the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
January 7 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Genesis 13,14
Abram and Lot Separate
1 Then Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev(a)—he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him. 2 Abram was very rich[a] in livestock, silver, and gold. 3 He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been, 4 to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of Yahweh there.(b)
5 Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents. 6 But the land was unable to support them as long as they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they could not stay together,(c) 7 and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock.(d) At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.(e)
8 Then Abram said to Lot, "Please, let's not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives.[b] 9 Isn't the whole land before you? Separate from me: if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left."
10 Lot looked out and saw that the entire Jordan Valley(f) as far as[c] Zoar(g) was well watered everywhere like the Lord 's garden(h) and the land of Egypt. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.(i) 11 So Lot chose the entire Jordan Valley for himself. Then Lot journeyed eastward, and they separated from each other. 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived in the cities of the valley and set up his tent near Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning greatly[d] against the Lord .(j)
14 After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, "Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west,(k) 15 for I will give you and your offspring forever all the land that you see.(l) 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth,(m) so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width, for I will give it to you."
18 So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron,(n) where he built an altar to the Lord .
Abram Rescues Lot
1 In those days Amraphel king of Shinar,(a) Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam,[a](b) and Tidal[b] king of Goiim[c] 2 waged war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim,(c) as well as the king of Bela (that is, Zoar(d)). 3 All of these came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea(e)). 4 They were subject to Chedorlaomer for 12 years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim(f) in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham,(g) the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites(h) in the mountains of Seir, as far as El-paran(i) by the wilderness. 7 Then they came back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh(j)), and they defeated all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.(k)
8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and lined up for battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim contained many asphalt pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them,[d] but the rest fled to the mountains.(l) 11 The four kings took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and went on. 12 They also took Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, for he was living in Sodom,(m) and they went on.
13 One of the survivors came and told Abram the Hebrew,(n) who lived near the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner. They were bound by a treaty with[e] Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken prisoner, he assembled[f] his 318 trained men, born in his household,(o) and they went in pursuit as far as Dan.(p) 15 And he and his servants deployed against them by night, attacked them, and pursued them as far as Hobah to the north of Damascus. 16 He brought back all the goods and also his relative Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the other people.
Melchizedek's Blessing
17 After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley(q)). 18 Then Melchizedek, king of Salem,[g](r) brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High.(s) 19 He blessed him and said:
Abram is blessed by God Most High,
Creator[h] of heaven and earth,
20 and I give praise to[i] God Most High
who has handed over your enemies to you.
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.(t)
21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people, but take the possessions for yourself."
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand in an oath to Yahweh, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or sandal strap or anything that belongs to you, so you can never say, ‘I made Abram rich.' 24 I will take nothing[j] except what the servants have eaten. But as for the share of the men who came with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre—they can take their share."
Psalms 7
Chapter 7
Psalm 7
Prayer for Justice
A Shiggaion[a] of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush,[b] a Benjaminite.
1 Yahweh my God, I seek refuge in You;(a)
save me from all my pursuers and rescue me(b)
2 or they[c] will tear me like a lion,
ripping me apart with no one to rescue me.[d](c)
3 Yahweh my God, if I have done this,
if there is injustice on my hands,(d)
4 if I have done harm to one at peace with me(e)
or have plundered[e] my adversary without cause,(f)
5 may an enemy pursue and overtake me;
may he trample me to the ground(g)
and leave my honor in the dust.(h)
6 Rise up,
Lord
, in Your anger;
lift Yourself up against the fury of my adversaries;(i)
awake for me;[f](j)
You have ordained[g] a judgment.(k)
7 Let the assembly of peoples gather around You;(l)
take Your seat[h] on high over it.(m)
8 The
Lord
judges the peoples;(n)
vindicate me,
Lord
,
according to my righteousness and my integrity.[i](o)
9 Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,(p)
but establish the righteous.(q)
The One who examines the thoughts and emotions[j]
is a righteous God.(r)
10 My shield is with[k] God,(s)
who saves the upright in heart.(t)
11 God is a righteous judge
and a God who shows His wrath every day.(u)
12 If anyone does not repent,
God[l] will sharpen His sword;(v)
He has strung[m] His bow and made it ready.(w)
13 He has prepared His deadly weapons;
He tips His arrows with fire.(x)
14 See, the wicked one is pregnant with evil,
conceives trouble, and gives birth to deceit.(y)
15 He dug a pit and hollowed it out
but fell into the hole he had made.(z)
16 His trouble comes back on his own head,
and his violence falls on the top of his head.(aa)
17 I will thank the
Lord
for His righteousness;
I will sing about the name of Yahweh the Most High.(ab)
Luke 8:26-56
Chapter 8
26 Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,[e](aa) which is opposite Galilee. 27 When He got out on land, a demon-possessed man from the town met Him. For a long time he had worn no clothes and did not stay in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out,(ab) fell down before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What do You have to do with me,[f](ac) Jesus, You Son of the Most High God?(ad) I beg You, don't torment me!" 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was guarded, bound by chains and shackles, he would snap the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.
30 "What is your name?" Jesus asked him.
"Legion,"(ae) he said—because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged Him not to banish them to the abyss.(af)
32 A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged Him to permit them to enter the pigs, and He gave them permission. 33 The demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. 34 When the men who tended them saw what had happened, they ran off and reported it in the town and in the countryside. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man the demons had departed from, sitting at Jesus' feet,(ag) dressed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Meanwhile, the eyewitnesses reported to them how the demon-possessed man was delivered.(ah) 37 Then all the people of the Gerasene region[g] asked Him to leave them,(ai) because they were gripped by great fear. So getting into the boat, He returned.
38 The man from whom the demons had departed kept begging Him to be with Him. But He sent him away and said, 39 "Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you." And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town all that Jesus had done for him.
A Girl Restored and a Woman Healed
40 When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him,(aj) for they were all expecting Him.(ak) 41 Just then, a man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue.(al) He fell down at Jesus' feet and pleaded with Him to come to his house, 42 because he had an only daughter(am) about 12 years old, and she was at death's door.[h]
While He was going, the crowds were nearly crushing Him.(an) 43 A woman suffering from bleeding(ao) for 12 years,(ap) who had spent all she had on doctors[i] yet could not be healed by any, 44 approached from behind and touched the tassel of His robe.(aq) Instantly her bleeding stopped.
45 "Who touched Me?" Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter[j] said, "Master,(ar) the crowds are hemming You in and pressing against You."[k]
46 "Someone did touch Me," said Jesus. "I know that power has gone out from Me." (as) 47 When the woman saw that she was discovered,[l] she came trembling and fell down before Him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched Him and how she was instantly cured. 48 "Daughter," He said to her, "your faith has made you well.[m] Go in peace." (at)
49 While He was still speaking,(au) someone came from the synagogue leader's house, saying, "Your daughter is dead. Don't bother(av) the Teacher(aw) anymore."
50 When Jesus heard it, He answered him, "Don't be afraid. Only believe, and she will be made well." 51 After He came to the house, He let no one enter with Him except Peter, John, James,(ax) and the child's father and mother. 52 Everyone was crying(ay) and mourning for her.(az) But He said, "Stop crying, for she is not dead but asleep." (ba)
53 They started laughing at Him, because they knew she was dead. 54 So He[n] took her by the hand(bb) and called out, "Child, get up!" (bc) 55 Her spirit returned,(bd) and she got up at once. Then He gave orders that she be given something to eat. 56 Her parents were astounded, but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.(be)
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