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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 19 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Ezekiel 27-28
Chapter 27
The Sinking of Tyre
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Now, son of man, lament for Tyre.(a) 3 Say to Tyre, who is located at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples(b) to many coasts and islands: This is what the Lord God says:
Tyre, you declared,
‘I am perfect in beauty.'
4 Your realm was in the heart of the sea;
your builders perfected your beauty.
5 They constructed all your planking
with pine trees from Senir.[a](c)
They took a cedar from Lebanon
to make a mast for you.
6 They made your oars of oaks from Bashan.
They made your deck of cypress wood
from the coasts of Cyprus,(d)
inlaid with ivory.
7 Your sail was made of
fine embroidered linen from Egypt,
and served as your banner.
Your awning was of blue and purple fabric
from the coasts of Elishah.
8 The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad(e)
were your rowers.
Your wise men were within you, Tyre;
they were your captains.
9 The elders of Gebal and its wise men(f)
were within you, repairing your leaks.
All the ships of the sea and their sailors
came to[b] you to barter for your goods.
10 Men of Persia, Lud, and Put(g)
were in your army, serving as your warriors.
They hung shields and helmets in you;
they gave you splendor.
11 Men of Arvad and Helech
were stationed on your walls all around,
and Gammadites were in your towers.
They hung their shields[c] all around your walls;
they perfected your beauty.
12 "Tarshish(h) was your trading partner because of your great wealth of every kind. They exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise. 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech(i) were your merchants. They exchanged slaves[d] and bronze utensils for your goods. 14 Those from Beth-togarmah(j) exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your merchandise. 15 Men of Dedan[e](k) were also your merchants; many coasts and islands were your regular markets. They brought back ivory tusks(l) and ebony as your payment. 16 Aram[f][g] was your trading partner because of your numerous products. They exchanged turquoise,[h] purple and embroidered cloth, fine linen, coral,[i] and rubies[j] for your merchandise. 17 Judah and the land of Israel were your merchants. They exchanged wheat from Minnith,(m) meal,[k] honey, oil, and balm, for your goods. 18 Damascus was also your trading partner because of your numerous products and your great wealth of every kind, trading in wine from Helbon and white wool.[l] 19 Vedan[m] and Javan from Uzal[n](n) dealt in your merchandise; wrought iron, cassia,(o) and aromatic cane were exchanged for your goods. 20 Dedan(p) was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. 21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your business[o] partners, trading with you in lambs, rams, and goats. 22 The merchants of Sheba(q) and Raamah traded with you. They exchanged gold, the best of all spices, and all kinds of precious stones for your merchandise.(r) 23 Haran, Canneh, Eden,(s) the merchants of Sheba, Asshur,(t) and Chilmad traded with you. 24 They were your merchants in choice garments, cloaks of blue and embroidered materials, and multicolored carpets,[p] which were bound and secured with cords in your marketplace. 25 Ships of Tarshish(u) were the carriers for your goods.
So you became full and heavily loaded[q]
in the heart of the sea.
26 Your rowers have brought you
onto the high seas,(v)
but the east wind has shattered you
in the heart of the sea.
27 Your wealth, merchandise, and goods,
your sailors and captains,
those who repair your leaks,
those who barter for your goods,
and all the warriors within you,
with all the other people on board,[r]
sink into the heart of the sea
on the day of your downfall.
28 The countryside shakes
at the sound of your sailors' cries.(w)
29 All those who handle an oar
disembark from their ships.
The sailors and all the captains of the sea
stand on the shore.
30 They raise their voices over you
and cry out bitterly.
They throw dust on their heads;(x)
they roll in ashes.
31 They shave their heads because of you
and wrap themselves in sackcloth.
They weep over you
with deep anguish and bitter mourning.
32 In their wailing they lament for you,(y)
mourning over you:
Who was like Tyre,
silenced[s] in the middle of the sea?
33 When your merchandise was unloaded from the seas,
you satisfied many peoples.
You enriched the kings of the earth
with your abundant wealth and goods.
34 Now you are shattered by the sea
in the depths of the waters;
your goods and the people within you
have gone down.
35 All the inhabitants of the coasts and islands
are appalled(z) at you.
Their kings shudder with fear;
their faces are contorted.
36 Those who trade among the peoples
mock[t](aa) you;
you have become an object of horror
and will never exist again."(ab)
Chapter 28
The Fall of Tyre's Ruler
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre: This is what the Lord God says:
Your[a] heart is proud,
and you have said, ‘I am a god;(a)
I sit in the seat of gods
in the heart of the sea.'
Yet you are a man and not a god,
though you have regarded your heart
as that of a god.
3 Yes, you are wiser than Daniel;(b)
no secret is hidden from you!
4 By your wisdom and understanding
you have acquired wealth for yourself.
You have acquired gold and silver
for your treasuries.(c)
5 By your great skill in trading
you have increased your wealth,
but your heart has become proud
because of your wealth."
6 Therefore this is what the Lord God says:
Because you regard your heart as that of a god,
7 I am about to bring strangers against you,
ruthless men from the nations.
They will draw their swords
against your magnificent wisdom
and will defile your splendor.(d)
8 They will bring you down to the Pit,(e)
and you will die a violent death
in the heart of the sea.
9 Will you still say, ‘I am a god,'
in the presence of those who kill[b] you?
Yet you will be only a man, not a god,
in the hands of those who kill you.
10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised(f)
at the hands of strangers.(g)
For I have spoken.
This is the declaration of the Lord
God
.
A Lament for Tyre's King
11 The word of the Lord came to me: 12 "Son of man, lament(h) for the king of Tyre and say to him: This is what the Lord God says:
You were the seal[c] of perfection,[d]
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.(i)
13 You were in Eden,(j) the garden of God.
Every kind of precious stone covered you:
carnelian, topaz, and diamond,[e]
beryl, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire,[f] turquoise[g] and emerald.[h]
Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold;(k)
they were prepared on the day you were created.
14 You were an anointed guardian cherub,(l)
for[i] I had appointed you.
You were on the holy mountain of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
15 From the day you were created
you were blameless in your ways
until wickedness was found in you.
16 Through the abundance of your trade,
you were filled with violence, and you sinned.
So I expelled you in disgrace
from the mountain of God,
and banished you, guardian cherub,[j]
from among the fiery stones.
17 Your heart became proud because of your beauty;(m)
For the sake of your splendor
you corrupted your wisdom.
So I threw you down to the earth;
I made you a spectacle before kings.
18 You profaned your sanctuaries
by the magnitude of your iniquities
in your dishonest trade.
So I made fire come from within you,
and it consumed you.(n)
I reduced you to ashes on the ground
in the sight of everyone watching you.
19 All those who know you among the nations
are appalled at you.
You have become an object of horror
and will never exist again."(o)
A Prophecy against Sidon
20 The word of the Lord came to me: 21 "Son of man, turn your face toward Sidon(p) and prophesy against it. 22 You are to say: This is what the Lord God says:
Look! I am against you, Sidon,(q)
and I will display My glory within you.
They will know that I am Yahweh
when I execute judgments against her(r)
and demonstrate My holiness through her.
23 I will send a plague against her(s)
and bloodshed in her streets;
the slain will fall within her,
while the sword is against her[k] on every side.
Then they will know that I am Yahweh.
24 "The house of Israel will no longer be hurt by[l] prickly briers or painful thorns(t) from all their neighbors who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.
25 "This is what the Lord God says: When I gather the house of Israel(u) from the peoples where they are scattered and demonstrate My holiness through them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their own land, which I gave to My servant Jacob. 26 They will live there securely,(v) build houses, and plant vineyards.(w) They will live securely when I execute judgments(x) against all their neighbors who treat them with contempt. Then they will know that I am Yahweh their God."
Isaiah 54
Chapter 54
Future Glory for Israel
1 "Rejoice, childless one, who did not give birth;
burst into song and shout,
you who have not been in labor!(a)
For the children of the forsaken one will be more
than the children of the married woman,"(b)
says the
Lord
.
2 "Enlarge the site of your tent,
and let your tent curtains be stretched out;(c)
do not hold back;
lengthen your ropes,
and drive your pegs deep.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left,(d)
and your descendants will dispossess nations
and inhabit the desolate cities.
4 "Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame;(e)
don't be humiliated, for you will not be disgraced.
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
and you will no longer remember
the disgrace of your widowhood.(f)
5 Indeed, your husband is your Maker(g)—
His name is Yahweh of Hosts—
and the Holy One of Israel(h) is your Redeemer;(i)
He is called the God of all the earth.
6 For the
Lord
has called you,
like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit,(j)
a wife of one's youth(k) when she is rejected,"
says your God.
7 "I deserted you for a brief moment,(l)
but I will take you back with great compassion.
8 In a surge of anger
I hid My face(m) from you for a moment,
but I will have compassion on you
with everlasting love,"(n)
says the
Lord
your Redeemer.
9 "For this is like the days[a] of Noah to Me:
when I swore that the waters of Noah
would never flood the earth again,(o)
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
or rebuke you.(p)
10 Though the mountains move
and the hills shake,
My love will not be removed from you
and My covenant of peace(q) will not be shaken,"
says your compassionate
Lord
.
11 "Poor Jerusalem, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
I will set your stones in black mortar,[b]
and lay your foundations in sapphires.[c](r)
12 I will make your fortifications[d] out of rubies,
your gates out of sparkling stones,
and all your walls out of precious stones.
13 Then all your children will be taught by the
Lord
,(s)
their prosperity will be great,
14 and you will be established
on a foundation of righteousness.
You will be far from oppression,
you will certainly not be afraid;
you will be far from terror,
it will certainly not come near you.
15 If anyone attacks you,
it is not from Me;
whoever attacks you
will fall before you.
16 Look, I have created the craftsman
who blows on the charcoal fire
and produces a weapon suitable for its task;
and I have created the destroyer to cause havoc.
17 No weapon formed against you will succeed,
and you will refute any accusation[e]
raised against you in court.
This is the heritage of the
Lord
's servants,(t)
and their righteousness is from Me."(u)
This is the
Lord
's declaration.
Colossians 1:24-2:19
Chapter 1
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings(as) for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for His body,(at) that is, the church. 25 I have become its servant, according to God's administration that was given to me for you, to make God's message fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. 27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ(au) in you, the hope(av) of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 I labor for this, striving(aw) with His strength that works powerfully in me.(ax)
Chapter 2
1 For I want you to know how great a struggle(a) I have for you, for those in Laodicea,(b) and for all who have not seen me in person. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged(c) and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery(d)—Christ.[a](e) 3 All the treasures of wisdom(f) and knowledge(g) are hidden in Him.
Christ versus the Colossian Heresy
4 I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments. 5 For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit,(h) rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.
6 Therefore, as you have received(i) Christ Jesus the Lord,(j) walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him(k) and established in the faith, just as you were taught,(l) overflowing with gratitude.
8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition,(m) based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.(n) 9 For the entire fullness(o) of God's nature[b] dwells bodily[c] in Christ, 10 and you have been filled by Him, who is the head(p) over every ruler and authority. 11 You were also circumcised in Him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh,(q) in the circumcision of the Messiah.[d](r) 12 Having been buried with Him(s) in baptism, you were also raised with Him(t) through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.(u) 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross.(v) 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him.[e](w)
16 Therefore, don't let anyone judge(x) you in regard to food and drink(y) or in the matter of a festival or a new moon(z) or a Sabbath day.[f] 17 These are a shadow(aa) of what was to come;(ab) the substance is[g] the Messiah.(ac) 18 Let no one disqualify you,[h](ad) insisting on ascetic practices(ae) and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm and inflated(af) without cause by his unspiritual[i] mind. 19 He doesn't hold on to the head, from whom the whole body,(ag) nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, develops with growth from God.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
