The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday July 16, 2017 (NIV)

1 Chronicles 22-23

22 Then David said, “This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”(A)

David’s Preparations for the Temple

So David gave orders to gather the foreigners that were in the land of Israel,(B) and he appointed stonecutters to cut finished stones for building God’s house.(C) David supplied a great deal of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, together with an immeasurable quantity of bronze,(D) and innumerable cedar logs because the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large quantity of cedar logs to David.(E) David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly great and famous and glorious in all the lands.(F) Therefore, I must make provision for it.” So David made lavish preparations for it before his death.

Then he summoned his son Solomon and instructed him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel. “My son,” David said to Solomon, “It was in my heart to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God,(G) but the word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and waged great wars. You are not to build a house for My name because you have shed so much blood on the ground before Me.(H) But a son will be born to you; he will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies,(I) for his name will be Solomon,[a](J) and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign.(K) 10 He is the one who will build a house for My name. He will be My son, and I will be his father. I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’(L)

11 “Now, my son, may the Lord be with you,(M) and may you succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as He said about you. 12 Above all, may the Lord give you insight and understanding when He puts you in charge of Israel so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.(N) 13 Then you will succeed if you carefully follow the statutes and ordinances the Lord commanded Moses for Israel.(O) Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or discouraged.(P)

14 “Notice I have taken great pains to provide for the house of the Lord—3,775 tons of gold, 37,750 tons of silver,[b](Q) and bronze and iron that can’t be weighed because there is so much of it. I have also provided timber and stone, but you will need to add more to them. 15 You also have many workers: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and people skilled in every kind of work 16 in gold, silver, bronze, and iron—beyond number. Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you.”(R)

17 Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon: 18 “The Lord your God is with you, isn’t He? And hasn’t He given you rest on every side?(S) For He has handed the land’s inhabitants over to me, and the land has been subdued before the Lord and His people. 19 Now determine in your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God.(T) Get started building the Lord God’s sanctuary so that you may bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant and the holy articles of God to the temple that is to be built(U) for the name of Yahweh.”(V)

The Divisions of the Levites

23 When David was old and full of days,(W) he installed his son Solomon as king over Israel.(X) Then he gathered all the leaders of Israel, the priests, and the Levites. The Levites 30 years old or more were counted;(Y) the total number of men was 38,000 by headcount.(Z) “Of these,” David said, “24,000 are to be in charge of the work on the Lord’s temple,(AA) 6,000 are to be officers and judges,(AB) 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments that I have made for worship.”(AC)

Then David divided them into divisions according to Levi’s sons:(AD) Gershom,[c] Kohath, and Merari.

The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.
Ladan’s sons: Jehiel was the first, then Zetham, and Joel—three.
Shimei’s sons: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran—three. Those were the heads of the families of Ladan.
10 Shimei’s sons: Jahath, Zizah,[d] Jeush, and Beriah. Those were Shimei’s sons—four. 11 Jahath was the first and Zizah was the second; however, Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they became an ancestral house and received a single assignment.
12 Kohath’s sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel—four.
13 Amram’s sons:(AE) Aaron and Moses.

Aaron, along with his descendants,(AF) was set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense in the presence of Yahweh,(AG) to minister to Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever. 14 As for Moses the man of God,(AH) his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

15 Moses’ sons: Gershom and Eliezer.
16 Gershom’s sons: Shebuel was first.
17 Eliezer’s sons were Rehabiah, first; Eliezer did not have any other sons, but Rehabiah’s sons were very numerous.
18 Izhar’s sons: Shelomith was first.
19 Hebron’s sons: Jeriah was first, Amariah second, Jahaziel third, and Jekameam fourth.
20 Uzziel’s sons: Micah was first, and Isshiah second.
21 Merari’s sons: Mahli and Mushi.
Mahli’s sons: Eleazar and Kish.
22 Eleazar died having no sons, only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married them.
23 Mushi’s sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth—three.

24 These were the sons of Levi by their ancestral houses—the heads of families, according to their registration by name in the headcount—20 years old or more, who worked in the service of the Lord’s temple.(AI) 25 For David said, “The Lord God of Israel has given rest to His people,(AJ) and He has come to stay in Jerusalem forever. 26 Also, the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the equipment for its service”(AK) 27 for according to the last words of David, the Levites 20 years old or more were to be counted— 28 “but their duty will be to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the Lord’s temple, being responsible for the courts and the chambers, the purification of all the holy things, and the work of the service of God’s temple— 29 as well as the rows of the bread of the Presence,(AL) the fine flour for the grain offering,(AM) the wafers of unleavened bread, the baking,[e](AN) the mixing,(AO) and all measurements of volume and length.(AP) 30 They are also to stand every morning to give thanks and praise to the Lord, and likewise in the evening. 31 Whenever burnt offerings are offered to the Lord on the Sabbaths, New Moons,(AQ) and appointed festivals, they are to do so regularly in the Lord’s presence according to the number prescribed for them.(AR) 32 They are to carry out their responsibilities for the tent of meeting, for the holy place,(AS) and for their relatives, the sons of Aaron,(AT) in the service of the Lord’s temple.”

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Chronicles 22:9 In Hb, the name Solomon sounds like “peace.”
  2. 1 Chronicles 22:14 Lit 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver
  3. 1 Chronicles 23:6 Lit Gershon
  4. 1 Chronicles 23:10 LXX, Vg; MT reads Zina
  5. 1 Chronicles 23:29 Lit the griddle

Romans 3:9-31

The Whole World Guilty before God

What then? Are we any better?[a] Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews(A) and Gentiles[b](B) are all under sin,[c](C) 10 as it is written:[d]

There is no one righteous, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away;
all alike have become useless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.(D)[e]
13 Their throat is an open grave;
they deceive with their tongues.(E)[f]
Vipers’ venom is under their lips.(F)[g]
14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.(G)[h]
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
17 and the path of peace they have not known.(H)[i]
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.(I)[j]

19 Now we know that whatever the law says(J) speaks to those who are subject to the law,[k](K) so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.[l](L) 20 For no one will be justified[m] in His sight by the works of the law,(M) because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.(N)

God’s Righteousness through Faith

21 But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed(O)—attested by the Law and the Prophets[n](P) 22 —that is, God’s righteousness through faith(Q) in Jesus Christ,[o](R) to all who believe,(S) since there is no distinction.(T) 23 For all have sinned(U) and fall short of the[p] glory of God. 24 They are justified freely by His grace(V) through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.(W) 25 God presented Him as a propitiation[q](X) through faith in His blood,(Y) to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God(Z) passed over the sins previously committed.(AA) 26 God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous[r] the one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

27 Where then is boasting?(AB) It is excluded. By what kind of law?[s](AC) By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law[t] of faith. 28 For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.(AD) 29 Or is God for Jews only?(AE) Is He not also for Gentiles? Yes, for Gentiles too, 30 since there is one God(AF) who will justify the circumcised by faith(AG) and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not!(AH) On the contrary, we uphold the law.(AI)

Footnotes:

  1. Romans 3:9 Are we Jews any better than the Gentiles?
  2. Romans 3:9 Lit Greeks
  3. Romans 3:9 Under sin’s power or dominion
  4. Romans 3:10 Paul constructs this charge from a chain of OT quotations, mainly from the Psalms.
  5. Romans 3:12 Ps 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Ec 7:20
  6. Romans 3:13 Ps 5:9
  7. Romans 3:13 Ps 140:3
  8. Romans 3:14 Ps 10:7
  9. Romans 3:17 Is 59:7-8
  10. Romans 3:18 Ps 36:1
  11. Romans 3:19 Lit those in the law
  12. Romans 3:19 Or become guilty before God, or may be accountable to God
  13. Romans 3:20 Or will be declared righteous, or will be acquitted
  14. Romans 3:21 When capitalized, the Law and the Prophets = OT
  15. Romans 3:22 Or through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ
  16. Romans 3:23 Or and lack the
  17. Romans 3:25 Or as a propitiatory sacrifice, or as an offering of atonement, or as a mercy seat; 2Co 5:21; Heb 9:5
  18. Romans 3:26 Or and justify, or and acquit
  19. Romans 3:27 Or what principle?
  20. Romans 3:27 Or a principle

Psalm 12

Psalm 12

Oppression by the Wicked

For the choir director: according to Sheminith.(A) A Davidic psalm.

Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains;
the loyal have disappeared from the human race.(B)
They lie to one another;
they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.(C)
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips
and the tongue that speaks boastfully.(D)
They say, “Through our tongues we have power;[a]
our lips are our own—who can be our master?”(E)

“Because of the oppression of the afflicted
and the groaning of the poor,
I will now rise up,” says the Lord.
“I will put the one who longs for it in a safe place.”(F)

The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in an earthen furnace,
purified seven times.(G)

You, Lord, will guard us;[b]
You will protect us[c] from this generation forever.(H)
The wicked wander[d] everywhere,
and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.(I)

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 12:4 Lit That say, “By our tongues we are strengthened
  2. Psalm 12:7 Some Hb mss, LXX, Jer; other Hb mss read them
  3. Psalm 12:7 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read him
  4. Psalm 12:8 Lit walk about

Proverbs 19:13-14

13 A foolish son is his father’s ruin,(A)
and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.(B)

14 A house and wealth are inherited from fathers,(C)
but a sensible wife is from the Lord.