Friday

2 Samuel 12:1-14

[1]

And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There
were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.

[2] The rich man had very many flocks and herds;
[3] but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had
bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his
children; it used to eat of his morsel, and drink from his cup, and lie in
his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him.
[4] Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to
take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come
to him, but he took the poor man's lamb, and prepared it for the man who
had come to him."
[5] Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to
Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die;
[6] and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and
because he had no pity."
[7]

Nathan said to David, "You are the man. Thus says the LORD, the God of
Israel, `I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the
hand of Saul;

[8] and I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your
bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if this were too
little, I would add to you as much more.
[9] Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his
sight? You have smitten Uri'ah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken
his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the
Ammonites.
[10] Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because
you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uri'ah the Hittite to be
your wife.'
[11] Thus says the LORD, `Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of
your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them
to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this
sun.
[12] For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel,
and before the sun.'"
[13] David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan
said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
[14] Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD,
the child that is born to you shall die."

Acts 19:21-41

[21]

Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through
Macedo'nia and Acha'ia and go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been
there, I must also see Rome."

[22] And having sent into Macedo'nia two of his helpers, Timothy and
Eras'tus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
[23]

About that time there arose no little stir concerning the Way.

[24] For a man named Deme'trius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of
Ar'temis, brought no little business to the craftsmen.
[25] These he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and
said, "Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth.
[26] And you see and hear that not only at Ephesus but almost throughout
all Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable company of
people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.
[27] And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into
disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Ar'temis may count
for nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she
whom all Asia and the world worship."
[28]

When they heard this they were enraged, and cried out, "Great is Ar'temis
of the Ephesians!"

[29] So the city was filled with the confusion; and they rushed together
into the theater, dragging with them Ga'ius and Aristar'chus, Macedo'nians
who were Paul's companions in travel.
[30] Paul wished to go in among the crowd, but the disciples would not let
him;
[31] some of the A'si-archs also, who were friends of his, sent to him and
begged him not to venture into the theater.
[32] Now some cried one thing, some another; for the assembly was in
confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together.
[33] Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward.
And Alexander motioned with his hand, wishing to make a defense to the
people.
[34] But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they
all with one voice cried out, "Great is Ar'temis of the Ephesians!"
[35] And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of
Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the
Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Ar'temis, and of the sacred stone
that fell from the sky?
[36] Seeing then that these things cannot be contradicted, you ought to be
quiet and do nothing rash.
[37] For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor
blasphemers of our goddess.
[38] If therefore Deme'trius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint
against any one, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them
bring charges against one another.
[39] But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular
assembly.
[40] For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, there being
no cause that we can give to justify this commotion."
[41] And when he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

Mark 9:14-29

[14]

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd about them,
and scribes arguing with them.

[15] And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly
amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him.
[16] And he asked them, "What are you discussing with them?"
[17] And one of the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you,
for he has a dumb spirit;
[18] and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and
grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it
out, and they were not able."
[19] And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be
with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me."
[20] And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him,
immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled
about, foaming at the mouth.
[21] And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said,
"From childhood.
[22] And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to
destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us."
[23] And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him
who believes."
[24] Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe;
help my unbelief!"
[25] And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the
unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you,
come out of him, and never enter him again."
[26] And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and
the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead."
[27] But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
[28] And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately,
"Why could we not cast it out?"
[29] And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but
prayer."