the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
November 20 - Old & New Testament
csb
Ezekiel 14,15
Idolatrous Elders Punished
1 Some of the elders of Israel came(a) to me and sat down in front of me.(b) 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 "Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put sinful stumbling blocks before their faces.(c) Should I be consulted by them at all?(d)
4 "Therefore, speak to them and tell them: This is what the Lord God says: When anyone from the house of Israel sets up idols in his heart, puts a sinful stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I, Yahweh, will answer him appropriately.[a] I will answer him according to his many idols, 5 so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their hearts. They are all estranged from Me because of their idols.
6 "Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: Repent and turn away(e) from your idols; turn your faces away from all your detestable things. 7 For when anyone from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who reside in Israel separates himself from Me, setting up idols in his heart and putting a sinful stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me,[b] I, Yahweh, will answer him Myself. 8 I will turn against that one and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people.(f) Then you will know that I am Yahweh.
9 "But if the prophet is deceived and speaks a message, it was I, Yahweh, who deceived that prophet.(g) I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.(h) 10 They will bear their punishment—the punishment of the one who inquires will be the same as that of the prophet— 11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from following Me and no longer defile themselves(i) with all their transgressions. Then they will be My people and I will be their God."(j) This is the declaration of the Lord God .
Four Devastating Judgments
12 The word of the Lord came to me: 13 "Son of man, if a land sins against Me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out My hand against it to cut off its supply of bread,(k) to send famine through it, and to wipe out both man and animal from it, 14 even if these three men(l)—Noah,(m) Daniel,(n) and Job(o)—were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness." This is the declaration of the Lord God .
15 "If I allow dangerous animals(p) to pass through the land and depopulate it so that it becomes desolate, with no one passing through it for fear of the animals, 16 even if these three men were in it, as I live"—the declaration of the Lord God —"they could not deliver their sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.(q)
17 "Or if I bring a sword(r) against that land and say: Let a sword pass through it, so that I wipe out both man and animal from it,(s) 18 even if these three men were in it, as I live"—the declaration of the Lord God —"they could not deliver their sons or daughters, but they alone would be delivered.
19 "Or if I send a plague into that land(t) and pour out My wrath on it with bloodshed to wipe out both man and animal from it, 20 even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live"—the declaration of the Lord God —"they could not deliver their son or daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.
21 "For this is what the Lord God says: How much worse will it be when I send My four(u) devastating judgments against Jerusalem—sword, famine, dangerous animals, and plague—in order to wipe out both man and animal from it! 22 Even so, there will be survivors left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out. Indeed, they will come out to you, and you will observe their conduct and actions.(v) Then you will be consoled about the devastation I have brought on Jerusalem, about all I have brought on it. 23 They will bring you consolation when you see their conduct and actions, and you will know that it was not without cause that I have done what I did to it."(w) This is the declaration of the Lord God .
Parable of the Useless Vine
1 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Son of man, how does the wood of the vine,(a) that branch among the trees of the forest, compare to any other wood? 3 Can wood be taken from it to make something useful? Or can anyone make a peg from it to hang things on? 4 In fact, it is put into the fire as fuel.(b) The fire devours both of its ends, and the middle is charred. Can it be useful for anything? 5 Even when it was whole it could not be made into a useful object. How much less can it ever be made into anything useful when the fire has devoured it and it is charred!
6 "Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire as fuel, so I will give up the residents of Jerusalem. 7 I will turn against them.(c) They may have escaped from the fire, but it will still consume them.(d) And you will know that I am Yahweh when I turn against them. 8 I will make the land desolate because they have acted unfaithfully." This is the declaration of the Lord God .
2 Timothy 1
Chapter 1
Greeting
1 Paul,(a) an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will,(b) for the promise of life(c) in Christ Jesus:
2 To Timothy, my dearly loved son.
Grace, mercy, and peace(d) from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thanksgiving
3 I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience(e) as my ancestors did, when I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.(f) 4 Remembering your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy, 5 clearly recalling your sincere faith(g) that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice,(h) and that I am convinced is in you also.
6 Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze[a] the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.(i) 7 For God has not given us a spirit[b] of fearfulness,(j) but one of power,(k) love,(l) and sound judgment.
Not Ashamed of the Gospel
8 So don't be ashamed(m) of the testimony about our Lord,(n) or of me His prisoner.(o) Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power(p) of God.
9 He has saved us and called us
with a holy calling,(q)
not according to our works,(r)
but according to His own purpose(s) and grace,
which was given to us in Christ Jesus
before time began.
10 This has now been made evident
through the appearing(t) of our Savior Christ Jesus,
who has abolished death(u)
and has brought life(v) and immortality to light
through the gospel.
11 For this gospel I was appointed(w) a herald, apostle, and teacher,[c] 12 and that is why I suffer(x) these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me[d](y) until that day.(z)
Be Loyal to the Faith
13 Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching(aa) that you have heard from me,(ab) in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you. 15 This you know: All those in Asia(ac) have turned away from me,(ad) including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy(ae) to the household of Onesiphorus,(af) because he often refreshed me(ag) and was not ashamed of my chains.(ah) 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome,(ai) he diligently searched for me and found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he obtain mercy(aj) from Him on that day. And you know very well how much he ministered at Ephesus.(ak)
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