Day 273. 29-September Daily Reading (Prophets and Writings).

Ezra 7, 8, Psalms 94, Proverbs 14.

Ezra 7.

1 \Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. The Arrival of Ezra. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.

Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest;
6 this Ezra went up from Babylon: and he was a ready scribe in the Torah of Moses, which YHWH, the ELOHIM of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of YHWH his ELOHIM on him.
7 There went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 For on the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon; and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his ELOHIM on him.
10 For Ezra had set his heart to seek the Torah (teaching and instruction) of YHWH, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.

11 \Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. The Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.

Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the commandments of YHWH, and of his statutes to Israel:
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the decrees of the ELOHIM of heaven, perfect and so forth.
13 I make a decree, that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, who are minded of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with you.
14 Because you are sent of the king and his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the decrees of your ELOHIM which is in your hand,
15 and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the ELOHIM of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
16 and all the silver and gold that you shall find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their ELOHIM which is in Jerusalem;
17 therefore you shall with all diligence buy with this money bulls, rams, lambs, with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, and shall offer them on the altar of the house of your ELOHIM which is in Jerusalem.
18 Whatever shall seem good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do that after the will of your ELOHIM!
19 The vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your ELOHIM, deliver before the ELOHIM of Jerusalem.
20 Whatever more shall be needful for the house of your ELOHIM, which you shall have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king’s treasure house.
21 I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the decrees of the ELOHIM of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence,
22 to one hundred talents of silver, and to one hundred measures of wheat, and to one hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
23 Whatever is commanded by the ELOHIM of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the ELOHIM of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
24 Also we inform you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, the singers, porters, Nethinim, or servants of this house of ELOHIM, it shall not be legal to impose tribute, custom, or toll, on them.
25 You, Ezra, after the wisdom of your ELOHIM who is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the Torah (teachings and instructions) of your ELOHIM; and teach him who doesn’t know them.
26 Whoever will not do the decrees of your ELOHIM, and the decrees of the king, let judgment be executed on him with all diligence, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27 Blessed be YHWH, the ELOHIM of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of YHWH which is in Jerusalem;
28 and has extended loving kindness to me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. I was strengthened according to the hand of YHWH my ELOHIM on me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

Ezra 8.

1 \Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Heads of Families Who Returned with Ezra. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.

Now these are the heads of their fathers’ households, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king:
2 Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom. Of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel. Of the sons of David, Hattush.
3 Of the sons of Shecaniah, of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah; and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males one hundred fifty.
4 Of the sons of Pahathmoab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah; and with him two hundred males.
5 Of the sons of Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel; and with him three hundred males.
6 Of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan; and with him fifty males.
7 Of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah; and with him seventy males.
8 Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael; and with him eighty males.
9 Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel; and with him two hundred and eighteen males.
10 Of the sons of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah; and with him one hundred sixty males.
11 Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai; and with him twenty-eight males.
12 Of the sons of Azgad, Yochanan the son of Hakkatan; and with him one hundred ten males.
13 Of the sons of Adonikam, who were the last; and these are their names: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah; and with them sixty males.
14 Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud; and with them seventy males.

15 \Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Servants for the Temple. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.

I gathered them together to the river that runs to Ahava; and there we encamped three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.
16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, who were teachers.
17 I sent them forth to Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia; and I told them what they should tell Iddo, and his brothers the Nethinim, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our ELOHIM!
18 According to the good hand of our ELOHIM on us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen;
19 and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty;
20 and of the Nethinim, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim: all of them were mentioned by name.

21 \Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Fasting and Prayer for Protection. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our ELOHIM, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
22 For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our ELOHIM is on all those who seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all those who forsake him.”
23 So we fasted and begged our ELOHIM for this: and he was entreated of us.

24 \Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. Gifts for the Temple. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.

Then I set apart twelve of the chiefs of the priests, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them,
25 and weighed to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our ELOHIM, which the king, and his counselors, and his princes, and all Israel there present, had offered:
26 I weighed into their hand six hundred fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels one hundred talents; of gold one hundred talents;
27 and twenty bowls of gold, of one thousand darics; and two vessels of fine bright brass, precious as gold.
28 I said to them, “You are holy to YHWH, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to YHWH, the ELOHIM of your fathers.
29 Watch, and keep them, until you weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the princes of the fathers’ households of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the rooms of the house of YHWH!”
30 So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our ELOHIM!

31 \Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. The Return to Jerusalem. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.

Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem: and the hand of our ELOHIM was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the bandit by the way.
32 We came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days.
33 On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the house of our ELOHIM into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Yeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, the Levite;
34 the whole by number and by weight: and all the weight was written at that time.
35 The children of the captivity, who had come out of exile, offered burnt offerings to the ELOHIM of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering to YHWH!
36 They delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s satraps, and to the governors beyond the River: and they furthered the people and the house of ELOHIM!

Psalms 94.

1 \Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnestLOW”\. ELOHIM the Refuge of the Righteous. .\Vce=Speaker=“LeslieEarnest”\.

YHWH, you ELOHIM to whom vengeance belongs, you ELOHIM to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth.
2 Rise up, you judge of the earth. Pay back the proud what they deserve.
3 YHWH, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?
4 They pour out arrogant words. All the evildoers boast.
5 They break your people in pieces, YHWH, and afflict your heritage.
6 They kill the widow and the alien, and murder the fatherless.
7 They say, “YAH will not see, neither will Jacob’s ELOHIM consider.”
8 Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise?
9 He who implanted the ear, won’t he hear? He who formed the eye, won’t he see?
10 He who disciplines the nations, won’t he punish? He who teaches man knows.
11 YHWH knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.
12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, YAH, and teach out of your Torah;
13 that you may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For YHWH won’t reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
15 For judgment will return to righteousness. All the upright in heart shall follow it.
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?
17 Unless YHWH had been my help, my soul would have soon lived in silence.
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping!” Your loving kindness, YHWH, held me up.
19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me, your comforts delight my soul.
20 Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with you, which brings about mischief by statute?
21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
22 But YHWH has been my high tower, my ELOHIM, the rock of my refuge.
23 He has brought on them their own iniquity, and will cut them off in their own wickedness. YHWH, our ELOHIM, will cut them off.

Proverbs 14.

1 Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2 He who walks in his uprightness fears YHWH, but he who is perverse in his ways despises him.
3 The fool’s talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.
4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
5 A truthful witness will not lie, but a false witness pours out lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.
7 Stay away from a foolish man, for you won’t find knowledge on his lips.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.
9 Fools mock at making atonement for sins, but among the upright there is good will.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not share these with a stranger.
11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and mirth may end in heaviness.
14 The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.
15 A simple man believes everything, but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.
16 A wise man fears, and shuns evil, but the fool is hotheaded and reckless.
17 He who is quick to become angry will commit folly, and a crafty man is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow down before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor person is shunned even by his own neighbor, but the rich person has many friends.
21 He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who has pity on the poor.
22 Don’t they go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
23 In all hard work there is profit, but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools crowns them with folly.
25 A truthful witness saves souls, but a false witness is deceitful.
26 In the fear of YHWH is a secure fortress, and he will be a refuge for his children.
27 The fear of YHWH is a fountain of life, turning people from the snares of death.
28 In the multitude of people is the king’s glory, but in the lack of people is the destruction of the prince.
29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.
30 The life of the body is a heart at peace, but envy rots the bones.
31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him.
32 The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made known in the inward part of fools.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 The king’s favor is toward a servant who deals wisely, but his wrath is toward one who causes shame.

! ! End of The Daily Reading from the PROPHETS AND WRITINGS! Praise Yah! (HNV-yet version, in the public domain.)

HNV-yet is a public domain draft version of the World English Bible: Messianic Edition - (Names of Most High restored and Headings added by D C B). Please see World English Bible dot org http://worldenglishbible.org/ for more information.

Reading Plan adapted from Crosswalk (dot) com. \Eng:[:phone arpa SAMPA][_:<3333,0>]\