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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 21 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Ezekiel 31-32
Chapter 31
Pharaoh Warned of Assyria's Fate
1 In the (C1)eleventh year, in the third month, on the first of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,2 "Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his (C1)hordes, 'Whom are you like in your greatness?
3 'Behold, Assyria was a (C1)cedar in Lebanon
With beautiful branches and forest shade,
And (F1)(C2)very high,
And its top was among the (F2)clouds.
4 'The (C1)waters made it grow, the (F1)deep made it high.
With its rivers it continually (F2)extended all around its planting place,
And sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.
5 'Therefore (C1)its height was loftier than all the trees of the field
And its boughs became many and its branches long
Because of (C2)many waters (F1)as it spread them out.
6 'All the (C1)birds of the sky nested in its twigs,
And under its branches all the animals of the field gave birth,
And all great nations lived under its shade.
7 'So it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches;
For its (F1)roots extended to many waters.
8 'The (C1)cedars in (C2)God's garden (F1)could not match it;
The junipers (F1)could not compare with its branches,
And the plane trees (F2)could not match its branches.
No tree in (C2)God's garden (F1)could compare with it in its beauty.
9 'I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches,
And all the trees of (C1)Eden, which were in the (C1)garden of God, were jealous of it.
10 'Therefore this is what the Lord (F1)GOD says: "Because (F2)it is tall in stature and has put its top among the (F3)clouds, and its (C1)heart is haughty in its loftiness,11 I will hand it over to a (F1)(C1)ruler of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it. In accordance with its wickedness I have (C2)driven it out.12 "(C1)Foreign (C2)tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it; on the (C3)mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen, and its branches have been broken in all the ravines of the land. And all the peoples of the earth have (C4)gone down from its shade and left it.13 "All the (C1)birds of the sky will nest on its fallen trunk, and all the animals of the field will (F1)rest on its fallen branches,14 so that all the trees by the waters will not be exalted in their stature, nor put their tops among the (F1)clouds, nor will any of their (F2)well-watered mighty ones stand straight in their height. For they have all been turned over to death, to the (C1)earth beneath, among (F3)mankind, (F4)with those who go down to the pit."
15 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "On the day when it went down to Sheol I (C1)caused mourning; I closed the (F1)deep over it and held back its rivers. And its many waters were stopped up, and I made Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted away on account of it.16 "I made the nations (C1)quake from the sound of its fall when I made it (C2)go down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit; and all the (F1)well-watered trees of Eden, the choicest and best of (C3)Lebanon, were (C4)comforted in the earth beneath.17 "They also (C1)went down with it to Sheol to those who were (C2)slain by the sword; and those who were its (F1)strength lived (C3)in its shade among the nations.
18 "To which among the trees of Eden are you so alike in glory and greatness? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth beneath; you will lie in the midst of the (C1)uncircumcised with those who were killed by the sword. (C2)This is Pharaoh and all his hordes!"' declares the Lord GOD."
Chapter 32
Grief over Pharaoh and Egypt
1 In the (C1)twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,2 "Son of man, take up a (C1)song of mourning over Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him, 'You (F1)compared yourself to a young (C2)lion of the nations,
Yet you are like the (C3)monster in the seas;
And you (C4)burst forth in your rivers
And muddied the waters with your feet
And (F2)fouled their rivers.'"
3 This is what the Lord (F1)GOD says: "Now I will (C1)spread My net over you
With a contingent of many peoples,
And they will lift you up in My net.
4 "I will leave you on the land;
I will hurl you on the (F1)open field.
And I will cause all the (C1)birds of the sky to (F2)nest on you,
And I will satisfy the animals of the whole earth (F3)with you.
5 "I will lay your flesh (C1)on the mountains
And fill the valleys with your refuse.
6 "I will also make the land drink the discharge of your (C1)blood
As far as the mountains,
And the ravines will be full of you.
7 "And when I (C1)extinguish you,
I will (C2)cover the heavens and darken their (C3)stars;
I will cover the (C4)sun with a cloud
And the moon will not give its light.
8 "All the shining (C1)lights in the heavens
I will darken over you
And will set darkness on your land,"
Declares the Lord GOD.
11 For (C1)the Lord GOD says (C1)this: "The sword of the king of Babylon will (F1)attack you.12 "By the swords of the warriors I will make your multitude fall; all of them are (C1)tyrants of the nations, And they will (C2)devastate the pride of Egypt,
And all its multitude will be destroyed.
13 "I will also eliminate all its cattle from beside many waters;
And (C1)a human foot will not muddy them anymore,
And the hoofs of animals will not muddy them.
14 "Then I will make their waters settle,
And make their rivers run like oil,"
Declares the Lord GOD.
15 "When I make the land of Egypt a (C1)desolation,
And the land is destitute of that which filled it,
When I strike all those who live in it,
Then they shall (C2)know that I am the LORD.
17 In the (C1)twelfth year, on the (C1)fifteenth of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,18 "Son of man, (C1)lament for the hordes of Egypt and (C2)bring it down, her and the daughters of the mighty nations, to the (C3)netherworld, with those who go down to the pit;
19 'Whom do you surpass in beauty?
Go down and make your bed with the (C1)uncircumcised.'
22 "(C1)Assyria is there and all her company; (F1)her graves are all around (F2)her. All of them killed, fallen by the sword,23 whose (C1)graves are set in the remotest parts of the pit, and her company is all around her grave. All of them killed, fallen by the sword, who (F1)spread terror in the land of the living.
24 "(C1)Elam is there and all her hordes around her grave; all of them killed, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised to the (C2)lower parts of the earth, who inflicted their terror on the (C3)land of the living, and (C4)bore their disgrace with those who go down to the pit.25 "They have made a (C1)bed for her among the slain with all her hordes. Her graves are around it, they are all uncircumcised, killed by the sword (although their terror was (F1)inflicted on the land of the living), and they bore their disgrace with those who go down to the pit; (F2)they were put in the midst of the slain.
26 "(C1)Meshech, (C2)Tubal, and all their hordes are there; their graves (F1)surround them. All of them were killed by the sword (C3)uncircumcised, though they inflicted their terror on the land of the living.27 "(C1)Nor do they lie beside the fallen (F1)(C2)heroes of the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war and whose swords were placed under their heads; but the punishment for their (C3)wrongdoing rested on their bones, though the terror of these (F1)heroes was once in the land of the living.28 "But in the midst of the uncircumcised you will be broken and lie with those killed by the sword.
29 "There also is (C1)Edom, its kings and all its (F1)princes, who (F2)despite all their might are laid with those killed by the sword; they will lie with the uncircumcised and with those who go down to the pit.
30 "There also are the (F1)chiefs of the (C1)north, all of them, and all the (C2)Sidonians, who in spite of the terror resulting from their might, in shame went down with the slain. So they lay down uncircumcised with those killed by the sword and bore their disgrace with those who go down to the pit.
31 "These Pharaoh will see, and he will (C1)find consolation regarding all his hordes killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his army," declares the Lord GOD.32 "Though I inflicted the terror of him on the land of the living, yet he will be laid to rest among the uncircumcised along with those killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his hordes," declares the Lord GOD.
Isaiah 56
Chapter 56
Rewards for Obedience to God
1 This is what the LORD says:
"(C1)Guard justice and do righteousness,
For My (C2)salvation is about to come
And My righteousness to be revealed.
2 "(C1)Blessed is a man who does this,
And a son of man who (C2)takes hold of it;
Who (C3)keeps from profaning the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil."
3 Let not the (C1)foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say,
"The LORD will certainly separate me from His people."
Nor let the (C2)eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree."
4 For this is what the LORD says:
"To the eunuchs who (C1)keep My Sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And (C2)hold firmly to My covenant,
5 To them I will give in My (C1)house and within My (C2)walls a memorial,
And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give (F1)them an everlasting (C3)name which (C4)will not be eliminated.
6 "Also the (C1)foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
To attend to His service and to love the name of the LORD,
To be His servants, every one who (C2)keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it,
And holds firmly to My covenant;
7 Even (C1)those I will bring to My (C2)holy mountain,
And (C3)make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on (C4)My altar;
For (C5)My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples."
8 The Lord (F1)GOD, who (C1)gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares,
"I will yet gather (C2)others to (F2)them, to those already gathered."
9 All you (F1)(C1)wild animals,
All you animals in the forest,
Come to eat.
10 His (C1)watchmen are (C2)blind,
All of them know nothing.
All of them are mute dogs unable to bark,
Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;
11 And the dogs are (F1)(C1)greedy, they (F2)are never satisfied.
And they are shepherds who have (C2)no understanding;
They have all (C3)turned to their own way,
Each one to his unjust gain, (F3)without exception.
12 "Come," they say, "(F1)let's get (C1)wine, and let's drink heavily of intoxicating drink;
And (C2)tomorrow will be like today, only more so."
Colossians 3:18-4:18
Chapter 3
18 (C1)Wives, (C2)be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.19 (C1)Husbands, love your wives and do not become bitter against them.20 (C1)Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing (F1)to the Lord.21 (C1)Fathers, do not (F1)antagonize your children, so that they will not become discouraged.
22 (F1)(C1)Slaves, obey those who are your (F2)human masters in everything, (C2)not with (F3)eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.23 Whatever you do, do your work (F1)heartily, (C1)as for the Lord and not for people,24 (C1)knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward (F1)of (C2)the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you (C3)serve.25 For (C1)the one who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and (F1)(C2)that without partiality.
Chapter 4
1 Masters, grant your slaves justice and fairness, (C1)knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
2 (C1)Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;3 praying at the same time (C1)for us as well, that God will open up to us a (C2)door for (C3)the word, so that we may proclaim (C4)the mystery of Christ, for which I have also (C5)been imprisoned;4 that I may make it clear (C1)in the way that I ought to proclaim it.
5 (F1)(C1)Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward (C2)outsiders, (F2)(C3)making the most of the opportunity.6 (C1)Your speech must always be (F1)with grace, as though seasoned with (C2)salt, so that you will know how you should (C3)respond to each person.
7 (C1)As to all my affairs, (C2)Tychicus, our (C3)beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information.8 (C1)For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may (C2)encourage your hearts;9 (F1)and with him is (C1)Onesimus, our faithful and (C2)beloved brother, (C3)who is one of your own. They will inform you about the whole situation here.
10 (C1)Aristarchus, my (C2)fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also (C3)Barnabas' cousin Mark (about whom you received (F1)instructions; (C4)if he comes to you, welcome him);11 and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only (C1)fellow workers for the kingdom of God (C2)who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me.12 (C1)Epaphras, (C2)who is one of your own, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, always (C3)striving earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may (F1)stand (F2)(C4)mature and (F3)fully assured in all the will of God.13 For I testify for him that he has (F1)a deep concern for you and for those who are in (C1)Laodicea and Hierapolis.14 (C1)Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and (C2)Demas does also.15 Greet the brothers and sisters who are in (C1)Laodicea and also (F1)Nympha and (C2)the church that is in (F2)her house.16 (C1)When (F1)this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part, (C1)read (F1)my letter that is coming from (C2)Laodicea.17 Tell (C1)Archippus, "See to the (C2)ministry which you have received in the Lord, so that you may (F1)fulfill it."
18 (F1)I, Paul, (C1)write this greeting with my own hand. (C2)Remember my (F2)(C3)imprisonment. (C4)Grace be with you.
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