the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
January 6 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Genesis 12
Chapter 12
The Call of Abram
1 The Lord said to Abram:
Go out from your land,
your relatives,
and your father's house
to the land that I will show you.(a)
2 I will make you into a great nation,(b)
I will bless you,(c)
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.[a](d)
3 I will bless those who bless you,
I will curse those who treat you with contempt,(e)
and all the peoples[b] on earth
will be blessed[c] through you.[d](f)
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.(g) 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people he had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the site of Shechem,(h) at the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your offspring."(i) So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to Yahweh there, and he called on the name of Yahweh.(j) 9 Then Abram journeyed by stages to the Negev.
Abram in Egypt
10 There was a famine in the land,(k) so Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine in the land was severe. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.' They will kill me but let you live.(l) 13 Please say you're my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account." 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh's household. 16 He treated Abram well because of her, and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.
17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram's wife Sarai.(m) 18 So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She's my sister,' so that I took her as my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and go!" 20 Then Pharaoh gave his men orders about him, and they sent him away with his wife and all he had.
Psalms 6
Chapter 6
Psalm 6
A Prayer for Mercy
For the choir director: with stringed instruments, according to Sheminith.(a) A Davidic psalm.
1
Lord
, do not rebuke me in Your anger;
do not discipline me in Your wrath.(b)
2 Be gracious to me,
Lord
, for I am weak;[a](c)
heal me,(d)
Lord
, for my bones are shaking;(e)
3 my whole being is shaken with terror.(f)
And You,
Lord
—how long?(g)
4 Turn,
Lord
! Rescue me;
save me because of Your faithful love.(h)
5 For there is no remembrance of You in death;
who can thank You in Sheol?(i)
6 I am weary from my groaning;(j)
with my tears I dampen my pillow[b]
and drench my bed every night.(k)
7 My eyes are swollen from grief;(l)
they[c] grow old because of all my enemies.
8 Depart from me, all evildoers,
for the
Lord
has heard the sound of my weeping.(m)
9 The
Lord
has heard my plea for help;(n)
the
Lord
accepts my prayer.(o)
10 All my enemies will be ashamed and shake with terror;
they will turn back(p) and suddenly be disgraced.(q)
Luke 8:1-25
Chapter 8
Many Women Support Christ's Work
1 Soon afterward He was traveling from one town and village to another,(a) preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God.(b) The Twelve were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses:(c) Mary, called Magdalene (seven demons had come out(d) of her); 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward; Susanna; and many others who were supporting them from their possessions.
The Parable of the Sower
4 As a large crowd was gathering, and people were flocking to Him from every town, He said in a parable:(e) 5 "A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Other seed fell on the rock; when it sprang up, it withered, since it lacked moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground; when it sprang up, it produced a crop: 100 times what was sown." (f) As He said this, He called out, "Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!" (g)
Why Jesus Used Parables
9 Then His disciples asked Him, "What does this parable mean?"(h) 10 So He said, "The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you(i) to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that
Looking they may not see,
and hearing they may not understand.
(j)[a]
The Parable of the Sower Explained
11 "This is the meaning of the parable: [b](k) The seed is the word of God. (l) 12 The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, welcome the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and depart in a time of testing.(m) 14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life,(n) and produce no mature fruit. 15 But the seed in the good ground—these are the ones who,[c] having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring,(o) bear fruit.
Using Your Light
16 "No one, after lighting a lamp,(p) covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see its light.(q) 17 For nothing is concealed that won't be revealed, and nothing hidden that won't be made known and come to light.(r) 18 Therefore take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him;(s) and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."
True Relationships
19 Then His mother and brothers(t) came to Him,(u) but they could not meet with Him because of the crowd. 20 He was told, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You."
21 But He replied to them, "My mother and My brothers are those who hear and do the word of God." (v)
Wind and Wave Obey the Master
22 One day He and His disciples got into a boat,(w) and He told them, "Let's cross over to the other side of the lake." (x) So they set out, 23 and as they were sailing He fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger. 24 They came and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to die!" Then He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm.(y) 25 He said to them, "Where is your faith?"
They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, "Who can this be?[d](z) He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey Him!"
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