2 Chronicles 13

• 1. Abijah began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam's reign in Israel.
• 2. He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, a daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. Then war broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam.
• 3. Judah, led by King Abijah, fielded 400,000 seasoned warriors, while Jeroboam mustered 800,000 courageous men from Israel.
• 4. When the army of Judah arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim and shouted to Jeroboam and the Israelite army: "Listen to me!
• 5. Don't you realize that the LORD, the God of Israel, made an unbreakable covenant with David, giving him and his descendants the throne of Israel forever?
• 6. Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, who was a mere servant of David's son Solomon, became a traitor to his master.
• 7. Then a whole gang of scoundrels joined him, defying Solomon's son Rehoboam when he was young and inexperienced and could not stand up to them.
• 8. Do you really think you can stand against the kingdom of the LORD that is led by the descendants of David? Your army is vast indeed, but with you are those gold calves that Jeroboam made as your gods!
• 9. And you have chased away the priests of the LORD and the Levites and have appointed your own priests, just like the pagan nations. You let anyone become a priest these days! Whoever comes to be dedicated with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of these so-called gods of yours!
• 10. "But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned him. Only the descendants of Aaron serve the LORD as priests, and the Levites alone may help them in their work.
• 11. They present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD every morning and evening. They place the Bread of the Presence on the holy table, and they light the gold lampstand every evening. We are following the instructions of the LORD our God, but you have abandoned him.
• 12. So you see, God is with us. He is our leader. His priests blow their trumpets and lead us into battle against you. O people of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed!"
• 13. Meanwhile, Jeroboam had secretly sent part of his army around behind the men of Judah to ambush them.
• 14. When Judah realized that they were being attacked from the front and the rear, they cried out to the LORD for help. Then the priests blew the trumpets,
• 15. and the men of Judah began to shout. At the sound of their battle cry, God defeated Jeroboam and the Israelite army and routed them before Abijah and the army of Judah.
• 16. The Israelite army fled from Judah, and God handed them over to Judah in defeat.
• 17. Abijah and his army inflicted heavy losses on them; there were 500,000 casualties among Israel's finest troops that day.
• 18. So Judah defeated Israel because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their ancestors.
• 19. Abijah and his army pursued Jeroboam's troops and captured some of his towns, including Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their surrounding villages.
• 20. So Jeroboam of Israel never regained his power during Abijah's lifetime, and finally the LORD struck him down and he died.
• 21. By contrast, Abijah of Judah grew more and more powerful. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
• 22. The rest of the events of Abijah's reign, including his words and deeds, are recorded in The Commentary of Iddo the Prophet.

Revelation 3

• 1. "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: "I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive--but you are dead.
• 2. Now wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is at the point of death. Your deeds are far from right in the sight of God.
• 3. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly and turn to me again. Unless you do, I will come upon you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.
• 4. "Yet even in Sardis there are some who have not soiled their garments with evil deeds. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
• 5. All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.
• 6. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
• 7. "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true. He is the one who has the key of David. He opens doors, and no one can shut them; he shuts doors, and no one can open them.
• 8. "I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can shut. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.
• 9. Look! I will force those who belong to Satan--those liars who say they are Jews but are not--to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.
• 10. "Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.
• 11. Look, I am coming quickly. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.
• 12. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write my God's name on them, and they will be citizens in the city of my God--the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And they will have my new name inscribed upon them.
• 13. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
• 14. "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen--the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation:
• 15. "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other!
• 16. But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!
• 17. You say, 'I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing!' And you don't realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
• 18. I advise you to buy gold from me--gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. And also buy white garments so you will not be shamed by your nakedness. And buy ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.
• 19. I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference.
• 20. "Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.
• 21. I will invite everyone who is victorious to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.
• 22. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches."

Haggai 1

• 1. On August 29 of the second year of King Darius's reign, the LORD gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
• 2. "This is what the LORD Almighty says: The people are saying, `The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD's house--the Temple.'"
• 3. So the LORD sent this message through the prophet Haggai:
• 4. "Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?
• 5. This is what the LORD Almighty says: Consider how things are going for you!
• 6. You have planted much but harvested little. You have food to eat, but not enough to fill you up. You have wine to drink, but not enough to satisfy your thirst. You have clothing to wear, but not enough to keep you warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
• 7. "This is what the LORD Almighty says: Consider how things are going for you!
• 8. Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD.
• 9. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD Almighty, while you are all busy building your own fine houses.
• 10. That is why the heavens have withheld the dew and the earth has withheld its crops.
• 11. I have called for a drought on your fields and hills--a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olives and all your other crops, a drought to starve both you and your cattle and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get."
• 12. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God's people obeyed the message from the LORD their God. It had been delivered by the prophet Haggai, whom the LORD their God had sent, and the people worshiped the LORD in earnest.
• 13. Then Haggai, the LORD's messenger, gave the people this message from the LORD: "I am with you, says the LORD!"
• 14. So the LORD sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God's people. They came and began their work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God.
• 15. This was on September 21 of the second year of King Darius's reign.

New Living Translation: 346 of 365 days.