the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Daily Bible Reading
December 25 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Ezekiel 37
Chapter 37
The Valley of Dry Bones
1 The hand of the Lord was on me,(a) and He brought me out by His Spirit(b) and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them. There were a great many of them on the surface of the valley, and they were very dry. 3 Then He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"
I replied, "Lord God , only You know."(c)
4 He said to me, "Prophesy concerning these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord ! 5 This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live.(d) 6 I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you so that you come to life. Then you will know that I am Yahweh."(e)
7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded. While I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 As I looked, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath,[a] prophesy, son of man. Say to it: This is what the Lord God says: Breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these slain so that they may live!"(f) 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me; the breath[b] entered them,(g) and they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army.
11 Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.(h) Look how they say, ‘Our bones are dried up,(i) and our hope has perished;(j) we are cut off.'(k) 12 Therefore, prophesy and say to them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them,(l) My people, and lead you into the land of Israel. 13 You will know that I am Yahweh, My people, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.(m) 14 I will put My Spirit in you,(n) and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. I have spoken, and I will do it."(o) This is the declaration of the Lord .
The Reunification of Israel
15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 "Son of man, take a single stick and write on it:(p) Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then take another stick and write on it: Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and all the house of Israel associated with him.(q) 17 Then join them together into a single stick so that they become one in your hand.(r) 18 When your people ask you, ‘Won't you explain to us what you mean by these things?'(s)— 19 tell them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick so that they become one in My hand.
20 "When the sticks you have written on are in your hand and in full view of the people,(t) 21 tell them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone.(u) I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land. 22 I will make them one nation in the land,(v) on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them.(w) They will no longer be two nations and will no longer be divided into two kingdoms. 23 They will not defile themselves anymore with their idols,(x) their detestable things, and all their transgressions.(y) I will save them from all their apostasies by which[c] they sinned,(z) and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.(aa) 24 My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them.(ab) They will follow My ordinances, and keep My statutes and obey them.(ac)
25 "They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob,(ad) where your fathers lived. They will live in it forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their prince forever.(ae) 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them;(af) it will be an everlasting covenant(ag) with them. I will establish and multiply them and will set My sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling place will be with them;(ah) I will be their God, and they will be My people.(ai) 28 When My sanctuary is among them forever, the nations will know that I, Yahweh, sanctify Israel."(aj)
Isaiah 60
Chapter 60
The Lord's Glory in Zion
1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,(a)
and the glory of the
Lord
shines over you.[a](b)
2 For look, darkness covers the earth,
and total darkness the peoples;
but the
Lord
will shine over you,
and His glory will appear over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your radiance.(c)
4 Raise your eyes and look around:
they all gather and come to you;
your sons will come from far away,
and your daughters will be carried on the hip.(d)
5 Then you will see and be radiant,(e)
and your heart will tremble and rejoice,[b]
because the riches of the sea will become yours
and the wealth of the nations will come to you.(f)
6 Caravans of camels will cover your land[c]—
young camels of Midian and Ephah—
all of them will come from Sheba.(g)
They will carry gold and frankincense(h)
and proclaim the praises of the
Lord
.
7 All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you;
the rams of Nebaioth will serve you(i)
and go up on My altar as an acceptable sacrifice.(j)
I will glorify My beautiful house.(k)
8 Who are these who fly like a cloud,
like doves to their shelters?(l)
9 Yes, the islands will wait for Me(m)
with the ships of Tarshish in the lead,(n)
to bring your children from far away,(o)
their silver and gold with them,
for the honor of the
Lord
your God,
the Holy One of Israel,(p)
who has glorified you.(q)
10 Foreigners will build up your walls,(r)
and their kings will serve you.(s)
Although I struck you in My wrath,
yet I will show mercy to you with My favor.(t)
11 Your gates will always be open;
they will never be shut day or night
so that the wealth of the nations
may be brought into you,(u)
with their kings being led in procession.
12 For the nation and the kingdom
that will not serve you will perish;
those nations will be annihilated.(v)
13 The glory of Lebanon will come to you(w)—
its pine, fir, and cypress together(x)—
to beautify the place of My sanctuary,
and I will glorify My dwelling place.[d]
14 The sons of your oppressors
will come and bow down to you;(y)
all who reviled you
will fall facedown at your feet.(z)
They will call you the City of the
Lord
,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.(aa)
15 Instead of your being deserted and hated,
with no one passing through,(ab)
I will make you an object of eternal pride,(ac)
a joy from age to age.
16 You will nurse on the milk of nations,
and nurse at the breast of kings;(ad)
you will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior(ae)
and Redeemer,(af) the Mighty One of Jacob.(ag)
17 I will bring gold instead of bronze;
I will bring silver instead of iron,
bronze instead of wood,
and iron instead of stones.
I will appoint peace as your guard
and righteousness as your ruler.
18 Violence will never again be heard of in your land;(ah)
devastation and destruction
will be gone from your borders.
But you will name your walls salvation(ai)
and your gates, praise.
19 The sun will no longer be your light by day,
and the brightness of the moon will not shine on you;
but the
Lord
will be your everlasting light,(aj)
and your God will be your splendor.
20 Your sun will no longer set,
and your moon will not fade;
for the
Lord
will be your everlasting light,
and the days of your sorrow will be over.(ak)
21 Then all your people will be righteous;(al)
they will possess the land forever;(am)
they are the branch I planted,
the work of My[e] hands,
so that I may be glorified.(an)
22 The least will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.
I am Yahweh;
I will accomplish it quickly in its time.
Luke 2:1-20
Chapter 2
The Birth of Jesus
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus[a](a) that the whole empire[b] should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while[c] Quirinius was governing Syria.(b) 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,(c) 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him[d] and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord(d) stood before[e] them,(e) and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.[f] 10 But the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid,(f) for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:[g] 11 Today a Savior,(g) who is Messiah(h) the Lord,(i) was born for you in the city of David. 12 This will be the sign for you:(j) You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough."
13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
14 Glory to God in the highest heaven,(k)
and peace on earth(l) to people He favors![h][i](m)
15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."
16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things[j] in her heart(n) and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God(o) for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.
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