the Fifth Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 6 - Old & New Testament
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Ezra 3,4
Altar and Sacrifices Restored
1 Now when the seventh month came, and (C1)the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one person to Jerusalem.2 Then (C1)Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and (C2)Zerubbabel the son (C3)of Shealtiel and his brothers, rose up and (C4)built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, (C5)as it is written in the Law of Moses, the man of God.3 So they set up the altar on its foundation, because (F1)(C1)they were terrified of the peoples of the lands; and they (C2)offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, burnt offerings morning and evening.4 They also celebrated the (C1)Feast of (F1)Booths, (C2)as it is written, and offered (F2)the prescribed number of burnt offerings daily, (C3)according to the ordinance, (F3)as each day required;5 and afterward there was a (C1)continual burnt offering, also (C2)for the new moons and (C3)for all the appointed festivals of the LORD that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a (F1)voluntary offering to the LORD.6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, but the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid.7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and (C1)food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians (C2)to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at (C3)Joppa, according to the permission they had (F1)from (C4)Cyrus king of Persia.
Temple Restoration Begun
8 Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, (C1)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and (C2)appointed the Levites who were twenty years old and upward to oversee the work of the house of the LORD.9 Then (C1)Jeshua with his sons and brothers stood united with Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of (F1)Judah and the sons of Henadad with their sons and brothers the Levites, to oversee the workmen in the temple of God.
10 Now when the builders had (C1)laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, (F1)the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD (C2)according to the (F2)directions of King David of Israel.11 And (C1)they sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying, "(C2)For He is good, for His favor is upon Israel forever." And all the people shouted with a great shout of joy when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.12 Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, (C1)the old men who had seen the first (F1)temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy,13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, because the people were shouting with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.
Enemies Hinder the Work
1 Now when (C1)the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that (C2)the people of the exile were building a temple to the LORD God of Israel,2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' households, and said to them, "Let us build with you, for like you, we seek your God; (C1)and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of (C2)Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here."3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' households of Israel said to them, "(C1)You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build for the LORD God of Israel, (C2)just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us."
4 Then (C1)the people of the land (F1)discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building,5 and bribed advisers against them to frustrate their advice all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 Now in the reign of (F1)(C1)Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 And in the days of (F1)Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the (F2)text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated (C1)from Aramaic.
The Letter to King Artaxerxes
8 (F1)Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, as follows—9 (F1)Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and (C1)the rest of their colleagues, the judges and (C2)the lesser governors, the officials, the secretaries, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites,10 and the rest of the nations which the great and honorable (F1)Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region beyond the Euphrates River. (C1)And now11 this is a copy of the letter which they sent to him:
The King Replies and Work Stops
17 Then the king sent a response to Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and in the rest of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River: "Peace. And now,18 the document which you sent to us has been (F1)(C1)translated and read before me.19 "And a decree has been (F1)issued by me, and a search has been conducted and it has been discovered that that city has risen up against the kings in past days, and that rebellion and revolt have been perpetrated in it,20 (C1)that mighty kings have (F1)ruled over Jerusalem, governing all the provinces (C2)beyond the Euphrates River, and that (C3)tribute, custom tax, and toll were paid to them.21 "Now issue a decree to make those men stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me.22 "And beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter; why should there be great damage, to the detriment of the kings?"
23 Then as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes' decree was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues, they went in a hurry to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by military force.
24 Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem was discontinued, and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
1 John 5
Chapter 5
Overcoming the World
1 (C1)Everyone who believes that Jesus is the (F1)Christ has been (C2)born of God, and everyone who loves the (F2)Father (C3)loves the child born of Him.2 (C1)By this we know that (C2)we love the children of God, when we love God and (F1)follow His commandments.3 For (C1)this is the love of God, that we (C2)keep His commandments; and (C3)His commandments are not burdensome.4 For (F1)whoever has been (C1)born of God (C2)overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.
5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who (C1)believes that Jesus is the Son of God?6 This is the One who came (C1)by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not (F1)with the water only, but (F1)with the water and (F1)with the blood. It is (C2)the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.7 For there are (C1)three that testify:8 (F1)the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are (F2)in agreement.9 (C1)If we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that (C2)He has testified concerning His Son.10 The one who believes in the Son of God (C1)has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has (C2)made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us (C1)eternal life, and (C2)this life is in His Son.12 (C1)The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
This Is Written That You May Know
13 (C1)These things I have written to you who (C2)believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have (C3)eternal life.14 This is (C1)the confidence which we have (F1)before Him, that, (C2)if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, (C1)we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother or sister (F1)committing a sin not leading to death, (C1)he shall ask and (F2)God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. (C2)There is sin leading to death; (C3)I am not saying that he should ask about that.17 (C1)All unrighteousness is sin, and (C2)there is sin not leading to death.
18 (C1)We know that (C2)no one who has been born of God (F1)sins; but He who was born of God (C3)keeps him, and (C4)the evil one does not (C5)touch him.19 (C1)We know that (C2)we are of God, and that (C3)the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.20 And (C1)we know that (C2)the Son of God has come, and has (C3)given us understanding so that we may know (C4)Him who is true; and we (C5)are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. (C6)This is the true God and (C7)eternal life.
21 (C1)Little children, guard yourselves from (C2)idols.
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