the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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September 22 - Straight Thru the Bible
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Ezekiel 48
Chapter 48
The Tribal Allotments
1 "Now these are the names of the tribes:
From the northern end, along the road of Hethlon, to Lebo-hamath as far as Hazar-enon, at the northern border of Damascus, alongside Hamath and extending from the eastern side to the sea, will be Dan—one portion.
2 Next to the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, will be Asher—one portion.
3 Next to the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, will be Naphtali—one portion.
4 Next to the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, will be Manasseh—one portion.
5 Next to the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, will be Ephraim—one portion.
6 Next to the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, will be Reuben—one portion.
7 Next to the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, will be Judah—one portion.
8 "Next to the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, will be the portion you donate to the Lord , 8⅓ miles[a] wide, and as long as one of the tribal portions from the east side to the west.(a) The sanctuary will be in the middle of it.
9 "The special portion you donate to the Lord will be 8⅓ miles[b] long and 3⅓ miles[c] wide. 10 This holy donation will be set apart for the priests alone. It will be 8⅓ miles[d] long on the northern side, 3⅓ miles[e] wide on the western side, 3⅓ miles[f] wide on the eastern side, and 8⅓ miles[g] long on the southern side. The Lord 's sanctuary will be in the middle of it. 11 It is for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept My charge(b) and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray. 12 It will be a special donation for them out of the holy donation of the land, a most holy place adjacent to the territory of the Levites.
13 "Next to the territory of the priests, the Levites will have an area 8⅓ miles[h] long and 3⅓ miles[i] wide. The total length will be 8⅓ miles[j] and the width 3⅓ miles.[k](c) 14 They must not sell or exchange any of it, and they must not transfer this choice part of the land, for it is holy to the Lord .(d)
15 "The remaining area, 1⅔ of a mile[l] wide and 8⅓ miles[m] long, will be for common use by the city,(e) for both residential and open space. The city will be in the middle of it. 16 These are the city's measurements:
1½ miles[n] on the north side;
1½ miles[o] on the south side;
1½ miles[p] on the east side;
and 1½ miles[q] on the west side.
17 The city's open space will extend:
425 feet[r] to the north,
425 feet[s] to the south,
425 feet[t] to the east,
and 425 feet[u] to the west.
18 "The remainder of the length alongside the holy donation will be 3⅓ miles[v] to the east and 3⅓ miles[w] to the west. It will run alongside the holy donation. Its produce will be food for the workers of the city. 19 The city's workers from all the tribes of Israel will cultivate it.(f) 20 The entire donation will be 8⅓ miles[x] by 8⅓ miles;[y] you are to set apart the holy donation along with the city property as a square area.
21 "The remaining area on both sides of the holy donation and the city property will belong to the prince.(g) He will own the land adjacent to the tribal portions, next to the 8⅓ miles[z] of the donation as far as the eastern border and[aa] next to the 8⅓ miles[ab] of the donation as far as the western border. The holy donation and the sanctuary of the temple will be in the middle of it. 22 Except for the Levitical property and the city property in the middle of the area belonging to the prince, the area between the territory of Judah and that of Benjamin will belong to the prince.(h)
23 "As for the rest of the tribes:
From the east side to the west, will be Benjamin—one portion.
24 Next to the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, will be Simeon—one portion.
25 Next to the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, will be Issachar—one portion.
26 Next to the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, will be Zebulun—one portion.
27 Next to the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, will be Gad—one portion.
28 Next to the territory of Gad toward the south side, the border will run from Tamar to the waters(i) of Meribath-kadesh, to the Brook of Egypt, and out to the Mediterranean Sea. 29 This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to Israel's tribes,(j) and these will be their portions." This is the declaration of the Lord God .
The New City
30 "These are the exits of the city:
On the north side, which measures 1½ miles,[ac]
31 there will be three gates facing north, the gates of the city being named for the tribes of Israel: one, the gate of Reuben; one, the gate of Judah; and one, the gate of Levi.
32 On the east side, which is 1½ miles,[ad] there will be three gates: one, the gate of Joseph; one, the gate of Benjamin; and one, the gate of Dan.
33 On the south side, which measures 1½ miles,[ae] there will be three gates: one, the gate of Simeon; one, the gate of Issachar; and one, the gate of Zebulun.
34 On the west side, which is 1½ miles,[af] there will be three gates: one, the gate of Gad; one, the gate of Asher; and one, the gate of Naphtali.
35 The perimeter of the city will be six miles,[ag] and the name of the city from that day on will be: Yahweh Is There."(k)
Daniel 1:1-2:30
Chapter 1
Daniel's Captivity in Babylon
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim(a) king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar[a](b) king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. 2 The Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God.(c) Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon,[b](d) to the house of his god,[c] and put the vessels in the treasury of his god.
3 The king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials,[d] to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family(e) and from the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom,(f) knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king's palace(g)—and to teach them the Chaldean language(h) and literature. 5 The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank.(i) They were to be trained for three years, and at the end of that time they were to serve in the king's court.[e](j) 6 Among them, from the descendants of Judah, were Daniel,(k) Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them other names: he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah.(l)
Faithfulness in Babylon
8 Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king's food(m) or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official not to defile himself.(n) 9 God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official,(o) 10 yet he said to Daniel, "My lord the king assigned your food and drink. I'm afraid of what would happen if he saw your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age. You would endanger my life[f] with the king."
11 So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief official had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for 10 days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king's food, and deal with your servants based on what you see." 14 He agreed with them about this and tested them for 10 days. 15 At the end of 10 days they looked better and healthier[g] than all the young men who were eating the king's food.(p) 16 So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables.
Faithfulness Rewarded
17 God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding(q) in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams(r) of every kind. 18 At the end of the time that the king had said to present them, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king interviewed them, and among all of them, no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.(s) So they began to serve in the king's court. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about, he found them 10 times[h](t) better than all the diviner-priests and mediums(u) in his entire kingdom. 21 Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.(v)
Chapter 2
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams(a) that troubled him, and sleep deserted him.(b) 2 So the king gave orders to summon the diviner-priests, mediums, sorcerers, and Chaldeans[a](c) to tell the king his dreams. When they came and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, "I have had a dream and am anxious to understand it."
4 The Chaldeans spoke to the king (Aramaic[b](d) begins here): "May the king live forever.(e) Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation."
5 The king replied to the Chaldeans, "My word is final: If you don't tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb,[c] and your houses will be made a garbage dump.(f) 6 But if you make the dream and its interpretation known to me, you'll receive gifts, a reward, and great honor from me.(g) So make the dream and its interpretation known to me."
7 They answered a second time, "May the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation."
8 The king replied, "I know for certain you are trying to gain some time, because you see that my word is final. 9 If you don't tell me the dream, there is one decree for you.(h) You have conspired to tell me something false or fraudulent until the situation changes. So tell me the dream and I will know you can give me its interpretation."
10 The Chaldeans answered the king, "No one on earth can make known what the king requests.(i) Consequently, no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked anything like this of any diviner-priest, medium, or Chaldean. 11 What the king is asking is so difficult that no one can make it known to him except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals."(j) 12 Because of this, the king became violently angry(k) and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 The decree was issued that the wise men were to be executed, and they searched for Daniel and his friends, to execute them.
14 Then Daniel responded with tact and discretion to Arioch, the commander of the king's guard,[d](l) who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. 15 He asked Arioch, the king's officer, "Why is the decree from the king so harsh?"[e](m) Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel. 16 So Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give the king the interpretation.
17 Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about the matter, 18 urging them to ask the God of heaven(n) for mercy(o) concerning this mystery, so Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of Babylon's wise men.(p) 19 The mystery was then revealed to Daniel in a vision(q) at night, and Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and declared:
May the name of God
be praised forever and ever,(r)
for wisdom(s) and power belong to Him.
21 He changes the times and seasons;
He removes kings and establishes kings.(t)
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those
who have understanding.(u)
22 He reveals the deep and hidden things;
He knows what is in the darkness,(v)
and light dwells with Him.(w)
23 I offer thanks and praise to You,
God of my fathers,(x)
because You have given me
wisdom and power.
And now You have let me know
what we asked of You,
for You have let us know(y)
the king's mystery.[f]
24 Therefore Daniel went to Arioch,(z) whom the king had assigned to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He came and said to him, "Don't kill the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation."(aa)
25 Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king and said to him, "I have found a man among the Judean exiles(ab) who can let the king know the interpretation."
26 The king said in reply to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar,(ac) "Are you able to tell me the dream I had and its interpretation?"(ad)
27 Daniel answered the king: "No wise man, medium, diviner-priest, or astrologer(ae) is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days.(af) Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay in bed(ag) were these: 29 Your Majesty, while you were in your bed, thoughts came to your mind about what will happen in the future.[g](ah) The revealer of mysteries(ai) has let you know what will happen. 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me,(aj) not because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.(ak)
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