the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 3 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Ezekiel 2-3
Chapter 2
Mission to Rebellious Israel
1 He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet(a) and I will speak with you." 2 As He spoke to me, the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet,(b) and I listened to the One who was speaking to me. 3 He said to me: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to[a] the rebellious pagans[b] who have rebelled against Me. The Israelites and their ancestors have transgressed against Me to this day.(c) 4 The children are obstinate[c] and hardhearted.(d) I am sending you to them, and you must say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.' 5 Whether they listen or refuse to listen(e)—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.(f)
6 "But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words,(g) though briers and thorns are beside you and you live among scorpions.(h) Don't be afraid of their words or be discouraged by the look on their faces, for they are a rebellious house. 7 But speak My words to them whether they listen or refuse to listen,(i) for they are rebellious.
8 "And you, son of man, listen to what I tell you: Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you."(j) 9 So I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me,(k) and there was a written scroll in it.(l) 10 When He unrolled it before me, it was written on the front and back; words of lamentation, mourning, and woe were written on it.
Chapter 3
1 He said to me: "Son of man, eat what you find here. Eat this scroll,(a) then go and speak to the house of Israel." 2 So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll. 3 "Son of man," He said to me, "eat[a] and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you." So I ate it,(b) and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.(c)
4 Then He said to me: "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak My words to them. 5 For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language but to the house of Israel. 6 You are not being sent to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. No doubt, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you.(d) 7 But the house of Israel will not want to listen to you because they do not want to listen to Me.(e) For the whole house of Israel is hardheaded and hardhearted. 8 Look, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads.(f) 9 I have made your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Don't be afraid of them or discouraged by the look on their faces, even though they are a rebellious house."
10 Next He said to me: "Son of man, listen carefully to all My words that I speak to you and take them to heart. 11 Go to your people, the exiles, and speak to them. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says,' whether they listen or refuse to listen."(g)
12 The Spirit then lifted me up,(h) and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me—praise the glory of the Lord in His place!— 13 with the[b] sound of the living creatures' wings brushing against each other(i) and the sound of the wheels beside them,(j) a great rumbling sound. 14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I left in bitterness and in an angry spirit, and the Lord 's hand was on me powerfully.(k) 15 I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were living by the Chebar Canal, and I sat there among them stunned for seven days.(l)
Ezekiel as a Watchman
16 Now at the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:(m) 17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel.(n) When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.(o) 18 If I say to the wicked person,(p) ‘You will surely die,' but you do not warn him—you don't speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life—that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. 19 But if you warn a wicked person and he does not turn from his wickedness or his wicked way, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.(q) 20 Now if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity,(r) and I put a stumbling block in front of him, he will die.(s) If you did not warn him, he will die because of his sin and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. 21 But if you warn the righteous person that he should not sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he listened to your warning, and you will have saved your life."
22 Then the hand of the Lord was on me there, and He said to me, "Get up, go out to the plain,(t) and I will speak with you there."(u) 23 So I got up and went out to the plain. The Lord 's glory was present there,(v) like the glory I had seen by the Chebar Canal,(w) and I fell facedown. 24 The Spirit entered me and set me on my feet.(x) He spoke with me and said: "Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 And you, son of man, they will put ropes on you(y) and bind you with them so you cannot go out among them. 26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth,(z) and you will be mute(aa) and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth,(ab) and you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.' Let the one who listens, listen, and let the one who refuses, refuse—for they are a rebellious house.
Psalms 149
Chapter 149
Psalm 149
Praise for God's Triumph
1 Hallelujah!
Sing to the
Lord
a new song,(a)
His praise in the assembly of the godly.(b)
2 Let Israel celebrate its Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.(c)
3 Let them praise His name with dancing
and make music to Him with tambourine and lyre.(d)
4 For Yahweh takes pleasure in His people;(e)
He adorns the humble with salvation.(f)
5 Let the godly celebrate in triumphal glory;
let them shout for joy on their beds.(g)
6 Let the exaltation of God be in their mouths[a]
and a double-edged sword in their hands,(h)
7 inflicting vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,(i)
8 binding their kings with chains
and their dignitaries with iron shackles,(j)
9 carrying out the judgment decreed against them.
This honor is for all His godly people.(k)
Hallelujah!
Galatians 6
Chapter 6
Carry One Another's Burdens
1 Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle(a) spirit,(b) watching out for yourselves so you also won't be tempted.(c) 2 Carry one another's burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.(d) 3 For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing,(e) he deceives himself. 4 But each person should examine his own work,(f) and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else. 5 For each person will have to carry his own load.
6 The one who is taught the message must share(g) all his good things with the teacher. 7 Don't be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit(h) will reap eternal life(i) from the Spirit. 9 So we must not get tired(j) of doing good,(k) for we will reap at the proper time if we don't give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work(l) for the good(m) of all, especially for those who belong to the household(n) of faith.(o)
Concluding Exhortation
11 Look at what large letters I use as I write to you in my own handwriting. 12 Those who want to make a good impression in the flesh(p) are the ones who would compel you to be circumcised(q)—but only to avoid being persecuted(r) for the cross(s) of Christ. 13 For even the circumcised don't keep(t) the law themselves; however, they want you to be circumcised in order to boast about your flesh. 14 But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world. 15 For[a] both circumcision and uncircumcision(u) mean nothing; what matters instead is a new creation.(v) 16 May peace come to all those who follow this standard, and mercy to the Israel(w) of God!
17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, because I bear on my body scars for the cause of Jesus.(x) 18 Brothers, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.(y) Amen.
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