Daily Lectionary

Nehemiah 5:1-16; 6:1-9; 15-16

¹ Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.
² For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.”
³ There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.”
⁴ And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.
⁵ Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”
⁶ I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
⁷ I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them
⁸ and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say.
⁹ So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?
¹⁰ Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.
¹¹ Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.”
¹² Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.
¹³ I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
¹⁴ Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.
¹⁵ The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
¹⁶ I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.

¹ Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),
² Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm.
³ And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
⁴ And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner.
⁵ In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.
⁶ In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king.
⁷ And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.”
⁸ Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.”
⁹ For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

¹⁵ The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
¹⁶ I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. (ESV)

1 Timothy 1:1-20

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
² To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
³ As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine,
⁴ nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
⁵ The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
⁶ Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion,
⁷ desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
⁸ Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully,
⁹ understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers,
¹⁰ the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,
¹¹ in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
¹² I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,
¹³ though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,
¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
¹⁵ The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
¹⁶ But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
¹⁷ To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
¹⁸ This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,
¹⁹ holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith,
²⁰ among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. (ESV)