Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, November 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Bible Reading Plan

Daily Bible Reading

December 7 - Bible-in-a-Year
csb

 

Ezekiel 10-11

Resource Toolbox

Chapter 10

God's Glory Leaves the Temple

1 Then I looked, and there above the expanse over the heads(a) of the cherubim was something like sapphire[a] stone resembling the shape of a throne that appeared above them. 2 The Lord spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, "Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with hot coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city."(b) So he went in as I watched.

3 Now the cherubim were standing to the south of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud(c) filled the inner court.(d) 4 Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherub to the threshold of the temple.(e) The temple was filled with the cloud,(f) and the court was filled with the brightness of the Lord 's glory.(g) 5 The sound of the cherubim's wings could be heard as far as the outer court; it was like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.

6 After the Lord commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, "Take fire from inside the wheelwork, from among the cherubim," the man went in and stood beside a wheel. 7 Then the cherub reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took some, and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. 8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of human hands under their wings.(h)

9 I looked, and there were four wheels beside the cherubim,(i) one wheel beside each cherub. The luster of the wheels was like the gleam of beryl.(j) 10 In appearance, all four had the same form, like a wheel within a wheel. 11 When they moved, they would go in any of the four directions,(k) without pivoting as they moved. But wherever the head faced, they would go in that direction,[b] without pivoting as they went. 12 Their entire bodies,(l) including their backs, hands, wings, and the wheels that the four of them had, were full of eyes all around.(m) 13 As I listened the wheels were called "the wheelwork." 14 Each one had four faces:(n) the first face was that of a cherub, the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.

15 The cherubim ascended; these were the living creatures I had seen by the Chebar Canal.(o) 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when they lifted their wings to rise from the earth, even then the wheels did not veer away from them. 17 When the cherubim stood still,(p) the wheels stood still, and when they ascended, the wheels ascended with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them.

18 Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the threshold of the temple(q) and stood above the cherubim.(r) 19 The cherubim lifted their wings and ascended from the earth right before my eyes;(s) the wheels were beside them as they went. The glory of the God of Israel was above them, and it stood at the entrance to the eastern gate of the Lord 's house.

20 These were the living creatures I had seen(t) beneath the God of Israel by the Chebar Canal,(u) and I recognized that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces and each had four wings,(v) with the form of human hands under their wings. 22 Their faces looked like the same faces I had seen(w) by the Chebar Canal. Each creature went straight ahead.

Chapter 11

Vision of Israel's Corrupt Leaders

1 The Spirit then lifted me up(a) and brought me to the eastern gate of the Lord 's house, which faces east, and at the gate's entrance were 25 men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. 2 The Lord said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who plan evil(b) and give wicked advice in this city. 3 They are saying, ‘Isn't the time near to build houses?[a](c) The city is the pot,(d) and we are the meat.' 4 Therefore, prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man!"

5 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and He told me, "You are to say: This is what the Lord says: That is what you are thinking, house of Israel; and I know the thoughts that arise in your mind.(e) 6 You have multiplied your slain in this city,(f) filling its streets with the dead.

7 "Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: The slain you have put within it are the meat,(g) and the city is the pot, but I[b] will remove you from it.(h) 8 You fear the sword,(i) so I will bring the sword against you."(j) This is the declaration of the Lord God . 9 "I will bring you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners; I will execute judgments against you.(k) 10 You will fall by the sword,(l) and I will judge you at the border of Israel.(m) Then you will know that I am Yahweh. 11 The city will not be a pot for you,(n) and you will not be the meat within it. I will judge you at the border of Israel, 12 so you will know that I am Yahweh, whose statutes you have not followed and whose ordinances you have not practiced. Instead, you have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you."(o)

13 Now while I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died.(p) Then I fell facedown and cried out with a loud voice: "Oh, Lord God !(q) Will You bring to an end the remnant of Israel?"

Promise of Israel's Restoration

14 The word of the Lord came to me again: 15 "Son of man, your own relatives, those who have the right to redeem you,[c][d] and the entire house of Israel, all of them, are those that the residents of Jerusalem have said this to, ‘Stay away from the Lord ; this land has been given to us as a possession.'

16 "Therefore say: This is what the Lord God says: Though I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them(r) in the countries where they have gone.

17 "Therefore say: This is what the Lord God says: I will gather you from the peoples(s) and assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

18 "When they arrive there, they will remove all its(t) detestable things(u) and practices from it. 19 And I will give them one heart(v) and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone(w) from their bodies[e] and give them a heart of flesh,(x) 20 so they may follow My statutes,(y) keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.(z) 21 But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for detestable things and practices, I will bring their actions down on their own heads."(aa) This is the declaration of the Lord God .

God's Glory Leaves Jerusalem

22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, lifted their wings,(ab) and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23 The glory of the Lord (ac) rose up from within the city and stood on the mountain(ad) east of the city.[f](ae) 24 The Spirit lifted me up(af) and brought me to Chaldea and to the exiles in a vision from the Spirit of God. After the vision I had seen left me, 25 I spoke to the exiles about all the things the Lord had shown me.

Isaiah 42

Resource Toolbox

Chapter 42

The Servant's Mission

1 "This(a) is My Servant;(b) I strengthen Him,
this is My Chosen One;(c) I delight in Him.(d)
I have put My Spirit on Him;(e)
He will bring justice[a] to the nations.(f)
2 He will not cry out or shout
or make His voice heard in the streets.
3 He will not break a bruised reed,
and He will not put out a smoldering wick;
He will faithfully bring justice.
4 He will not grow weak or be discouraged
until He has established justice on earth.
The islands will wait for His instruction."(g)

5 This is what God, Yahweh, says—
who created the heavens and stretched them out,(h)
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,(i)
who gives breath to the people on it
and life[b] to those who walk on it(j)
6 "I, Yahweh, have called You
for a righteous purpose,[c](k)
and I will hold You by Your hand.(l)
I will keep You and appoint You
to be a covenant for the people(m)
and a light to the nations,(n)
7 in order to open blind eyes,(o)
to bring out prisoners from the dungeon,(p)
and those sitting in darkness from the prison house.
8 I am Yahweh, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another(q)
or My praise to idols.
9 The past events have indeed happened.
Now I declare new events;(r)
I announce them to you before they occur."

A Song of Praise

10 Sing a new song to the Lord ;(s)
sing His praise from the ends of the earth,
you who go down to the sea with all that fills it,(t)
you islands with your[d] inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its cities shout,
the settlements where Kedar dwells cry aloud.(u)
Let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy;(v)
let them cry out from the mountaintops.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord
and declare His praise in the islands.
13 The Lord advances like a warrior;
He stirs up His zeal like a soldier.(w)
He shouts, He roars aloud,
He prevails over His enemies.

14 "I have kept silent from ages past;
I have been quiet and restrained Myself.(x)
But now, I will groan like a woman in labor,(y)
gasping breathlessly.
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills
and dry up all their vegetation.
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up marshes.(z)
16 I will lead the blind by a way they did not know;(aa)
I will guide them on paths they have not known.
I will turn darkness to light in front of them(ab)
and rough places into level ground.(ac)
This is what I will do for them,
and I will not forsake them.(ad)
17 They will be turned back and utterly ashamed—
those who trust in idols
and say to metal-plated images:
You are our gods!(ae)

Israel's Blindness and Deafness

18 "Listen, you deaf!
Look, you blind, so that you may see.(af)
19 Who is blind but My servant,(ag)
or deaf like My messenger I am sending?
Who is blind like My dedicated one,[e]
or blind like the servant of the Lord ?
20 Though seeing many things,[f] you do not obey.
Though his ears are open, he does not listen."(ah)

21 The Lord was pleased, because of His righteousness,
to magnify His instruction and make it glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered and looted,
all of them trapped in holes
or imprisoned in dungeons.
They have become plunder(ai)
with no one to rescue them
and loot, with no one saying, "Give it back!"
23 Who among you will pay attention to this?
Let him listen and obey in the future.
24 Who gave Jacob to the robber,[g]
and Israel to the plunderers?
Was it not the Lord ?
Have we not sinned against Him?
They were not willing to walk in His ways,
and they would not listen to His instruction.
25 So He poured out on Jacob His furious anger
and the power of war.
It surrounded him with fire, but he did not know it;
it burned him, but he paid no attention.[h](aj)

Ephesians 4:1-16

Resource Toolbox

Chapter 4

Unity and Diversity in the Body of Christ

1 Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord,(a) urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility(b) and gentleness, with patience,(c) accepting[a](d) one another in love,(e) 3 diligently keeping the unity(f) of the Spirit(g) with the peace(h) that binds us. 4 There is one body and one Spirit(i)—just as you were called to one hope[b](j) at your calling— 5 one Lord,(k) one faith,(l) one baptism, 6 one God(m) and Father(n) of all, who is above all and through all and in all.(o)

7 Now grace was given to each one of us(p) according to the measure of the Messiah's gift. 8 For it says:

When He ascended (q) on high,
He took prisoners into captivity; [c]
He gave gifts to people. (r)[d]

9 But what does "He ascended" mean except that He[e] descended to the lower parts of the earth?[f](s) 10 The One who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens,(t) that He might fill[g] all things.(u) 11 And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,(v) 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God's Son,(w) growing into a mature man with a stature(x) measured by Christ's fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching,(y) by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head(z)—Christ. 16 From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together(aa) by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth(ab) of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Subscribe …
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Bible-in-a-Year - 'Christian Standard Bible ®'" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Subscribe!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.
 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile