Journey Through 1 Thessalonians

In the Valley of the Shadow

Finding God’s Love in Suffering—a 7-Day Plan for When the Journey Hurts

Steady Hearts in Shaky Seasons: A 5-Day Journey Through Psalm 37 by Alison Kiriinya

Faith That Stands in Every Season

Devoted by Krissy Nordhoff

From Death to Life - 12 Day Easter Plan

The Ultimate Game Plan - 21 Chronological Bible Story Devotional

Lent

The Total Man

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2SA">
 <div class="chapter ch11" data-usfm="2SA.11">
 <div class="label">11</div><div class="s1">David and Bathsheba</div><div class="p"> 1In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king&#8217;s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.</div><div class="p"> 2One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, &#8220;She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.&#8221; 4Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, &#8220;I am pregnant.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6So David sent this word to Joab: &#8220;Send me Uriah the Hittite.&#8221; And Joab sent him to David. 7When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8Then David said to Uriah, &#8220;Go down to your house and wash your feet.&#8221; So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master&#8217;s servants and did not go down to his house.</div><div class="p"> 10David was told, &#8220;Uriah did not go home.&#8221; So he asked Uriah, &#8220;Haven&#8217;t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn&#8217;t you go home?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11Uriah said to David, &#8220;The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents,#11:11 Or staying at Sukkoth and my commander Joab and my lord&#8217;s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12Then David said to him, &#8220;Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.&#8221; So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13At David&#8217;s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master&#8217;s servants; he did not go home.</div><div class="p"> 14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15In it he wrote, &#8220;Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David&#8217;s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.</div><div class="p"> 18Joab sent David a full account of the battle. 19He instructed the messenger: &#8220;When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, 20the king&#8217;s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, &#8216;Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn&#8217;t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? 21Who killed Abimelek son of Jerub-Besheth#11:21 Also known as Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon)? Didn&#8217;t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?&#8217; If he asks you this, then say to him, &#8216;Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. 23The messenger said to David, &#8220;The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate. 24Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king&#8217;s men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25David told the messenger, &#8220;Say this to Joab: &#8216;Don&#8217;t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.&#8217; Say this to encourage Joab.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 26When Uriah&#8217;s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.</div>
 </div>
 </div>
</div>

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2SA">
 <div class="chapter ch12" data-usfm="2SA.12">
 <div class="label">12</div><div class="s1">Nathan Rebukes David</div><div class="p"> 1The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, &#8220;There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.</div><div class="p"> 4&#8220;Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, &#8220;As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! 6He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7Then Nathan said to David, &#8220;You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: &#8216;I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8I gave your master&#8217;s house to you, and your master&#8217;s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 11&#8220;This is what the Lord says: &#8216;Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13Then David said to Nathan, &#8220;I have sinned against the Lord.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Nathan replied, &#8220;The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for#12:14 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition; Masoretic Text for the enemies of the Lord, the son born to you will die.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah&#8217;s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth#12:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text does not have in sackcloth. on the ground. 17The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.</div><div class="p"> 18On the seventh day the child died. David&#8217;s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, &#8220;While the child was still living, he wouldn&#8217;t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. &#8220;Is the child dead?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Yes,&#8221; they replied, &#8220;he is dead.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.</div><div class="p"> 21His attendants asked him, &#8220;Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22He answered, &#8220;While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, &#8216;Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.&#8217; 23But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him; 25and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.#12:25 Jedidiah means loved by the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 26Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. 27Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, &#8220;I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. 28Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. 30David took the crown from their king&#8217;s#12:30 Or from Milkom&#8217;s (that is, Molek&#8217;s) head, and it was placed on his own head. It weighed a talent#12:30 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms of gold, and it was set with precious stones. David took a great quantity of plunder from the city 31and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking.#12:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then he and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.</div>
 </div>
 </div>
</div>

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkPSA">
 <div class="chapter ch51" data-usfm="PSA.51">
 <div class="label">51</div><div class="cl">Psalm 51#In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.</div><div class="d">For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.</div><div class="q1"> 1Have mercy on me, O God,</div><div class="q2">according to your unfailing love;</div><div class="q1">according to your great compassion</div><div class="q2">blot out my transgressions.</div><div class="q1"> 2Wash away all my iniquity</div><div class="q2">and cleanse me from my sin.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 3For I know my transgressions,</div><div class="q2">and my sin is always before me.</div><div class="q1"> 4Against you, you only, have I sinned</div><div class="q2">and done what is evil in your sight;</div><div class="q1">so you are right in your verdict</div><div class="q2">and justified when you judge.</div><div class="q1"> 5Surely I was sinful at birth,</div><div class="q2">sinful from the time my mother conceived me.</div><div class="q1"> 6Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;</div><div class="q2">you taught me wisdom in that secret place.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;</div><div class="q2">wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.</div><div class="q1"> 8Let me hear joy and gladness;</div><div class="q2">let the bones you have crushed rejoice.</div><div class="q1"> 9Hide your face from my sins</div><div class="q2">and blot out all my iniquity.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 10Create in me a pure heart, O God,</div><div class="q2">and renew a steadfast spirit within me.</div><div class="q1"> 11Do not cast me from your presence</div><div class="q2">or take your Holy Spirit from me.</div><div class="q1"> 12Restore to me the joy of your salvation</div><div class="q2">and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 13Then I will teach transgressors your ways,</div><div class="q2">so that sinners will turn back to you.</div><div class="q1"> 14Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,</div><div class="q2">you who are God my Savior,</div><div class="q2">and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.</div><div class="q1"> 15Open my lips, Lord,</div><div class="q2">and my mouth will declare your praise.</div><div class="q1"> 16You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;</div><div class="q2">you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.</div><div class="q1"> 17My sacrifice, O God, is#51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;</div><div class="q2">a broken and contrite heart</div><div class="q2">you, God, will not despise.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 18May it please you to prosper Zion,</div><div class="q2">to build up the walls of Jerusalem.</div><div class="q1"> 19Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,</div><div class="q2">in burnt offerings offered whole;</div><div class="q2">then bulls will be offered on your altar.</div>
 </div>
 </div>
</div>

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2TI">
 <div class="chapter ch2" data-usfm="2TI.2">
 <div class="label">2</div><div class="s1">The Appeal Renewed</div><div class="p"> 1You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor&#8217;s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.</div><div class="p"> 8Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God&#8217;s word is not chained. 10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.</div><div class="p"> 11Here is a trustworthy saying:</div><div class="q1">If we died with him,</div><div class="q2">we will also live with him;</div><div class="q1"> 12if we endure,</div><div class="q2">we will also reign with him.</div><div class="q1">If we disown him,</div><div class="q2">he will also disown us;</div><div class="q1"> 13if we are faithless,</div><div class="q2">he remains faithful,</div><div class="q2">for he cannot disown himself.</div><div class="s1">Dealing With False Teachers</div><div class="p"> 14Keep reminding God&#8217;s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19Nevertheless, God&#8217;s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: &#8220;The Lord knows those who are his,&#8221; and, &#8220;Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.</div><div class="p"> 22Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don&#8217;t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord&#8217;s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.</div>
 </div>
 </div>
</div>

The Solid Life PlanSample

Scripture

About this Plan

Related Plans