← Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry
Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry
August 5 (Ezra 8–10; Psalm 32; Mark 11)
00:17:54
Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:01]
A
A reading from the Book of Ezra. These are the heads of their fathers houses and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia in the reign of Artaxerxes the king. Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom of the sons of Ithamar, of the sons of David, of the sons of Shekoniah, who was of the sons of Parash, Zechariah, with whom were registered 150 men of the sons of Pahath, Moab Eliohani the son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men of the sons of Zatu, Shekaniah the son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men of the sons of Shephatiah. Zebadiah the son of Michal, and with him 80 men of the sons of Joab. Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men of the sons of Bani, Shelomoth the son of Josephiah, and with him 160 men of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him 28 men of the sons of Asgad, Johanan the son of Hakatan, and with him 110 men of the sons of Adonikam, those who came later, their names being Eliphalet, Jeuel and Shimea and with them 60 men of the sons of Bigbi, Uthai and Zacher, and with them 70 men. I gathered them to the river that runs to Ahabah, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the sons of Levi. Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jareb, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, leading men and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of insight, and sent them to Iddo, the leading man at the place Cisiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his brothers in the temple servants at the place Cassiphea, namely to send us ministers for the house of our God. And by the good hand of our God on us they brought us a man of discretion. Of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and kinsmen, 18 also Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah. Of the sons of Merari, with His kinsmen and their sons. 20 besides 220 of the temple servants whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all mentioned by name. Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way. Since we had told the king, the hand of our God is for good on all who seek him and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him. So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty. Then I set apart 12 of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and 10 of their kinsmen with them. And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered. I weighed out into their hands six hundred and fifty talents of silver. And silver vessels worth 200 talents and 100 talents of gold. 20 bowls of gold worth 1000 darics. And two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold. And I said to them, you are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy. And the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the Lord. So the priests and the Levites took over the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God. Then we departed from the river ahava on the 12th day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us. And he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and. And from ambushes by the way we came to Jerusalem. And there we remained three days. On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed into the hands of Meramoth, the priest son of Uriah. And with him was Eliezer, the son of Phinehas. And with him were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah, the son of Benuai. The whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded. At that time, those who had come from captivity and the returned exiles offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel. 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and as a sin offering, 12 male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. They also delivered the king's commissions to the king's satraps and to the governors of the province beyond the river. And they aided the people and the house of God. After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, the people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness, the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost. As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting with my garment and my cloak torn and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord, my God. O my God. I am ashamed and blushed to lift my face to you, my God. For our iniquities have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities, we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. But now, for a brief moment, favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia to grant us some reviving, to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem. And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, which you commanded by your Servants, the prophets, saying, the land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever. And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved, and have given us such a remnant as this, shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us so that there should be no remnant nor any to escape? O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just. For we are left a remnant that has escaped as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this. While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. And Shekoniah, the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra, we have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my Lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the law. Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you. Be strong and do it. Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath. Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliaship, where he spent the night neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. And a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should assemble at Jerusalem, and that if anyone did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders, all his property should be forfeited, and he himself banned from the congregation of the exiles. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three Days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, you have broken faith in married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. Now then, make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives. Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, it is so. We must do as you have said. But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain. We cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a task for one day or for two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. Let our officials stand for the whole assembly. Let all in our cities who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every city until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us. Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jeziah the son of Tigbe opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbathai the Levite supported them. Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men heads of fathers houses according to their fathers houses, each of them designated by name. On the first day of the 10th month they sat down to examine the matter. And by the first day of the first month they had come to the end. Of all the men who had married foreign women, now there were found some of the sons of the priests who had married foreign Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jareb and Gedaliah some of the sons of Jeshua, the sons of Jozadak and his brothers. They pledged themselves to put away their wives and their guilt. Offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt. Of the sons of Emir, Hanani and Zebadiah, of the sons of Harim, Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah of the sons of Pashur, Elioeni, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nathanael, Jozabad and Elisha of the Levites, Jozabad, Shimei, Keleah, that is, Kalidah, Pathahiah, Judah and Eleazar of the singers, Eliashib of the gatekeepers, Shallum, Telum and Uri and of Israel, of the sons of Parash, Ramaiah, Uzziah, Malkijah, Midjamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah and Benaiah of the sons of Elam, Madaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdai, Jeremoth and Elijah of the Sons of Zatu, Elohini, Elisha, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Azizah. Of the sons of Bebai were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai. Of the sons of Bani were Meshullam, Malak, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheol and Jeremoth. Of the sons of Paath, Moab, Adnah, Kenaia, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Benuai and Manasseh. Of the sons of Haram, Eliezer, Ashijah, Melchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malak and Shemariah. Of the sons of Hashem, Mattani, Matata, Zabad, Eliphalet, Jeremiah, Manasseh and Shimei. Of the sons of Madai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeah, Kelahi, Vinaiah, Meramoth, Eliaship, Mattaniah, Madonnai, Jeasu. Of the sons of Benuai, Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Machnadabai, Shashai, Sheri, Azarel, Shelamiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah and Joseph. Of the sons of Nebo, Jeiel, Mattathiah, Zabad, Zabinah, Jedi, Joel and Benaiah. All these had married foreign women. And some of the women had even born children. A reading from the Book of Psalms. A Maskal of David. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me. My strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah, I acknowledged my sin to you and I did not cover my iniquity. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord. And you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. Therefore, let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found. Surely in the rush of great waters they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me. You preserve me from trouble. You surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or mule without understanding which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked. But steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord and Rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy all you upright in heart a reading of the Gospel according to Mark. Now, when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage in Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, why are you doing this? Say, the Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately. And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street. And they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, what are you doing untying the colt? And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it. And he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road. And others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father David. Hosanna in the highest. And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the 12. On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree and leaf. He went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, may no one ever eat fruit from you again. And his disciples heard it. And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple. And he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, is it not written, my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? But you have made it a den of robbers. And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him. For they feared him because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came, they went out of the city. As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, rabbi, look. The fig tree that you cursed has withered And Jesus answered him, have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and thrown into the sea. And does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also, who is in heaven, may forgive you your trespasses. And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him. And they said to him, by what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them? Jesus said to them, I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me. And they discussed it with one another, saying, if we say from heaven, he will say, why then did you not believe him? But shall we say from man? They were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered, jesus, we do not know. And Jesus said to them, neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.