Thurzo Gizella Bible Study

Word for today: Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25 NIV

A Christian’s goal should be to create the Kingdom of God here on earth, as it is in Heaven. Not only, to get to Heaven.

Watch this to start your day.

Reflection for Today.

To finish the Bible in one year, Read 1 Maccabees 6,7,8,9, & Matthew 23: 24-39

Old Testament Reading for today – Listen or read it for yourself:

Also read the verses, if you like.

Old Testament Reading for today.

1 Maccabees 6

1 And king Antiochus was journeying through the upper countries; and he heard say, that in Elymais in Persia there was a city renowned for riches, for silver and gold;

2 and that the temple which was in it was rich exceedingly, and that therein were golden shields, and breastplates, and arms, which Alexander, son of Philip, the Macedonian king, who reigned first among the Greeks, left behind there.

3 And he came and sought to take the city, and to pillage it; and he was not able, because the thing was known to them of the city,

4 and they rose up against him to battle: and he fled, and removed thence with great heaviness, to return to Babylon.

5 And there came one bringing him tidings into Persia, that the armies, which went against the land of Judah, had been put to flight;

6 and that Lysias went first with a strong army, and was put to shame before them; and that they had waxed strong by reason of arms and power, and with store of spoils, which they took from the armies that they had cut off;

7 and that they had pulled down the abomination which he had built upon the altar that was in Jerusalem; and that they had compassed about the sanctuary with high walls, as before, and Bethsura, his city.

8 And it came to pass, when the king heard these words, he was astonished and moved exceedingly: and he laid him down upon his bed, and fell sick for grief, because it had not befallen him as he looked for.

9 And he was there many days, because great grief was renewed upon him, and he made account that he should die.

10 And he called for all his Friends, and said to them, Sleep departs from my eyes, and my heart fails for care.

11 And I said in my heart, To what suffering am I come, and how great a flood is it, wherein I now am! for I was gracious and beloved in my power.

12 But now I remember the evils which I did at Jerusalem, and that I took all the vessels of silver and gold that were therein, and sent forth to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without a cause.

13 I perceive that on this account these evils are come upon me, and, behold, I perish through great grief in a strange land.

14 And he called for Philip, one of his Friends, and set him over all his kingdom,

15 and gave him his diadem, and his robe, and his signet ring, to the end he should bring Antiochus his son, and nourish him up that he might be king.

16 And king Antiochus died there in the hundred and forty and ninth year.

17 And Lysias knew that the king was dead, and he set up Antiochus his son to reign, whom he had nourished up being young, and he called his name Eupator.

18 And those who were in the citadel shut up Israel round about the sanctuary, and sought always their hurt, and the strengthening of the Gentiles.

19 And Judas thought to destroy them, and called all the people together to besiege them.

20 And they were gathered together, and besieged them in the hundred and fifties year, and he made mounds to shoot from, and engines of war.

21 And there came forth some of those who were shut up, and there were joined to them certain ungodly men of Israel.

22 And they went to the king, and said, How long will you not execute judgement, and avenge our kindred?

23 We were willing to serve your father, and to walk after his words, and to follow his commandments;

24 and for this cause the children of our people besieged the citadel, and were alienated from us; but as many of us as they could light on they killed, and plundered our inheritances.

25 And not against us only did they stretch out their hand, but also against all their borders.

26 And, behold, they are encamped this day against the citadel at Jerusalem, to take it: and the sanctuary and Bethsura have they fortified.

27 And if you° are not beforehand with them quickly, they will do greater things than these, and you shall not be able to control them.

28 And when the king heard this, he was angry, and gathered together all his Friends, even the rulers of his army, and those who were over the horse.

29 And there came to him from other kingdoms, and from isles of the sea, bands of hired soldiers.

30 And the number of his forces was a hundred thousand footmen, and twenty thousand horsemen, and two and thirty elephants trained for war.

31 And they went through Idumaea, and encamped against Bethsura, and fought against it many days, and made engines of war; and they of Bethsura came out, and burned them with fire, and fought valiantly.

32 And Judas removed from the citadel, and encamped at Bethzacharias, near the king’s camp.

33 And the king rose early in the morning, and removed his army at full speed along the road to Bethzacharias, and his forces made them ready to battle, and sounded with the trumpets.

34 And they showed the elephants the blood of grapes and mulberries, that they might prepare them for the battle.

35 And they divided the beasts among the phalanxes, and they set by each elephant a thousand men armed with coats of mail, and helmets of brass on their heads; and for each beast were appointed five hundred chosen horsemen.

36 These were ready beforehand, wherever the beast was; and wherever the beast went, they went with him; they departed not from him.

37 And towers of wood were upon them, strong and covered, one upon each beast, girded fast upon him with cunning contrivances; and upon each beast were two and thirty valiant men that fought upon them, beside his Indian

38 (and the residue of the horsemen he set on this side and that side at the two parts of the army), striking terror into the enemy, and protected by the phalanxes.

39 Now when the sun shone upon the shields of gold and brass, the mountains shone therewith, and blazed like torches of fire.

40 And a part of the king’s army was spread upon the high mountains, and some on the low ground, and they went on firmly and in order.

41 And all that heard the noise of their multitude, and the marching of the multitude, and the rattling of the arms, did quake: for the army was exceedingly great and strong.

42 And Judas and his army drew near for battle, and there fell of the king’s army six hundred men.

43 And Eleazar, who was called Avaran, saw one of the beasts armed with royal breastplates, and he was higher than all the beasts, and the king seemed to be upon him;

44 and he gave himself to deliver his people, and to get him an everlasting name;

45 and he ran upon him courageously into the midst of the phalanx, and killed on the right hand and on the left, and they parted asunder from him on this side and on that.

46 And he crept under the elephant, and thrust him from beneath, and killed him; and the elephant fell to the earth upon him, and he died there.

47 And they saw the strength of the kingdom, and the fierce onset of the army, and turned away from them.

48 But they of the king’s army went up to Jerusalem to meet them, and the king encamped toward Judea, and toward mount Sion.

49 And he made peace with them of Bethsura; and he came out of the city, because they had no food there to endure the siege, because it was a Sabbath to the land.

50 And the king took Bethsura, and appointed a garrison there to keep it.

51 And he encamped against the sanctuary many days; and set there mounds to shoot from, and engines of war, and instruments for casting fire and stones, and pieces to cast darts, and slings.

52 And they also made engines against their engines, and fought for many days.

53 But there were no food in the sanctuary, because it was the seventh year, and those who fled for safety into Judea from among the Gentiles had eaten up the residue of the store;

54 and there were but a few left in the sanctuary, because the famine prevailed against them, and they were scattered, each man to his own place.

55 And Lysias heard say, that Philip, whom Antiochus the king, whiles he was yet alive, appointed to nourish up his son Antiochus, that he might be king,

56 was returned from Persia and Media, and with him the forces that went with the king, and that he was seeking to take to him the government.

57 And he made haste, and gave consent to depart; and he said to the king and the leaders of the army and to the men, We decay daily, and our food is scant, and the place where we encamp is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom lie upon us:

58 now therefore let’s give the right hand to these men, and make peace with them and with all their nation,

59 and covenant with them, that they shall walk after their own laws, as aforetime: for because of their laws which we abolished they were angered, and did all these things.

60 And the saying pleased the king and the princes, and he sent to them to make peace; and they accepted thereof.

61 And the king and the princes sware to them: thereupon they came forth from the stronghold.

62 And the king entered into mount Sion; and he saw the strength of the place, and set at nothing the oath which he had sworn, and gave commandment to pull down the wall round about.

63 And he removed in haste, and returned to Antioch, and found Philip master of the city; and he fought against him, and took the city by force.

1 Maccabees 7

1 In the hundred and one and fifties year Demetrius the son of Seleucus came forth from Rome, and went up with a few men to a city by the sea, and reigned there.

2 And it came to pass, when he would go into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, that the army laid hands on Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them to him.

3 And the thing was known to him, and he said, show me not their faces.

4 And the army killed them. And Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom.

5 And there came to him all the lawless and ungodly men of Israel; and Alcimus was their leader, desiring to be high priest;

6 and they accused the people to the king, saying, Judas and his kindred have destroyed all your friends, and have scattered us from our own land.

7 Now therefore send a man whom you trust, and let him go and see all the havock which he has made of us, and of the king’s country, and how he has punished them and all that helped them.

8 And the king chose Bacchides, one of the king’s Friends, who was ruler in the country beyond the river, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king.

9 And he sent him, and that ungodly Alcimus, and made sure to him the high priesthood, and he commanded him to take vengeance upon the children of Israel.

10 And they removed, and came with a great army into the land of Judah, and he sent messengers to Judas and his kindred with words of peace deceitfully.

11 And they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come with a great army.

12 And there were gathered together to Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes, to seek for justice.

13 And the Hasidaeans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of them;

14 for they said, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with the forces, and he will do us no wrong.

15 And he spoke with them words of peace, and sware to them, saying, We will seek the hurt neither of you nor your friends.

16 And they gave him credence: and he laid hands on threescore men of them, and killed them in one day, according to the word which the psalmist wrote,

17 The flesh of your saints did they cast out, And their blood did they shed round about Jerusalem; And there was no man to bury them.

18 And the fear and the dread of them fell upon all the people, for they said, There is neither truth nor judgement in them; for they have broken the covenant and the oath which they sware.

19 And Bacchides removed from Jerusalem, and encamped in Bezeth; and he sent and took away many of the deserters that were with him, and certain of the people, and he killed them, and cast them into the great pit.

20 And he made sure the country to Alcimus, and left with him a force to aid him; and Bacchides went away to the king.

21 And Alcimus strove for his high priesthood.

22 And there were gathered to him all those who troubled their people, and they got the mastery of the land of Judah, and did great hurt in Israel.

23 And Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the children of Israel, even above the Gentiles,

24 and he went out into all the coasts of Judea round about, and took vengeance on the men that had deserted from him, and they were restrained from going forth into the country.

25 But when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company waxed strong, and knew that he was not able to withstand them, he returned to the king, and brought evil accusations against them.

26 And the king sent Nicanor, one of his honorable princes, a man that hated Israel and was their enemy, and commanded him to destroy the people.

27 And Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army; and he sent to Judas and his kindred deceitfully with words of peace, saying,

28 Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see your faces in peace.

29 And he came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. And the enemies were ready to take away Judas by violence.

30 And the thing was known to Judas, to wit, that he came to him with deceit, and he was sore afraid of him, and would see his face no more.

31 And Nicanor knew that his counsel was discovered; and he went out to meet Judas in battle beside Capharsalama;

32 and there fell of Nicanor’s side about five hundred men, and they fled into the city of David.

33 And after these things Nicanor went up to mount Sion: and there came some of the priests out of the sanctuary, and some of the elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to show him the whole burned sacrifice that was being offered for the king.

34 And he mocked them, and laughed at them, and entreated them shamefully, and spoke haughtily,

35 and sware in a rage, saying, Unless Judas and his army be now delivered into my hands, it shall be that, if I come again in peace, I will burn up this house: and he went out in a great rage.

36 And the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple; and they wept, and said,

37 You did choose this house to be called by your name, to be a house of prayer and supplication for your people:

38 take vengeance on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to live any longer.

39 And Nicanor went forth from Jerusalem, and encamped in Bethhoron, and there met him the army of Syria.

40 And Judas encamped in Adasa with three thousand men: and Judas prayed and said,

41 When those who came from the king blasphemed, your angel went out, and struck among them a hundred and fourscore and five thousand.

42 Even so discomfit you this army before us today, and let all the rest know that he has spoken wickedly against your sanctuary, and judge you him according to his wickedness.

43 And on the thirteenth day of the month Adar the armies joined battle: and Nicanor’s army was discomfited, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle.

44 Now when his army saw that Nicanor was fallen, they cast away their arms, and fled.

45 And they pursued after them a day’s journey from Adasa until you come to Gazara, and they sounded an alarm after them with the solemn trumpets.

46 And they came forth out of all the villages of Judea round about, and closed them in; and these turned them back on those, and they all fell by the sword, and there was not one of them left.

47 And they took the spoils, and the booty, and they struck off Nicanor’s head, and his right hand, which he stretched out so haughtily, and brought them, and hanged them up beside Jerusalem.

48 And the people were exceedingly glad, and they kept that day as a day of great gladness.

49 And they ordained to keep this day year by year, to wit, the thirteenth day of Adar.

50 And the land of Judah had rest a little while.

1 Maccabees 8

1 And Judas heard of the fame of the Romans, that they are valiant men, and have pleasure in all that join themselves to them, and make friends with all such as come to them,

2 and that they are valiant men. And they told him of their wars and exploits which they do among the Gauls, and how that they conquered them, and brought them under tribute;

3 and what things they did in the land of Spain, that they might become masters of the mines of silver and gold which were there;

4 and how that by their policy and persistence they conquered all the place (and the place was exceedingly far from them), and the kings that came against them from the uttermost part of the earth, until they had discomfited them, and struck them very sore; and how the rest give them tribute year by year:

5 and Philip, and Perseus, king of Chittim, and those who lifted up themselves against them, did they discomfit in battle, and conquered them:

6 Antiochus also, the great king of Asia, who came against them to battle, having a hundred and twenty elephants, with horse, and chariots, and an exceedingly great army, and he was discomfited by them,

7 and they took him alive, and appointed that both he and such as reigned after him should give them a great tribute, and should give hostages, and a parcel of land, to wit,

8 the country of India, and Media, and Lydia, and of the goodliest of their countries; and they took them from him, and gave them to king Eumenes:

9 and how they of Greece took counsel to come and destroy them;

10 and the thing was known to them, and they sent against them a captain, and fought against them, and many of them fell down wounded to death, and they made captive their wives and their children, and plundered them, and conquered their land, and pulled down their strongholds, and plundered them, and brought them into bondage to this day:

11 and the residue of the kingdoms and of the isles, as many as rose up against them at any time, they destroyed and made them to be their servants;

12 but with their friends and such as relied upon them they stayed friends; and they conquered the kingdoms that were near and those that were far off, and all that heard of their fame were afraid of them:

13 moreover, whoever they will to help and to make kings, these do they make kings; and whoever they will, do they depose; and they are exalted exceedingly:

14 and for all this none of them did ever put on a diadem, neither did they clothe themselves with purple, to be magnified by it:

15 and how they had made for themselves a senate house, and day by day three hundred and twenty men sat in council, consulting always for the people, to the end they might be well ordered:

16 and how they commit their government to one man year by year, that he should rule over them, and be lord over all their country, and all are obedient to that one, and there is neither envy nor emulation among them.

17 And Judas chose Eupolemus the son of John, the son of Accos, and Jason the son of Eleazar, and sent them to Rome, to establish friendship and alliance with them,

18 and that they should take the yoke from them; for they saw that the kingdom of the Greeks did keep Israel in bondage.

19 And they went to Rome (and the way was exceedingly long), and they entered into the senate house, and answered and said,

20 Judas, who is also called Maccabaeus, and his kindred, and the people of the Jews, have sent us to you, to make a confederacy and peace with you, and that we might be registered your allies and friends.

21 And the thing was well-pleasing in their sight.

22 And this is the copy of the writing which they wrote back again on tables of brass, and sent to Jerusalem, that it might be with them there for a memorial of peace and confederacy:

23 Good success be to the Romans, and to the nation of the Jews, by sea and by land forever: the sword also and the enemy be far from them.

24 But if war arise for Rome first, or any of their allies in all their dominion,

25 the nation of the Jews shall help them as allies, as the occasion shall prescribe to them, with all their heart:

26 and to those who make war upon them they shall not give, neither supply, food, arms, money, or ships, as it has seemed good to Rome, and they shall keep their ordinances without taking anything therefore.

27 In the same manner, moreover, if war come first upon the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall help them as allies with all their soul, as the occasion shall prescribe to them:

28 and to those who are allies with their foes there shall not be given food, arms, money, or ships, as it has seemed good to Rome; and they shall keep these ordinances, and that without deceit.

29 According to these words have the Romans made a covenant thus with the people of the Jews.

30 But if hereafter the one party and the other shall take counsel to add or diminish anything, they shall do it at their pleasure, and whatever they shall add or take away shall be established.

31 And as touching the evils which king Demetrius does to them, we have written to him, saying, Wherefore have you made your yoke heavy upon our friends and allies the Jews?

32 If therefore they plead any more against you, we will do them justice, and fight with you by sea and by land.

1 Maccabees 9

1 And Demetrius heard that Nicanor was fallen with his forces in battle, and he sent Bacchides and Alcimus again into the land of Judah a second time, and the right wing of his army with them:

2 and they went by the way that leads to Gilgal, and encamped against Mesaloth, which is in Arbela, and got possession of it, and destroyed much people.

3 And the first month of the hundred and fifty and second year they encamped against Jerusalem:

4 and they removed, and went to Berea, with twenty thousand footmen and two thousand horse.

5 And Judas was encamped at Elasa, and three thousand chosen men with him:

6 and they saw the multitude of the forces, that they were many, and they feared exceedingly: and many slipped away out of the army; there were not left of them more than eight hundred men.

7 And Judas saw that his army slipped away, and that the battle pressed upon him, and he was sore troubled in heart, for that he had no time to gather them together, and he waxed faint.

8 And he said to those who were left, Let’s arise and go up against our adversaries, if perhaps we may be able to fight with them.

9 And they would have dissuaded him, saying, We shall in no wise be able: but let’s rather save our lives now: let’s return again, we and our kindred, and fight against them: but we are few.

10 And Judas said, let it not be so that I should do this thing, to flee from them: and if our time is come, let’s die in a manly way for our kindred’s sake, and not leave a cause of reproach against our glory.

11 And the army removed from the camp, and stood to encounter them, and the horse was parted into two companies, and the slingers and the archers went before the army, and all the mighty men that fought in the front of the battle.

12 But Bacchides was in the right wing; and the phalanx drew near on the two parts, and they blew with their trumpets.

13 And the men of Judas’ side, even they sounded with their trumpets, and the earth shook with the shout of the armies, and the battle was joined, and continued from morning until evening.

14 And Judas saw that Bacchides and the strength of his army were on the right side, and there went with him all that were brave in heart,

15 and the right wing was discomfited by them, and he pursued after them to the mount Azotus.

16 And those who were on the left wing saw that the right wing was discomfited, and they turned and followed upon the footsteps of Judas and of those that were with him:

17 and the battle waxed sore, and many on both parts fell wounded to death.

18 And Judas fell, and the rest fled.

19 And Jonathan and Simon took Judas their brother, and buried him in the sepulchre of his fathers at Modin.

20 And they bewailed him, and all Israel made great lamentation for him, and mourned many days, and said,

21 How is the mighty fallen, the savior of Israel!

22 And the rest of the acts of Judas, and his wars, and the valiant deeds which he did, and his greatness, they are not written; for they were exceedingly many.

23 And it came to pass after the death of Judas, that the lawless put forth their heads in all the coasts of Israel, and all those who did iniquity rose up

24 (in those days there was an exceedingly great famine), and the country went over with them.

25 And Bacchides chose out the ungodly men, and made them lords of the country.

26 And they sought out and searched for the friends of Judas, and brought them to Bacchides, and he took vengeance on them, and used them despitefully.

27 And there was great suffering in Israel, such as was not since the time that no prophet appeared to them.

28 And all the friends of Judas were gathered together, and they said to Jonathan,

29 Since your brother Judas has died, we have no man like him to go forth against our enemies and Bacchides, and among them of our nation that hate us.

30 Now therefore we have chosen you this day to be our prince and leader in his stead, that you may fight our battles.

31 And Jonathan took the governance upon him at that time, and rose up in the stead of his brother Judas.

32 And Bacchides knew it, and he sought to kill him.

33 And Jonathan, and Simon his brother, and all that were with him, knew it; and they fled into the wilderness of Tekoah, and encamped by the water of the pool Asphar.

34 And Bacchides knew it on the Sabbath day, and came, he and all his army, over Jordan.

35 And Jonathan sent his brother, a leader of the multitude, and implored his friends the Nabathaeans, that they might leave with them their baggage, which was much.

36 And the children of Jambri came out of Medaba, and took John, and all that he had, and went their way with it.

37 But after these things they brought word to Jonathan and Simon his brother, that the children of Jambri were making a great marriage, and were bringing the bride from Nadabath with a great train, a daughter of one of the great nobles of Canaan.

38 And they remembered John their brother, and went up, and hid themselves under the covert of the mountain:

39 and they lifted up their eyes, and saw, and, behold, a great ado and much baggage: and the bridegroom came forth, and his friends and his kindred, to meet them with timbrels, and minstrels, and many weapons.

40 And they rose up against them from their ambush, and killed them, and many fell wounded to death, and the remnant fled into the mountain, and they took all their spoils.

41 And the marriage was turned into mourning, and the voice of their minstrels into lamentation.

42 And they avenged fully the blood of their brother, and turned back to the marsh of Jordan.

43 And Bacchides heard it, and he came on the Sabbath day to the banks of Jordan with a great army.

44 And Jonathan said to his company, Let’s stand up now and fight for our lives, for it is not with us today, as yesterday and the day before.

45 For, behold, the battle is before us and behind us; moreover the water of the Jordan is on this side and on that side, and marsh and wood; and there is no place to escape.

46 Now therefore cry to heaven, that you° may be delivered out of the hand of your enemies.

47 And the battle was joined, and Jonathan stretched forth his hand to strike Bacchides, and he turned away back from him.

48 And Jonathan and those who were with him leapt into the Jordan, and swam over to the other side: and they didn’t pass over Jordan against them.

49 And there fell of Bacchides’ company that day about a thousand men;

50 and he returned to Jerusalem. And they built strong cities in Judea, the stronghold that was in Jericho, and Emmaus, and Bethhoron, and Bethel, and Timnath, Pharathon, and Tephon, with high walls and gates and bars.

51 And in them he set a garrison, to vex Israel.

52 And he fortified the city Bethsura, and Gazara, and the citadel, and put forces in them, and store of food.

53 And he took the sons of the chief men of the country for hostages, and put them in ward in the citadel at Jerusalem.

54 And in the hundred and fifty and third year, in the second month, Alcimus commanded to pull down the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary; he pulled down also the works of the prophets;

55 and he began to pull down. At that time was Alcimus stricken, and his works were hindered; and his mouth was stopped, and he was taken with a palsy, and he could no more speak anything and give order concerning his house.

56 And Alcimus died at that time with great torment.

57 And Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead, and he returned to the king: and the land of Judah had rest two years.

58 And all the lawless men took counsel, saying, Behold, Jonathan and they of his part are dwelling at ease, and in security: now therefore we will bring Bacchides, and he shall lay hands on them all in one night.

59 And they went and consulted with him.

60 And he removed, and came with a great army, and sent letters privily to all his allies that were in Judea, that they should lay hands on Jonathan and those that were with him: and they could not, because their counsel was known to them.

61 And those who were of Jonathan’s part laid hands on about fifty of the men of the country, that were authors of the wickedness, and he killed them.

62 And Jonathan, and Simon, and those who were with him, got them away to Bethbasi, which is in the wilderness, and he built up that which had been pulled down thereof, and they made it strong.

63 And Bacchides knew it, and he gathered together all his multitude, and sent word to those who were of Judea.

64 And he went and encamped against Bethbasi, and fought against it many days, and made engines of war.

65 And Jonathan left his brother Simon in the city, and went forth into the country, and he went with a few men.

66 And he struck Odomera and his kindred, and the children of Phasiron in their tent.

67 And they began to strike them, and to go up with their forces. And Simon and those who were with him went out of the city, and set on fire the engines of war,

68 and fought against Bacchides, and he was discomfited by them, and they afflicted him sore; for his counsel was in vain, and his inroad.

69 And they were very angry with the lawless men that gave him counsel to come into the country, and they killed many of them. And he took counsel to depart into his own land.

70 And Jonathan had knowledge thereof, and sent ambassadors to him, to the end that they should make peace with him, and that he should restore to them the captives.

71 And he accepted the thing, and did according to his words, and sware to him that he would not seek his hurt all the days of his life.

72 And he restored to him the captives which he had taken aforetime out of the land of Judah, and he returned and departed into his own land, and came not any more into their borders.

73 And the sword ceased from Israel. And Jonathan lived at Michmash; and Jonathan began to judge the people; and he destroyed the ungodly out of Israel.

Chapters from the New Testament:

Matthew 23 :24-39

24 Ye blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.

25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like whitened sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

28 Thus ye also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,

30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

31 Wherefore ye are witnesses to yourselves, that ye are the children of them who killed the prophets.

32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

34 Wherefore behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye will kill and crucify, and some of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

36 Verily I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate.

39 For I say to you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Sermons or explanations by different people of the above chapters.

The Message Bible – Eugene H. Peterson – In Contemporary Language Read today’s verses in this bible on line, if you like.

The Catholic Daily Mass Readings and reflections for today.

Catholic Daily Reflections

Reflection Prayer,

Lord, help me to forgive and to forget. Help me to seek anything that keeps me from fully loving You and all my neighbors. Purify my heart, oh Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.

Previous Daily Bible Study Blogs

Book of 1 Maccabees , Outline Summary, Outline Book of Matthew (we are studying these books presently)

Audio Drama: Old Testament New Testament Each book is read in its entirety. You can listen to the bible, one book at a time in contemporary English.

Dr. Myles Munroe

I am including a video by Dr. Myles Munroe, I’ve listened to him back in the nineties, and rediscovered him recently. Now his perspective seems to be a good way to also look at scripture. In Pursuit of Purpose – Book Highlights