1 Chronicles 13, 14, James 1, Amos 8, Luke 3

1 Chronicles 13, 14,

1 David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
 
2 He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us.
 
3 Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul."
 
4 The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.
 
5 So David assembled all the Israelites, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.
 
6 David and all the Israelites with him went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who is enthroned between the cherubim-the ark that is called by the Name.
 
7 They moved the ark of God from Abinadab's house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it.
 
8 David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.
 
9 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled.
 
10 The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.
 
11 Then David was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.
 
12 David was afraid of God that day and asked, "How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?"
 
13 He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.
 
14 The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his household and everything he had.

1 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him.
 
2 And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.
 
3 In Jerusalem David took more wives and became the father of more sons and daughters.
 
4 These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
 
5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,
 
6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
 
7 Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet.
 
8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went out to meet them.
 
9 Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim;
 
10 so David inquired of God: "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, "Go, I will hand them over to you."
 
11 So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand." So that place was called Baal Perazim.
 
12 The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire.
 
13 Once more the Philistines raided the valley;
 
14 so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, "Do not go straight up, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.
 
15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army."
 
16 So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
 
17 So David's fame spread throughout every land, and the LORD made all the nations fear him.

James 1,

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
 
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
 
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
 
4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
 
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
 
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
 
7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
 
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
 
9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.
 
10 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.
 
11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
 
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
 
13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
 
14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
 
15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
 
16 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.
 
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
 
18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
 
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
 
20 for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
 
21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
 
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
 
23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
 
24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
 
25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.
 
26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
 
27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Amos 8,

1 This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: a basket of ripe fruit.
 
2 "What do you see, Amos?" he asked. "A basket of ripe fruit," I answered. Then the LORD said to me, "The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.
 
3 "In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies-flung everywhere! Silence!"
 
4 Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land,
 
5 saying, "When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?"-skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales,
 
6 buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.
 
7 The LORD has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: "I will never forget anything they have done.
 
8 "Will not the land tremble for this, and all who live in it mourn? The whole land will rise like the Nile; it will be stirred up and then sink like the river of Egypt.
 
9 "In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.
 
10 I will turn your religious feasts into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.
 
11 "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land-not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.
 
12 Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.
 
13 "In that day "the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst.
 
14 They who swear by the shame of Samaria, or say, 'As surely as your god lives, O Dan,' or, 'As surely as the god of Beersheba lives'-they will fall, never to rise again."

Luke 3

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar-when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene-
 
2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.
 
3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
 
4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
 
5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.
 
6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.' "
 
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
 
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
 
9 The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."
 
10 "What should we do then?" the crowd asked.
 
11 John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."
 
12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"
 
13 "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them.
 
14 Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely-be content with your pay."
 
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.
 
16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
 
17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
 
18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.
 
19 But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done,
 
20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
 
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened
 
22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
 
23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli,
 
24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
 
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
 
26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
 
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
 
28 the son of Melki, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
 
29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
 
30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
 
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
 
32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
 
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
 
34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
 
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
 
36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
 
37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan,
 
38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.