May 10 (Daily Scripture)

Twentieth Day of Zadeeg

Luke 8:22-56
Acts 11:27-12:24
I Peter 4:1-11
John 4:43-54
Matthew 10:16-40
Mark 4:10-20

Luke 8:22-56
[22] One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out,
[23] and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a storm of wind came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in danger.
[24] And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there was a calm.
[25] He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even wind and water, and they obey him?”
[26] Then they arrived at the country of the Ger’asenes, which is opposite Galilee.
[27] And as he stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons; for a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not in a house but among the tombs.
[28] When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me.”
[29] For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him; he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.)
[30] Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him.
[31] And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.
[32] Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside; and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them leave.
[33] Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
[34] When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country.
[35] Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
[36] And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed.
[37] Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Ger’asenes asked him to depart from them; for they were seized with great fear; so he got into the boat and returned.
[38] The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but he sent him away, saying,
[39] “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
[40] Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.
[41] And there came a man named Ja’irus, who was a ruler of the synagogue; and falling at Jesus’ feet he besought him to come to his house,
[42] for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.
As he went, the people pressed round him.
[43] And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and could not be healed by any one,
[44] came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; and immediately her flow of blood ceased.
[45] And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the multitudes surround you and press upon you!”
[46] But Jesus said, “Some one touched me; for I perceive that power has gone forth from me.”
[47] And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.
[48] And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
[49] While he was still speaking, a man from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.”
[50] But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she shall be well.”
[51] And when he came to the house, he permitted no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child.
[52] And all were weeping and bewailing her; but he said, “Do not weep; for she is not dead but sleeping.”
[53] And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
[54] But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.”
[55] And her spirit returned, and she got up at once; and he directed that something should be given her to eat.
[56] And her parents were amazed; but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Acts 11:27-12:24
[27] Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
[28] And one of them named Ag’abus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of Claudius.
[29] And the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea;
[30] and they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Chapter 12
[1] About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church.
[2] He killed James the brother of John with the sword;
[3] and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
[4] And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.
[5] So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.
[6] The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison;
[7] and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands.
[8] And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your mantle around you and follow me.”
[9] And he went out and followed him; he did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
[10] When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him.
[11] And Peter came to himself, and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
[12] When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
[13] And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.
[14] Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and told that Peter was standing at the gate.
[15] They said to her, “You are mad.” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel!”
[16] But Peter continued knocking; and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.
[17] But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell this to James and to the brethren.” Then he departed and went to another place.
[18] Now when day came, there was no small stir among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
[19] And when Herod had sought for him and could not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesare’a, and remained there.
[20] Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and they came to him in a body, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food.
[21] On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and made an oration to them.
[22] And the people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of man!”
[23] Immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he did not give God the glory; and he was eaten by worms and died.
[24] But the word of God grew and multiplied.

I Peter 4:1-11
[1] Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same thought, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
[2] so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer by human passions but by the will of God.
[3] Let the time that is past suffice for doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry.
[4] They are surprised that you do not now join them in the same wild profligacy, and they abuse you;
[5] but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
[6] For this is why the gospel was preached even to the dead, that though judged in the flesh like men, they might live in the spirit like God.
[7] The end of all things is at hand; therefore keep sane and sober for your prayers.
[8] Above all hold unfailing your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.
[9] Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another.
[10] As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
[11] whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

John 4:43-54
[43] After the two days he departed to Galilee.
[44] For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
[45] So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast.
[46] So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Caper’na-um there was an official whose son was ill.
[47] When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
[48] Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
[49] The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
[50] Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way.
[51] As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living.
[52] So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”
[53] The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live”; and he himself believed, and all his household.
[54] This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

Matthew 10:16-40
[16] “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
[17] Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues,
[18] and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles.
[19] When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour;
[20] for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
[21] Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;
[22] and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
[23] When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel, before the Son of man comes.
[24] “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master;
[25] it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Be-el’zebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
[26] “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
[27] What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops.
[28] And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
[29] Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will.
[30] But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
[31] Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
[32] So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven;
[33] but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
[34] “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
[35] For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
[36] and a man’s foes will be those of his own household.
[37] He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
[38] and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
[39] He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
[40] “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.

Mark 4:10-20
[10] And when he was alone, those who were about him with the twelve asked him concerning the parables.
[11] And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables;
[12] so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven.”
[13] And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
[14] The sower sows the word.
[15] And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown; when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which is sown in them.
[16] And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;
[17] and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.
[18] And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the word,
[19] but the cares of the world, and the delight in riches, and the desire for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
[20] But those that were sown upon the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

The Revised Standard Version of the Bible is copyright © National Council of Churches of Christ in America