Day 131 The Bible in a Year (Orthodox canon)

2 Chronicles 21

1 And Josaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Joran his son reigned in his stead. 2 And he had brothers, the six sons of Josaphat, Azarias, and Jeiel, and Zacharias, and Azarias, and Michael, and Zaphatias: all these [were] the sons of Josaphat king of Juda. 3 And their father gave them many gifts, silver, and gold, and arms, together with fortified cities in Juda: but he gave the kingdom to Joram, for he [was] the first-born. 4 And Joram entered upon his kingdom, and strengthened himself, and slew all his brothers with the sword, and [some] of the princes of Israel. 5 When he was thirty and two years old, Joram succeeded to his kingdom, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Achaab; for a daughter of Achaab was his wife: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: 7 nevertheless the Lord would not utterly destroy the house of David, because of the covenant which he made with David, and as he said to him that he would give a light to him and his sons for ever. 8 In those days Edom revolted from Juda, and they made a king over themselves. 9 And Joram went with the princes, and all the cavalry with him: and it came to pass that he arose by night, and smote Edom that compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots, and the people fled to their tents. 10 And Edom revolted from Juda until this day. Then Lomna at that time revolted from [under] his hand, because he forsook the Lord God of his fathers. 11 For he built high places in the cities of Juda, and caused the dwellers in Jerusalem to go a-whoring, and led Juda astray. 12 And there came to him [a message] in writing from Eliu the prophet, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of thy father David, Because thou hast not walked in the way of thy father Josaphat, nor in the ways of Asa king of Juda, 13 but hast walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and hast caused Juda and the dwellers in Jerusalem to go a-whoring, as the house of Achaab caused [Israel] to go a-whoring, and thou hast slain thy brethren, the sons of thy father, who were better than thyself; 14 behold, the Lord shall smite thee with a great plague among thy people, and thy sons, and thy wives, and all thy store: 15 and thou [shalt be afflicted] with a grievous disease, with a disease of the bowels, until thy bowels shall fall out day by day with the sickness. 16 So the Lord stirred up the Philistines against Joram, and the Arabians, and those who bordered on the Æthiopians: 17 and they went up against Juda, and prevailed against them, and took away all the store which they found in the house of the king, and his sons, and his daughters; and there was no son left to him but Ochozias the youngest of his sons. 18 And after all these things the Lord smote him in the bowels with an incurable disease. 19 And it continued from day to day: and when the time of the days came [to] two years, his bowels fell out with the disease, and he died by a grievous distemper: and his people performed no funeral, like the funeral of his fathers. 20 He was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed without honour, and was buried in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

2 Chronicles 22

1 And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ochozias his youngest son king in his stead: for the band of robbers that came against them, even the Arabians and the Alimazonians, had slain all the elder ones. So Ochozias son of Joram king of Juda reigned. 2 Ochozias began to reign when he was twenty years old, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Gotholia, the daughter of Ambri. 3 And he walked in the way of the house of Achaab; for his mother was his counsellor to do evil. 4 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord as the house of Achaab [had done]: for they were his counsellors after the death of his father to his destruction. 5 And he walked in their counsels, and he went with Joram son of Achaab king of Israel to war against Azael king of Syria to Ramoth Galaad: and the archers smote Joram. 6 And Joram returned to Jezrael to be healed of the wounds wherewith the Syrians smote him in Ramoth, when he fought against Azael king of Syria. And Ochozias son of Joram, king of Juda, went down to see Joram the son of Achaab at Jezrael because he was sick. 7 And destruction from God came upon Ochozias in [his] coming to Joram; for when he had come, Joram went out with him against Jeu the son of Namessei, the anointed of the Lord against the house of Achaab. 8 And it came to pass, when Jeu was taking vengeance on the house of Achaab, that he found the princes of Juda and the brethren of Ochozias ministering to Ochozias, and he slew them. 9 And he gave orders to seek Ochozias: and they took him while he was healing his wounds in Samaria, and they brought him to Jeu, and he slew him; and they buried him, for they said, He is the son of Josaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart. So there was none in the house of Ochozias to secure their power in the kingdom. 10 And Gotholia the mother of Ochozias saw that her son was dead, and she arose and destroyed all the seed royal in the house of Juda. 11 But Josabeeth, the daughter of the king, took Joas the son of Ochozias and rescued him secretly out of the midst of the sons of the king that were put to death, and she placed him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Josabeeth daughter of king Joram, sister of Ochozias, wife of Jodae the priest, hid him, and she [even] hid him from Gotholia, and she did not slay him. 12 And he was with him hid in the house of God six years; and Gotholia reigned over the land.

2 Chronicles 23

1 And in the eighth year Jodae strengthened [himself], and took the captains of hundreds, Azarias the son of Joram, and Ismael the son of Joanan, and Azarias the son of Obed, and Maasæas the son of Adia, and Elisaphan the son of Zacharias, with him into the house of the Lord. 2 And they went round about Juda, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Juda, and heads of the families of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3 And all the congregation of Juda made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he shewed them the king's son, and said to them, Lo, let the king's son reign, as the Lord said concerning the house of David. 4 Now this [is] the thing which ye shall do. Let a third part of you, [even] of the priests and of the Levites, enter in on the sabbath, even into the gates of the entrances; 5 and let a third part be in the house of the king; and another third at the middle gate: and all the people in the courts of the Lord's house. 6 And let not [any one] enter into the house of the Lord, except the priests and the Levites, and the servants of the Levites; they shall enter in, because they are holy: and let all the people keep the watch of the Lord. 7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man's weapon in his hand; and whoever [else] goes into the house shall die: but they shall be with the king when he goes out, and when he comes in. 8 And the Levites and all Juda did according to all that the priest Jodae commanded them, and they took each his men from the beginning of the sabbath to the end of the sabbath, for Jodae the priest did not dismiss the courses. 9 And Jodae gave to the men the swords, and the shields, and the arms, which [had] belonged to king David, in the house of God. 10 And he set the whole people, every man with his arms, from the right side of the house to the left side of the altar and the house, over against the king round about. 11 And he brought out the king's son, and put on him the crown and the testimony, and Jodae the priest and his sons proclaimed him king, and anointed him, and said, Long live the king! 12 And Gotholia heard the sound of the people running, and acknowledging and praising the king: and she went in to the king into the house of the Lord. 13 And she looked, and, behold, the king [stood] in his place, and the princes and trumpets were at the entrance, and the princes were round the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded the trumpets, and there were the singers singing with instruments, and singing hymns of praise. And Gotholia rent her robe, and cried, Ye surely are plotting against [me]. 14 And Jodae the priest went forth, and Jodae the priest charged the captains of hundreds, even the captains of the host, and said to them, Thrust her forth outside the house, and follow her, and let her be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord. 15 So they let her go [out]; and she went through the horsemen's gate of the house of the king, and they slew her there. 16 And Jodae made a covenant between himself, and the people, and the king, that the people should be the Lord's. 17 And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and tore down it and its altars, and they ground his images to powder, and they slew Matthan the priest of Baal before his altars. 18 And Jodae the priest committed the works of the house of the Lord into the hand of the priests and Levites, and he re-established the courses of the priests and Levites which David appointed over the house of the Lord, and [he appointed them] to offer whole-burnt-offerings to the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with gladness, and with songs by the hand of David. 19 And the porters stood at the gates of the house of the Lord, that no one unclean in any respect should enter in. 20 And he took the heads of families, and the mighty men, and the chiefs of the people, and all the people of the land, and they conducted the king into the house of the Lord; and he went through the inner gate into the king's house, and they seated the king on the throne of the kingdom. 21 And all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet: and they slew Gotholia.

Acts 5

1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it, then brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 While you kept it, didn’t it remain your own? After it was sold, wasn’t it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You haven’t lied to men, but to God.” 5 Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and died. Great fear came on all who heard these things. 6 The young men arose and wrapped him up, and they carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later, his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. 8 Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” She said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter asked her, “How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 She fell down immediately at his feet and died. The young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband. 11 Great fear came on the whole assembly, and on all who heard these things. 12 By the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. They were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. 13 None of the rest dared to join them; however, the people honored them. 14 More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. 15 They even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mattresses, so that as Peter came by, at least his shadow might overshadow some of them. 16 The multitude also came together from the cities around Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits; and they were all healed. 17 But the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy 18 and laid hands on the apostles, then put them in public custody. 19 But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night, and brought them out and said, 20 “Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” 21 When they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and taught. But the high priest and those who were with him came and called the council together, with all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But the officers who came didn’t find them in the prison. They returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison shut and locked, and the guards standing before the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” 24 Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these words, they were very perplexed about them and what might become of this. 25 One came and told them, “Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain went with the officers, and brought them without violence, for they were afraid that the people might stone them. 27 When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins. 32 We are his witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and were determined to kill them. 34 But one stood up in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, honored by all the people, and commanded to put the apostles out for a little while. 35 He said to them, “You men of Israel, be careful concerning these men, what you are about to do. 36 For before these days Theudas rose up, making himself out to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves. He was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the enrollment, and drew away some people after him. He also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad. 38 Now I tell you, withdraw from these men and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown. 39 But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it, and you would be found even to be fighting against God!” 40 They agreed with him. Summoning the apostles, they beat them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus’ name. 42 Every day, in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and preaching Jesus, the Christ.