Contemplative Bible Reading

Nehemiah 6:12 (New Living Translation) 12 I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Nehemiah is writing these words. Nehemiah and the people have finished rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, but there is still more work to complete. […]

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Ezra 9:3-4 (New Living Translation) 3 When I heard this, I tore my cloak and my shirt, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down utterly shocked. 4 Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel came and sat with me because of this outrage committed by the returned […]

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2 Chronicles 14:12-13 (New English Translation) 12 The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 13 and Asa and his army chased them as far as Gerar. The Cushites were wiped out; they were shattered before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah carried off a huge amount […]

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This is part of the back-and-forth among Job and his close friends as they discuss the plight of Job and his misery. And, let’s not forget, Job had been struck with big calamities. And, let’s not forget, Job’s friends were friends. While some of their arguments and advice were poor, they were present when Job […]

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2 Chronicles 25:8 (New Living Translation) If you let them go with your troops into battle, you will be defeated by the enemy no matter how well you fight. God will overthrow you, for he has the power to help you or to trip you up. A man of God is speaking to King Amaziah […]

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2 Chronicles 30:18-19 (New Living Translation) 18 Most of those who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not purified themselves. But King Hezekiah prayed for them, and they were allowed to eat the Passover meal anyway, even though this was contrary to the requirements of the Law. For Hezekiah said, “May the Lord, […]

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2 Chronicles 2:6-7 (New Living Translation) 6 But who can really build him a worthy home? Not even the highest heavens can contain him! So who am I to consider building a Temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices to him? 7 “So send me a master craftsman who can work with […]

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Psalm 23:4 (King James Version) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. This is one of those well-known sentences from the 23rd Psalm or The Lord is My Shepherd. I go back […]

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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. This is part of the (hi)story of King David as he began to reign over God’s people. The preceding paragraphs describe how David conquered this and that group of people and took […]

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1 Kings 21:25-26 (New Living Translation) 25 (No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the Lord’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel. 26 His worst outrage was worshiping idols just as the Amorites had done—the people whom the Lord had driven out from the land […]

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