Daily Readings

¹ When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.² And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,³ And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;⁴ For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.⁵ And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.⁶ And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.⁷ And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.⁸ And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart.⁹ And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.¹⁰ When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.¹¹ And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.¹² And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:¹³ And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:¹⁴ But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.¹⁵ Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.¹⁶ But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:¹⁷ But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:¹⁸ That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.¹⁹ When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege:²⁰ Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.

¹ Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;² While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:³ In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,⁴ And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;⁵ Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:⁶ Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.⁷ Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.⁸ Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.⁹ And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.¹⁰ The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.¹¹ The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.¹² And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.¹⁴ For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

¹ And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.² And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,³ Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.⁴ But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,⁵ I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:⁶ Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.⁷ And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.⁸ But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.⁹ But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.¹⁰ And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.¹¹ And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.¹² And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:¹³ And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;¹⁴ Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.¹⁵ And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.¹⁶ Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.¹⁷ Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?¹⁸ When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.¹⁹ Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.²⁰ And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the LORD Jesus.²¹ And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.²² Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.²³ Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.²⁴ For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.²⁵ Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:²⁶ And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.²⁷ And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.²⁸ And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.²⁹ Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:³⁰ Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

¹ Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.² And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.³ And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)⁴ And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.⁵ Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.⁶ And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.⁷ And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.⁸ And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.⁹ And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.¹⁰ When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.¹¹ And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the LORD hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.¹² And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.¹³ And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.¹⁴ And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.¹⁵ And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.¹⁶ But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.¹⁷ But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.¹⁸ Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.¹⁹ And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.²⁰ And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.²¹ And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.²² And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.²³ And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.²⁴ But the word of God grew and multiplied.²⁵ And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.