Welcome to Read Through the Bible in a Year, July 2nd. Today's reading is Acts chapter 10, verses 24 through 48, 1 Kings chapter 20, and Psalm chapter 1. So let's begin in Acts 10 and verse 24. And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea, and Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up, I myself also am a man. And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation. but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for. I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me. And Cornelius said, four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. Send, therefore, to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the seaside, who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. Immediately, therefore, I sent to thee, and thou hast well done, that thou art calm. Now, therefore, are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.' Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel preaching peace by Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all. That word I say ye know, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things, which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Him God raised up the third day and showed him openly, not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us. who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. This concludes the reading of Acts chapter 10, verses 24 through 48. In Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together, and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses and chariots, and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. And he sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-Hadad, thy silver and thy gold is mine, thy wives also, and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, According to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. And the messengers came again and said, Thus speaketh Ben-Hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children, Yet I will send my servants unto thee tomorrow about this time, and they shall search thine house and the houses of thy servants. And it shall be that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand and take it away.' Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief. For he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold, and I denied him not. And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent. Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-Hadad, Tell my lord the king, all that thou didst send forth to thy servant at the first I will do, but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed and brought him word again. And Ben-Hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off. And it came to pass, when Ben-Hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array, and they set themselves in array against the city. And behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab, king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord. Hast thou seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the Lord, even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. And after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. And they went out at noon. But Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first. And Ben-Hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria. And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive, or whether they be come out for war, take them alive. So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. And they slew every one his men, and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen. And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter. And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark and see what thou doest, for at the return of the year, the king of Syria will come up against thee.' And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills, therefore they were stronger than we, but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And do this thing, take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms, and number thee an army, like the army that Thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot, and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. and he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-Hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them. And the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids. But the Syrians filled the country. And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys. Therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord. And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was that in the seventh day the battle was joined. And the children of Israel slew of the Syrians and hundred thousand footmen in one day. But the rest fled to Aphek into the city. And there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben-Hadad fled and came into the city into an inner chamber. And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins and robes upon our heads. and go out to the king of Israel. Peradventure he will save thy life. So they girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes on their heads and came to the king of Israel and said, thy servant Ben-Hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, is he yet alive? He is my brother. Now the men did diligently observe whether anything would come from him and did hastily catch it. And they said, thy brother Ben-Hadad.' Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-Hadad came forth to him, and he caused him to come up into the chariot. And Ben-Hadad said unto him, The cities which my father took from thy father I will restore, and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So I made a covenant with him and sent him away. And a certain man of the sons of the prophet said unto his neighbor in the word of the Lord, smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. Then said he unto him, because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, A lion found him and slew him. Then he found another man and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him. So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way. and disguised himself with ashes upon his face. And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king, and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle, and behold, a man turned aside and brought a man unto me and said, Keep this man. If by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver. And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be, thyself hast decided it. And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face. And the king of Israel discerned him, that he was of the prophets. And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. And the king of Israel went to his house, heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria. This concludes the reading of 1 Kings chapter 20. Psalm chapter 1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish." This concludes the reading of Psalm chapter 1, and this concludes the reading for July 2. May the Lord richly bless your day.