GN-Day329 Nehemiah 8-9; Isaiah 38; Colossians 2

Daily GNT Bible Reading Podcast

NEHEMIAH 8-9:Nehemiah 7 dealt with listing the various families and temple workers who came back after exile. The last verse in that chapter is the transition to the next events. It is so much of a transition that NLT has verse 73 end with an incomplete sentence. (NLT: In October when the Israelites had settled in their towns,) Here is that transition verse in the GNT:

7:73 GNT The priests, the Levites, the Temple guards, the musicians, many of the ordinary people, the Temple workers—all the people of Israel—settled in the towns and cities of Judah.

ISAIAH 38:In chapter 37 yesterday, we heard of Hezekiah’s triumph through his prayer. As we have seen before in Isaiah (and not just in Isaiah’s message to the king), this defeat was prophesied, and we heard the fulfillment yesterday.

COLOSSIANS 2:After that wonderful poem in Colossians chapter 1— which I can barely resist reading to you a second time, Paul says these things:

Col. 1:21 GNT At one time you were far away from God and were his enemies because of the evil things you did and thought. 22 But now, by means of the physical death of his Son, God has made you his friends, in order to bring you, holy, pure, and faultless, into his presence.

Then in talking about the revelation of the Good News, he says,

1:26 NLT This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people.27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

GNT Translation notes:Neh. 8:9 When the people heard what the Law required, they were so moved that they began to cry. So [I,] Nehemiah, [0//who was] the governor, Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law, and the Levites who were explaining the Law told all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God, so you are not to mourn or cry.====Col.2:7 Keep your roots deep in him, build your lives on him, and [keep on becoming//become] stronger in your [belief in in Jesus//faith], as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving.12 For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ through your [belief//faith] in the active power of God, who raised him from death.21 “Don't handle this,” “Don't taste that,” “Don't touch [that other thing//the other]”?