2 Kings 22

• 1. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath.
• 2. He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn aside from doing what was right.
• 3. In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam, the court secretary, to the Temple of the LORD. He told him,
• 4. "Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money the gatekeepers have collected from the people at the LORD's Temple.
• 5. Entrust this money to the men assigned to supervise the Temple's restoration. Then they can use it to pay workers to repair the Temple of the LORD.
• 6. They will need to hire carpenters, builders, and masons. Also have them buy the timber and the cut stone needed to repair the Temple.
• 7. But there will be no need for the construction supervisors to keep account of the money they receive, for they are honest people."
• 8. Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the court secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the LORD's Temple!" Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it.
• 9. Shaphan returned to the king and reported, "Your officials have given the money collected at the Temple of the LORD to the workers and supervisors at the Temple."
• 10. Shaphan also said to the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll." So Shaphan read it to the king.
• 11. When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair.
• 12. Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and Asaiah the king's personal adviser:
• 13. "Go to the Temple and speak to the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah. Ask him about the words written in this scroll that has been found. The LORD's anger is burning against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words in this scroll. We have not been doing what this scroll says we must do."
• 14. So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the newer Mishneh section of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah and grandson of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe.
• 15. She said to them, "The LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken! Go and tell the man who sent you,
• 16. `This is what the LORD says: I will destroy this city and its people, just as I stated in the scroll you read.
• 17. For my people have abandoned me and worshiped pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger is burning against this place, and it will not be quenched.'
• 18. "But go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the LORD and tell him: `This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the message you have just heard:
• 19. You were sorry and humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I said against this city and its people, that this land would be cursed and become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. So I have indeed heard you, says the LORD.
• 20. I will not send the promised disaster against this city until after you have died and been buried in peace. You will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this place.'" So they took her message back to the king.

Hebrews 4

• 1. God's promise of entering his place of rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to get there.
• 2. For this Good News--that God has prepared a place of rest--has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn't believe what God told them.
• 3. For only we who believe can enter his place of rest. As for those who didn't believe, God said, "In my anger I made a vow: 'They will never enter my place of rest,'" even though his place of rest has been ready since he made the world.
• 4. We know it is ready because the Scriptures mention the seventh day, saying, "On the seventh day God rested from all his work."
• 5. But in the other passage God said, "They will never enter my place of rest."
• 6. So God's rest is there for people to enter. But those who formerly heard the Good News failed to enter because they disobeyed God.
• 7. So God set another time for entering his place of rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David a long time later in the words already quoted: "Today you must listen to his voice. Don't harden your hearts against him."
• 8. This new place of rest was not the land of Canaan, where Joshua led them. If it had been, God would not have spoken later about another day of rest.
• 9. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.
• 10. For all who enter into God's rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world.
• 11. Let us do our best to enter that place of rest. For anyone who disobeys God, as the people of Israel did, will fall.
• 12. For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.
• 13. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.
• 14. That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him.
• 15. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.
• 16. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.

Joel 1

• 1. The LORD gave this message to Joel son of Pethuel.
• 2. Hear this, you leaders of the people! Everyone listen! In all your history, has anything like this ever happened before?
• 3. Tell your children about it in the years to come. Pass the awful story down from generation to generation.
• 4. After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left! After them came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too!
• 5. Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! All the grapes are ruined, and all your new wine is gone!
• 6. A vast army of locusts has invaded my land. It is a terrible army, too numerous to count! Its teeth are as sharp as the teeth of lions!
• 7. They have destroyed my grapevines and fig trees, stripping their bark and leaving the branches white and bare.
• 8. Weep with sorrow, as a virgin weeps when her fiance has died.
• 9. There is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of the LORD. The priests are mourning because there are no offerings. Listen to the weeping of these ministers of the LORD!
• 10. The fields are ruined and empty of crops. The grain, the wine, and the olive oil are gone.
• 11. Despair, all you farmers! Wail, all you vine growers! Weep, because the wheat and barley--yes, all the field crops--are ruined.
• 12. The grapevines and the fig trees have all withered. The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and apple trees--yes, all the fruit trees--have dried up. All joy has dried up with them.
• 13. Dress yourselves in sackcloth, you priests! Wail, you who serve before the altar! Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God! There is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God.
• 14. Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders and all the people into the Temple of the LORD your God, and cry out to him there.
• 15. The day of the LORD is on the way, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty. How terrible that day will be!
• 16. We watch as our food disappears before our very eyes. There are no joyful celebrations in the house of our God.
• 17. The seeds die in the parched ground, and the grain crops fail. The barns and granaries stand empty and abandoned.
• 18. How the animals moan with hunger! The cattle wander about confused because there is no pasture for them. The sheep bleat in misery.
• 19. LORD, help us! The fire has consumed the pastures and burned up all the trees.
• 20. Even the wild animals cry out to you because they have no water to drink. The streams have dried up, and fire has consumed the pastures.

New Living Translation: 313 of 365 days.