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Bible Reading Plan

Daily Bible Reading

April 30 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Joshua 20-21

Chapter 20

Six Cities of Refuge

1 Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, '(F1)Designate (C1)the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you (F2)through Moses,3 so that one who commits manslaughter by (F1)killing a person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood.4 'Then he shall flee to one of these cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the (C1)gate of the city, and state his case in the (F1)presence of the elders of that city; and they shall (F2)receive him into the city to them and give him a place, so that he may remain among them.5 'Now (C1)if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they are not to hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, since he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him previously.6 'And he shall remain in that city (C1)until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then (F1)he shall (F2)return to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled.'"

7 So they (F1)set apart (C1)Kedesh in (F2)Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in (C2)the hill country of Judah.8 And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they (F1)designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plain from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.9 (C1)These were the designated cities for all the sons of Israel and for the stranger who resides among them, so that whoever (F1)kills a person unintentionally may flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stands before the congregation.

Chapter 21

Forty-eight Cities of the Levites

1 Then the heads of fathers' households of (C1)the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of fathers' households of the tribes of the sons of Israel.2 And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "(C1)The LORD commanded (F1)through Moses to give us cities to live in, with their pasture lands for our cattle."3 So the sons of Israel gave the Levites from their inheritance these cities with their pasture lands, in accordance with the (F1)command of the LORD.4 Then the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And to the sons of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, thirteen cities were given by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of the Simeonites, and from the tribe of Benjamin.

5 And to the rest of the sons of Kohath ten cities were given by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

6 And to the sons of Gershon thirteen cities were given by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

7 To the sons of Merari according to their families twelve cities were given from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun.

8 Now the (C1)sons of Israel gave by lot to the Levites these cities with their pasture lands, as the LORD had commanded (F1)through Moses.

9 They gave these cities which are mentioned here by name from the tribe of the sons of Judah and from the tribe of the sons of Simeon;10 and they were for the sons of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, of the sons of Levi, because the lot was theirs first.11 So (C1)they gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba being the (C2)father of Anak), that is, Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with its surrounding pasture lands.12 But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.

13 So (C1)to the sons of Aaron the priest they gave (C2)Hebron, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasture lands, (C3)Libnah with its pasture lands,14 (C1)Jattir with its pasture lands, (C2)Eshtemoa with its pasture lands,15 (F1)Holon with its pasture lands, (C1)Debir with its pasture lands,16 (F1)Ain with its pasture lands, (C1)Juttah with its pasture lands, and (C2)Beth-shemesh with its pasture lands; nine cities from these two tribes.17 From the tribe of Benjamin, (C1)Gibeon with its pasture lands, (C2)Geba with its pasture lands,18 Anathoth with its pasture lands, and (F1)Almon with its pasture lands; four cities.19 All the cities of the sons of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.

20 Then the cities from the tribe of Ephraim were allotted to the (C1)families of the sons of Kohath, the Levites, that is, to the rest of the sons of Kohath.21 They gave them (C1)Shechem, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasture lands, in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer with its pasture lands,22 and Kibzaim with its pasture lands, and Beth-horon with its pasture lands; four cities.23 And from the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasture lands, Gibbethon with its pasture lands,24 Aijalon with its pasture lands, Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; four cities.25 From the half-tribe of Manasseh, they allotted Taanach with its pasture lands and Gath-rimmon with its pasture lands; two cities.26 All the cities with their pasture lands for the families of the rest of the sons of Kohath were ten.

27 And (C1)to the sons of Gershon, one of the families of the Levites, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, they gave Golan in Bashan, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasture lands, and Be-eshterah with its pasture lands; two cities.28 And from the tribe of Issachar they gave Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands,29 Jarmuth with its pasture lands, and En-gannim with its pasture lands; four cities.30 From the tribe of Asher, they gave Mishal with its pasture lands, Abdon with its pasture lands,31 Helkath with its pasture lands, and Rehob with its pasture lands; four cities.32 And from the tribe of Naphtali, they gave (C1)Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasture lands, Hammoth-dor with its pasture lands, and Kartan with its pasture lands; three cities.33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their pasture lands.

34 And to the families of (C1)the sons of Merari, the rest of the Levites, they gave from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasture lands, Kartah with its pasture lands,35 Dimnah with its pasture lands, and Nahalal with its pasture lands; four cities.36 From the tribe of Reuben they gave (C1)Bezer with its pasture lands, Jahaz with its pasture lands,37 Kedemoth with its pasture lands, and Mephaath with its pasture lands; four cities.38 And from the tribe of Gad, they gave (C1)Ramoth in Gilead, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasture lands, (C2)Mahanaim with its pasture lands,39 Heshbon with its pasture lands, and Jazer with its pasture lands; four cities in all.40 All these were the cities of the sons of Merari according to their families, the rest of the families of the Levites; and their lot was twelve cities.

41 (C1)All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the sons of Israel were forty-eight cities with their pasture lands.42 These cities individually had (F1)their surrounding pasture lands; this is how it was with all these cities.

43 (C1)So the LORD gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and (C2)they took possession of it and lived in it.44 And the LORD (C1)gave them rest on every side, in accordance with everything that He had sworn to their fathers, and (C2)no one of all their enemies stood before them; (C3)the LORD handed all their enemies over to them.45 (C1)Not (F1)one of the good promises which the LORD had (F2)made to the house of Israel failed; everything came to pass.

Job 30

Chapter 30

Job's Present State Is Humiliating

1 "But now those who are younger than I (C1)mock me,
Whose fathers I refused to put with the dogs of my flock.

2 "Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me?
Vigor had perished from them.

3 "From poverty and famine they are gaunt,
They who gnaw at the dry ground by night in waste and desolation,

4 Who pluck saltweed by the bushes,
And whose food is the root of the broom shrub.

5 "They are driven from the community;
They shout against them as against a thief,

6 So that they live on the slopes of ravines,
In holes in the ground and among the rocks.

7 "Among the bushes they (F1)cry out;
Under the weeds they are gathered together.

8 "Worthless (F1)fellows, even (F2)those without a name,
They were cast out from the land.

9 "And now I have become their (F1)(C1)taunt,
And I have become a (F2)(C2)byword to them.

10 "They loathe me and stand aloof from me,
And they do not (F1)refrain from (C1)spitting in my face.

11 "Because He has undone (F1)my (F2)bowstring and (C1)afflicted me,
They have cast off (C2)the bridle before me.

12 "On the right hand their (F1)mob arises;
They (C1)push aside my feet (C2)and pile up their ways of destruction against me.

13 "They (C1)break up my path,
They promote my destruction;
No one restrains them.

14 "As through a wide gap they come,
(F1)Amid the storm they roll on.

15 "(C1)Sudden terrors are turned upon me;
They chase away my dignity like the wind,
And my (F1)prosperity has passed away (C2)like a cloud.

16 "And now (C1)my soul is poured out (F1)within me;
Days of misery have seized me.

17 "At night it pierces (C1)my bones (F1)within me,
And my gnawing pains do not rest.

18 "By a great force my garment is (C1)distorted;
It ties me up like the collar of my coat.

19 "He has thrown me into the (C1)mire,
And I have become like dust and ashes.

20 "I (C1)cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me.

21 "You have (F1)become cruel to me;
With the strength of Your hand You (C1)persecute me.

22 "You (C1)lift me up to the wind and make me ride it;
And You dissolve me in a storm.

23 "For I know that You (C1)will bring me to death,
And to the (C2)house of meeting for all living.

24 "Yet does one in a heap of ruins not reach out with his hand,
Or in his disaster does he not (C1)cry out for help?

25 "Have I not (C1)wept for the (F1)one whose life is hard?
Was my soul not grieved for (C2)the needy?

26 "When I (C1)expected good, evil came;
When I waited for light, (C2)darkness came.

27 "(F1)I am seething (C1)within and cannot rest;
Days of misery confront me.

28 "I go about (F1)(C1)mourning without comfort;
I stand up in the assembly and (C2)cry out for help.

29 "I have become a brother to (C1)jackals,
And a companion of ostriches.

30 "My (C1)skin turns black (F1)on me,
And my (C2)bones burn with (F2)fever.

31 "Therefore my (C1)harp (F1)is turned to mourning,
And my flute to the sound of those who weep.

Acts 13:26-52

Chapter 13

26 "(F1)Brothers, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of (C1)this salvation has been sent.27 "For those who live in Jerusalem, and their (C1)rulers, (C2)recognizing neither Him nor the (F1)declarations of (C3)the prophets which are (C4)read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him.28 "And though they found no grounds for putting Him to death, they (C1)asked Pilate that He be executed.29 "When they had (C1)carried out everything that was written concerning Him, (C2)they took Him down from the (F1)(C3)cross and (C4)laid Him in a tomb.30 "But God (C1)raised Him from the dead;31 and for many days (C1)He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now (C2)His witnesses to the people.32 "And we (C1)preach to you the good news of (C2)the promise made to the fathers,33 that God has fulfilled this promise to those of us who are the descendants by (C1)raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm: '(C2)YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE FATHERED YOU.'34 "As for the fact that He (C1)raised Him from the dead, never again to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: '(C2)I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY AND FAITHFUL MERCIES OF DAVID.'35 "Therefore, He also says in another Psalm: '(C1)YOU WILL NOT (F1)ALLOW YOUR (F2)HOLY ONE TO (F3)UNDERGO DECAY.'36 "For (C1)David, after he had (F1)served God's (C2)purpose in his own generation, (C3)fell asleep, and was (F2)buried among his fathers and (F3)underwent decay;37 but He whom God (C1)raised did not (F1)undergo decay.38 "Therefore let it be known to you, (F1)brothers, that (C1)through (F2)Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,39 and (F1)through Him (C1)everyone who believes is (F2)freed from all things, from which you could not be (F2)freed (F3)through the Law of Moses.40 "Therefore, see that the thing spoken of (C1)in the Prophets does not come upon you:

41 '(C1)LOOK, YOU SCOFFERS, AND BE ASTONISHED, AND (F1)PERISH;
FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS,
A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.'"

42 As (F1)Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people repeatedly begged to have these (F2)things spoken to them the next (C1)Sabbath.43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the (C1)God-fearing (F1)(C2)proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and urging them to continue in (C3)the grace of God.

Paul Turns to the Gentiles

44 The next (C1)Sabbath nearly all the city assembled to hear the word of (F1)the Lord.45 But when (C1)the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were (F1)blaspheming.46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you (C1)first. Since you repudiate it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, (C2)we are turning to the Gentiles.47 "For so the Lord has commanded us,

'(C1)I HAVE APPOINTED YOU AS A (C2)LIGHT (F1)TO THE GENTILES,
THAT YOU MAY (F2)BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.'"

48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying (C1)the word of (F1)the Lord; and all who (C2)had been appointed to eternal life believed.49 And (C1)the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.50 But (C1)the Jews incited the (F1)(C2)devout women (C3)of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their (F2)region.51 But (C1)they shook off the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to (C2)Iconium.52 And the disciples were continually (C1)filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

 
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