O. Addison Gethers e-mail address : [email protected] or [email protected] window live messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS
----- Original Message ----- From: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 8:41 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Wednesday May 13 A A A A A English (EN)Espanol (ES) > Ezra 7-10 (The Message) > > Ezra 7 > Ezra Arrives > 1-5 After all this, Ezra. It was during the reign of Artaxerxes king of > Persia. Ezra was the son of > Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son > of Ahitub, son of > Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, > son of Bukki, son of > Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest. > 6-7 That's Ezra. He arrived from Babylon, a scholar well-practiced in the > Revelation of Moses that > the God of Israel had given. Because God's hand was on Ezra, the king gave > him everything he asked > for. Some of the Israelites-priests, Levites, singers, temple security > guards, and temple > slaves-went with him to Jerusalem. It was in the seventh year of > Artaxerxes the king. > > 8-10 They arrived at Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of > the king's reign. Ezra had > scheduled their departure from Babylon on the first day of the first > month; they arrived in > Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month under the generous guidance > of his God. Ezra had > committed himself to studying the Revelation of God, to living it, and to > teaching Israel to live > its truths and ways. > > > 11 What follows is the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra, priest and > scholar, expert in matters > involving the truths and ways of God concerning Israel: > > 12-20 Artaxerxes, King of Kings, to Ezra the priest, a scholar of the > Teaching of the > God-of-Heaven. > > Peace. I hereby decree that any of the people of Israel living in my > kingdom who want to go to > Jerusalem, including their priests and Levites, may go with you. You are > being sent by the king and > his seven advisors to carry out an investigation of Judah and Jerusalem in > relation to the Teaching > of your God that you are carrying with you. You are also authorized to > take the silver and gold that > the king and his advisors are giving for the God of Israel, whose > residence is in Jerusalem, along > with all the silver and gold that has been collected from the generously > donated offerings all over > Babylon, including that from the people and the priests, for The Temple of > their God in Jerusalem. > Use this money carefully to buy bulls, rams, lambs, and the ingredients > for Grain-Offerings and > Drink-Offerings and then offer them on the Altar of The Temple of your God > in Jerusalem. You are > free to use whatever is left over from the silver and gold for what you > and your brothers decide is > in keeping with the will of your God. Deliver to the God of Jerusalem the > vessels given to you for > the services of worship in The Temple of your God. Whatever else you need > for The Temple of your God > you may pay for out of the royal bank. > > 21-23 I, Artaxerxes the king, have formally authorized and ordered all the > treasurers of the land > across the Euphrates to give Ezra the priest, scholar of the Teaching of > the God-of-Heaven, the full > amount of whatever he asks for up to 100 talents of silver, 650 bushels of > wheat, and 607 gallons > each of wine and olive oil. There is no limit on the salt. Everything the > God-of-Heaven requires for > The Temple of God must be given without hesitation. Why would the king and > his sons risk stirring up > his wrath? > > 24 Also, let it be clear that no one is permitted to impose tribute, tax, > or duty on any priest, > Levite, singer, temple security guard, temple servant, or any other worker > connected with The Temple > of God. > > 25 I authorize you, Ezra, exercising the wisdom of God that you have in > your hands, to appoint > magistrates and judges so they can administer justice among all the people > of the land across the > Euphrates who live by the Teaching of your God. Anyone who does not know > the Teaching, you teach > them. > > 26 Anyone who does not obey the Teaching of your God and the king must be > tried and sentenced at > once-death, banishment, a fine, prison, whatever. > > Ezra: "I Was Ready to Go" > 27-28 Blessed be God, the God-of-Our-Fathers, who put it in the mind of > the king to beautify The > Temple of God in Jerusalem! Not only that, he caused the king and all his > advisors and influential > officials actually to like me and back me. My God was on my side and I was > ready to go. And I > organized all the leaders of Israel to go with me. > Ezra 8 > 1-14 These are the family heads and those who signed up to go up with me > from Babylon in the reign > of Artaxerxes the king: > From the family of Phinehas: Gershom > > Family of Ithamar: Daniel > > Family of David: Hattush > > Family of Shecaniah > > Family of Parosh: Zechariah, and with him 150 men signed up > > Family of Pahath-Moab: Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and 200 men > > Family of Zattu: Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and 300 men > > Family of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan, and 50 men > > Family of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and 70 men > > Family of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael, and 80 men > > Family of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel, and 218 men > > Family of Bani: Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and 160 men > > Family of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai, and 28 men > > Family of Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan, and 110 men > > Family of Adonikam (bringing up the rear): their names were Eliphelet, > Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 > men > > Family of Bigvai: Uthai and Zaccur, and 70 men. > > 15-17 I gathered them together at the canal that runs to Ahava. We camped > there three days. I > looked them over and found that they were all laymen and priests but no > Levites. So I sent for the > leaders Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, > Zechariah, and Meshullam, and > for the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan. I then sent them to Iddo, who is > head of the town of > Casiphia, and told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives who lived > there in Casiphia: "Send us > ministers for The Temple of God." > > 18-20 Well, the generous hand of our God was on us, and they brought back > to us a wise man from the > family of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel. His name was Sherebiah. > With sons and brothers they > numbered eighteen. They also brought Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the family > of Merari, with brothers > and their sons, another twenty. And then there were 220 temple servants, > descendants of the temple > servants that David and the princes had assigned to help the Levites in > their work. They were all > signed up by name. > > 21-22 I proclaimed a fast there beside the Ahava Canal, a fast to humble > ourselves before our God > and pray for wise guidance for our journey-all our people and possessions. > I was embarrassed to ask > the king for a cavalry bodyguard to protect us from bandits on the road. > We had just told the king, > "Our God lovingly looks after all those who seek him, but turns away in > disgust from those who leave > him." > > 23 So we fasted and prayed about these concerns. And he listened. > > 24-27 Then I picked twelve of the leading priests-Sherebiah and Hashabiah > with ten of their > brothers. I weighed out for them the silver, the gold, the vessels, and > the offerings for The Temple > of our God that the king, his advisors, and all the Israelites had given: > 25 tons of silver > 100 vessels of silver valued at three and three-quarter tons of gold > 20 gold bowls weighing eighteen and a half pounds > 2 vessels of bright red copper, as valuable as gold. > > 28-29 I said to them, "You are holy to God and these vessels are holy. The > silver and gold are > Freewill-Offerings to the God of your ancestors. Guard them with your > lives until you're able to > weigh them out in a secure place in The Temple of our God for the priests > and Levites and family > heads who are in charge in Jerusalem." > > 30 The priests and Levites took charge of all that had been weighed out to > them, and prepared to > deliver it to Jerusalem to The Temple of our God. > > 31 We left the Ahava Canal on the twelfth day of the first month to travel > to Jerusalem. God was > with us all the way and kept us safe from bandits and highwaymen. > > 32-34 We arrived in Jerusalem and waited there three days. On the fourth > day the silver and gold > and vessels were weighed out in The Temple of our God into the hands of > Meremoth son of Uriah, the > priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was there with him, also the Levites > Jozabad son of Jeshua and > Noadiah son of Binnui. Everything was counted and weighed and the totals > recorded. > > 35 When they arrived, the exiles, now returned from captivity, offered > Whole-Burnt-Offerings to the > God of Israel: > 12 bulls, representing all Israel 96 rams 77 lambs 12 he-goats as an > Absolution-Offering. > > All of this was sacrificed as a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God. > > 36 They also delivered the king's orders to the king's provincial > administration assigned to the > land beyond the Euphrates. They, in turn, gave their support to the people > and The Temple of God. > > Ezra 9 > Ezra Prays: "Look at Us...Guilty Before You" > 1-2 After all this was done, the leaders came to me and said, "The People > of Israel, priests and > Levites included, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring > people around here with all > their vulgar obscenities-Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, > Ammonites, Moabites, > Egyptians, Amorites. They have given some of their daughters in marriage > to them and have taken some > of their daughters for marriage to their sons. The holy seed is now all > mixed in with these other > peoples. And our leaders have led the way in this betrayal." > 3 When I heard all this, I ripped my clothes and my cape; I pulled hair > from my head and out of my > beard; I slumped to the ground, appalled. > > 4-6 Many were in fear and trembling because of what God was saying about > the betrayal by the > exiles. They gathered around me as I sat there in despair, waiting for the > evening sacrifice. At the > evening sacrifice I picked myself up from my utter devastation, and in my > ripped clothes and cape > fell to my knees and stretched out my hands to God, my God. And I prayed: > > 6-7 "My dear God, I'm so totally ashamed, I can't bear to face you. O my > God-our iniquities are > piled up so high that we can't see out; our guilt touches the skies. We've > been stuck in a muck of > guilt since the time of our ancestors until right now; we and our kings > and priests, because of our > sins, have been turned over to foreign kings, to killing, to captivity, to > looting, and to public > shame-just as you see us now. > > 8-9 "Now for a brief time God, our God, has allowed us, this battered > band, to get a firm foothold > in his holy place so that our God may brighten our eyes and lighten our > burdens as we serve out this > hard sentence. We were slaves; yet even as slaves, our God didn't abandon > us. He has put us in the > good graces of the kings of Persia and given us the heart to build The > Temple of our God, restore > its ruins, and construct a defensive wall in Judah and Jerusalem. > > 10-12 "And now, our God, after all this what can we say for ourselves? For > we have thrown your > commands to the wind, the commands you gave us through your servants the > prophets. They told us, > 'The land you're taking over is a polluted land, polluted with the obscene > vulgarities of the people > who live there; they've filled it with their moral rot from one end to the > other. Whatever you do, > don't give your daughters in marriage to their sons nor marry your sons to > their daughters. Don't > cultivate their good opinion; don't make over them and get them to like > you so you can make a lot of > money and build up a tidy estate to hand down to your children.' > > 13-15 "And now this, on top of all we've already suffered because of our > evil ways and accumulated > guilt, even though you, dear God, punished us far less than we deserved > and even went ahead and gave > us this present escape. Yet here we are, at it again, breaking your > commandments by intermarrying > with the people who practice all these obscenities! Are you angry to the > point of wiping us out > completely, without even a few stragglers, with no way out at all? You are > the righteous God of > Israel. We are, right now, a small band of escapees. Look at us, openly > standing here, guilty before > you. No one can last long like this." > > Ezra 10 > Ezra Takes Charge > 1 Ezra wept, prostrate in front of The Temple of God. As he prayed and > confessed, a huge number of > the men, women, and children of Israel gathered around him. All the people > were now weeping as if > their hearts would break. > 2-3 Shecaniah son of Jehiel of the family of Elam, acting as spokesman, > said to Ezra: "We betrayed > our God by marrying foreign wives from the people around here. But all is > not lost; there is still > hope for Israel. Let's make a covenant right now with our God, agreeing to > get rid of all these > wives and their children, just as my master and those who honor God's > commandment are saying. It's > what The Revelation says, so let's do it. > > 4 "Now get up, Ezra. Take charge-we're behind you. Don't back down." > > 5 So Ezra stood up and had the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and > all Israel solemnly swear > to do what Shecaniah proposed. And they did it. > > 6 Then Ezra left the plaza in front of The Temple of God and went to the > home of Jehohanan son of > Eliashib where he stayed, still fasting from food and drink, continuing > his mourning over the > betrayal by the exiles. > > > 7-8 A notice was then sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem ordering all the > exiles to meet in > Jerusalem. Anyone who failed to show up in three days, in compliance with > the ruling of the leaders > and elders, would have all his possessions confiscated and be thrown out > of the congregation of the > returned exiles. > > 9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin met in Jerusalem within the three > days. It was the twentieth > day of the ninth month. They all sat down in the plaza in front of The > Temple of God. Because of the > business before them, and aggravated by the buckets of rain coming down on > them, they were restless, > uneasy, and anxious. > > 10-11 Ezra the priest stood up and spoke: "You've broken trust. You've > married foreign wives. > You've piled guilt on Israel. Now make your confession to God, the God of > your ancestors, and do > what he wants you to do: Separate yourselves from the people of the land > and from your foreign > wives." > > 12 The whole congregation responded with a shout, "Yes, we'll do it- just > the way you said it!" > > 13-14 They also said, "But look, do you see how many people there are out > here? And it's the rainy > season; you can't expect us to stand out here soaking wet until this is > done-why, it will take days! > A lot of us are deeply involved in this transgression. Let our leaders act > on behalf of the whole > congregation. Have everybody who lives in cities and who has married a > foreign wife come at an > appointed time, accompanied by the elders and judges of each city. We'll > keep at this until the hot > anger of our God over this thing is turned away." > > 15-17 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by > Meshullam and Shabbethai > the Levite, opposed this. So the exiles went ahead with the plan. Ezra the > priest picked men who > were family heads, each one by name. They sat down together on the first > day of the tenth month to > pursue the matter. By the first day of the first month they had finished > dealing with every man who > had married a foreign wife. > > > 18-19 Among the families of priests, the following were found to have > married foreign wives: > > The family of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, > Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. > They all promised to divorce their wives and sealed it with a handshake. > For their guilt they > brought a ram from the flock as a Compensation-Offering. > > 20 The family of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. > > 21 The family of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. > > 22 The family of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, > and Elasah. > > 23 From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah-that is, Kelita-Pethahiah, > Judah, and Eliezer. > > 24 From the singers: Eliashib. > > From the temple security guards: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. > > 25 And from the other Israelites: > > The family of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, > Malkijah, and Benaiah. > > 26 The family of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and > Elijah. > > 27 The family of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, > and Aziza. > > 28 The family of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. > > 29 The family of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and > Jeremoth. > > 30 The family of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, > Bezalel, Binnui, and > Manasseh. > > 31-32 The family of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, > Benjamin, Malluch, and > Shemariah. > > 33 The family of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, > Manasseh, and Shimei. > > 34-37 The family of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, > Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, > Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu. > > 38-42 The family of Binnui: Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Macnadebai, > Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, > Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. > > 43 The family of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and > Benaiah. > > 44 All these had married foreign wives and some had also had children by > them. > > > > > > > Please join us on Skype Monday thru Friday at 8:00 EST for our Morning > Skype Prayer Time. > > > Contact Me At: > Donnie Parrett > 1956 Asa Flat Road > Annville, Kentucky 40402 > Home Phone: 606-364-3321 > Church Phone: 606-364-PRAY > Skype Name: Donnie1261 > Email: [email protected] > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. 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