How to Enjoy Life!
The Sweetness
of Living
By Riqui Ricón
I will sing unto the LORD as long
as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall
be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. (Psalm
104:33-34, KJV)
The more you study and meditate on the Word of God each day, the more its
sweetness will fill your life, and song and joy will begin to flow naturally from within you. You will realize
that God’s plan for your life
is not only good—it is the
best of all plans.
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created:
and thou renewest
the face of the earth. (Psalm
104:30, KJV)
God’s plan for your life goes far beyond mere forgiveness of sins. It transcends
the death of Jesus on the cross and points toward His resurrection. It is His
victory over sin and death that gives you the right to be called a child of
God.
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God: and such we are. (1 John
3:1, KJV)
The Bible, which is the Word of God and does
not lie, is the light that guides the way of every born-again child of God, and it is also the spring, the fountain
that leaps to eternal life, from which comes the certainty of God’s love for you.
So
then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. (Romans
10:17, KJV)
This is why faith comes from hearing
the Word of God.
For the word of God is quick, and
powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews
4:12, KJV)
In this world, people seek reasons to face
life with optimism. In the face of challenges,
they look to the beautiful
things around them for motivation: the laughter of children,
birdsong, wind in the trees,
the warm morning sunlight,
and so on. It’s as if a pretext is needed to feel happy or encouraged to face problems.
How different it is for those in Christ!
Jehovah of hosts, blessed
is the man that trusteth
in thee. (Psalm 84:12,
KJV)
Now, in Christ Jesus, you have been
recreated by the Holy Spirit and by the Word of God. He spoke His Word, and you
can trust that everything He has said will come
to pass. No matter what problems,
sicknesses, or afflictions you face
today, be certain
that you will be more than a conqueror through
the One who loves you, Christ
Jesus.
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
(Philippians 4:4, KJV)
This is more than enough
reason to be joyful and singing:
I will sing unto
the LORD as long as I live:
I will sing praise to my God while I have
my being. My meditation of him shall
be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
And this, even in the middle of your problems!
God has never
failed His Word! And you, beloved, whether
you realize it or
not, are the special object of His Love. It is written:
For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to
condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John
3:16-17, KJV)
God loves you so much that He preferred
to give His own Son rather than lose
you!
Now you are in
Christ, you belong to Him in love. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has
come! (2 Corinthians 5:17, CST)
It is written!
Your old nature,
bound by fear, doubt, and failure, no longer exists.
The Bible says so! You don’t
need excuses to endure life’s challenges—now you are above them all.
See what great love the Father
has lavished on us, that we should be called
children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John
3:1a, NIV)
You are so completely different
from who you once were that God Himself
calls you His child. You are the one referred to in Scripture:
"The Lord will grant that the
enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one
direction but flee from you in seven. The Lord will send a blessing on
your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless
you in the land he is giving you. The Lord will establish you as his holy
people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the
Lord your God and walk in
obedience to him. Then all
the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and
they will fear you. The Lord will
grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.The
Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your
land in season and to bless all the
work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the
tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you
this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom." (Deuteronomy
28:7- 13, NIV)
If you feel you have not been able to keep
or obey God’s Word, consider
this: you are no longer the person you once were! Now, by the blood,
death, and resurrection of Jesus, you are exactly who God says you are in His
Word: a beloved child, born again, a new creation!
You send forth your spirit, they are
created: and you renewe the face of the
earth.
If you can believe, all things are possible to those
who believe!
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John
16:33, KJV)
Decide to live as a born-again child of God
and put the Word of God in your mind, mouth, and heart. Prepare
to rejoice and sing with your Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, because although
afflictions will come, you can trust that God’s Word is true: you will emerge more than a conqueror from all your
problems, sicknesses, and afflictions.
Let’s pray out
loud:
Beloved Heavenly Father, now I know that I
am free to praise You and rejoice in Your presence,
for Christ Jesus, begotten by God,
watches over me, and the evil one
cannot touch me. Thank You for loving me so much that, while I was dead in
sins, You have given me life together with Christ. Lord Jesus, You said the
thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but You came to give me life, and
life more abundantly. I believe it and receive it! Therefore, I declare that
the full and abundant life You purchased for me by dying on the cross and
rising on the third day is mine and is within me. I am a new creature. I am a
born-again child of God, and according to the Bible, which is Your Word and
does not lie, I have been recreated by the Holy Spirit—not from a perishable
seed (as I once was) but from the imperishable seed that is Your Word, Lord.
Holy Spirit, thank You for what You have done and are doing in me. I love You
with all my heart. Father, You have made me joyful, a thousand times happy. My
life is secure! I trust in You. Therefore, I believe and declare that I am
predestined by the mighty Word of God to be prosperous, healthy, strong, head and not tail, above and not below, to live in
this life as a child of the King.
I am healthy! I am free! I am prosperous! I am joyful! I am a child of God! In
Jesus’ name. Amen.
Important Note:
How do I become a child of God? How can I establish a relationship with the
Almighty?
Just say the following prayer out loud,
putting all your attention and heart into what you are saying to God:
Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God. That You came
into this world, born of the virgin Mary, to pay for all my sins, and I have
been a sinner. That is why today I say to You: I do accept. I do accept Your
sacrifice on the cross! I do accept Your precious blood,
shed to the last drop out of love for me!
I open my heart and invite You to come in, because I want You, Lord Jesus, from this day forward
and forever, to be
my only and sufficient Savior,
my God, my King, and my Lord.
Thank You, Almighty God, because with this simple prayer and profession of
faith I have passed from death to Life; I have been transferred from darkness
into Your marvelous Light. Today I am Born Again!
God, now I am Your child! Now You are my
Father! I will never be alone
again! I will never live defeated
again. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Three Recommendations:
What just happened by you recognizing Jesus Christ as the Lord and
Savior of your life, according
to God's Word, is that you have been Born Again. No longer
as an ordinary human being, subject to the law of sin and death, but now as a
legitimate and authentic Child of God, Born Again, exactly like Jesus Christ, who is now your Older Brother. Therefore,
I give you these three, very important, recommendations:
1.
Pray. Praying is talking with God. So, find a quiet
place where you can begin talking to Him about everything. Do it out loud, and you will notice
how God always responds to your heart.
2.
Read and meditate
on the Word of God. The Bible is the Word of God, so get a Bible
and start reading
and meditating on it. How do you begin? It’s very simple. Depending on the day,
look up the reading program “The Bible in
One Year” and do the corresponding readings. You can get this program at: Through The Bible In One Year
(palabradehonor.org). You will notice that the program is set up so you can
print it as a booklet.
3.
In prayer with God, your Father, look for and join a
Christian church or congregation where the Word of God is taught based on the Good News, which are the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Ricardo C. Peredo Jaime © 2020
Reading and Meditation on the Word of God
Do these
daily readings, and by the end of one year you will have
read the entire Bible.
October 10 Revelations 10 / Nehemiah
13 / Psalm 104.24 - 35
Revelations
10 And
I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,
clothed with a
cloud: and a rainbow
was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3 And cried with a loud voice,
as when a lion roareth:
and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their
voices.
4 And when the seven
thunders had uttered
their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven
saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and
write them not.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth
lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware
by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven,
and the things that therein
are, and the earth, and the things that therein
are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time
no longer:
7 But in the
days of the voice of the seventh
angel, when he shall begin to
sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his
servants the prophets.
8 And the voice which
I heard from heaven spake unto me again,
and said, Go and
take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
9 And I went unto the angel,
and said unto him, Give me
the little book. And he
said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but
it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
10 And I took the little book out of the angel's
hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon
as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy
again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Nehemiah
13 On that day they read
in the book of Moses in the audience
of the people; and therein was found written,
that the Ammonite
and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for
ever;
2 Because they met not the children
of Israel with bread and with water,
but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our
God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated
from Israel all the mixed multitude.
4 And before
this, Eliashib the priest, having
the oversight of the chamber
of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:
5 And he had prepared
for him a great chamber,
where aforetime they laid
the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the
corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the
Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.
6 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth
year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon
came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:
7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib
did for Tobiah, in preparing
him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
8 And it grieved me sore:
therefore I cast forth all the household stuff to Tobiah out
of the chamber.
9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed
the chambers: and thither brought
I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.
10 And I perceived that the portions
of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the
singers, that did the work, were
fled every one to his field.
11 Then contended
I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God
forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
12 Then brought
all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil
unto the treasuries.
13 And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe,
and of the Levites, Pedaiah:
and next to them
was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they
were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.
14 Remember
me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.
15 In
those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing
in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes,
and figs, and all
manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I
testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
16 There dwelt
men of Tyre also therein, which
brought fish, and all manner of
ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17 Then I contended with the nobles
of Judah, and said unto them, What evil
thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more
wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
19 And it came to
pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I
commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened
till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there
should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
20 So
the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without
Jerusalem once or twice.
21 Then I testified
against them, and said unto them, Why lodge
ye about the wall? if ye do so again,
I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.
22 And I commanded the Levites
that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should
come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember
me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the
greatness of thy mercy.
23 In those
days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod,
of Ammon, and of Moab:
24 And their
children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak
in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.
25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them,
and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters
unto your sons, or for yourselves.
26 Did not Solomon king of Israel
sin by these things? yet among many nations
was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king
over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
27 Shall we then hearken
unto you to do all this great
evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest,
was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite:
therefore I chased him from me.
29 Remember them, O
my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of
the Levites.
30 Thus cleansed
I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the
priests and the Levites, every one in his business;
31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits.
Remember me, O my God, for good.
Psalm
104.24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy
riches.
25
So
is this great and wide sea, wherein
are things creeping
innumerable, both small and great beasts.
How to Enjoy Life!
The Sweetness
of Living
By Riqui Ricón
I will sing unto the LORD as long
as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall
be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. (Psalm
104:33-34, KJV)
The more you study and meditate on the Word of God each day, the more its
sweetness will fill your life, and song and joy will begin to flow naturally from within you. You will realize
that God’s plan for your life
is not only good—it is the
best of all plans.
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created:
and thou renewest
the face of the earth. (Psalm
104:30, KJV)
God’s plan for your life goes far beyond mere forgiveness of sins. It transcends
the death of Jesus on the cross and points toward His resurrection. It is His
victory over sin and death that gives you the right to be called a child of
God.
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God: and such we are. (1 John
3:1, KJV)
The Bible, which is the Word of God and does
not lie, is the light that guides the way of every born-again child of God, and it is also the spring, the fountain
that leaps to eternal life, from which comes the certainty of God’s love for you.
So
then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. (Romans
10:17, KJV)
This is why faith comes from hearing
the Word of God.
For the word of God is quick, and
powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews
4:12, KJV)
In this world, people seek reasons to face
life with optimism. In the face of challenges,
they look to the beautiful
things around them for motivation: the laughter of children,
birdsong, wind in the trees,
the warm morning sunlight,
and so on. It’s as if a pretext is needed to feel happy or encouraged to face problems.
How different it is for those in Christ!
Jehovah of hosts, blessed
is the man that trusteth
in thee. (Psalm 84:12,
KJV)
Now, in Christ Jesus, you have been
recreated by the Holy Spirit and by the Word of God. He spoke His Word, and you
can trust that everything He has said will come
to pass. No matter what problems,
sicknesses, or afflictions you face
today, be certain
that you will be more than a conqueror through
the One who loves you, Christ
Jesus.
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
(Philippians 4:4, KJV)
This is more than enough
reason to be joyful and singing:
I will sing unto
the LORD as long as I live:
I will sing praise to my God while I have
my being. My meditation of him shall
be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
And this, even in the middle of your problems!
God has never
failed His Word! And you, beloved, whether
you realize it or
not, are the special object of His Love. It is written:
For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to
condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John
3:16-17, KJV)
God loves you so much that He preferred
to give His own Son rather than lose
you!
Now you are in
Christ, you belong to Him in love. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has
come! (2 Corinthians 5:17, CST)
It is written!
Your old nature,
bound by fear, doubt, and failure, no longer exists.
The Bible says so! You don’t
need excuses to endure life’s challenges—now you are above them all.
See what great love the Father
has lavished on us, that we should be called
children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John
3:1a, NIV)
You are so completely different
from who you once were that God Himself
calls you His child. You are the one referred to in Scripture:
"The Lord will grant that the
enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one
direction but flee from you in seven. The Lord will send a blessing on
your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless
you in the land he is giving you. The Lord will establish you as his holy
people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the
Lord your God and walk in
obedience to him. Then all
the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and
they will fear you. The Lord will
grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.The
Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your
land in season and to bless all the
work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the
tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you
this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom." (Deuteronomy
28:7- 13, NIV)
If you feel you have not been able to keep
or obey God’s Word, consider
this: you are no longer the person you once were! Now, by the blood,
death, and resurrection of Jesus, you are exactly who God says you are in His
Word: a beloved child, born again, a new creation!
You send forth your spirit, they are
created: and you renewe the face of the
earth.
If you can believe, all things are possible to those
who believe!
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John
16:33, KJV)
Decide to live as a born-again child of God
and put the Word of God in your mind, mouth, and heart. Prepare
to rejoice and sing with your Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, because although
afflictions will come, you can trust that God’s Word is true: you will emerge more than a conqueror from all your
problems, sicknesses, and afflictions.
Let’s pray out
loud:
Beloved Heavenly Father, now I know that I
am free to praise You and rejoice in Your presence,
for Christ Jesus, begotten by God,
watches over me, and the evil one
cannot touch me. Thank You for loving me so much that, while I was dead in
sins, You have given me life together with Christ. Lord Jesus, You said the
thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but You came to give me life, and
life more abundantly. I believe it and receive it! Therefore, I declare that
the full and abundant life You purchased for me by dying on the cross and
rising on the third day is mine and is within me. I am a new creature. I am a
born-again child of God, and according to the Bible, which is Your Word and
does not lie, I have been recreated by the Holy Spirit—not from a perishable
seed (as I once was) but from the imperishable seed that is Your Word, Lord.
Holy Spirit, thank You for what You have done and are doing in me. I love You
with all my heart. Father, You have made me joyful, a thousand times happy. My
life is secure! I trust in You. Therefore, I believe and declare that I am
predestined by the mighty Word of God to be prosperous, healthy, strong, head and not tail, above and not below, to live in
this life as a child of the King.
I am healthy! I am free! I am prosperous! I am joyful! I am a child of God! In
Jesus’ name. Amen.
Important Note:
How do I become a child of God? How can I establish a relationship with the
Almighty?
Just say the following prayer out loud,
putting all your attention and heart into what you are saying to God:
Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God. That You came
into this world, born of the virgin Mary, to pay for all my sins, and I have
been a sinner. That is why today I say to You: I do accept. I do accept Your
sacrifice on the cross! I do accept Your precious blood,
shed to the last drop out of love for me!
I open my heart and invite You to come in, because I want You, Lord Jesus, from this day forward
and forever, to be
my only and sufficient Savior,
my God, my King, and my Lord.
Thank You, Almighty God, because with this simple prayer and profession of
faith I have passed from death to Life; I have been transferred from darkness
into Your marvelous Light. Today I am Born Again!
God, now I am Your child! Now You are my
Father! I will never be alone
again! I will never live defeated
again. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Three Recommendations:
What just happened by you recognizing Jesus Christ as the Lord and
Savior of your life, according
to God's Word, is that you have been Born Again. No longer
as an ordinary human being, subject to the law of sin and death, but now as a
legitimate and authentic Child of God, Born Again, exactly like Jesus Christ, who is now your Older Brother. Therefore,
I give you these three, very important, recommendations:
1.
Pray. Praying is talking with God. So, find a quiet
place where you can begin talking to Him about everything. Do it out loud, and you will notice
how God always responds to your heart.
2.
Read and meditate
on the Word of God. The Bible is the Word of God, so get a Bible
and start reading
and meditating on it. How do you begin? It’s very simple. Depending on the day,
look up the reading program “The Bible in
One Year” and do the corresponding readings. You can get this program at: Through The Bible In One Year
(palabradehonor.org). You will notice that the program is set up so you can
print it as a booklet.
3.
In prayer with God, your Father, look for and join a
Christian church or congregation where the Word of God is taught based on the Good News, which are the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Ricardo C. Peredo Jaime © 2020
Reading and Meditation on the Word of God
Do these
daily readings, and by the end of one year you will have
read the entire Bible.
October 10 Revelations 10 / Nehemiah
13 / Psalm 104.24 - 35
Revelations
10 And
I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,
clothed with a
cloud: and a rainbow
was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3 And cried with a loud voice,
as when a lion roareth:
and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their
voices.
4 And when the seven
thunders had uttered
their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven
saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and
write them not.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth
lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware
by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven,
and the things that therein
are, and the earth, and the things that therein
are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time
no longer:
7 But in the
days of the voice of the seventh
angel, when he shall begin to
sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his
servants the prophets.
8 And the voice which
I heard from heaven spake unto me again,
and said, Go and
take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
9 And I went unto the angel,
and said unto him, Give me
the little book. And he
said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but
it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
10 And I took the little book out of the angel's
hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon
as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy
again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Nehemiah
13 On that day they read
in the book of Moses in the audience
of the people; and therein was found written,
that the Ammonite
and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for
ever;
2 Because they met not the children
of Israel with bread and with water,
but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our
God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated
from Israel all the mixed multitude.
4 And before
this, Eliashib the priest, having
the oversight of the chamber
of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:
5 And he had prepared
for him a great chamber,
where aforetime they laid
the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the
corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the
Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.
6 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth
year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon
came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:
7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib
did for Tobiah, in preparing
him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
8 And it grieved me sore:
therefore I cast forth all the household stuff to Tobiah out
of the chamber.
9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed
the chambers: and thither brought
I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.
10 And I perceived that the portions
of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the
singers, that did the work, were
fled every one to his field.
11 Then contended
I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God
forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
12 Then brought
all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil
unto the treasuries.
13 And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe,
and of the Levites, Pedaiah:
and next to them
was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they
were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.
14 Remember
me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.
15 In
those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing
in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes,
and figs, and all
manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I
testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
16 There dwelt
men of Tyre also therein, which
brought fish, and all manner of
ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17 Then I contended with the nobles
of Judah, and said unto them, What evil
thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more
wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
19 And it came to
pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I
commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened
till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there
should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
20 So
the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without
Jerusalem once or twice.
21 Then I testified
against them, and said unto them, Why lodge
ye about the wall? if ye do so again,
I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.
22 And I commanded the Levites
that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should
come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember
me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the
greatness of thy mercy.
23 In those
days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod,
of Ammon, and of Moab:
24 And their
children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak
in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.
25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them,
and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters
unto your sons, or for yourselves.
26 Did not Solomon king of Israel
sin by these things? yet among many nations
was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king
over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
27 Shall we then hearken
unto you to do all this great
evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest,
was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite:
therefore I chased him from me.
29 Remember them, O
my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of
the Levites.
30 Thus cleansed
I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the
priests and the Levites, every one in his business;
31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits.
Remember me, O my God, for good.
Psalm
104.24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy
riches.
25
So
is this great and wide sea, wherein
are things creeping
innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26
There go the ships: there
is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
27
These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest
give them their meat in due
season.
28
That thou givest them they gather:
thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
29
Thou hidest thy face,
they are troubled: thou takest away their breath,
they die, and return to their dust.
30
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created:
and thou renewest
the face of the earth.
31
The glory of the LORD shall endure
for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.
32
He
looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they
smoke.
33
I
will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I
will sing praise
to my God while I
have my being.
34 My meditation of him shall be sweet:
I will be glad in the LORD.
35
Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no
more. Bless thou the LORD, O my
soul. Praise ye the LORD.
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