Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 21 May 2016

Been rainy and dreary and cold, well, chilly at least, all day.  Not much fun. 

Wife's being affected by the nasty weather fronts coming through: almost like she has a barometer built in. Which, given the issues with her joints, might not be too far off.  So I'd the official "warm up leftovers to provide lunch and dinner" person.  Frequently the case, actually.

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The Old Testament reading today is chapters 3, 4, and 5 of 1st Chronicles.  Some of this amplifies on some of the sections of the books previous to this.

I Chronicles 3

1	Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess:
2	The third, Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur: the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith:
3	The fifth, Shephatiah of Abital: the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife.
4	These six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years.
5	And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel:
6	Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,
7	And Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,
8	And Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.
9	These were all the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister.
10	And Solomon's son was Rehoboam, Abia his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,
11	Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,
12	Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,
13	Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,
14	Amon his son, Josiah his son.
15	And the sons of Josiah were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.
16	And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son.
17	And the sons of Jeconiah; Assir, Salathiel his son,
18	Malchiram also, and Pedaiah, and Shenazar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.
19	And the sons of Pedaiah were, Zerubbabel, and Shimei: and the sons of Zerubbabel; Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister:
20	And Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushabhesed, five.
21	And the sons of Hananiah; Pelatiah, and Jesaiah: the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shechaniah.
22	And the sons of Shechaniah; Shemaiah: and the sons of Shemaiah; Hattush, and Igeal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat, six.
23	And the sons of Neariah; Elioenai, and Hezekiah, and Azrikam, three.
24	And the sons of Elioenai were, Hodaiah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Dalaiah, and Anani, seven.

I Chronicles 4

1	The sons of Judah; Pharez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.
2	And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai, and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.
3	And these were of the father of Etam; Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi:
4	And Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah, the father of Bethlehem.
5	And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
6	And Naarah bare him Ahuzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.
7	And the sons of Helah were, Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan.
8	And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.
9	And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
10	And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.
11	And Chelub the brother of Shuah begat Mehir, which was the father of Eshton.
12	And Eshton begat Bethrapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash. These are the men of Rechah.
13	And the sons of Kenaz; Othniel, and Seraiah: and the sons of Othniel; Hathath.
14	And Meonothai begat Ophrah: and Seraiah begat Joab, the father of the valley of Charashim; for they were craftsmen.
15	And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh; Iru, Elah, and Naam: and the sons of Elah, even Kenaz.
16	And the sons of Jehaleleel; Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asareel.
17	And the sons of Ezra were, Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon: and she bare Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.
18	And his wife Jehudijah bare Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, which Mered took.
19	And the sons of his wife Hodiah the sister of Naham, the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite.
20	And the sons of Shimon were, Amnon, and Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were, Zoheth, and Benzoheth.
21	The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,
22	And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. And these are ancient things.
23	These were the potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: there they dwelt with the king for his work.
24	The sons of Simeon were, Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul:
25	Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.
26	And the sons of Mishma; Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, Shimei his son.
27	And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters: but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply, like to the children of Judah.
28	And they dwelt at Beersheba, and Moladah, and Hazarshual,
29	And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,
30	And at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,
31	And at Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusim, and at Bethbirei, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities unto the reign of David.
32	And their villages were, Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities:
33	And all their villages that were round about the same cities, unto Baal. These were their habitations, and their genealogy.
34	And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah, the son of Amaziah,
35	And Joel, and Jehu the son of Josibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,
36	And Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,
37	And Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah;
38	These mentioned by their names were princes in their families: and the house of their fathers increased greatly.
39	And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.
40	And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.
41	And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their rooms: because there was pasture there for their flocks.
42	And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.
43	And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.

I Chronicles 5

1	Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
2	For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's:)
3	The sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were, Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4	The sons of Joel; Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,
5	Micah his son, Reaia his son, Baal his son,
6	Beerah his son, whom Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria carried away captive: he was prince of the Reubenites.
7	And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned, were the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah,
8	And Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who dwelt in Aroer, even unto Nebo and Baalmeon:
9	And eastward he inhabited unto the entering in of the wilderness from the river Euphrates: because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead.
10	And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead.
11	And the children of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salcah:
12	Joel the chief, and Shapham the next, and Jaanai, and Shaphat in Bashan.
13	And their brethren of the house of their fathers were, Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven.
14	These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;
15	Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of the house of their fathers.
16	And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in her towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, upon their borders.
17	All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.
18	The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skillful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war.
19	And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab.
20	And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him.
21	And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand.
22	For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.
23	And the children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they increased from Bashan unto Baalhermon and Senir, and unto mount Hermon.
24	And these were the heads of the house of their fathers, even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of the house of their fathers.
25	And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.
26	And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.

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The New Testament reading is verses 1-20 of the 8th chapter in the Gospel of John.

John 8:1-20

1	Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2	And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3	And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4	They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5	Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6	This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7	So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8	And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9	And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10	When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11	She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
12	Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
13	The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.
14	Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.
15	Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.
16	And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.
17	It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.
18	I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.
19	Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
20	These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.

Today's Readings and Stuff - - Friday, 20 May 2016

much nicer today.  Hit the mid-70's and there is room to hope that by some time next week we may even break the 80 degree mark for the first time this year.  That would be nice.
Been a rough week for many, though. 

• I got word today that a former co-worker from my Alabama days suffered a stroke the other day.  Doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances.  He's younger than I am, but has some of the dietary habits and genetic pre-dispositions that a lot of black men have.  Going to be a tough road back.  He was another of those who. like me, got screwed over pretty badly by our mutual employer.
• My cousin and his wife and the rest of the family buried their son today.  I simply could not make it, unfortunately.  He -- my cousin -- and I were pretty close growing up, as our fathers were, but we've have very little contact now for more than 40 years.  Had hoped to rectify that upon our return to the area, and we're both willing, but things keep happening.
• And I got word from some friends in Florida as well.  Their father and grandfather were friends to me and were very good to me.  The kids came to regard me as their big brother, I can still recall when one was born.  But she was in a terrible wreck last week, and her special needs son was in the car with her.  Both had to be life-flighted to separate hospitals in pretty tough shape after having to be cut out of what remained of the car. The oldest sister has been trying to oversee the situation (she's One Of Them) and dealing with some pretty tough issues.  Their mom passed away a few years ago from cancer, and their dad remarried soon after, to what seems to have been his long-term mistress.  So there's a lot of sorrow, anger, bitterness, and now what will be lengthy recoveries from horrid injuries.
• AND, got word this morning that another friends from our Tennessee days, was horribly burned in a kitchen grease fire last night, is in burn center and will be hospitalized and in recovery and out of work for an extended time.  His wife is disabled herself, so this will be tough.
• And got word from the wife of one of the deacons at the church: her mother is in her last days with cancer, and Kim is far from husband and kids trying to be with her mom at this time.  A rough time for all.

See what I mean?  Lots of hurt and pain and sorrow and worry.

I am hoping to get together tomorrow some time, will be sitting by the phone, with another friend from A Long Time Ago.  He's in town briefly, HIS daughter is terminally ill.  She's in her 30's now, and has been living with her mother, my friend's ex-wife.  So there's all those issues that all of them are dealing with, and I'd just like to have coffee and a chat with someone who was a good friend many MANY years ago.  These days, and really for the last 25-30 years, I've had from few to zero real friends.  Would like to reconnect with at least a few from an earlier time, particularly those who've walked (or run) away from what we once were, which was pretty awful actually.  So am looking forward to it.

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The Old Testament reading is chapters 1 and 2 of 1st Chronicles.  Lots of names there, odd ones mostly, but you may recognize some of them, or recognize what some represent.  This is the lineage back to Adam, following the line through Abraham through David, and well past him.  Yes, the Lord knows your name, and mine too.  We are all of us part of a chain that extends back a very long way.

I Chronicles 1

1	Adam, Sheth, Enosh,
2	Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jered,
3	Henoch, Methuselah, Lamech,
4	Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
5	The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
6	And the sons of Gomer; Ashchenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
7	And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
8	The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
9	And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.
10	And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.
11	And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
12	And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (of whom came the Philistines,) and Caphthorim.
13	And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth,
14	The Jebusite also, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite,
15	And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
16	And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
17	The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech.
18	And Arphaxad begat Shelah, and Shelah begat Eber.
19	And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg; because in his days the earth was divided: and his brother's name was Joktan.
20	And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,
21	Hadoram also, and Uzal, and Diklah,
22	And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
23	And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
24	Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,
25	Eber, Peleg, Reu,
26	Serug, Nahor, Terah,
27	Abram; the same is Abraham.
28	The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael.
29	These are their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
30	Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema,
31	Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael.
32	Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.
33	And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these are the sons of Keturah.
34	And Abraham begat Isaac. The sons of Isaac; Esau and Israel.
35	The sons of Esau; Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.
36	The sons of Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek.
37	The sons of Reuel; Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
38	And the sons of Seir; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezar, and Dishan.
39	And the sons of Lotan; Hori, and Homam: and Timna was Lotan's sister.
40	The sons of Shobal; Alian, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. and the sons of Zibeon; Aiah, and Anah.
41	The sons of Anah; Dishon. And the sons of Dishon; Amram, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.
42	The sons of Ezer; Bilhan, and Zavan, and Jakan. The sons of Dishan; Uz, and Aran.
43	Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel; Bela the son of Beor: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
44	And when Bela was dead, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.
45	And when Jobab was dead, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead.
46	And when Husham was dead, Hadad the son of Bedad, which smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.
47	And when Hadad was dead, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.
48	And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.
49	And when Shaul was dead, Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.
50	And when Baalhanan was dead, Hadad reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pai; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
51	Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke Aliah, duke Jetheth,
52	Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,
53	Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,
54	Duke Magdiel, duke Iram. These are the dukes of Edom.

I Chronicles 2

1	These are the sons of Israel; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,
2	Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
3	The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.
4	And Tamar his daughter in law bore him Pharez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.
5	The sons of Pharez; Hezron, and Hamul.
6	And the sons of Zerah; Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara: five of them in all.
7	And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.
8	And the sons of Ethan; Azariah.
9	The sons also of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai.
10	And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah;
11	And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz,
12	And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse,
13	And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third,
14	Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,
15	Ozem the sixth, David the seventh:
16	Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.
17	And Abigail bare Amasa: and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmeelite.
18	And Caleb the son of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth: her sons are these; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.
19	And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur.
20	And Hur begat Uri, and Uri begat Bezaleel.
21	And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was threescore years old; and she bare him Segub.
22	And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead.
23	And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, even threescore cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.
24	And after that Hezron was dead in Calebephratah, then Abiah Hezron's wife bare him Ashur the father of Tekoa.
25	And the sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron were, Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, and Ahijah.
26	Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.
27	And the sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel were, Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker.
28	And the sons of Onam were, Shammai, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai; Nadab and Abishur.
29	And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid.
30	And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children.
31	And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Ahlai.
32	And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children.
33	And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.
34	Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha.
35	And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife; and she bare him Attai.
36	And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad,
37	And Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed,
38	And Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Azariah,
39	And Azariah begat Helez, and Helez begat Eleasah,
40	And Eleasah begat Sisamai, and Sisamai begat Shallum,
41	And Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama.
42	Now the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were, Mesha his firstborn, which was the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron.
43	And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema.
44	And Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam: and Rekem begat Shammai.
45	And the son of Shammai was Maon: and Maon was the father of Bethzur.
46	And Ephah, Caleb's concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat Gazez.
47	And the sons of Jahdai; Regem, and Jotham, and Gesham, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph.
48	Maachah, Caleb's concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah.
49	She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsa.
50	These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah; Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim.
51	Salma the father of Bethlehem, Hareph the father of Bethgader.
52	And Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim had sons; Haroeh, and half of the Manahethites.
53	And the families of Kirjathjearim; the Ithrites, and the Puhites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; of them came the Zareathites, and the Eshtaulites,
54	The sons of Salma; Bethlehem, and the Netophathites, Ataroth, the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites, the Zorites.
55	And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.

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The New Testament reading is verses 32-53 of the 7th chapter in the Gospel of John.

John 7:32-53

32	The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
33	Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.
34	Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.
35	Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?
36	What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?
37	In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38	He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39	(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
40	Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
41	Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
42	Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
43	So there was a division among the people because of him.
44	And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.
45	Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?
46	The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
47	Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?
48	Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
49	But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.
50	Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)
51	Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?
52	They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
53	And every man went unto his own house.

Today's Readings and Stuff --- Thursday, 19 May, 2016

Quiet day, and neither of us have been up to very much.  We've stayed around the house all day.  A touch of something, perhaps, enough that I had to forego attending the funeral of a cousin's son.. A very sad day, but I just wasn't up to a 50-mile round trip and neither was she.

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had an interruption just now.  We had some new neighbors who bought the house next door, last fall.  He's shacked up with some gal, I suspect her money was what made the house purchase possible, though word is it that his family is , as we say around here, "mobbed up".  He's about 10 years younger than me, but looks at least 10 years older than me.  He somehow came up with the money for a new truck.  Then a new enclosed trailer.  With a race car inside!  I heard loud sounds outside, so went out to see if there is a problem.  Not a problem, he had the car out of the trailer, and running and in the very middle of the street.  He took the next-door nephew-in-law for a ride.  Car has some sort of (illegal) plates on it.  And a Great Time Was Had By All.

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The Old Testament reading today is chapters 23, 24, and 25 of 2nd Kings.  This completes the books of the Kings.  Tomorrow the Chronicles begin.  And most of this is just depressing.  Looks too much like our world for my comfort.

II Kings 23

1	And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.
2	And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.
3	And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
4	And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.
5	And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
6	And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.
7	And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.
8	And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand at the gate of the city.
9	Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren.
10	And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.
11	And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
12	And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.
13	And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.
14	And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.
15	Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.
16	And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
17	Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.
18	And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.
19	And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel.
20	And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.
21	And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
22	Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;
23	But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem.
24	Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.
25	And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
26	Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.
27	And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.
28	Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
29	In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.
30	And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead.
31	Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
32	And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.
33	And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
34	And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.
35	And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaohnechoh.
36	Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.
37	And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

II Kings 24

1	In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.
2	And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets.
3	Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;
4	And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.
5	Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
6	So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
7	And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt.
8	Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
9	And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.
10	At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
11	And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.
12	And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
13	And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.
14	And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
15	And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
16	And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.
17	And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
18	Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
19	And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
20	For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

II Kings 25

1	And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.
2	And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
3	And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
4	And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.
5	And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.
6	So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.
7	And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
8	And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:
9	And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire.
10	And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
11	Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away.
12	But the captain of the guard left of the door of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.
13	And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brazen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.
14	And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.
15	And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.
16	The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
17	The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathed work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathed work.
18	And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
19	And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city:
20	And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:
21	And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.
22	And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.
23	And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
24	And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.
25	But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.
26	And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.
27	And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;
28	And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;
29	And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.
30	And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.

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The New Testament reading is verses 1-31 in the 7th chapter of the Gospel of John.

John 7:1-31

1	After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
2	Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand.
3	His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
4	For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
5	For neither did his brethren believe in him.
6	Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
7	The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
8	Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.
9	When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.
10	But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
11	Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?
12	And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.
13	Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.
14	Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
15	And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
16	Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17	If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
18	He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
19	Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
20	The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
21	Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
22	Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
23	If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
24	Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
25	Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
26	But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
27	Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
28	Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
29	But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
30	Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
31	And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?