Perfectly Imperfect | Discovering Grace When Perfect Isn’t Possible, a 7-Day Devotional by Jacques McNeil

I Said Yes to Jesus: A 5-Day Journey to Take Your Next Steps in Faith by Youth Alive Australia

Seeing With Your Ears

THE RIPPLE EFFECT: The Art of Discipleship

Women of the New Testament

Boundaries: A Biblical Perspective

When Grief or Loss Hits Like a Wave

Acts 19:23-41 | Living for Christ in a Confused World

The Cultivation of Consistency

Sent With Purpose

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 bk2CH">
 <div class="chapter ch29" data-usfm="2CH.29">
 <div class="label">29</div><div class="s1">Hezekiah Purifies the Temple</div><div class="p"> 1Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother&#8217;s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done.</div><div class="p"> 3In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired them. 4He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side 5and said: &#8220;Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 6Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord&#8217;s dwelling place and turned their backs on him. 7They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. 8Therefore, the anger of the Lord has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. 9This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity. 10Now I intend to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. 11My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12Then these Levites set to work:</div><div class="li1">from the Kohathites,</div><div class="li2">Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah;</div><div class="li1">from the Merarites,</div><div class="li2">Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel;</div><div class="li1">from the Gershonites,</div><div class="li2">Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah;</div><div class="li1"> 13from the descendants of Elizaphan,</div><div class="li2">Shimri and Jeiel;</div><div class="li1">from the descendants of Asaph,</div><div class="li2">Zechariah and Mattaniah;</div><div class="li1"> 14from the descendants of Heman,</div><div class="li2">Jehiel and Shimei;</div><div class="li1">from the descendants of Jeduthun,</div><div class="li2">Shemaiah and Uzziel.</div><div class="p"> 15When they had assembled their fellow Levites and consecrated themselves, they went in to purify the temple of the Lord, as the king had ordered, following the word of the Lord. 16The priests went into the sanctuary of the Lord to purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of the Lord&#8217;s temple everything unclean that they found in the temple of the Lord. The Levites took it and carried it out to the Kidron Valley. 17They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the Lord. For eight more days they consecrated the temple of the Lord itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month.</div><div class="p"> 18Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported: &#8220;We have purified the entire temple of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table for setting out the consecrated bread, with all its articles. 19We have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz removed in his unfaithfulness while he was king. They are now in front of the Lord&#8217;s altar.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together and went up to the temple of the Lord. 21They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats as a sin offering#29:21 Or purification offering; also in verses 23 and 24 for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer these on the altar of the Lord. 22So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splashed it against the altar; next they slaughtered the rams and splashed their blood against the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and splashed their blood against the altar. 23The goats for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them. 24The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.</div><div class="p"> 25He stationed the Levites in the temple of the Lord with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king&#8217;s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the Lord through his prophets. 26So the Levites stood ready with David&#8217;s instruments, and the priests with their trumpets.</div><div class="p"> 27Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the Lord began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel. 28The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the musicians played and the trumpets sounded. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed.</div><div class="p"> 29When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped. 30King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed down and worshiped.</div><div class="p"> 31Then Hezekiah said, &#8220;You have now dedicated yourselves to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of the Lord.&#8221; So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings.</div><div class="p"> 32The number of burnt offerings the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams and two hundred male lambs&#8212;all of them for burnt offerings to the Lord. 33The animals consecrated as sacrifices amounted to six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats. 34The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings; so their relatives the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated, for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been. 35There were burnt offerings in abundance, together with the fat of the fellowship offerings and the drink offerings that accompanied the burnt offerings.</div><div class="p">So the service of the temple of the Lord was reestablished. 36Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk2CH">
 <div class="chapter ch30" data-usfm="2CH.30">
 <div class="label">30</div><div class="s1">Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover</div><div class="p"> 1Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. 3They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. 5They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written.</div><div class="p"> 6At the king&#8217;s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:</div><div class="pm">&#8220;People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed them. 11Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. 12Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 13A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.</div><div class="p"> 15They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. 16Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites. 17Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs#30:17 Or consecrate themselves to the Lord. 18Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, &#8220;May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone 19who sets their heart on seeking God&#8212;the Lord, the God of their ancestors&#8212;even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.&#8221; 20And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.</div><div class="p"> 21The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord.#30:21 Or priests sang to the Lord every day, accompanied by the Lord&#8217;s instruments of praise</div><div class="p"> 22Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised#30:22 Or and confessed their sins to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.</div><div class="p"> 23The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. 24Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. 25The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. 26There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkPSA">
 <div class="chapter ch11" data-usfm="PSA.11">
 <div class="label">11</div><div class="cl">Psalm 11</div><div class="d">For the director of music. Of David.</div><div class="q1"> 1In the Lord I take refuge.</div><div class="q2">How then can you say to me:</div><div class="q2">&#8220;Flee like a bird to your mountain.</div><div class="q1"> 2For look, the wicked bend their bows;</div><div class="q2">they set their arrows against the strings</div><div class="q1">to shoot from the shadows</div><div class="q2">at the upright in heart.</div><div class="q1"> 3When the foundations are being destroyed,</div><div class="q2">what can the righteous do?&#8221;</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 4The Lord is in his holy temple;</div><div class="q2">the Lord is on his heavenly throne.</div><div class="q1">He observes everyone on earth;</div><div class="q2">his eyes examine them.</div><div class="q1"> 5The Lord examines the righteous,</div><div class="q2">but the wicked, those who love violence,</div><div class="q2">he hates with a passion.</div><div class="q1"> 6On the wicked he will rain</div><div class="q2">fiery coals and burning sulfur;</div><div class="q2">a scorching wind will be their lot.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 7For the Lord is righteous,</div><div class="q2">he loves justice;</div><div class="q2">the upright will see his face.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkPRO">
 <div class="chapter ch11" data-usfm="PRO.11">
 <div class="label">11</div><div class="q1"> 1The Lord detests dishonest scales,</div><div class="q2">but accurate weights find favor with him.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 2When pride comes, then comes disgrace,</div><div class="q2">but with humility comes wisdom.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 3The integrity of the upright guides them,</div><div class="q2">but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 4Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,</div><div class="q2">but righteousness delivers from death.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 5The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,</div><div class="q2">but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 6The righteousness of the upright delivers them,</div><div class="q2">but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 7Hopes placed in mortals die with them;</div><div class="q2">all the promise of#11:7 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate, Syriac and Targum When the wicked die, their hope perishes; / all they expected from their power comes to nothing.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 8The righteous person is rescued from trouble,</div><div class="q2">and it falls on the wicked instead.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 9With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,</div><div class="q2">but through knowledge the righteous escape.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 10When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;</div><div class="q2">when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 11Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,</div><div class="q2">but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 12Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,</div><div class="q2">but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 13A gossip betrays a confidence,</div><div class="q2">but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 14For lack of guidance a nation falls,</div><div class="q2">but victory is won through many advisers.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 15Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer,</div><div class="q2">but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 16A kindhearted woman gains honor,</div><div class="q2">but ruthless men gain only wealth.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 17Those who are kind benefit themselves,</div><div class="q2">but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 18A wicked person earns deceptive wages,</div><div class="q2">but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 19Truly the righteous attain life,</div><div class="q2">but whoever pursues evil finds death.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 20The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse,</div><div class="q2">but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 21Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,</div><div class="q2">but those who are righteous will go free.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 22Like a gold ring in a pig&#8217;s snout</div><div class="q2">is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 23The desire of the righteous ends only in good,</div><div class="q2">but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 24One person gives freely, yet gains even more;</div><div class="q2">another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 25A generous person will prosper;</div><div class="q2">whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 26People curse the one who hoards grain,</div><div class="q2">but they pray God&#8217;s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 27Whoever seeks good finds favor,</div><div class="q2">but evil comes to one who searches for it.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 28Those who trust in their riches will fall,</div><div class="q2">but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 29Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,</div><div class="q2">and the fool will be servant to the wise.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,</div><div class="q2">and the one who is wise saves lives.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 31If the righteous receive their due on earth,</div><div class="q2">how much more the ungodly and the sinner!</div><div class="b"></div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch10" data-usfm="MAT.10">
 <div class="label">10</div><div class="s1">Jesus Sends Out the Twelve</div><div class="p"> 1Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.</div><div class="p"> 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.</div><div class="p"> 5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: &#8220;Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim this message: &#8216;The kingdom of heaven has come near.&#8217; 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,#10:8 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin. drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.</div><div class="p"> 9 &#8220;Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts&#8212; 10no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.</div><div class="p"> 16 &#8220;I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.</div><div class="p"> 21 &#8220;Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.</div><div class="p"> 24 &#8220;The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!</div><div class="p"> 26 &#8220;So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father&#8217;s care.#10:29 Or will; or knowledge 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don&#8217;t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.</div><div class="p"> 32 &#8220;Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.</div><div class="p"> 34 &#8220;Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to turn</div><div class="q1"> &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;a man against his father,</div><div class="q2"> a daughter against her mother,</div><div class="q1"> a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law&#8212;</div><div class="q2"> 36 a man&#8217;s enemies will be the members of his own household.&#8217; # 10:36 
 Micah 7:6
 </div><div class="p"> 37 &#8220;Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.</div><div class="p"> 40 &#8220;Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet&#8217;s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person&#8217;s reward. 42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.&#8221;</div>
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New International Version

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGAL">
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 <div class="p">1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?#3:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit. 4Have you experienced#3:4 Or suffered so much in vain&#8212;if it really was in vain? 5So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6So also Abraham &#8220;believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.&#8221;#3:6 Gen. 15:6</div><div class="p"> 7Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: &#8220;All nations will be blessed through you.&#8221;#3:8 Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18 9So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.</div><div class="p"> </div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="p">33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. </div>
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