[20220113] Daily Bible Reading — Day 164

13
Jan

Mark 1:1-20; 2 Samuel 2; 2 Samuel 3:1; Daniel 1

Mark 1:1-20

Listen to Mark 1

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 
4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 
5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. 
6 And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; 
7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 
8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. 
9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 
10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 
11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 
12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 
13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. 
14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 
15 And saying,The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 
16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 
17 And Jesus said unto them,Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. 
18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. 
19 And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. 
20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

2 Samuel 2

Listen to 2 Samuel 2

1 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron. 
2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite. 
3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. 
4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul. 
5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him. 
6 And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing. 
7 Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them. 
8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; 
9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 
10 Ishbosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 
11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. 
12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 
13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool. 
14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise. 
15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 
16 And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow’s side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon. 
17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David. 
18 And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. 
19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 
20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am. 
21 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him. 
22 And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? 
23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still. 
24 Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon. 
25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill. 
26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren? 
27 And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother. 
28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more. 
29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim. 
30 And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David’s servants nineteen men and Asahel. 
31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner’s men, so that three hundred and threescore men died. 
32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

2 Samuel 3:1

Listen to 2 Samuel 3

1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

Daniel 1

Listen to Daniel 1

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. 
3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; 
4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. 
5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. 
6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 
7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. 
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 
9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 
10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. 
11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 
13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. 
14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 
15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat. 
16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. 
17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 
18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 
19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. 
20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. 
21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.