the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Daily Bible Reading
December 4 - Old & New Testament
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Ezekiel 47,48
The Life-Giving River
1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the temple faced east. The water was coming down from under the south side of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.(a) 2 Next he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate that faced east; there the water was trickling from the south side. 3 As the man went out east with a measuring line in his hand,(b) he measured off a third of a mile[a] and led me through the water. It came up to my ankles. 4 Then he measured off a third of a mile[b] and led me through the water. It came up to my knees. He measured off another third of a mile[c] and led me through the water. It came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured off a third of a mile[d], and it was a river that I could not cross on foot. For the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed on foot.
6 He asked me, "Do you see this, son of man?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I had returned, I saw a very large number of trees along both sides of the riverbank.(c) 8 He said to me, "This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down to the Arabah. When it enters the sea, the sea of foul water,[e][f] the water of the sea becomes fresh.(d) 9 Every kind of living creature that swarms will live wherever the river flows,[g] and there will be a huge number of fish because this water goes there. Since the water will become fresh, there will be life everywhere the river goes. 10 Fishermen will stand beside it from En-gedi to En-eglaim.[h] These will become places where nets are spread out to dry. Their fish will consist of many different kinds, like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea.(e) 11 Yet its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be left for salt. 12 All kinds of trees providing food will grow along both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail.(f) Each month they will bear fresh fruit because the water comes from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for medicine."(g)
The Borders of the Land
13 This is what the Lord God says: "This is[i] the border you will use to divide the land(h) as an inheritance for the 12 tribes of Israel. Joseph will receive two shares.(i) 14 You will inherit it in equal portions, since I swore[j] to give it to your ancestors.(j) So this land will fall to you as an inheritance.
15 "This is to be the border of the land:
On the north side(k) it will extend from the Mediterranean Sea by way of Hethlon and Lebo-hamath to Zedad,[k] 16 Berothah, and Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. 17 So the border will run from the sea to Hazar-enon at the border(l) of Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern side.
18 On the east side it will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; you will measure from the northern border to the eastern sea.[l] This will be the eastern side.
19 On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh,[m] and on to the Brook of Egypt(m) as far as the Mediterranean Sea.(n) This will be the southern side.
20 On the west side the Mediterranean Sea will be the border, from the southern border up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western side.
21 "You are to divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.(o) 22 You will allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners living among you,(p) who have fathered children among you. You will treat them[n] like native-born Israelites; along with you, they will be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the foreigner lives, you will assign his inheritance there." This is the declaration of the Lord God .
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)
1 John 3
Chapter 3
1 1 Look at how great a love[a] the Father has given us that we should be called God's children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn't know Him. 2 Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed.(a) We know that when He appears, we will be like Him(b) because we will see Him as He is.(c) 3 And everyone who has this hope(d) in Him purifies himself just as He is pure.(e)
4 Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law;[b] sin is the breaking of law. 5 You know that He was revealed so that He might take away sins,[c](f) and there is no sin in Him.(g) 6 Everyone who remains in Him(h) does not sin;[d](i) everyone who[e] sins has not seen Him or known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you! The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 The one who commits[f] sin is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God(j) was revealed(k) for this purpose: to destroy the Devil's works. 9 Everyone who has been born of God(l) does not sin,[g] because His[h] seed(m) remains in him; he is not able to sin,[i] because he has been born of God. 10 This is how God's children—and the Devil's children—are made evident.
The Command to Love
Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother.(n) 11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, 12 unlike Cain,(o) who was of the evil one(p) and murdered[j] his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates(q) you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.(r) 15 Everyone who hates his brother(s) is a murderer,(t) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
Love in Action
16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life(u) for us.(v) We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.(w) 17 If anyone has this world's goods(x) and sees his brother in need(y) but closes his eyes(z) to his need—how can God's love reside in him?(aa)
18 Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.(ab) 19 This is how we will know we belong to the truth(ac) and will convince our conscience in His presence, 20 even if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience, and He knows all things.(ad)
21 Dear friends, if our conscience doesn't condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and can receive whatever we ask from Him because we keep His commands(ae) and do what is pleasing in His sight. 23 Now this is His command: that we believe in the name(af) of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded us. 24 The one who keeps His commands remains in Him,(ag) and He in him. And the way we know that He remains in us(ah) is from the Spirit(ai) He has given us.
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