Bible Reading Plan

Ezekiel 17

Chapter 17

Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

¹ Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,² "Son of man, ask a riddle and present a ^(C1)parable to the house of Israel,^3 (F1)saying, 'This is what the Lord ^(F2)GOD says: "A great ^(F3)(C1)eagle with ^(C2)great wings, long pinions, and a full plumage of many colors came to ^(F4)(C3)Lebanon and took away the top of the ^(F5)cedar.⁴ "He broke off the ^(F1)topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a ^(F2)city of traders.⁵ "He also took ^(F1)from the seed of the land and planted ^(F1)it in ^(F2)(C1)fertile soil, a ^(F3)meadow beside abundant waters; he set it like a ^(C2)willow.⁶ "Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced shoots and sent out branches.

⁷ "But there was ^(F1)another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine turned its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was ^(C1)planted, so that he might water it.⁸ "It was planted in good ^(F1)soil beside abundant waters, so that it would produce branches and bear fruit, and become a splendid vine."'⁹ "Say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting shoots wither? And neither by great ^(F1)strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again.¹⁰ "Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not ^(C1)completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?"'"

Zedekiah's Rebellion

¹¹ Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,¹² "Say now to the ^(C1)rebellious house, 'Do you not ^(C2)know what these things mean?' Say, 'Behold, the ^(C3)king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and leaders, and brought them to him in Babylon.¹³ 'Then he took one of the royal ^(F1)(C1)family and made a covenant with him, ^(F2)putting him under ^(C2)oath. He also took away the ^(C3)mighty of the land,¹⁴ so that the kingdom would ^(C1)be humbled, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant so that it might continue.¹⁵ 'But ^(F1)he ^(C1)revolted against ^(F2)him by sending his messengers to Egypt so that they might give him horses and many ^(F3)troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does these things ^(C2)escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape?¹⁶ 'As I live,' declares the Lord GOD, 'In the ^(F1)country of the king who ^(F2)put him on the throne, whose oath he ^(C1)despised and whose covenant he broke, ^(F3)(C2)in Babylon he shall certainly die.¹⁷ '^(C1)Pharaoh with his mighty army and great contingent will not ^(F1)help him in the war, when they pile up assault ramps and build siege walls to eliminate many lives.¹⁸ 'Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he ^(F1)(C1)pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.'"¹⁹ Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: "As I live, My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will certainly ^(F1)inflict on his head.²⁰ "And I will spread My ^(C1)net over him, and he will be ^(C2)caught in My net. Then I will bring him to Babylon and ^(C3)enter into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me.²¹ "All the ^(F1)(C1)choice men in all his troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to every wind; and you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken."

²² This is what the Lord GOD says: "I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and ^(F1)set it out; I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a ^(C1)high and lofty mountain.²³ "On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, so that it may bring forth branches and bear fruit, and become a stately ^(C1)cedar. And ^(F1)birds of every ^(F2)kind will ^(F3)nest under it; they will ^(F3)nest in the shade of its branches.²⁴ "All the ^(C1)trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree ^(C2)flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it."

Isaiah 46

Chapter 46

Babylon's Idols and the True God

^1 (C1)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle.
The things ^(F1)that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary animal.

² They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But ^(F1)have themselves ^(C1)gone into captivity.

³ "^(C1)Listen to Me, house of Jacob,
And all ^(C2)the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been ^(C3)carried by Me from ^(F1)birth
And have been carried from the womb;

⁴ Even to your old age ^(C1)I ^(F1)will be the same,
And even to your ^(F2)(C2)graying years I will ^(F3)carry you!
I have ^(F4)done it, and I will bear you;
And I will ^(F3)carry you and I will save you.

⁵ "^(C1)To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal, and compare Me,
That we would be alike?

⁶ "Those who ^(C1)lavish gold from the bag
And weigh silver on the scale,
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They ^(C2)bow down, indeed they worship it.

⁷ "They ^(C1)lift it on the shoulder, carry it,
And set it in its place, and it stands there.
^(C2)It does not move from its place.
Though one may shout to it, it ^(C3)cannot answer;
It ^(C4)cannot save him from his distress.

⁸ "^(C1)Remember this, and be ^(F1)assured;
^(C2)Recall it to ^(F2)mind, you ^(C3)wrongdoers.

⁹ "Remember the ^(C1)former things long past,
For I am God, and there is ^(C2)no other;
I am God, and there is ^(C3)no one like Me,

¹⁰ Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, '^(C1)My plan will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';

¹¹ Calling a ^(C1)bird of prey from the ^(C2)east,
The man of ^(F1)My purpose from a distant country.
Truly I have ^(C3)spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, I will certainly do it.

¹² "^(C1)Listen to Me, you ^(C2)stubborn-minded,
Who are ^(C3)far from righteousness.

¹³ "I ^(C1)bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant ^(C2)salvation in Zion,
And My ^(C3)glory for Israel.

Ephesians 6

Chapter 6

Children and Parents

^1 (C1)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.^2 (C1)HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise),³ SO THAT IT MAY TURN OUT WELL FOR YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.

^4 (C1)Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but ^(C2)bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

^5 (C1)Slaves, be obedient to those who are your ^(F1)masters according to the flesh, with ^(C2)fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, ^(C3)as to Christ;^6 (C1)not ^(F1)by way of ^(F2)eye-service, as ^(C2)people-pleasers, but as ^(C3)slaves of Christ, ^(C4)doing the will of God from the ^(F3)heart.⁷ With goodwill ^(F1)render service, ^(C1)as to the Lord, and not to people,^8 (C1)knowing that ^(C2)whatever good thing each one does, he will receive this back from the Lord, ^(C3)whether slave or free.

⁹ And masters, do the same things to them, and ^(C1)give up threatening, knowing that ^(C2)both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is ^(C3)no partiality with Him.

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, ^(C1)be strong in the Lord and in ^(C2)the strength of His might.^11 (C1)Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the ^(C2)schemes of the devil.¹² For our ^(C1)struggle is not against ^(F1)(C2)flesh and blood, but ^(C3)against the rulers, against the powers, against the ^(C4)world forces of this ^(C5)darkness, against the ^(C6)spiritual forces of wickedness in ^(C7)the heavenly places.¹³ Therefore, take up ^(C1)the full armor of God, so that you will be able to ^(C2)resist on ^(C3)the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, ^(C1)having belted your waist with truth, and having ^(C2)put on the breastplate of righteousness,¹⁵ and having ^(C1)strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace;^16 (F1)in addition to all, taking up the ^(C1)shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the ^(C2)flaming arrows of ^(C3)the evil one.¹⁷ And take ^(C1)the helmet of salvation and the ^(C2)sword of the Spirit, which is ^(C3)the word of God.

^18 (F1)With every ^(C1)prayer and request, ^(F2)(C2)pray at all times ^(C3)in the Spirit, and with this in view, ^(F3)(C4)be alert with all ^(C5)perseverance and every ^(C6)request for all the ^(F4)saints,¹⁹ and ^(C1)pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me ^(C2)in the opening of my mouth, to make known with ^(C3)boldness ^(C4)the mystery of the gospel,²⁰ for which I am an ^(C1)ambassador ^(C2)in ^(F1)chains; that ^(F2)in proclaiming it I may speak ^(C3)boldly, ^(C4)as I ought to speak.

^21 (C1)Now, so that you also may know about my circumstances as to ^(F1)what I am doing, ^(C2)Tychicus, ^(C3)the beloved brother and faithful ^(F2)servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you.^22 (F1)(C1)I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know ^(F2)about us, and that he may ^(C2)comfort your hearts.

^23 (C1)Peace be to the brothers and sisters, and ^(C2)love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.²⁴ Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ ^(F1)with incorruptible love.