The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday June 5, 2023 (NIV)

2 Samuel 23:24-24:25

24 Among the Thirty were

Joab’s brother Asahel,(A)

Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

25 Shammah the Harodite,

Elika the Harodite,

26 Helez the Paltite,

Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

27 Abiezer the Anathothite,

Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28 Zalmon the Ahohite,

Maharai the Netophathite,

29 Heleb son of Baanah the Netophathite,

Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites,

30 Benaiah the Pirathonite,

Hiddai from the wadis of Gaash,[a]

31 Abi-albon the Arbathite,

Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

the sons of Jashen,

Jonathan son of[b] 33 Shammah the Hararite,

Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,

34 Eliphelet son of Ahasbai son of the Maacathite,

Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,(B)

35 Hezro the Carmelite,

Paarai the Arbite,

36 Igal son of Nathan from Zobah,

Bani the Gadite,

37 Zelek the Ammonite,

Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer for Joab son of Zeruiah,

38 Ira the Ithrite,

Gareb the Ithrite,

39 and Uriah(C) the Hethite.(D)

There were thirty-seven in all.

David’s Military Census

24 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel again, and he stirred up David against them to say, “Go, count the people of Israel and Judah.”(E)

So the king said to Joab, the commander of his army, “Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba and register the troops so I can know their number.”(F)

Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times more than they are(G)—while my lord the king looks on! But why does my lord the king want to do this?”

Yet the king’s order prevailed over Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army left the king’s presence to register the troops of Israel.

They crossed the Jordan and camped in Aroer,(H) south of the town in the middle of the valley, and then proceeded toward Gad and Jazer. They went to Gilead and to the land of the Hittites[c] and continued on to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon. They went to the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Afterward, they went to the Negev of Judah at Beer-sheba.

When they had gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. Joab gave the king the total of the registration of the troops. There were eight hundred thousand valiant armed men[d] from Israel and five hundred thousand men from Judah.(I)

10 David’s conscience troubled him(J) after he had taken a census of the troops. He said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I’ve done. Now, Lord, because I’ve been very foolish,(K) please take away your servant’s guilt.”

David’s Punishment

11 When David got up in the morning, the word of the Lord had come to the prophet Gad,(L) David’s seer:(M) 12 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them, and I will do it to you.’”

13 So Gad went to David, told him the choices, and asked him, “Do you want three[e] years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, consider carefully[f] what answer I should take back to the one who sent me.”

14 David answered Gad, “I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the Lord’s hands because his mercies are great,(N) but don’t let me fall into human hands.”

15 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and from Dan to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men died. 16 Then the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,(O) but the Lord relented concerning the destruction(P) and said to the angel who was destroying(Q) the people, “Enough, withdraw your hand now!” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah[g] the Jebusite.(R)

17 When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the Lord, “Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the one[h] who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let your hand be against me and my father’s family.”

David’s Altar

18 Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 David went up in obedience to Gad’s command, just as the Lord had commanded. 20 Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so he went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground.

21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”

David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so the plague on the people may be halted.”(S)

22 Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wants[i] and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.(T) 23 Your Majesty, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.”

24 The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounces[j] of silver. 25 He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord was receptive to prayer for the land,(U) and the plague on Israel ended.

Footnotes:

  1. 23:30 Or from Nahale-gaash
  2. 23:32 Some LXX mss; MT omits son of; 1Ch 11:34
  3. 24:6 LXX; MT reads of Tahtim-hodshi; Hb obscure
  4. 24:9 Lit men of valor drawing the sword
  5. 24:13 LXX; MT reads seven; 1Ch 21:12
  6. 24:13 Lit Now, know and see
  7. 24:16 = Ornan in 1Ch 21:15–28; 2Ch 3:1
  8. 24:17 LXX reads shepherd
  9. 24:22 Lit take what is good in his eyes
  10. 24:24 Lit 50 shekels
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Acts 3

Healing of a Lame Man

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer(A) at three in the afternoon.[a] A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple.(B) When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” (C) Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.(D) All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.(E)

Preaching in Solomon’s Colonnade

11 While he[b] was holding on to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astonished, ran toward them in what is called Solomon’s Colonnade.(F) 12 When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors,(G) has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate,(H) though he had decided to release him. 14 You denied the Holy and Righteous One(I) and asked to have a murderer released to you.(J) 15 You killed the source[c] of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this.(K) 16 By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.

17 “And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your leaders also did.(L) 18 In this way God fulfilled what he had predicted through all the prophets—that his Messiah would suffer.(M) 19 Therefore repent(N) and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out,(O) 20 that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus, who has been appointed(P) for you as the Messiah. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about through his holy prophets from the beginning.(Q) 22 Moses said:[d] The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. 23 And everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be completely cut off from the people.[e](R)

24 “In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also foretold these days. 25 You are the sons[f] of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.[g](S) 26 God raised up his servant[h] and sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”(T)

Footnotes:

  1. 3:1 Lit at the ninth hour
  2. 3:11 Other mss read the lame man who was healed
  3. 3:15 Or the Prince, or the Ruler
  4. 3:22 Other mss add to the fathers
  5. 3:22–23 Dt 18:15–19
  6. 3:25 = heirs
  7. 3:25 Gn 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4
  8. 3:26 Other mss add Jesus
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Psalm 123

Psalm 123

Looking for God’s Favor

A song of ascents.

I lift my eyes to you,
the one enthroned in heaven.(A)
Like a servant’s eyes on his master’s hand,
like a servant girl’s eyes on her mistress’s hand,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
until he shows us favor.(B)

Show us favor, Lord, show us favor,
for we’ve had more than enough contempt.(C)
We’ve had more than enough
scorn from the arrogant
and contempt from the proud.(D)

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

Proverbs 16:21-23

21 Anyone with a wise heart is called discerning,
and pleasant speech[a] increases learning.(A)

22 Insight is a fountain of life(B) for its possessor,
but the discipline of fools is folly.

23 The heart of a wise person instructs his mouth;
it adds learning to his speech.[b](C)

Footnotes:

  1. 16:21 Lit and sweetness of lips
  2. 16:23 Lit learning upon his lips
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.