Daily Bible CEV June 29 Scroll

Teaching about Divorce
(Matthew 19.1-12; Luke 16.18)

Mark 10 After Jesus left, he went to Judea and then on to the other side of the Jordan River. Once again large crowds came to him, and as usual, he taught them.

²Some Pharisees wanted to test Jesus. So they came up to him and asked if it was right for a man to divorce his wife. ³Jesus asked them, "What does the Law of Moses say about that?"

⁴They answered, "Moses allows a man to write out divorce papers and send his wife away."

⁵Jesus replied, "Moses gave you this law because you are so heartless. ⁶But in the beginning God made a man and a woman. ⁷That's why a man leaves his father and mother and gets married. ⁸He becomes like one person with his wife. Then they are no longer two people, but one. ⁹And no one should separate a couple that God has joined together."

¹⁰When Jesus and his disciples were back in the house, they asked him about what he had said. ¹¹He told them, "A man who divorces his wife and marries someone else is unfaithful to his wife. ¹²A woman who divorces her husband and marries again is also unfaithful."

Jesus Blesses Little Children
(Matthew 19.13-15; Luke 18.15-17)

¹³Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them by placing his hands on them. But his disciples told the people to stop bothering him.

¹⁴When Jesus saw this, he became angry and said, "Let the children come to me! Don't try to stop them. People who are like these little children belong to the kingdom of God. ¹⁵I promise you that you cannot get into God's kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does." ¹⁶Then Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them by placing his hands on them.

A Rich Man
(Matthew 19.16-30; Luke 18.18-30)

¹⁷As Jesus was walking down a road, a man ran up to him. He knelt down, and asked, "Good teacher, what can I do to have eternal life?"

¹⁸Jesus replied, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good. ¹⁹You know the commandments. 'Do not murder. Be faithful in marriage. Do not steal. Do not tell lies about others. Do not cheat. Respect your father and mother.' "

²⁰The man answered, "Teacher, I have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man."

²¹Jesus looked closely at the man. He liked him and said, "There's one thing you still need to do. Go sell everything you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come with me."

²²When the man heard Jesus say this, he went away gloomy and sad because he was very rich.

²³Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "It's hard for rich people to get into God's kingdom!" ²⁴The disciples were shocked to hear this. So Jesus told them again, "It's terribly hard to get into God's kingdom! ²⁵In fact, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God's kingdom."

²⁶Jesus' disciples were even more amazed. They asked each other, "How can anyone ever be saved?"

²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, "There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything."

²⁸Peter replied, "Remember, we left everything to be your followers!"

²⁹Jesus told him:

You can be sure that anyone who gives up home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land for me and for the good news ³⁰will be rewarded. In this world they will be given a hundred times as many houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and pieces of land, though they will also be mistreated. And in the world to come, they will have eternal life. ³¹But many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first.

David's Last Words

2 Samuel 23 These are the last words of David the son of Jesse.

The God of Jacob chose David and made him a great king.

The Mighty God of Israel loved him.

When God told him to speak, David said:

²The Spirit of the LORD has told me what to say.

Our Mighty Rock, the God of Jacob, told me,

"A ruler who obeys God and does right

⁴is like the sunrise on a cloudless day,

or like rain that sparkles on the grass."

⁵I have ruled this way,

and God will never break his promise to me.

God's promise is complete and unchanging;

he will always help me and give me what I hope for.

⁶But evil people are pulled up like thornbushes.

They are not dug up by hand, ⁷but with a sharp spear

and are burned on the spot.

The Three Warriors
(1 Chronicles 11.10-19)

⁸These are the names of David's warriors:

Ishbosheth the son of Hachmon was the leader of the Three Warriors. In one battle, he killed eight hundred men with his spear.

⁹The next one of the Three Warriors was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite. One time when the Philistines were at war with Israel, he and David dared the Philistines to fight them. Every one of the Israelite soldiers turned and ran, ¹⁰except Eleazar. He killed Philistines until his hand was cramped, and he couldn't let go of his sword. When Eleazar finished, all the Israelite troops had to do was come back and take the enemies' weapons and armor. The LORD gave Israel a great victory that day.

¹¹Next was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. One time the Philistines brought their army together to destroy a crop of peas growing in a field near Lehi. The rest of Israel's soldiers ran away from the Philistines, ¹²but Shammah stood in the middle of the field and killed the Philistines. The crops were saved, and the LORD gave Israel a great victory.

¹³One year at harvest time, the Three Warriors went to meet David at Adullam Cave. The Philistine army had set up camp in Rephaim Valley ¹⁴and had taken over Bethlehem. David was in his fortress, ¹⁵and he was very thirsty. He said, "I wish I had a drink from the well by the gate at Bethlehem."

¹⁶The Three Warriors sneaked into the Philistine camp and got some water from the well near Bethlehem's gate. But after they brought the water back to David, he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as a sacrifice ¹⁷and said to the LORD, "I can't drink this water! It's like the blood of these men who risked their lives to get it for me."

The Three Warriors did these brave deeds.

The Thirty Warriors
(1 Chronicles 11.20-47)

¹⁸Joab's brother Abishai was the leader of the Thirty Warriors, and in one battle he killed three hundred men with his spear. He was as famous as the Three Warriors ¹⁹and certainly just as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. He was the commander of the Thirty Warriors, but he still did not become one of the Three Warriors.

²⁰Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was a brave man from Kabzeel who did some amazing things. He killed two of Moab's best fighters, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion. ²¹Another time, he killed an Egyptian, as big as a giant. The Egyptian was armed with a spear, but Benaiah only had a club. Benaiah grabbed the spear from the Egyptian and killed him with it. ^22-23Benaiah did these things. He never became one of the Three Warriors, but he was just as famous as they were and certainly just as famous as the rest of the Thirty Warriors. David made him the leader of his bodyguard.

^24-39Some of the Thirty Warriors were:

Asahel the brother of Joab

Elhanan the son of Dodo from Bethlehem

Shammah from Harod

Elika from Harod

Helez the Paltite

Ira the son of Ikkesh from Tekoa

Abiezer from Anathoth

Mebunnai the Hushathite

Zalmon the Ahohite

Maharai from Netophah

Heleb the son of Baanah from Netophah

Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the tribe of Benjamin

Benaiah from Pirathon

Hiddai from the streams on Mount Gaash

Abialbon from Beth-Arabah

Azmaveth from Bahurim

Eliahba from Shaalbon

Jashen

Jonathan the son of Shammah the Hararite

Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite

Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai from Maacah

Eliam the son of Ahithophel from Gilo

Hezro from Carmel

Paarai the Arbite

Igal the son of Nathan from Zobah

Bani the Gadite

Zelek from Ammon

Naharai from Beeroth, who carried the weapons of Joab the son of Zeruiah

Ira the Ithrite

Gareb the Ithrite

Uriah the Hittite

There were thirty-seven in all.

God's Love Offers Hope

Hosea 3 Once again the LORD spoke to me. And this time he said, "Hosea, fall in love with an unfaithful woman who has a lover. Do this to show that I love the people of Israel, even though they worship idols and enjoy the offering cakes made with fruit."

²So I paid fifteen pieces of silver and about ten bushels of grain for such a woman. ³Then I said, "Now you are mine! You will have to remain faithful to me, though it will be a long time before we sleep together."

⁴It will also be a long time before Israel has a king or before sacrifices are offered at the temple or before there is any way to get guidance from God. ⁵But later, Israel will turn back to the LORD their God and to David their king. At that time they will come to the LORD with fear and trembling, and he will be good to them.

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