Contemplative Bible Reading

Genesis 20:11 (New Living Translation) Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.’ This is part of the (hi)story of Abraham and his wife Sarah. For a while, they moved into the territory of King Abimelech of Gerar. Abraham, fearing death, told […]

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2 Kings 17:26 (New Living Translation) So a message was sent to the king of Assyria: “The people you have sent to live in the towns of Samaria do not know the religious customs of the God of the land. He has sent lions among them to destroy them because they have not worshiped him […]

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Genesis 9:5-7 (New Living Translation) 5 “And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. 6 If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. […]

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Exodus 2:18 (New Living Translation) “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they answered. “And then he drew water for us and watered our flocks.” This is Moses’ future wife talking. Moses had rescued her from some thugs and then watered her flocks for her. Moses must have taken to her deeply and quickly. Moses […]

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1 Samuel 26:5 (New Living Translation) David slipped over to Saul’s camp one night to look around. Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering warriors. This is part of the (hi)story of David staying one step ahead of King Saul in Saul’s […]

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1 Chronicles 18:14 (New Living Translation) So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people. Well that’s a pretty good summary of King David. He did what was just and right for all. I wonder what his approval ratings were? Was he popular? Was the economy growing? […]

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1 Chronicles 18:7 (New Living Translation) David brought the gold shields of Hadadezer’s officers to Jerusalem, God had given King David yet another victory in battle. After the victory, David brought captured gold to Jerusalem to God. David fulfilled God’s command to bring all the world’s gold to God, uh, er, wait, no, that’s not […]

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2 Kings 17:21-22 (New Living Translation) 21 For when the Lord tore Israel away from the kingdom of David, they chose Jeroboam son of Nebat as their king. But Jeroboam drew Israel away from following the Lord and made them commit a great sin. 22 And the people of Israel persisted in all the evil […]

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1 Chronicles 13:2–3 (New Living Translation) 2 Then he (King David) addressed the entire assembly of Israel as follows: “If you approve and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send messages to all the Israelites throughout the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pasturelands. Let […]

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1 Kings 9:8-9 (New Living Translation) 8 “And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and will gasp in horror. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’ 9 “And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the […]

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