the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 19 - Old & New Testament
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Ezra 5,6,7
1 1 But when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo(a) prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them, 2 Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak(b) began to rebuild God's house in Jerusalem. The prophets of God(c) were with them, helping them.
3 At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues(d) came to the Jews and asked, "Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?"[a](e) 4 They also asked them, "What are the names of the workers[b] who are constructing this building?" 5 But God was watching[c] over(f) the Jewish elders. These men wouldn't stop them until a report was sent to Darius, so that they could receive written instructions about this matter.
The Letter to Darius
6 This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius. 7 They sent him a report, written as follows:
To King Darius:
All greetings.
8 Let it be known to the king that we went to the house of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being built with cut[d] stones, and its beams are being set in the walls. This work is being done diligently and succeeding through the people's efforts.(g) 9 So we questioned the elders and asked, "Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?"[e] 10 We also asked them for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
11 This is the reply they gave us:
We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.(h) 12 But since our fathers angered the God of heaven, He handed them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.(i) 13 However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, he issued a decree to rebuild the house of God.(j) 14 He also took from the temple in Babylon the gold and silver articles of God's house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and carried them to the temple in Babylon.(k) He released them from the temple in Babylon to a man named Sheshbazzar, the governor by the appointment of King Cyrus.(l) 15 Cyrus told him, "Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site."(m) 16 Then this same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of God's house in Jerusalem.(n) It has been under construction from that time until now,(o) yet it has not been completed.
17 So if it pleases the king, let a search of the royal archives[f] in Babylon be conducted to see if it is true that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem.(p) Let the king's decision regarding this matter be sent to us.(q)
Darius's Search
1 King Darius gave the order, and they searched(a) in the library of Babylon in the archives.[a](b) 2 But it was in the fortress of Ecbatana in the province of Media(c) that a scroll was found with this record written on it:
3 In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree(d) concerning the house of God in Jerusalem:
Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its original foundations be retained.[b] Its height is to be 90 feet[c] and its width 90 feet,[d][e](e) 4 with three layers of cut[f] stones and one of timber.(f) The cost is to be paid from the royal treasury.(g) 5 The gold and silver articles of God's house that Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon must also be returned. They are to be brought to the temple in Jerusalem where they belong[g] and put into the house of God.(h)
Darius's Decree
6 Therefore, you must stay away from that place, Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and your[h] colleagues, the officials in the region.(i) 7 Leave the construction of the house of God alone. Let the governor(j) and elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its original site.
8 I hereby issue a decree concerning what you must do, so that the elders of the Jews can rebuild the house of God:
The cost is to be paid in full to these men out of the royal revenues(k) from the taxes of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that the work will not stop. 9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, or wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—let it be given to them every day without fail,(l) 10 so that they can offer sacrifices of pleasing aroma to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.(m)
11 I also issue a decree concerning any man who interferes with this directive:
Let a beam be torn from his house and raised up; he will be impaled on it, and his house will be made into a garbage dump because of this offense.(n) 12 May the God who caused His name to dwell there(o) overthrow any king or people who dares[i] to harm or interfere with this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out diligently.
13 Then Tattenai governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues(p) diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed. 14 So the Jewish elders continued successfully with the building under the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo.(q) They finished the building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus,(r) Darius, and King Artaxerxes(s) of Persia. 15 This house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar[j](t) in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
Temple Dedication and the Passover
16 Then the Israelites, including the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of God's house they offered 100 bulls, 200 rams, and 400 lambs, as well as 12 male goats(u) as a sin offering for all Israel—one for each Israelite tribe. 18 They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the book of Moses.(v)
19 The exiles(w) observed the Passover(x) on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 All of the priests and Levites were ceremonially clean, because they had purified themselves. They killed the Passover lamb for themselves, their priestly brothers, and all the exiles.(y) 21 The Israelites who had returned from exile(z) ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the Gentiles of the land[k](aa) in order to worship Yahweh, the God of Israel. 22 They observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days(ab) with joy, because the Lord had made them joyful, having changed the Assyrian king's attitude toward them, so that he supported them[l] in the work on the house of the God of Israel.(ac)
Ezra's Arrival
1 After these events, during the reign of King Artaxerxes(a) of Persia, Ezra—
Seraiah's(b) son, Azariah's son,
Hilkiah's(c) son,
2 Shallum's son,
Zadok's(d) son, Ahitub's son,
3 Amariah's son, Azariah's son,
Meraioth's son,
4 Zerahiah's son,
Uzzi's son, Bukki's son,
5 Abishua's son, Phinehas's son,
Eleazar's son, Aaron the chief priest's son(e)
6 —came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses,(f) which Yahweh, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he requested(g) because the hand of Yahweh his God was on him.(h) 7 Some of the Israelites, priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants(i) accompanied him to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 Ezra[a] came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, during the seventh year of the king. 9 He began the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month(j) and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month(k) since the gracious hand of his God was on him.(l) 10 Now Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the Lord , obey it, and teach(m) its statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Letter from Artaxerxes
11 This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of the Lord 's commands and statutes for Israel:[b]
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings,(n) to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of heaven:
Greetings.
13 I issue a decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who want to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.(o) 14 You are sent by the king and his seven counselors(p) to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your possession. 15 You are also to bring the silver and gold the king and his counselors have willingly given to the God of Israel,(q) whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,(r) 16 and all the silver and gold you receive throughout the province of Babylon, together with the freewill offerings given by the people and the priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem.(s) 17 Then you are to buy with this money as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, along with their grain and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem.(t) 18 You may do whatever seems best to you and your brothers with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God. 19 You must deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God.(u) 20 You may use the royal treasury to pay for anything else needed for the house of your God.(v)
21 I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers in the region west of the Euphrates River:(w)
Whatever Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of heaven, asks of you must be provided promptly,(x) 22 up to 7,500 pounds[c] of silver, 500 bushels[d] of wheat, 550 gallons[e] of wine, 550 gallons[f] of oil, and salt without limit.[g] 23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for the house of the God of heaven, so that wrath will not fall on the realm of the king and his sons.(y) 24 Be advised that tribute, duty, and land tax must not be imposed on any priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25 And you, Ezra, according to[h] God's wisdom that you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the region west of the Euphrates who know the laws of your God and to teach anyone who does not know them.(z) 26 Anyone who does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a fair judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.(aa)
27 Praise Yahweh the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king's mind(ab) to glorify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem,(ac) 28 and who has shown favor to me before the king,(ad) his counselors, and all his powerful officers. So I took courage because I was strengthened by Yahweh my God,[i](ae) and I gathered Israelite leaders to return with me.(af)
Revelation 11
Chapter 11
The Two Witnesses
1 Then I was given a measuring reed(a) like a rod,[a] with these words: "Go[b] and measure God's sanctuary and the altar, and count those who worship there. 2 But exclude the courtyard outside the sanctuary. Don't measure it, because it is given to the nations,[c] and they will trample the holy city for 42 months. 3 I will empower[d] my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,[e](b) dressed in sackcloth."[f] 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord[g] of the earth.(c) 5 If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies;(d) if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6 These men have the power to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy.(e) They also have power over the waters to turn them into blood(f) and to strike the earth with every plague whenever they want.
The Witnesses Martyred
7 When they finish their testimony, the beast[h](g) that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, conquer them, and kill them. 8 Their dead bodies[i](h) will lie in the public square[j] of the great city, which prophetically[k] is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 And representatives from[l] the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations(i) will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb. 10 Those who live on the earth will gloat over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets brought judgment to those who live on the earth.
The Witnesses Resurrected
11 But after 3½ days, the breath[m] of life(j) from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. So great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard[n] a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.(k) 13 At that moment a violent earthquake took place,(l) a tenth of the city fell, and 7,000 people were killed in the earthquake. The survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14 The second woe(m) has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming quickly!
The Seventh Trumpet
15 The seventh angel blew his trumpet,(n) and there were loud voices in heaven saying:
The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Messiah,
and He will reign forever and ever!(o)
16 The 24 elders, who were seated before God on their thrones, fell facedown and worshiped God, 17 saying:
We thank You, Lord God, the Almighty,
who is and who was,[o](p)
because You have taken Your great power
and have begun to reign.(q)
18 The nations were angry,(r)
but Your wrath has come.
The time has come
for the dead to be judged
and to give the reward
to Your servants the prophets,(s)
to the saints, and to those who fear Your name,
both small and great,(t)
and the time has come to destroy
those who destroy the earth.
19 God's sanctuary in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant[p] appeared in His sanctuary. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings of thunder,(u) an earthquake,[q] and severe hail.
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