The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday December 7, 2019 (NIV)

Hosea 6-9

Israel and Judah Are Unrepentant

“Come, let us (A)return to the Lord;
for (B)he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and (C)he will bind us up.
After two days (D)he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
(E)Let us know; (F)let us press on to know the Lord;
(G)his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us (H)as the showers,
(I)as the spring rains that water the earth.”

What shall I do with you, (J)O (K)Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O (L)Judah?
Your love is (M)like a morning cloud,
(N)like the dew that goes early away.
Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
I have slain them (O)by the words of my mouth,
and my judgment goes forth as the light.
For (P)I desire steadfast love[a] and not sacrifice,
(Q)the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

But (R)like Adam they (S)transgressed the covenant;
(T)there they dealt faithlessly with me.
(U)Gilead is a city of evildoers,
(V)tracked with blood.
As robbers (W)lie in wait for a man,
so the priests band together;
they murder on the way to (X)Shechem;
they commit villainy.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing;
(Y)Ephraim's whoredom is there; (Z)Israel is defiled.

11 For you also, O (AA)Judah, (AB)a harvest is appointed.

When (AC)I restore the fortunes of my people,
(AD)when I would heal Israel,
the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed,
and the evil deeds of (AE)Samaria,
for (AF)they deal falsely;
the thief breaks in,
and the bandits raid outside.
But they do not consider
that (AG)I remember all their evil.
Now (AH)their deeds surround them;
(AI)they are before my face.
By their evil (AJ)they make (AK)the king glad,
and the princes by their treachery.
(AL)They are all adulterers;
they are like a heated oven
whose baker ceases to stir the fire,
from the kneading of the dough
until it is leavened.
On the day of (AM)our king, the princes
became sick with the heat of wine;
he stretched out his hand with mockers.
For with hearts like an oven (AN)they approach their intrigue;
all night their anger smolders;
in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.
All of them are hot as an oven,
and they devour their rulers.
All (AO)their kings (AP)have fallen,
and none of them calls upon me.

Ephraim (AQ)mixes himself with the peoples;
Ephraim is a cake not turned.
(AR)Strangers devour his strength,
and (AS)he knows it not;
gray hairs are sprinkled upon him,
and (AT)he knows it not.
10 (AU)The pride of Israel testifies to his face;[b]
(AV)yet they do not return to the Lord their God,
nor seek him, for all this.

11 Ephraim is like a dove,
(AW)silly and without sense,
calling to (AX)Egypt, going to (AY)Assyria.
12 As they go, (AZ)I will spread over them my net;
I will bring them down like birds of the heavens;
(BA)I will discipline them (BB)according to the report made to their congregation.
13 (BC)Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!
Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me!
(BD)I would redeem them,
but (BE)they speak lies against me.

14 (BF)They do not cry to me from the heart,
but (BG)they wail upon their beds;
for grain and wine they gash themselves;
they rebel against me.
15 Although (BH)I trained and strengthened their arms,
yet they devise evil against me.
16 They (BI)return, but not upward;[c]
they are (BJ)like a treacherous bow;
their princes shall fall by the sword
because of (BK)the insolence of their tongue.
This shall be their derision (BL)in the land of Egypt.

Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind

Set (BM)the trumpet to your lips!
One (BN)like a vulture is over the house of the Lord,
because (BO)they have transgressed my covenant
and rebelled against my law.
To me they cry,
(BP)“My God, we—Israel—know you.”
Israel has spurned the good;
the enemy shall pursue him.

(BQ)They made kings, (BR)but not through me.
They set up princes, but I knew it not.
With their silver and gold they made idols
for their own destruction.
(BS)I have[d] spurned your calf, O Samaria.
My anger burns against them.
(BT)How long will they be incapable of innocence?
For it is from Israel;
a craftsman made it;
it is not God.
(BU)The calf of Samaria
(BV)shall be broken to pieces.[e]

For (BW)they sow the wind,
and they shall reap the whirlwind.
The standing grain has no heads;
it shall yield no flour;
if it were to yield,
(BX)strangers would devour it.
(BY)Israel is swallowed up;
already they are among the nations
as (BZ)a useless vessel.
For (CA)they have gone up to Assyria,
(CB)a wild donkey wandering alone;
Ephraim has hired lovers.
10 Though they hire allies among the nations,
I will soon gather them up.
And (CC)the king and princes (CD)shall soon writhe
because of the tribute.

11 Because Ephraim (CE)has multiplied altars for sinning,
they have become to him altars for sinning.
12 (CF)Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands,
they would be regarded as a strange thing.
13 As for my sacrificial offerings,
(CG)they sacrifice meat and eat it,
but the Lord does not accept them.
(CH)Now he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins;
(CI)they shall return to Egypt.
14 For (CJ)Israel has forgotten (CK)his Maker
and (CL)built palaces,
and (CM)Judah has multiplied fortified cities;
so (CN)I will send a fire upon his cities,
and it shall devour her strongholds.

The Lord Will Punish Israel

Rejoice not, O Israel!
Exult not like the peoples;
(CO)for you have played the whore, forsaking your God.
(CP)You have loved a prostitute's wages
on all threshing floors.
(CQ)Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them,
and (CR)the new wine shall fail them.
They shall not remain in (CS)the land of the Lord,
but (CT)Ephraim shall return to Egypt,
and (CU)they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.

(CV)They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the Lord,
(CW)and their sacrifices shall not please him.
It shall be like (CX)mourners' bread to them;
all who eat of it shall be defiled;
for their bread shall be for their hunger only;
(CY)it shall not come to the house of the Lord.

(CZ)What will you do on the day of the appointed festival,
and on the day of the feast of the Lord?
For behold, they are going away from destruction;
but (DA)Egypt shall gather them;
Memphis shall bury them.
Nettles shall possess (DB)their precious things of silver;
(DC)thorns shall be in their tents.

(DD)The days of punishment have come;
the days of recompense have come;
Israel shall know it.
(DE)The prophet is a fool;
the man of the spirit is mad,
because of your great iniquity
and great hatred.
The prophet is (DF)the watchman of Ephraim with my God;
yet (DG)a fowler's snare is on all his ways,
and hatred in the house of his God.
(DH)They have deeply corrupted themselves
as (DI)in the days of Gibeah:
(DJ)he will remember their iniquity;
he will punish their sins.

10 Like grapes in the wilderness,
(DK)I found Israel.
Like the first fruit on the fig tree
in its first season,
I saw your fathers.
But (DL)they came to Baal-peor
and (DM)consecrated themselves to the thing of shame,
and (DN)became detestable like the thing they loved.
11 Ephraim's (DO)glory shall fly away like a bird—
(DP)no birth, no pregnancy, no conception!
12 (DQ)Even if they bring up children,
I will bereave them till none is left.
(DR)Woe to them
when (DS)I depart from them!
13 Ephraim, (DT)as I have seen, was like a young palm[f] planted in a meadow;
but (DU)Ephraim must lead his children out to slaughter.[g]
14 Give them, O Lord
what will you give?
Give them (DV)a miscarrying womb
and dry breasts.

15 Every evil of theirs is in (DW)Gilgal;
there I began to hate them.
Because of the wickedness of their deeds
I will drive them out of my house.
I will love them no more;
all (DX)their princes are (DY)rebels.

16 Ephraim is stricken;
(DZ)their root is dried up;
they shall bear no fruit.
Even (EA)though they give birth,
(EB)I will put their beloved children to death.
17 (EC)My God will reject them
because they have not listened to him;
(ED)they shall be wanderers among the nations.

Footnotes:

  1. Hosea 6:6 Septuagint mercy
  2. Hosea 7:10 Or in his presence
  3. Hosea 7:16 Or to the Most High
  4. Hosea 8:5 Hebrew He has
  5. Hosea 8:6 Or shall go up in flames
  6. Hosea 9:13 Or like Tyre
  7. Hosea 9:13 Hebrew to him who slaughters

Cross references:

  1. Hosea 6:1 : ch. 14:1; [ch. 3:5]
  2. Hosea 6:1 : ch. 5:14; [ch. 13:7, 8]
  3. Hosea 6:1 : [Isa. 30:26]
  4. Hosea 6:2 : Ps. 71:20; [Luke 24:27, 44; John 2:22; 20:9; 1 Cor. 15:4]
  5. Hosea 6:3 : [ch. 4:6]
  6. Hosea 6:3 : [ch. 4:6]
  7. Hosea 6:3 : Mic. 5:2
  8. Hosea 6:3 : [ch. 14:5]
  9. Hosea 6:3 : Joel 2:23
  10. Hosea 6:4 : [ch. 11:8]
  11. Hosea 6:4 : ver. 10, 11; ch. 4:15; 5:5; 8:14; 10:11; 11:12; 12:1, 2; See ch. 5:9-14
  12. Hosea 6:4 : ver. 10, 11; ch. 4:15; 5:5; 8:14; 10:11; 11:12; 12:1, 2; See ch. 5:9-14
  13. Hosea 6:4 : ch. 13:3
  14. Hosea 6:4 : ch. 13:3
  15. Hosea 6:5 : Jer. 23:29; [Heb. 4:12]
  16. Hosea 6:6 : Cited Matt. 9:13; 12:7; [1 Sam. 15:22]
  17. Hosea 6:6 : [ch. 2:20]
  18. Hosea 6:7 : [Gen. 3:11; Job 31:33; Rom. 5:14]
  19. Hosea 6:7 : ch. 8:1; Deut. 17:2
  20. Hosea 6:7 : ch. 5:7
  21. Hosea 6:8 : [ch. 12:11]
  22. Hosea 6:8 : See ch. 4:2
  23. Hosea 6:9 : [ch. 5:1; 7:6]
  24. Hosea 6:9 : Josh. 24:1
  25. Hosea 6:10 : ch. 5:3; 7:4; [ch. 4:2, 12, 14; 9:10]
  26. Hosea 6:10 : See ver. 4
  27. Hosea 6:11 : [See ver. 10 above]; See ver. 4
  28. Hosea 6:11 : See Joel 3:13
  29. Hosea 6:11 : Ps. 126:1; [Job 42:10]
  30. Hosea 7:1 : [ch. 6:4]
  31. Hosea 7:1 : [Jer. 23:13]
  32. Hosea 7:1 : [ch. 4:2]
  33. Hosea 7:2 : [ch. 5:3]
  34. Hosea 7:2 : Ps. 9:16; Prov. 5:22
  35. Hosea 7:2 : Ps. 90:8
  36. Hosea 7:3 : ver. 5; [Rom. 1:32]
  37. Hosea 7:3 : ver. 5; [Rom. 1:32]
  38. Hosea 7:4 : See ch. 6:10
  39. Hosea 7:5 : ver. 3
  40. Hosea 7:6 : ch. 6:9
  41. Hosea 7:7 : ch. 8:4
  42. Hosea 7:7 : 2 Kgs. 15:10, 14, 25, 30
  43. Hosea 7:8 : Ps. 106:35
  44. Hosea 7:9 : [ch. 8:7]
  45. Hosea 7:9 : Isa. 42:25
  46. Hosea 7:9 : Isa. 42:25
  47. Hosea 7:10 : ch. 5:5
  48. Hosea 7:10 : Isa. 9:13
  49. Hosea 7:11 : ch. 4:11
  50. Hosea 7:11 : [ch. 12:1; 2 Kgs. 17:4]
  51. Hosea 7:11 : See ch. 5:13
  52. Hosea 7:12 : See Ezek. 12:13
  53. Hosea 7:12 : ch. 10:10
  54. Hosea 7:12 : See Lev. 26:14-39; Deut. 28:15-68
  55. Hosea 7:13 : ch. 9:12
  56. Hosea 7:13 : ch. 13:14
  57. Hosea 7:13 : [ch. 11:12; 12:1; Mic. 6:12]
  58. Hosea 7:14 : Ps. 78:36, 37
  59. Hosea 7:14 : [Amos 6:4, 5]
  60. Hosea 7:15 : [ch. 11:3]
  61. Hosea 7:16 : [ch. 6:1]
  62. Hosea 7:16 : Ps. 78:57
  63. Hosea 7:16 : Ps. 73:9
  64. Hosea 7:16 : ch. 9:3
  65. Hosea 8:1 : ch. 5:8
  66. Hosea 8:1 : See Deut. 28:49
  67. Hosea 8:1 : ch. 6:7
  68. Hosea 8:2 : See Matt. 7:21-23
  69. Hosea 8:4 : ch. 7:7; 1 Kgs. 12:20
  70. Hosea 8:4 : [2 Chr. 13:5]
  71. Hosea 8:5 : ch. 10:5, 6; [1 Kgs. 12:28]
  72. Hosea 8:5 : [Jer. 13:27]
  73. Hosea 8:6 : [See ver. 5 above]; ch. 10:5, 6; [1 Kgs. 12:28]
  74. Hosea 8:6 : [Mic. 1:6, 7]
  75. Hosea 8:7 : [ch. 10:12, 13]
  76. Hosea 8:7 : [ch. 7:9]
  77. Hosea 8:8 : 2 Kgs. 17:6
  78. Hosea 8:8 : Jer. 22:28
  79. Hosea 8:9 : See ch. 5:13
  80. Hosea 8:9 : [Jer. 2:24]
  81. Hosea 8:10 : See Ezek. 26:7
  82. Hosea 8:10 : [ch. 4:7, 10]
  83. Hosea 8:11 : ch. 10:1; 12:11
  84. Hosea 8:12 : [Deut. 4:6, 8]
  85. Hosea 8:13 : Jer. 7:21; [Amos 4:4]
  86. Hosea 8:13 : ch. 9:9; Amos 8:7
  87. Hosea 8:13 : ch. 9:3; Deut. 28:68; [ch. 11:5]
  88. Hosea 8:14 : See ch. 6:4
  89. Hosea 8:14 : Isa. 17:7
  90. Hosea 8:14 : [Amos 5:11]
  91. Hosea 8:14 : See ch. 6:4
  92. Hosea 8:14 : Amos 2:5
  93. Hosea 9:1 : ch. 1:2
  94. Hosea 9:1 : ch. 2:5; Jer. 44:17
  95. Hosea 9:2 : [ch. 2:9]
  96. Hosea 9:2 : [ch. 2:9]
  97. Hosea 9:3 : Jer. 2:7; 16:18; See Lev. 25:23
  98. Hosea 9:3 : See ch. 8:13
  99. Hosea 9:3 : Ezek. 4:13; Dan. 1:8
  100. Hosea 9:4 : [ch. 3:4]
  101. Hosea 9:4 : [ch. 8:13]
  102. Hosea 9:4 : Deut. 26:14; Ezek. 24:17
  103. Hosea 9:4 : [Hag. 2:13]
  104. Hosea 9:5 : [Isa. 10:3]
  105. Hosea 9:6 : See ch. 8:13
  106. Hosea 9:6 : [ch. 10:8; Isa. 2:20]
  107. Hosea 9:6 : [ch. 10:8]
  108. Hosea 9:7 : See Isa. 10:3
  109. Hosea 9:7 : Ezek. 13:3
  110. Hosea 9:8 : Ezek. 3:17
  111. Hosea 9:8 : Ps. 91:3; [ch. 5:1]
  112. Hosea 9:9 : [ch. 5:2]
  113. Hosea 9:9 : ch. 10:9; Judg. 19:22
  114. Hosea 9:9 : [ch. 5:2]
  115. Hosea 9:10 : [Ps. 80:8; Isa. 5:1]
  116. Hosea 9:10 : Num. 25:3; Ps. 106:28
  117. Hosea 9:10 : [ch. 4:14]
  118. Hosea 9:10 : [Rom. 1:28, 29]
  119. Hosea 9:11 : ch. 10:5; [ch. 4:7]
  120. Hosea 9:11 : [Isa. 26:18]
  121. Hosea 9:12 : ch. 13:16
  122. Hosea 9:12 : ch. 7:13
  123. Hosea 9:12 : ch. 5:6; 1 Sam. 28:15, 16; Ezek. 10:18
  124. Hosea 9:13 : [Ezek. 27:3]
  125. Hosea 9:13 : [See ver. 12 above]; ch. 13:16
  126. Hosea 9:14 : [Luke 23:29]
  127. Hosea 9:15 : ch. 4:15; 12:11
  128. Hosea 9:15 : ch. 8:4
  129. Hosea 9:15 : [ch. 5:2]
  130. Hosea 9:16 : [ver. 11]
  131. Hosea 9:16 : [ver. 12, 13]
  132. Hosea 9:16 : [See ver. 12 above]; ch. 13:16
  133. Hosea 9:17 : [ch. 8:5]
  134. Hosea 9:17 : Deut. 28:64, 65
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

3 John

Greeting

(A)The elder to the beloved Gaius, (B)whom I love in truth.

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. For (C)I rejoiced greatly when the brothers[a] came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that (D)my children are walking in the truth.

Support and Opposition

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for (E)these brothers, (F)strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner (G)worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of (H)the name, (I)accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

11 Beloved, (J)do not imitate evil but imitate good. (K)Whoever does good is from God; (L)whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius (M)has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and (N)you know that our testimony is true.

Final Greetings

13 (O)I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, (P)each by name.

Footnotes:

  1. 3 John 1:3 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 10
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 126

Restore Our Fortunes, O Lord

A Song of (A)Ascents.

126 When the Lord (B)restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who (C)dream.
Then our (D)mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
(E)“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negeb!
(F)Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Proverbs 29:12-14

12 If a ruler listens to falsehood,
all his officials will be wicked.
13 The poor man and the oppressor (A)meet together;
the Lord (B)gives light to the eyes of both.
14 If a king (C)faithfully judges the poor,
his throne will (D)be established forever.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.