Daily Bible CEV June 26 Scroll

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand
(Matthew 15.32-39)

Mark 8 One day another large crowd gathered around Jesus. They had not brought along anything to eat. So Jesus called his disciples together and said, ²"I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days, and they don't have anything to eat. ³Some of them live a long way from here. If I send them away hungry, they might faint on their way home."

⁴The disciples said, "This place is like a desert. Where can we find enough food to feed such a crowd?"

⁵Jesus asked them how much food they had. They replied, "Seven small loaves of bread."

⁶After Jesus told the crowd to sit down, he took the seven loaves and blessed them. He then broke the loaves and handed them to his disciples, who passed them out to the crowd. ⁷They also had a few little fish, and after Jesus had blessed these, he told the disciples to pass them around.

^8-9The crowd of about four thousand people ate all they wanted, and the leftovers filled seven large baskets.

As soon as Jesus had sent the people away, ¹⁰he got into the boat with the disciples and crossed to the territory near Dalmanutha.

A Sign from Heaven
(Matthew 16.1-4)

¹¹The Pharisees came out and started an argument with Jesus. They wanted to test him by asking for a sign from heaven. ¹²Jesus groaned and said, "Why are you always looking for a sign? I can promise you that you will not be given one!" ¹³Then he left them. He again got into a boat and crossed over to the other side of the lake.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod
(Matthew 16.5-12)

¹⁴The disciples had forgotten to bring any bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. ¹⁵Jesus warned them, "Watch out! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod."

¹⁶The disciples talked this over and said to each other, "He must be saying this because we don't have any bread."

¹⁷Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you talking about not having any bread? Don't you understand? Are your minds still closed? ¹⁸Are your eyes blind and your ears deaf? Don't you remember ¹⁹how many baskets of leftovers you picked up when I fed those five thousand people with only five small loaves of bread?"

"Yes," the disciples answered. "There were twelve baskets."

²⁰Jesus then asked, "And how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up when I broke seven small loaves of bread for those four thousand people?"

"Seven," they answered.

²¹"Don't you know what I am talking about by now?" Jesus asked.

2 Samuel 19 Someone told Joab, "The king is crying because Absalom is dead."

²David's army found out he was crying because his son had died, and their day of victory suddenly turned into a day of sadness. ³The troops were sneaking into Mahanaim, just as if they had run away from a battle and were ashamed.

⁴David held his hands over his face and kept on crying loudly, "My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!"

⁵Joab went to the house where David was staying and told him:

You've made your soldiers ashamed! Not only did they save your life, they saved your sons and daughters and wives as well. ⁶You're more loyal to your enemies than to your friends. What you've done today has shown your officers and soldiers that they don't mean a thing to you. You would be happy if Absalom was still alive, even if the rest of us were dead.

⁷Now get up! Go out there and thank them for what they did. If you don't, I swear by the LORD that you won't even have one man left on your side tomorrow morning. You may have had a lot of troubles in the past, but this will be the worst thing that has ever happened to you!

⁸David got up and went to the town gate and sat down. When the people heard that he was sitting there, they came to see him.

Israel and Judah Want David Back

After Israel's soldiers had all returned home, ^9-10everyone in Israel started arguing. They were saying to each other, "King David rescued us from the Philistines and from our other enemies. But then we chose Absalom to be our new leader, and David had to leave the country to get away. Absalom died in battle, so why hasn't something been done to bring David back?"

¹¹When David found out what they were saying, he sent a message to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. It said:

Say to the leaders of Judah, "Why are you the last tribe to think about bringing King David back home? ¹²He is your brother, your own relative! Why haven't you done anything to bring him back?"

¹³And tell Amasa, "You're my nephew, and with God as a witness, I swear I'll make you commander of my army instead of Joab."

¹⁴Soon the tribe of Judah again became followers of David, and they sent him this message: "Come back, and bring your soldiers with you."

David Starts Back for Jerusalem

¹⁵David started back and had gone as far as the Jordan River when he met the people of Judah. They had gathered at Gilgal and had come to help him cross the river.

¹⁶Shimei the son of Gera was there with them. He had hurried from Bahurim to meet David. Shimei was from the tribe of Benjamin, and ¹⁷a thousand others from Benjamin had come with him.

Ziba, the chief servant of Saul's family, also came to the Jordan River. He and his fifteen sons and twenty servants waded across to meet David. ¹⁸Then they brought David's family and servants back across the river, and they did everything he wanted them to do.

Shimei Meets with David

Shimei crossed the Jordan River and bowed down in front of David. ¹⁹He said, "Your Majesty, I beg you not to punish me! Please, forget what I did when you were leaving Jerusalem. Don't even think about it. ²⁰I know I was wrong. That's why I wanted to be the first one from the northern tribes to meet you."

²¹But Abishai shouted, "You should be killed for cursing the LORD's chosen king!"

²²David said, "Abishai, what will I ever do with you and your brother Joab? Is it your job to tell me who has done wrong? I've been made king of all Israel today, and no one will be put to death!" ²³Then David promised Shimei that he would not be killed.

Mephibosheth Meets with David

²⁴Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul, also came to meet David. He had missed David so much that he had not taken a bath or trimmed his beard or washed his clothes the whole time David was gone.

²⁵After they had gone back to Jerusalem, Mephibosheth came to see David, who asked him, "Why didn't you go with me?"

²⁶He answered, "Your Majesty, you know I can't walk. I told my servant to saddle a donkey for me so I could go with you. But my servant left without me, and ²⁷then he lied about me. You're as wise as an angel of God, so do what you think is right. ²⁸After all, you could have killed my whole family and me. But instead, you let me eat at your own table. Your Majesty, what more could I ask?"

²⁹David answered, "You've said enough! I've decided to divide the property between you and Ziba."

³⁰Mephibosheth replied, "He can have it all! I'm just glad you've come home safely."

Barzillai Returns Home

³¹Barzillai came from Rogelim in Gilead to meet David at the Jordan River and go across with him. ³²Barzillai was eighty years old. He was very rich and had sent food to David in Mahanaim.

³³David said to him, "Cross the river and go to Jerusalem with me. I will take care of you."

³⁴Barzillai answered:

Your Majesty, why should I go to Jerusalem? I don't have much longer to live. ³⁵I'm already eighty years old, and my body is almost numb. I can't taste my food or hear the sound of singing, and I would be nothing but a burden. ³⁶I'll cross the river with you, but I'll only go a little way on the other side. You don't have to be so kind to me. ³⁷Just let me return to my hometown, where I can someday

be buried near my father and mother. My servant Chimham can go with you, and you can treat him as your own.

³⁸David said, "I'll take Chimham with me, and whatever you ask me to do for him, I'll do. And if there's anything else you want, I'll also do that."

³⁹David's soldiers went on across the river, while he stayed behind to tell Barzillai good-by and to wish him well. Barzillai returned home, but ⁴⁰Chimham crossed the river with David.

Israel and Judah Argue

All of Judah's army and half of Israel's army were there to help David cross the river. ⁴¹The soldiers from Israel came to him and said, "Why did our relatives from Judah sneak you and your family and your soldiers across the Jordan?"

⁴²The people of Judah answered, "Why are you so angry? We are the king's relatives. He didn't give us any food, and we didn't take anything for ourselves!"

⁴³Those from Israel said, "King David belongs to us ten times more than he belongs to you. Why didn't you think we were good enough to help you? After all, we were the first ones to think of bringing him back!"

The people of Judah spoke more harshly than the people of Israel.

Part Four: The Dead Will Rise to Life

Daniel 12 Michael, the chief of the angels, is the protector of your people, and he will come at a time of terrible suffering, the worst in all of history. And your people who have their names written in The Book will be protected. ²Many of those who lie dead in the ground will rise from death. Some of them will be given eternal life, and others will receive nothing but eternal shame and disgrace. ³Everyone who has been wise will shine as bright as the sky above, and everyone who has led others to please God will shine like the stars.

⁴Daniel, I now command you to keep the message of this book secret until the end of time, even though many people will go everywhere, searching for the knowledge to be found in it.

The End of Time

⁵Daniel wrote:

I looked around and saw two other people--one on this side of the river and one on the other side. ⁶The angel who had spoken to me was dressed in linen and was standing upstream from them. So one of the two beside the river asked him, "How long before these amazing things happen?"

⁷The angel then raised both hands toward heaven and said, "In the name of the God who lives forever, I solemnly promise that it will be a time, two times, and half a time. Everything will be over, when the suffering of God's holy people comes to an end."

⁸I heard what the angel said, but I didn't understand. So I asked, "Sir, how will it all end?"

The angel in my vision then replied:

⁹Daniel, go about your business, because the meaning of this message will remain secret until the end of time. ¹⁰Many people will have their hearts and lives made pure and clean, but those who are evil will keep on being evil and never understand. Only the wise will understand. ¹¹There will be one thousand two hundred ninety days from the time that the daily sacrifices are stopped, until someone sets up the "Horrible Thing" that causes destruction. ¹²God will bless everyone who patiently waits until one thousand three hundred thirty-five days have gone by.

¹³So, Daniel, be faithful until the end! You will rest, and at the end of time, you will rise from death to receive your reward.

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