Bible in a Year
Today's Reading
August 5, 2026
Ezra 1:1-2:70, 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5, Psalm 27:7-14, Proverbs 20:22-23
Old Testament
Ezra 1:1-2:70
Ezra 1
Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return
1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
2“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:
“ ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.
3Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them.
4And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’ ”
5Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.
6All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.
7Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god.
8Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
9This was the inventory:
gold dishes 30
silver dishes 1,000
silver pans 29
10gold bowls 30
matching silver bowls 410
other articles 1,000
11In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver.
Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Ezra 2
The List of the Exiles Who Returned
1Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to their own town,
2in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah):
The list of the men of the people of Israel:
3the descendants of
Parosh 2,172
4Shephatiah 372
5Arah 775
6Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,812
7Elam 1,254
8Zattu 945
9Zakkai 760
10Bani 642
11Bebai 623
12Azgad 1,222
13Adonikam 666
14Bigvai 2,056
15Adin 454
16Ater (through Hezekiah) 98
17Bezai 323
18Jorah 112
19Hashum 223
20Gibbar 95
21the men of
Bethlehem 123
22Netophah 56
23Anathoth 128
24Azmaveth 42
25Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743
26Ramah and Geba 621
27Mikmash 122
28Bethel and Ai 223
29Nebo 52
30Magbish 156
31the other Elam 1,254
32Harim 320
33Lod, Hadid and Ono 725
34Jericho 345
35Senaah 3,630
36The priests:
the descendants of
Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973
37Immer 1,052
38Pashhur 1,247
39Harim 1,017
40The Levites:
the descendants of
Jeshua and Kadmiel (of the line of Hodaviah) 74
41The musicians:
the descendants of
Asaph 128
42The gatekeepers of the temple:
the descendants of
Shallum, Ater, Talmon,
Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 139
43The temple servants:
the descendants of
Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
44Keros, Siaha, Padon,
45Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,
46Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,
47Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,
48Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,
49Uzza, Paseah, Besai,
50Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim,
51Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
52Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
53Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
54Neziah and Hatipha
55The descendants of the servants of Solomon:
the descendants of
Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,
56Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
57Shephatiah, Hattil,
Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Ami
58The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392
59The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:
60the descendants of
Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 652
61And from among the priests:
the descendants of
Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).
62These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
63The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.
64The whole company numbered 42,360,
65besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 200 male and female singers.
66They had 736 horses, 245 mules,
67435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
68When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site.
69According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments.
70The priests, the Levites, the musicians, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.
New Testament
1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5
Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom
18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
22Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
28God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,
29so that no one may boast before him.
30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
31Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 2
1And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
3I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.
4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
5so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
Psalms
Psalm 27:7-14
7Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
10Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
11Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Proverbs
Proverbs 20:22-23
22Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.
23The Lord detests differing weights,
and dishonest scales do not please him.
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