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Thursday, November 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Reading Plan

Daily Bible Reading

November 12 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Jeremiah 19-20

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Chapter 19

The Clay Jar

1 This is what the Lord says: "Go, buy a potter's clay(a) jar. Take[a] some of the elders of the people and some of the leading priests(b) 2 and go out to the Valley of Hinnom(c) near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. Proclaim there the words I speak to you. 3 Say: Hear the word of the Lord , kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem.(d) This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on this place that everyone who hears about it will shudder[b](e) 4 because they have abandoned Me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in it to other gods that they, their fathers, and the kings of Judah have never known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.(f) 5 They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, something I have never commanded or mentioned; I never entertained the thought.[c](g)

6 "Therefore, take note! The days are coming"—this is the Lord 's declaration—"when this place will no longer be called Topheth and the Valley of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.(h) 7 I will spoil the plans of Judah and Jerusalem in this place. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hand of those who want to take their life. I will provide their corpses as food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.(i) 8 I will make this city desolate, an object of scorn. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and scoff because of all its wounds.(j) 9 I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and they will eat each other's flesh in the siege and distress that their enemies, those who want to take their life, inflict on them.(k)

10 "Then you are to shatter the jar in the presence of the people traveling with you, 11 and you are to proclaim to them: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: I will shatter these people and this city, like one shatters a potter's jar that can never again be mended. They will bury the dead in Topheth because there is no other place for burials.(l) 12 I will do so to this place"—this is the declaration of the Lord —"and to its residents, making this city like Topheth. 13 The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will become impure like that place Topheth—all the houses on whose rooftops they have burned incense to the whole heavenly host(m) and poured out drink offerings to other gods."

14 Jeremiah came back from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, stood in the courtyard of the Lord 's temple,(n) and proclaimed to all the people, 15 "This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am about to bring on this city—and on all its dependent villages—all the disaster that I spoke against it, for they have become obstinate, not obeying My words.'"(o)

Chapter 20

Jeremiah Beaten by Pashhur

1 Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer(a) and chief official in the temple of the Lord , heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. 2 So Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate in the Lord 's temple. 3 The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, "The Lord does not call you Pashhur, but Magor-missabib,[a] 4 for this is what the Lord says, ‘I am about to make you a terror to both yourself and those you love.(b) They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will deport them to Babylon and put them to the sword. 5 I will give away all the wealth of this city, all its products(c) and valuables. Indeed, I will hand all the treasures of the kings of Judah over to their enemies. They will plunder them, seize them, and carry them off to Babylon. 6 As for you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, you will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon. There you will die, and there you will be buried, you and all your friends that you prophesied falsely(d) to.'"

Jeremiah Compelled to Preach

7 You deceived me, Lord , and I was deceived.
You seized me and prevailed.
I am a laughingstock all the time;(e)
everyone ridicules me.
8 For whenever I speak, I cry out,
I proclaim, "Violence and destruction!"(f)
because the word of the Lord has become for me
constant disgrace and derision.
9 If I say, "I won't mention Him
or speak any longer in His name,"
His message becomes a fire burning in my heart,(g)
shut up in my bones.
I become tired of holding it in,
and I cannot prevail.
10 For I have heard the gossip of many people,
"Terror is on every side![b](h)
Report him; let's report him!"
Everyone I trusted[c] watches for my fall.(i)
"Perhaps he will be deceived
so that we might prevail against him
and take our vengeance on him."
11 But the Lord is with me like a violent warrior.(j)
Therefore, my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
Since they have not succeeded, they will be utterly shamed,
an everlasting humiliation that will never be forgotten.
12  Lord of Hosts, testing the righteous
and seeing the heart[d] and mind,
let me see Your vengeance on them,
for I have presented my case to You.(k)
13 Sing to the Lord !
Praise the Lord ,
for He rescues the life of the needy
from the hand of evil people.

Jeremiah's Lament

14 May the day I was born
be cursed.(l)
May the day my mother bore me
never be blessed.
15 May the man be cursed
who brought the news to my father, saying,
"A male child is born to you,"
bringing him great joy.
16 Let that man be like the cities
the Lord demolished without compassion.(m)
Let him hear an outcry in the morning(n)
and a war cry at noontime
17 because he didn't kill me in the womb(o)
so that my mother might have been my grave,
her womb eternally pregnant.
18 Why did I come out of the womb
to see only struggle and sorrow,(p)
to end my life in shame?

Psalms 128

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Chapter 128

Psalm 128

Blessings for Those Who Fear God

A song of ascents.

1 How happy is everyone who fears the Lord ,
who walks in His ways!(a)
2 You will surely eat
what your hands have worked for.(b)
You will be happy,
and it will go well for you.(c)
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house,
your sons, like young olive trees
around your table.(d)
4 In this very way
the man who fears the Lord
will be blessed.(e)

5 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
so that you will see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life(f)
6 and will see your children's children!

Peace be with Israel.(g)

Philemon 1

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Chapter 1

Greeting

Paul,(a) a prisoner(b) of Christ Jesus,(c) and Timothy(d) our brother:

To Philemon our dear friend and coworker, 2 to Apphia our sister,[a] to Archippus(e) our fellow soldier,(f) and to the church that meets in your home.(g)

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon's Love and Faith

4 I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love(h) and faith toward[b] the Lord Jesus and for all the saints. 6 I pray that your participation in the faith may become effective(i) through knowing every good thing(j) that is in us[c] for the glory of Christ. 7 For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed(k) through you, brother.

An Appeal for Onesimus

8 For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right, 9 I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly man[d] and now also as a prisoner(l) of Christ Jesus, 10 appeal to you for my son,(m) Onesimus.[e](n) I fathered[f](o) him while I was in chains. 11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. 12 I am sending him back to you as a part of myself.[g][h] 13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place. 14 But I didn't want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave—as a dearly loved brother. He is especially so to me, but even more to you, both in the flesh(p) and in the Lord.[i](q)

17 So if you consider me a partner, accept(r) him as you would me. 18 And if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.(s) 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand:(t) I will repay it—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, may I have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Since I am confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 But meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

Final Greetings

23 Epaphras,(u) my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, and so do 24 Mark,(v) Aristarchus,(w) Demas, and Luke,(x) my coworkers.

25 The grace of the Lord[j](y) Jesus Christ be with your spirit.(z)

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