the Week of Proper 5 / Ordinary 10
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
March 27 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Numbers 22:1-40
Chapter 22
Balak Sends for Balaam
1 (C1)Then the sons of Israel journeyed on, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.
2 Now (C1)Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.3 (C1)So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.4 Moab said to the elders of (C1)Midian, "Now this (F1)horde will eat up all that is around us, as the ox eats up the grass of the field!" And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.5 So he sent messengers to (C1)Balaam the son of Beor, at (C2)Pethor, which is near the Euphrates River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, "Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they have covered the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me.6 "(C1)Now, therefore, please come, (C2)curse this people for me since they are too (F1)mighty for me; perhaps I will be able to (F2)defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."
7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left with the fees for (C1)divination in their hands; and they came to Balaam and (F1)repeated Balak's words to him.8 And he said to them, "Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you just as the LORD may speak to me." And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.9 Then (C1)God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?"10 Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent word to me:11 'Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I will be able to fight against them and drive them out.'"12 But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them; (C1)you shall not curse the people, for they (C2)are blessed."13 So Balaam got up in the morning and said to Balak's representatives, "Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you."14 And the representatives from Moab got up and went to Balak, and said, "Balaam refused to come with us."
15 Then Balak sent representatives once again, more numerous and more distinguished than (F1)the previous.16 They came to Balaam and said to him, "This is what Balak the son of Zippor says: 'I beg you, let nothing keep you from coming to me;17 for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you tell me. (C1)Please come then, curse this people for me.'"18 But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "(C1)Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the (F1)command of the LORD my God.19 "Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will say to me."20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise and go with them; but you shall do (C1)only the thing that I tell you."
21 (C1)So Balaam arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab.
The Angel and Balaam
22 But God was angry that he was going, (C1)and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the road as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, the donkey turned off from the road and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey to guide her back onto the road.24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a stone wall on this side and on that side.25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall, so he struck her again.26 Then the angel of the LORD went farther, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right or to the left.27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so (C1)Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his staff.28 Then (C1)the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?"29 And Balaam said to the donkey, "It is because you have made a mockery of me! If only there had been a sword in my hand! For (C1)I would have killed you by now!"30 But the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been in the habit of doing such a thing to you?" And he said, "No."31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw (C1)the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed (F1)all the way to the ground.32 Then the angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was (C1)reckless and contrary to me.33 "But the donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I certainly would have killed you just now, and let her live."34 So Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "(C1)I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back."35 But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but (C1)you shall speak only the word that I (F1)tell you." So Balaam went along with the representatives of Balak.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the Arnon border, (F1)at the extreme end of the border.37 Then Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not urgently send word to you to call for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really unable to honor you?"38 So Balaam said to Balak, "Behold, I have come to you now! (C1)Am I really able to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that only shall I speak."39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.<
Song of Solomon 2:8-3:5
Chapter 2
8 "Listen! My beloved!
Behold, he is coming,
Leaping (C1)on the mountains,
Jumping on the hills!
9 "My beloved is like a (C1)gazelle or a (C2)young (F1)stag.
Behold, he is standing behind our wall,
He is looking through the windows,
He is peering (C3)through the lattice.
10 "My beloved responded and said to me,
'(C1)Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along.
11 'For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
12 'The blossoms have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for (F1)pruning the vines,
And the voice of the (C1)turtledove has been heard in our land.
13 'The (C1)fig tree has ripened its fruit,
And the (C2)vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!'"
The Groom
14 "(C1)My dove, (C2)in the clefts of the (F1)rock,
In the hiding place of the mountain pathway,
Let me see (F2)how you look,
(C3)Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is pleasant,
And (F2)you look (C4)delightful."
The Chorus
15 "(C1)Catch the (F1)foxes for us,
The (F2)little (F1)foxes that are ruining the vineyards,
While our (C2)vineyards are in blossom."
The Bride
16 "(C1)My beloved is mine, and I am his;
He (C2)pastures his flock among the lilies.
17 "(C1)Until the cool of the day, when the shadows flee,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a (C2)gazelle
Or a young stag (C3)on the mountains of (F1)Bether."
Chapter 3
The Bride's Troubled Dream
1 "On my bed night after night I sought him
(C1)Whom my soul loves;
I (C2)sought him but did not find him.
2 '(F1)I must arise now and (F2)go around in the city;
In the (C1)streets and in the public squares
(F3)I must seek him whom my soul loves.'
I sought him but did not find him.
3 "(C1)The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
And I said, 'Have you seen him whom my soul loves?'
4 "(C1)Hardly had I (F1)left them
When I found him whom my soul loves;
I (C2)held on to him and would not let him go
Until I had (C3)brought him to my mother's house,
And into the room of her who conceived me."
The Groom
5 "(C1)Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
By the (C2)gazelles or by the does of the field,
That you will not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases."<
Matthew 22:23-46
Chapter 22
23 (C1)On that day some (C2)Sadducees (who say (C3)there is no resurrection) came to (F1)Jesus and questioned Him,24 saying, "Teacher, Moses said, '(C1)If a man dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up (F1)children for his brother.'25 "Now there were seven brothers among us; and the first married and died, and having no (F1)children, he left his wife to his brother.26 It was the same also with the second brother, and the third, down to the seventh.27 "Last of all, the woman died.28 "In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her in marriage."
29 But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, (C1)since you do not (F1)understand the Scriptures nor the power of God.30 "For in the resurrection they neither (C1)marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.31 "But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God:32 '(C1)I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."33 When the crowds heard this, (C1)they were astonished at His teaching.
34 (C1)But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced (C2)the Sadducees, they gathered together.35 And one of them, (F1)(C1)a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him:36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"37 And He said to him, "'(C1)YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'38 "This is the great and (F1)foremost commandment.39 "The second is like it, '(C1)YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'40 "(C1)Upon these two commandments (F1)hang the whole Law and the Prophets."
41 (C1)Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question:42 "What do you think about the (F1)Christ? Whose son is He?" They (*)said to Him, "(C1)The son of David."43 He (*)said to them, "Then (F1)how does David (F2)(C1)in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying,
44 '(C1)THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD,
"SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,
UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES UNDER YOUR FEET"'?
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