the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
January 12 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Genesis 19
Chapter 19
The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
1 The two angels entered Sodom(a) in the evening as Lot was sitting at Sodom's gate. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them. He bowed with his face to the ground 2 and said, "My lords, turn aside to your servant's house, wash your feet, and spend the night. Then you can get up early and go on your way."
"No," they said. "We would rather spend the night in the square." 3 But he urged them so strongly that they followed him and went into his house. He prepared a feast and baked unleavened bread for them, and they ate.
4 Before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, the whole population, surrounded the house. 5 They called out to Lot and said, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have sex with them!"(b)
6 Lot went out to them at the entrance and shut the door behind him. 7 He said, "Don't do this evil, my brothers. 8 Look, I've got two daughters who haven't had sexual relations with a man.(c) I'll bring them out to you, and you can do whatever you want[a] to them. However, don't do anything to these men, because they have come under the protection of my roof."
9 "Get out of the way!" they said, adding, "This one came here as a foreigner, but he's acting like a judge!(d) Now we'll do more harm to you than to them." They put pressure on Lot and came up to break down the door. 10 But the angels[b] reached out, brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 They struck the men who were at the entrance of the house, both young and old, with a blinding light so that they were unable to find the entrance.(e)
12 Then the angels[c] said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here: a son-in-law, your sons and daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of this place, 13 for we are about to destroy this place because the outcry against its people is so great before the Lord , that the Lord has sent us to destroy it."(f)
14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were going to marry[d] his daughters. "Get up," he said. "Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city!"(g) But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.
15 At daybreak the angels urged Lot on: "Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment[e] of the city." 16 But he hesitated. Because of the Lord 's compassion for him, the men grabbed his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters. Then they brought him out and left him outside the city.
17 As soon as the angels got them outside, one of them[f] said, "Run for your lives! Don't look back and don't stop anywhere on the plain! Run to the mountains, or you will be swept away!"
18 But Lot said to them, "No, my lords[g]—please. 19 Your servant has indeed found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness by saving my life. But I can't run to the mountains; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die. 20 Look, this town is close enough for me to run to. It is a small place. Please let me go there—it's only a small place, isn't it?—so that I can survive."
21 And he said to him, "All right,[h] I'll grant your request[i] about this matter too and will not demolish the town you mentioned. 22 Hurry up! Run there, for I cannot do anything until you get there." Therefore the name of the city is Zoar.[j](h)
23 The sun had risen over the land when Lot reached Zoar. 24 Then out of the sky the Lord rained burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord .(i) 25 He demolished these cities, the entire plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and whatever grew on the ground. 26 But his wife looked back and became a pillar of salt.(j)
27 Early in the morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood before the Lord .(k) 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain, and he saw that smoke was going up from the land like the smoke of a furnace. 29 So it was, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, He remembered Abraham and brought Lot out of the middle of the upheaval when He demolished the cities where Lot had lived.
The Origin of Moab and Ammon
30 Lot departed from Zoar and lived in the mountains along with his two daughters, because he was afraid to live in Zoar. Instead, he and his two daughters lived in a cave. 31 Then the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to sleep with us as is the custom of all the land. 32 Come, let's get our father to drink wine so that we can sleep with him and preserve our father's line." 33 So they got their father to drink wine that night, and the firstborn came and slept with her father; he did not know when she lay down or when she got up.
34 The next day the firstborn said to the younger, "Look, I slept with my father last night. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight so you can go sleep with him and we can preserve our father's line." 35 That night they again got their father to drink wine, and the younger went and slept with him; he did not know when she lay down or when she got up.
36 So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 The firstborn gave birth to a son and named him Moab.[k] He is the father of the Moabites of today.(l) 38 The younger also gave birth to a son, and she named him Ben-ammi.[l] He is the father of the Ammonites of today.(m)
Psalms 12
Chapter 12
Psalm 12
Oppression by the Wicked
For the choir director: according to Sheminith.(a) A Davidic psalm.
1 Help,
Lord
, for no faithful one remains;
the loyal have disappeared from the human race.(b)
2 They lie to one another;
they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.(c)
3 May the
Lord
cut off all flattering lips
and the tongue that speaks boastfully.(d)
4 They say, "Through our tongues we have power;[a]
our lips are our own—who can be our master?"(e)
5 "Because of the oppression of the afflicted
and the groaning of the poor,
I will now rise up," says the
Lord
.
"I will put the one who longs for it in a safe place."(f)
6 The words of the
Lord
are pure words,
like silver refined in an earthen furnace,
purified seven times.(g)
7 You,
Lord
, will guard us;[b]
You will protect us[c] from this generation forever.(h)
8 The wicked wander[d] everywhere,
and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.(i)
Luke 11:1-28
Chapter 11
The Model Prayer
1 He was praying(a) in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples."(b)
2 He said to them, "Whenever you pray, say: (c)
Father,
[a](d)
Your name(e) be honored as holy.
(f)
Your kingdom come.
[b](g)
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
[c](h)
4 And forgive us our sins,
(i)
for we ourselves also forgive everyone
in debt to us.
[d](j)
And do not bring us into temptation."
[e](k)
Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking
5 He also said to them: "Suppose one of you[f] has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don't have anything to offer him.'[g] 7 Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don't bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can't get up to give you anything.' 8 I tell you, even though he won't get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend's persistence,[h] he will get up and give him as much as he needs. (l)
9 "So(m) I say to you, keep asking, [i](n) and it will be given to you. Keep searching, [j](o) and you will find. Keep knocking, [k](p) and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son[l] asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil,(q) know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father(r) give[m] the Holy Spirit(s) to those who ask Him?"
A House Divided
14 Now(t) He was driving out a demon(u) that was mute.[n](v) When the demon came out, the man who had been mute, spoke, and the crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, "He drives out demons by Beelzebul,(w) the ruler(x) of the demons!"(y) 16 And others, as a test,(z) were demanding of Him a sign(aa) from heaven.
17 Knowing their thoughts,(ab) He told them: "Every kingdom divided(ac) against itself is headed for destruction, and a house divided against itself falls. 18 If Satan(ad) also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom(ae) stand? For you say I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, who is it your sons [o](af) drive them out by? For this reason they will be your judges. 20 If I drive out demons by the finger of God,(ag) then the kingdom of God(ah) has come to you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure.[p] 22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers(ai) him, he takes from him all his weapons [q](aj) he trusted(ak) in, and divides up his plunder.(al) 23 Anyone who is not with Me is against Me,(am) and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters.
An Unclean Spirit's Return
24 "When(an) an unclean spirit(ao) comes out of a man, it roams through waterless places looking for rest,(ap) and not finding rest, it then[r] says, ‘I'll go back to my house where I came from.' 25 And returning, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits(aq) more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man's last condition is worse than the first." (ar)
True Blessedness
27 As He was saying these things, a woman from the crowd(as) raised her voice and said to Him, "The womb that bore You and the one who nursed You(at) are blessed!"
28 He said, "Even more, those who hear the word of God(au) and keep it(av) are blessed!"
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