May 31, 2025, Esther 1:1-8 1  Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces,  2  in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel,  3  in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him,  4  while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days.  5  And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace.  6  There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavem...

May 30, 2025, Nehemiah 13:1-31 13  On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,  2  for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.  3  As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent. 4  Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah,  5  prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.  6  While this was taking place, I was...

May 29, 2025, Nehemiah 12:44-47 44  On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered.  45  And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon.  46  For long ago in the days of David and Asaph there were directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.  47  And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron. I love how God puts people i...

May 28, 2025, Nehemiah 12:27-43 27  And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.  28  And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites;  29  also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem.  30  And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall. 31  Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate.  32  And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah,  33  and Azariah, Ezra, Meshulla...

May 27, 2025, Nehemiah 12:1-26 12  These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,  2  Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,  3  Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,  4  Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,  5  Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,  6  Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,  7  Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua. 8  And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his brothers was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.  9  And Bakbukiah and Unni and their brothers stood opposite them in the service.  10  And Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada,  11  Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua. 12  And in the days of Joi...

May 26, 2025, Nehemiah 11:25-36 25  And as for the villages, with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its villages, and in Dibon and its villages, and in Jekabzeel and its villages,  26  and in Jeshua and in Moladah and Beth-pelet,  27  in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its villages,  28  in Ziklag, in Meconah and its villages,  29  in En-rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth,  30  Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its villages. So they encamped from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.  31  The people of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages,  32  Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,  33  Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,  34  Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,  35  Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.  36  And certain divisions of the Levites in Judah were assigned to Benjamin. Som...

May 25, 2025, Nehemiah 11:1-24 11  Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. And the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city, while nine out of ten remained in the other towns.  2  And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem. 3  These are the chiefs of the province who lived in Jerusalem; but in the towns of Judah everyone lived on his property in their towns: Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants.  4  And in Jerusalem lived certain of the sons of Judah and of the sons of Benjamin. Of the sons of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez;  5  and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, son of the Shil...

May 24, 2025, Nehemiah 10:1-39 10   “On the seals are the names of Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah,  2  Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,  3  Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,  4  Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,  5  Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,  6  Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,  7  Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,  8  Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these are the priests.  9  And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;  10  and their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,  11  Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,  12  Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,  13  Hodiah, Bani, Beninu.  14  The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,  15  Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,  16  Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,  17  Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,  18  Hodiah, Hashum, B...

May 23, 2025, Nehemiah 9:1-38 9  Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads.  2  And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.  3  And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the  Lord  their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the  Lord  their God.  4  On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the  Lord  their God.  5  Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the  Lord  your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be yo...

May 22, 2025, Nehemiah 8:13-18 13  On the second day the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law.  14  And they found it written in the Law that the  Lord  had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booth during the feast of the seventh month,  15  and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.”  16  So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim.  17  And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity ma...

May 21, 2025, Nehemiah 8:9-12 9  And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the  Lord  your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.  10  Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the  Lord  is your strength.”  11  So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.”  12  And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. God’s Word should bring joy at his grace. Do you take joy in the reading os scripture, whether at home or in worship? ...

May 20, 2025, Nehemiah 8:1-8 8  And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the  Lord  had commanded Israel.  2  So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month.  3  And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.  4  And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand.  5  And Ezra opened the...

May 19, 2025, Nehemiah 7:66-73 66  The whole assembly together was 42,360,  67  besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337. And they had 245 singers, male and female.  68  Their horses were 736, their mules 245,  69  their camels 435, and their donkeys 6,720. 70  Now some of the heads of fathers' houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 basins, 30 priests' garments and 500 minas of silver.  71  And some of the heads of fathers' houses gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver.  72  And what the rest of the people gave was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priests' garments. 73  So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel, lived in their towns. And when the seventh month had come, the people of Israel were in...

May 18, 2025, Nehemiah 7:5-65 5  Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written in it: 6  These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town.  7  They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:  8  the sons of Parosh, 2,172.  9  The sons of Shephatiah, 372.  10  The sons of Arah, 652.  11  The sons of Pahath-moab, namely the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818.  12  The sons of Elam, 1,254.  13  The sons of Zattu, 845.  14  The sons of Zaccai...

May 17, 2025, Nehemiah 6:15-7:4 15  So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.  16  And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.  17  Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them.  18  For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife.  19  Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid. 7  Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,  2  I gave...