the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
March 29 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Numbers 23:27-24:25
Chapter 23
27 Again Balak said to Balaam, "Please come. I will take you to another place. Maybe it will be agreeable to God that you can put a curse on them for me there." 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.[h](j)
29 Balaam told Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."(k) 30 So Balak did as Balaam said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Chapter 24
1 Since Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as on previous occasions, but turned[a] toward the wilderness. 2 When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God(a) came on him, 3 and he proclaimed his poem:
The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eyes are opened,[b]
4 the oracle of one who hears the sayings of God,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,(b)
who falls into a trance with his eyes uncovered:
5 How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,
your dwellings, Israel.
6 They stretch out like river valleys,[c]
like gardens beside a stream,
like aloes the
Lord
has planted,
like cedars beside the water.
7 Water will flow from his buckets,
and his seed will be by abundant water.
His king will be greater than Agag,[d](c)
and his kingdom will be exalted.
8 God brought him out of Egypt;
He is like[e] the horns of a wild ox for them.(d)
He will feed on enemy nations
and gnaw their bones;
he will strike them with his arrows.
9 He crouches, he lies down like a lion
or a lioness—who dares to rouse him?(e)
Those who bless you will be blessed,
and those who curse you will be cursed.(f)
10 Then Balak became furious with Balaam, struck his hands together, and said to him, "I summoned you to put a curse on my enemies, but instead, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Now go to your home! I said I would reward you richly,(g) but look, the Lord has denied you a reward."
12 Balaam answered Balak, "Didn't I previously tell the messengers you sent me: 13 If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the Lord 's command, to do anything good or bad of my own will? I will say whatever the Lord says.(h) 14 Now I am going back to my people, but first, let me warn you what these people will do to your people in the future."
Balaam's Fourth Oracle
15 Then he proclaimed his poem:
The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eyes are opened;[f]
16 the oracle of one who hears the sayings of God
and has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls into a trance with his eyes uncovered:(i)
17 I see him,[g] but not now;
I perceive him,[h] but not near.
A star will come from Jacob,
and a scepter will arise from Israel.(j)
He will smash the forehead[i] of Moab
and strike down[j] all the Shethites.[k]
18 Edom will become a possession;
Seir(k) will become a possession of its enemies,
but Israel will be triumphant.
19 One who comes from Jacob will rule;
he will destroy the city's survivors.
20 Then Balaam saw Amalek and proclaimed his poem:
Amalek was first among the nations,(l)
but his future is destruction.
21 Next he saw the Kenites and proclaimed his poem:
Your dwelling place is enduring;
your nest is set in the cliffs.
22 Kain will be destroyed
when Asshur takes you captive.
23 Once more he proclaimed his poem:
Ah, who can live when God does this?
24 Ships will come from the coast of Kittim;(m)
they will afflict Asshur and Eber,(n)
but they too will come to destruction.
25 Balaam then arose and went back to his homeland, and Balak also went his way.
Song of Solomon 5:2-6:3
Chapter 5
2
W
I sleep, but my heart is awake.
A sound! My love is knocking!(b)
M
Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my perfect one.
For my head is drenched with dew,
my hair with droplets of the night.
3
W
I have taken off my clothing.(c)
How can I put it back on?
I have washed my feet.
How can I get them dirty?
4 My love thrust his hand through the opening,
and my feelings were stirred for him.
5 I rose to open for my love.
My hands dripped with myrrh,(d)
my fingers with flowing myrrh
on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my love,
but my love had turned and gone away.
I was crushed[c] that he had left.[d]
I sought him, but did not find him.(e)
I called him, but he did not answer.
7 The guards who go about the city found me.(f)
They beat and wounded me;
they took my cloak[e] from me—
the guardians of the walls.(g)
8 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you:(h)
if you find my love,
tell him that I am lovesick.(i)
9
Y
What makes the one you love better than another,
most beautiful of women?(j)
What makes him better than another,
that you would give us this charge?
10
W
My love is fit and strong,[f](k)
notable among ten thousand.(l)
11 His head is purest gold.
His hair is wavy[g](m)
and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves(n)
beside streams of water,
washed in milk
and set like jewels.[h]
13 His cheeks(o) are like beds of spice,
towers of[i] perfume.
His lips are lilies,
dripping with flowing myrrh.(p)
14 His arms[j] are rods of gold
set[k] with topaz.[l](q)
His body[m] is an ivory panel
covered with sapphires.(r)
15 His legs are alabaster pillars
set on pedestals of pure gold.
His presence is like Lebanon,(s)
as majestic as the cedars.(t)
16 His mouth is sweetness.
He is absolutely desirable.(u)
This is my love, and this is my friend,
young women of Jerusalem.
Chapter 6
1
Y
Where has your love gone,
most beautiful of women?
Which way has he[a] turned?
We will seek him with you.
2
W
My love has gone down to his garden,(a)
to beds of spice,(b)
to feed in the gardens(c)
and gather lilies.(d)
3 I am my love's and my love is mine;(e)
he feeds among the lilies.
Matthew 23:13-39
Chapter 23
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don't go in, and you don't allow those entering to go in. (m)
[14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and make long prayers just for show.[j] This is why you will receive a harsher punishment.] [k]
15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte,(n) and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell[l] as you are!
16 "Woe to you, blind guides,(o) who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the sanctuary, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath(p) by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by his oath.'[m] 17 Blind fools![n] For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that sanctified the gold? 18 Also, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.'[o] 19 Blind people![p] For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?(q) 20 Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it. 21 The one who takes an oath by the sanctuary takes an oath by it and by Him who dwells(r) in it. 22 And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God's throne(s) and by Him who sits on it. (t)
23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of[q] mint, dill, and cumin,[r] yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice,(u) mercy, and faith. These things should have been done without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides!(v) You strain out a gnat, yet gulp down a camel!
25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed[s] and self-indulgence!(w) 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,[t] so the outside of it[u] may also become clean.
27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,(x) which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every impurity. 28 In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn't have taken part with them in shedding the prophets' blood.'[v] 31 You, therefore, testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' sins! [w](y)
33 "Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell? [x](z) 34 This is why I am sending you prophets,(aa) sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues(ab) and hound from town to town. 35 So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you,[y] from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah,(ac) son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.(ad) 36 I assure you: All these things will come on this generation! (ae)
Jesus' Lamentation over Jerusalem
37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem!(af) She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks[z] under her wings, yet you were not willing!(ag) 38 See, your house is left to you desolate.(ah) 39 For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One' !" (ai)[aa]
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