1 Chronicles 13

• 1. David consulted with all his officials, including the generals and captains of his army.
• 2. Then he addressed the entire assembly of Israel as follows: "If you approve and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send messages to all the Israelites throughout the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pasturelands. Let us invite them to come and join us.
• 3. It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul."
• 4. The whole assembly agreed to this, for the people could see it was the right thing to do.
• 5. So David summoned all the people of Israel, from one end of the country to the other, to join in bringing the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.
• 6. Then David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (also called Kiriath-jearim) to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the LORD who is enthroned between the cherubim.
• 7. They transported the Ark of God from the house of Abinadab on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it.
• 8. David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, singing and playing all kinds of musical instruments--lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.
• 9. But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the Ark.
• 10. Then the LORD's anger blazed out against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God.
• 11. David was angry because the LORD's anger had blazed out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means "outbreak against Uzzah"). It is still called that today.
• 12. David was now afraid of God and asked, "How can I ever bring the Ark of God back into my care?"
• 13. So David decided not to move the Ark into the City of David. He took it instead to the home of Obed-edom of Gath.
• 14. The Ark of God remained there with the family of Obed-edom for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household.

1 Chronicles 14

• 1. Now King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with stonemasons and carpenters to build him a palace. Hiram also sent many cedar logs for lumber.
• 2. And David realized that the LORD had made him king over Israel and had made his kingdom very great for the sake of his people Israel.
• 3. Then David married more wives in Jerusalem, and they had many sons and daughters.
• 4. These are the names of David's sons who were born in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
• 5. Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,
• 6. Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
• 7. Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
• 8. When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he and his men marched out to meet them.
• 9. The Philistines had arrived in the valley of Rephaim and raided it.
• 10. So David asked God, "Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD replied, "Yes, go ahead. I will give you the victory."
• 11. So David and his troops went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. "God has done it!" David exclaimed. "He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood!" So that place was named Baal-perazim (which means "the Lord who bursts through").
• 12. The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David gave orders to burn them up.
• 13. But after a while, the Philistines returned and raided the valley again.
• 14. And once again David asked God what to do. "Do not attack them straight on," God replied. "Instead, circle around behind them and attack them near the balsam trees.
• 15. When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the balsam trees, attack! That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistines."
• 16. So David did what God commanded, and he struck down the Philistine army all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
• 17. So David's fame spread everywhere, and the LORD caused all the nations to fear David.

James 1

• 1. This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is written to Jewish Christians scattered among the nations. Greetings!
• 2. Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.
• 3. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
• 4. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
• 5. If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.
• 6. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
• 7. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
• 8. They can't make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.
• 9. Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them.
• 10. And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field.
• 11. The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements.
• 12. God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
• 13. And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either.
• 14. Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires.
• 15. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death.
• 16. So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
• 17. Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows.
• 18. In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession.
• 19. My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
• 20. Your anger can never make things right in God's sight.
• 21. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.
• 22. And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself.
• 23. For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance.
• 24. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
• 25. But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law--the law that sets you free--and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
• 26. If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.
• 27. Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.

Amos 8

• 1. Then the Sovereign LORD showed me another vision. In it I saw a basket filled with ripe fruit.
• 2. "What do you see, Amos?" he asked. I replied, "A basket full of ripe fruit." Then the LORD said, "This fruit represents my people of Israel--ripe for punishment! I will not delay their punishment again.
• 3. In that day the riotous sounds of singing in the Temple will turn to wailing. Dead bodies will be scattered everywhere. They will be carried out of the city in silence. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!"
• 4. Listen to this, you who rob the poor and trample the needy!
• 5. You can't wait for the Sabbath day to be over and the religious festivals to end so you can get back to cheating the helpless. You measure out your grain in false measures and weigh it out on dishonest scales.
• 6. And you mix the wheat you sell with chaff swept from the floor! Then you enslave poor people for a debt of one piece of silver or a pair of sandals.
• 7. Now the LORD has sworn this oath by his own name, the Pride of Israel: "I will never forget the wicked things you have done!
• 8. The earth will tremble for your deeds, and everyone will mourn. The land will rise up like the Nile River at floodtime, toss about, and sink again.
• 9. At that time," says the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth while it is still day.
• 10. I will turn your celebrations into times of mourning, and your songs of joy will be turned to weeping. You will wear funeral clothes and shave your heads as signs of sorrow, as if your only son had died. How very bitter that day will be!
• 11. "The time is surely coming," says the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine on the land--not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the LORD.
• 12. People will stagger everywhere from sea to sea, searching for the word of the LORD, running here and going there, but they will not find it.
• 13. Beautiful girls and fine young men will grow faint and weary, thirsting for the LORD's word.
• 14. And those who worship and swear by the idols of Samaria, Dan, and Beersheba will fall down, never to rise again."

New Living Translation: 323 of 365 days.