent it as a gift to the Assyrian king.
• 9. So the Assyrians attacked the Aramean capital of Damascus and led its population away as captives, resettling them in Kir. They also killed King Rezin.
• 10. King Ahaz then went to Damascus to meet with King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria. While he was there, he noticed an unusual altar. So he sent a model of the altar to Uriah the priest, along with its design in full detail.
• 11. Uriah built an altar just like it by following the king's instructions, and it was ready for the king when he returned from Damascus.
• 12. When the king returned, he inspected the altar and made offerings on it.
• 13. The king presented a burnt offering and a grain offering, poured a drink offering over it, and sprinkled the blood of peace offerings on it.
• 14. Then King Ahaz removed the old bronze altar from the front of the LORD's Temple, which had stood between the entrance and the new altar, and placed it on the north side of the new altar.
• 15. He said to Uriah the priest, "Use the new altar for the morning sacrifices of burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king's burnt offering and grain offering, and the offerings of the people, including their drink offerings. The blood from the burnt offerings and sacrifices should be sprinkled over the new altar. The old bronze altar will be only for my personal use."
• 16. Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz instructed him.
• 17. Then the king removed the side panels and basins from the portable water carts. He also removed the Sea from the backs of the bronze oxen and placed it on the stone pavement.
• 18. In deference to the king of Assyria, he also removed the canopy that had been constructed inside the palace for use on the Sabbath day, as well as the king's outer entrance to the Temple of the LORD.
• 19. The rest of the events in Ahaz's reign and his deeds are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.
• 20. When Ahaz died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Hezekiah became the next king.

Titus 2

• 1. But as for you, promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching.
• 2. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have strong faith and be filled with love and patience.
• 3. Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that is appropriate for someone serving the Lord. They must not go around speaking evil of others and must not be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good.
• 4. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children,
• 5. to live wisely and be pure, to take care of their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.
• 6. In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely in all they do.
• 7. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good deeds of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.
• 8. Let your teaching be so correct that it can't be criticized. Then those who want to argue will be ashamed because they won't have anything bad to say about us.
• 9. Slaves must obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back
• 10. or steal, but they must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.
• 11. For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.
• 12. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God,
• 13. while we look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.
• 14. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right.
• 15. You must teach these things and encourage your people to do them, correcting them when necessary. You have the authority to do this, so don't let anyone ignore you or disregard what you say.

Hosea 9

• 1. O people of Israel, do not rejoice as others do. For you have been unfaithful to your God, hiring yourselves out like prostitutes, offering sacrifices to other gods on every threshing floor.
• 2. So now your harvests will be too small to feed you. The grapes you gather will not quench your thirst.
• 3. You may no longer stay here in this land of the LORD. You will be carried off to Egypt and Assyria, where you will live on food that is ceremonially unclean.
• 4. There, far from home, you will not be allowed to pour out wine as a sacrifice to the LORD. None of the sacrifices you offer there will please him. Such sacrifices will be unclean, just as food touched by a person in mourning is unclean. All who present such sacrifices will be defiled. They may eat this food to feed themselves, but they may not offer it to the LORD.
• 5. What then will you do on festival days? What will you do on days of feasting in the LORD's presence?
• 6. Even if you escape destruction from Assyria, you will be conquered by Egypt. Memphis will bury you. Briers will take over your treasures of silver; brambles will fill your homes.
• 7. The time of Israel's punishment has come; the day of payment is almost here. Soon Israel will know this all too well. "The prophets are crazy!" the people shout. "The inspired men are mad!" So they taunt, for the nation is burdened with sin and shows only hatred for those who love God.
• 8. The prophet is a watchman for my God over Israel, yet traps are laid in front of him wherever he goes. He faces hostility even in the house of God.
• 9. The things my people do are as depraved as what they did in Gibeah long ago. God will not forget. He will surely punish them for their sins.
• 10. The LORD says, "O Israel, when I first found you, it was like finding fresh grapes in the desert! When I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the first ripe figs of the season! But then they deserted me for Baal-peor, giving themselves to that shameful idol. Soon they became as vile as the god they worshiped.
• 11. The glory of Israel will fly away like a bird, for your children will die at birth or perish in the womb or never even be conceived.
• 12. Even if your children do survive to grow up, I will take them from you. It will be a terrible day when I turn away and leave you alone.
• 13. I have watched Israel become as beautiful and pleasant as Tyre. But now Israel will bring out her children to be slaughtered."
• 14. O LORD, what should I request for your people? I will ask for wombs that don't give birth and breasts that give no milk.
• 15. The LORD says, "All their wickedness began at Gilgal; there I began to hate them. I will drive them from my land because of their evil actions. I will love them no more because all their leaders are rebels.
• 16. The people of Israel are stricken. Their roots are dried up; they will bear no more fruit. And if they give birth, I will slaughter their beloved children."
• 17. My God will reject the people of Israel because they will not listen or obey. They will be wanderers, homeless among the nations.

New Living Translation: 307 of 365 days.