Sunday, July 26 — Psalm 116:1–6 · Acts 20:14–38 · 1 Chronicles 29; 2 Chronicles 1
Three short readings a day — a Psalm or Proverb, the New Testament, and the Old Testament — about 15 minutes. Day by day, you’ll read every book.
1I love the LORD, for He has heard my voice— my appeal for mercy. 2Because He has inclined His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live. 3The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by trouble and sorrow. 4Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, deliver my soul!” 5The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 6The LORD preserves the simplehearted; I was helpless, and He saved me.
14And when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15Sailing on from there, we arrived the next day opposite Chios. The day after that we arrived at Samos, and on the following day we came to Miletus. 16Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18When they came to him, he said, “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia. 19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews. 20I did not shrink back from declaring anything that was helpful to you as I taught you publicly and from house to house, 21testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me. 24But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. 25Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again. 26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole will of God. 28Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. 29I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them. 31Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. 33I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions. 35In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” 36When Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him. 38They were especially grieved by his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
1Then King David said to the whole assembly, “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great because this palace is not for man, but for the LORD God. 2Now with all my ability I have made provision for the house of my God—gold for the gold articles, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and slabs of marble—all in abundance. 3Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give for it my personal treasures of gold and silver, over and above all that I have provided for this holy temple: 4three thousand talents of gold (the gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the buildings, 5for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now who will volunteer to consecrate himself to the LORD today?” 6Then the leaders of the households, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. 7Toward the service of God’s house they gave 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze, and 100,000 talents of iron. 8Whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, under the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9And the people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given to the LORD freely and wholeheartedly. And King David also rejoiced greatly. 10Then David blessed the LORD in the sight of all the assembly and said: “May You be blessed, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. 11Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in heaven and on earth belongs to You. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. 12Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all. 13Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks, and we praise Your glorious name. 14But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You. 15For we are foreigners and strangers in Your presence, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16O LORD our God, from Your hand comes all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy Name, and all of it belongs to You. 17I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You. 18O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this desire forever in the intentions of the hearts of Your people, and direct their hearts toward You. 19And give my son Solomon a whole heart to keep and carry out all Your commandments, decrees, and statutes, and to build Your palace for which I have made provision.” 20Then David said to the whole assembly, “Blessed be the LORD your God.” So the whole assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers. They bowed down and paid homage to the LORD and to the king. 21The next day they offered sacrifices and presented burnt offerings to the LORD: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, along with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. 22That day they ate and drank with great joy in the presence of the LORD. Then, for a second time, they designated David’s son Solomon as king, anointing him before the LORD as ruler, and Zadok as the priest. 23So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father David. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. 24All the officials and mighty men, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. 25The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal majesty such as had not been bestowed on any king in Israel before him. 26David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. 27The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 28He died at a ripe old age, full of years, riches, and honor, and his son Solomon reigned in his place. 29Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are indeed written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and the Chronicles of Gad the Seer, 30together with all the details of his reign, his might, and the circumstances that came upon him and Israel and all the kingdoms of the lands.
1Now Solomon son of David established himself securely over his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and highly exalted him. 2Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel—the heads of the families. 3And Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon because it was the location of God’s Tent of Meeting, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. 4Now David had brought the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had prepared for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, was in Gibeon before the tabernacle of the LORD. So Solomon and the assembly inquired of Him there. 6Solomon offered sacrifices there before the LORD on the bronze altar in the Tent of Meeting, where he offered a thousand burnt offerings. 7That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” 8Solomon replied to God: “You have shown much loving devotion to my father David, and You have made me king in his place. 9Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to my father David be fulfilled. For You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10Now grant me wisdom and knowledge, so that I may lead this people. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?” 11God said to Solomon, “Since this was in your heart instead of requesting riches or wealth or glory for yourself or death for your enemies—and since you have not even requested long life but have asked for wisdom and knowledge to govern My people over whom I have made you king— 12therefore wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will also give you riches and wealth and honor unlike anything given to the kings before you or after you.” 13So Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place in Gibeon before the Tent of Meeting, and he reigned over Israel. 14Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 15The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills. 16Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue. 17A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. Likewise, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram.
Is there someone you need to forgive after reading this?
Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.