the Fifth Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 25 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Ezekiel 37
Chapter 37
Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones
1 The (C1)hand of the LORD was upon me, and He (C2)brought me out (F1)by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the (C3)valley; and it was full of bones.2 He had me pass among them all around, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and behold, they were very dry.3 Then He said to me, "Son of man, (C1)can these bones live?" And I answered, "Lord (F1)GOD, (C2)You Yourself know."4 Again He said to me, "(C1)Prophesy over these bones and say to them, 'You dry bones, (C2)hear the word of the LORD.'5 "This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: 'Behold, I am going to make (F1)(C1)breath enter you so that you may come to life.6 'And I will (F1)attach tendons to you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you so that you may come to life; and you will (C1)know that I am the LORD.'"
7 So I prophesied (C1)as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a loud noise, and behold, a (F1)rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.8 And I looked, and behold, tendons were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.9 Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'The Lord GOD says this: "Come from the four winds, breath, and (C1)breathe on these slain, so that they (C2)come to life."'"10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the (C1)breath entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an (C2)exceedingly great army.
The Vision Explained
11 Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the (C1)entire house of Israel; behold, they say, 'Our (C2)bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are (F1)completely (C3)cut off.'12 "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Behold, I am going to open your graves and (C1)cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.13 "Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people.14 "And I will (C1)put My (F1)Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it," declares the LORD.'"
Reunion of Judah and Israel
15 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,16 "Now you, son of man, take for yourself (C1)one stick and write on it, 'For (C2)Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For (C3)Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.'17 "Then (C1)put them together for yourself one to another into one stick, so that they may become one in your hand.18 "And when the sons of your people speak to you, saying, 'Will you not declare to us (C1)what (F1)you mean by these?'19 say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Behold, I am going to take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand."'20 "The sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.21 "And say to them, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Behold, I am going to (C1)take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;22 and I will make them (C1)one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and (C2)one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and no longer be divided into two kingdoms.23 "They will (C1)no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their offenses; but (C2)I will rescue them from all their (F1)dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.
The Davidic Kingdom
24 "And My servant (C1)David will be king over them, and they will all have (C2)one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes and (F1)follow them.25 "And they will live on the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons' sons, forever; and My servant (C1)David will be their leader forever.26 "And I will make a (C1)covenant of peace with them; it will be an (C2)everlasting covenant with them. And I will (F1)place them and (C3)multiply them, and set My (C4)sanctuary in their midst forever.27 "My (C1)dwelling place also will be among them; and (C2)I will be their God, and they will be My people.28 "And the nations will know that I am the LORD (C1)who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever."'"
Isaiah 60
Chapter 60
A Glorified Zion
1 "(C1)Arise, shine; for your (C2)light has come,
And the (C3)glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
2 "For behold, (C1)darkness will cover the earth
And deep darkness the peoples;
But the LORD will rise upon you
And His (C2)glory will appear upon you.
3 "(C1)Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 "(C1)Raise your eyes all around and see;
They all gather together, they (C2)come to you.
Your sons will come from afar,
And your (C3)daughters will be (F1)carried on the hip.
5 "Then you will see and be (C1)radiant,
And your heart will (F1)thrill and rejoice;
Because the (F2)(C2)abundance of the sea will be turned to you,
The (C3)wealth of the nations will come to you.
6 "A multitude of camels will cover you,
The young camels of Midian and (C1)Ephah;
All those from (C2)Sheba will come;
They will bring (C3)gold and frankincense,
And (C4)proclaim good news of the praises of the LORD.
7 "All the flocks of (C1)Kedar will be gathered to you,
The rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
They will go up on My (C2)altar with acceptance,
And I will (C3)glorify My glorious house.
8 "(C1)Who are these who fly like a cloud
And like the doves to their windows?
9 "Certainly the (C1)coastlands will wait for Me;
And the (C2)ships of Tarshish will come first,
To (C3)bring your sons from afar,
Their silver and their gold with them,
For the name of the LORD your God,
And for the Holy One of Israel because He has (C4)glorified you.
10 "(C1)Foreigners will build up your walls,
And their (C2)kings will serve you;
For in My (C3)wrath I struck you,
And in My favor I have had compassion on you.
11 "Your (C1)gates will be open continually;
They will not be closed day or night,
So that people may (C2)bring you the wealth of the nations,
With (C3)their kings led in procession.
12 "For the (C1)nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish,
And the nations will be utterly ruined.
13 "The (C1)glory of Lebanon will come to you,
The (C2)juniper, the elm tree and the (F1)cedar together,
To beautify the place of My sanctuary;
And I will make the (C3)place of My feet glorious.
14 "The (C1)sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you,
And all those who despised you will bow down at the soles of your feet;
And they will call you the (C2)city of the LORD,
The (C3)Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 "Whereas you have been (C1)forsaken and (C2)hated
With no one passing through,
I will make you an (C3)object of pride forever,
A joy from generation to generation.
16 "You will also (C1)suck the milk of nations,
And suck the breast of kings;
Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your (C2)Savior
And your (C3)Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 "Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
And instead of iron I will bring silver,
And instead of wood, bronze,
And instead of stones, iron.
And I will make peace your administrators,
And righteousness your overseers.
18 "(C1)Violence will not be heard again in your land,
Nor (C2)devastation or destruction within your borders;
But you will call your (C3)walls salvation, and your (C4)gates praise.
19 "No longer will you have the (C1)sun for light by day,
Nor will the moon give you light for brightness;
But you will have the (C2)LORD as an everlasting light,
And your (C3)God as your (F1)glory.
20 "Your (C1)sun will no longer set,
Nor will your moon wane;
For you will have the LORD as an everlasting light,
And the days of your (C2)mourning will be over.
21 "Then all your (C1)people will be righteous;
They will (C2)possess the land forever,
The branch of (F1)My planting,
The (C3)work of My hands,
That I may be (C4)glorified.
22 "The (C1)smallest one will become a thousand,
And the least one a mighty nation.
I, the LORD, will bring it about quickly in its time."
Luke 2:1-20
Chapter 2
Jesus' Birth in Bethlehem
1 Now in those days a decree went out from (C1)Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of (C2)all (F1)the inhabited earth.2 (F1)This was the first census taken while (F2)Quirinius was governor of (C1)Syria.3 And all the people were on their way to register for the census, each to his own city.4 Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because (C1)he was of the house and family of David,5 in order to register along with Mary, who was (F1)betrothed to him, and was pregnant.6 While they were there, the (F1)time came for her to give birth.7 And she (C1)gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a (F1)manger, because there was no (F2)room for them in the inn.
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night.9 And (C1)an angel of the Lord suddenly (C2)stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.10 And so the angel said to them, "(C1)Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a (C1)Savior, who is (F1)(C2)Christ (C3)the Lord.12 "And (C1)this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a (F1)manger."13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly (F1)army of angels praising God and saying,
14 "(C1)Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among people (F1)(C2)with whom He is pleased."
15 When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let's go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."16 And they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the (F1)manger.17 When they had seen Him, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.18 And all who heard it were amazed about the things which were told them by the shepherds.19 But Mary (C1)treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.20 And the shepherds went back, (C1)glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.<
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