Contemplative Bible Reading

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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Genesis 2:18–20 (New Living Translation) 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” 19 So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them […]

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Isaiah 2:1-5 (New Living Translation) 1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,the Spirit of counsel and might,the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.3 […]

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Genesis 41:50 (New Living Translation) During this time, before the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph and his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. This is a key part of the (hi)story of Joseph in Egypt. He married Asenath. They had two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim. […]

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Genesis 42:7 (New Living Translation) Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where are you from?” he demanded. This is part of the (hi)story of Joseph, his brothers, and the eventual 430 years of life in Egypt for the family of Jacob. Joseph is where […]

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Genesis 3:1 (New Living Translation) The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Consider the language used at the start of this passage. The […]

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