Bible in a Year – read today’s “Bible in a Year” excerpt

This page updates daily, based on the Whole Bible Canonically in a Year Bible reading plan.

reading plan entry for May 11

1 Chronicles 17 ()

[1] When David was living in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I live in a cedar house, but the ark of Yahweh’s covenant is in a tent.”

[2] Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart; for God is with you.”

[3] That same night, the word of God came to Nathan, saying, [4] “Go and tell David my servant, ‘Yahweh says, “You shall not build me a house to dwell in; [5] for I have not lived in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tent to another. [6] In all places in which I have walked with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to be shepherd of my people, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ ” ’

[7] “Now therefore, you shall tell my servant David, ‘Yahweh of Armies says, “I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel. [8] I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make you a name like the name of the great ones who are in the earth. [9] I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more. The children of wickedness will not waste them any more, as at the first, [10] and from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover I tell you that Yahweh will build you a house. [11] It will happen, when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your offspring after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. [12] He will build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. [13] I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not take my loving kindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you; [14] but I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever. His throne will be established forever.” ’ ” [15] According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

[16] Then David the king went in and sat before Yahweh; and he said, “Who am I, Yahweh God, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far? [17] This was a small thing in your eyes, O God, but you have spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have respected me according to the standard of a man of high degree, Yahweh God. [18] What can David say yet more to you concerning the honor which is done to your servant? For you know your servant. [19] Yahweh, for your servant’s sake, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, to make known all these great things. [20] Yahweh, there is no one like you, neither is there any God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. [21] What one nation in the earth is like your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to himself for a people, to make you a name by great and awesome things, in driving out nations from before your people whom you redeemed out of Egypt? [22] For you made your people Israel your own people forever; and you, Yahweh, became their God. [23] Now, Yahweh, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant, and concerning his house, be established forever, and do as you have spoken. [24] Let your name be established and magnified forever, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel. The house of David your servant is established before you.’ [25] For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. [26] Now, Yahweh, you are God, and have promised this good thing to your servant. [27] Now it has pleased you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you; for you, Yahweh, have blessed, and it is blessed forever.”

1 Chronicles 18 ()

[1] After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines. [2] He defeated Moab; and the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.

[3] David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah, toward Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates. [4] David took from him one thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved of them enough for one hundred chariots. [5] When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck twenty-two thousand men of the Syrians. [6] Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went. [7] David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. [8] From Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took very much bronze, with which Solomon made the bronze sea, the pillars, and the vessels of bronze.

[9] When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had struck all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, [10] he sent Hadoram his son to King David to greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him (for Hadadezer had wars with Tou); and he had with him all kinds of vessels of gold and silver and bronze. [11] King David also dedicated these to Yahweh, with the silver and the gold that he carried away from all the nations: from Edom, from Moab, from the children of Ammon, from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

[12] Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah struck eighteen thousand of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt. [13] He put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became servants to David. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went.

[14] David reigned over all Israel; and he executed justice and righteousness for all his people. [15] Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; [16] Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was scribe; [17] and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief officials serving the king.

1 Chronicles 19 ()

[1] After this, Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place. [2] David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.”

So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him. [3] But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Haven’t his servants come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?” [4] So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, and sent them away. [5] Then some people went and told David how the men were treated. He sent to meet them; for the men were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

[6] When the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, out of Aram-maacah, and out of Zobah. [7] So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah with his people, who came and encamped near Medeba. The children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle. [8] When David heard of it, he sent Joab with all the army of the mighty men. [9] The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city; and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

[10] Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose some of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians. [11] The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon. [12] He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you are to help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. [13] Be courageous, and let’s be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May Yahweh do that which seems good to him.”

[14] So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the front of the Syrians to the battle; and they fled before him. [15] When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

[16] When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and called out the Syrians who were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain of the army of Hadadezer leading them. [17] David was told that, so he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, came to them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. [18] The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed of the Syrian men seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand footmen, and also killed Shophach the captain of the army. [19] When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. The Syrians would not help the children of Ammon any more.

1 Chronicles 19:6 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds, so 1000 talents is about 30 metric tons
1 Chronicles 19:16 or, the Euphrates River

1 Chronicles 20 ()

[1] At the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, Joab led out the army and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Joab struck Rabbah, and overthrew it. [2] David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it. It was set on David’s head, and he brought very much plunder out of the city. [3] He brought out the people who were in it, and had them cut with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. David did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

[4] After this, war arose at Gezer with the Philistines. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued.

[5] Again there was war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. [6] There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and six on each foot; and he also was born to the giant. [7] When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. [8] These were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

1 Chronicles 20:2 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces