the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Daily Bible Reading
December 28 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Ezekiel 42-43
Chapter 42
The Priests' Chambers
1 Then the man led me out by way of the north gate into the outer court.(a) He brought me to the group of chambers opposite the temple yard and opposite the building(b) to the north. 2 Along the length of the chambers, which was 175 feet,[a](c) there was an entrance on the north; the width was 87½ feet.[b] 3 Opposite the 35 foot space[c] belonging to the inner court and opposite the paved surface(d) belonging to the outer court, the structure rose gallery by gallery(e) in three tiers. 4 In front of the chambers was a walkway toward the inside,(f) 17½ feet[d] wide and 175 feet[e] long,[f] and their entrances were on the north. 5 The upper chambers were narrower because the galleries took away more space from them than from the lower and middle stories of the building. 6 For they were arranged in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts;(g) therefore the upper chambers were set back from the ground more than the lower and middle stories. 7 A wall on the outside ran in front of the chambers, parallel to them, toward the outer court; it was 87½ feet[g] long. 8 For the chambers on the outer court were 87½ feet long, while those facing the great hall were 175 feet[h] long.(h) 9 At the base of these chambers there was an entryway on the east side as one enters them from the outer court.(i)
10 In the thickness of the wall of the court toward the south,[i] there were chambers facing the temple yard(j) and the western building, 11 with a passageway in front of them, just like the chambers that faced north.(k) Their length and width, as well as all their exits, measurements, and entrances, were identical. 12 The entrance at the beginning of the passageway, the way in front of the corresponding[j] wall as one enters on the east side, was similar to the entrances of the chambers that were on the south side.
13 Then the man said to me, "The northern and southern chambers that face the temple yard are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the Lord will eat(l) the most holy offerings.(m) There they will deposit the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, sin offerings, and restitution offerings—for the place is holy.(n) 14 Once the priests have entered, they must not go out from the holy area to the outer court until they have removed the clothes they minister in, for these are holy.(o) They are to put on other clothes before they approach the public area."(p)
Outside Dimensions of the Temple Complex
15 When he finished measuring inside the temple complex, he led me out by way of the gate that faced east and measured all around the complex.(q)
16 He measured the east side with a measuring rod;
it was 875 feet[k] by the measuring rod.[l]
17 He[m] measured the north side;
it was 875 feet[n] by the measuring rod.[o]
18 He[p] measured the south side;
it was 875 feet[q] by the measuring rod.[r]
19 Then he turned to the west side
and measured 875 feet[s] by the measuring rod.[t]
20 He measured the temple complex on all four sides. It had a wall all around it,(r) 875 feet long and 875 feet(s) wide, to separate the holy from the common.(t)
Chapter 43
Return of the Lord's Glory
1 He led me to the gate,(a) the one that faces east, 2 and I saw the glory of the God of Israel(b) coming from the east.(c) His voice sounded like the roar of mighty waters,(d) and the earth shone with His glory.(e) 3 The vision I saw(f) was like the one I had seen when He[a] came to destroy the city,(g) and like the ones I had seen by the Chebar Canal.(h) I fell facedown.(i) 4 The glory of the Lord entered the temple by way of the gate that faced east.(j) 5 Then the Spirit lifted me up(k) and brought me to the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.(l)
6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from the temple.(m) 7 He said to me: "Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet,(n) where I will dwell among the Israelites forever.(o) The house of Israel and their kings will no longer defile My holy name by their religious prostitution and by the corpses[b](p) of their kings at their high places.[c](q) 8 Whenever they placed their threshold next to My threshold and their doorposts beside My doorposts, with only a wall between Me and them, they were defiling My holy name by the detestable acts they committed.(r) So I destroyed them in My anger. 9 Now let them remove their prostitution and the corpses[d](s) of their kings far from Me, and I will dwell among them forever.(t)
10 "As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel,(u) so that they may be ashamed of their iniquities.(v) Let them measure its pattern,(w) 11 and they will be ashamed of all that they have done. Reveal[e] the design of the temple to them—its layout with its exits and entrances(x)—its complete design along with all its statutes, design specifications, and laws. Write it down in their sight(y) so that they may observe its complete design and all its statutes and may carry them out.(z) 12 This is the law of the temple: all its surrounding territory on top of the mountain(aa) will be especially holy. Yes, this is the law of the temple.
The Altar
13 "These are the measurements of the altar(ab) in units of length (each unit being the standard length plus three inches(ac)):[f] the gutter is 21 inches[g] deep and 21 inches wide, with a rim of nine inches[h] around its edge. This is the base[i] of the altar. 14 The distance from the gutter on the ground to the lower ledge is 3½ feet,[j] and the width of the ledge is 21 inches.[k] There are seven feet[l] from the small ledge to the large ledge, whose width is also 21 inches. 15 The altar hearth[m] is seven feet[n] high, and four horns(ad) project upward from the hearth. 16 The hearth is square, 21 feet[o] long by 21 feet wide.(ae) 17 The ledge is 24½ feet[p] long by 24½ feet wide, with four equal sides.(af) The rim all around it is 10½ inches,[q] and its gutter is 21 inches[r] all around it. The altar's steps face east."(ag)
18 Then He said to me: "Son of man,(ah) this is what the Lord God says: These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is constructed, so that burnt offerings(ai) may be sacrificed on it and blood may be sprinkled on it:(aj) 19 You are to give a bull from the herd(ak) as a sin offering(al) to the Levitical priests who are from the offspring of Zadok,(am) who approach Me in order to serve Me."(an) This is the declaration of the Lord God . 20 "You must take some of its blood and apply it to the four horns(ao) of the altar, the four corners of the ledge, and all around the rim. In this way you will purify the altar and make atonement for it.(ap) 21 Then you must take away the bull for the sin offering, and it must be burned outside the sanctuary in the place appointed for the temple.(aq)
22 "On the second day you are to present an unblemished male goat as a sin offering. They will purify the altar just as they did with the bull. 23 When you have finished the purification, you are to present a young, unblemished bull(ar) and an unblemished ram from the flock.(as) 24 You must present them before the Lord ; the priests will throw salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord .(at) 25 You will offer a goat for a sin offering each day for seven days.(au) A young bull and a ram from the flock, both unblemished, must also be offered. 26 For seven days the priests are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it. In this way they will consecrate it[s] 27 and complete the days of purification. Then on the eighth day(av) and afterward, the priests will offer your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar, and I will accept you."(aw) This is the declaration of the Lord God .
Isaiah 63
Chapter 63
The Lord's Day of Vengeance
1 Who is this coming from Edom(a)
in crimson-stained garments from Bozrah—
this One who is splendid in His apparel,
rising up proudly[a] in His great might?
It is I, proclaiming vindication,[b]
powerful to save.
2 Why are Your clothes red,
and Your garments like one who treads a winepress?(b)
3 I trampled the winepress alone,
and no one from the nations was with Me.
I trampled them in My anger
and ground them underfoot in My fury;
their blood spattered My garments,
and all My clothes were stained.
4 For I planned the day of vengeance,[c](c)
and the year of My redemption[d] came.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help,(d)
and I was amazed that no one assisted;
so My arm accomplished victory for Me,
and My wrath assisted Me.
6 I crushed nations in My anger;
I made them drunk with My wrath(e)
and poured out their blood on the ground.(f)
Remembrance of Grace
7 I will make known the
Lord
's faithful love
and the
Lord
's praiseworthy acts,
because of all the
Lord
has done for us—
even the many good things
He has done for the house of Israel
and has done for them based on His compassion
and the abundance of His faithful love.
8 He said, "They are indeed My people,
children who will not be disloyal,"
and He became their Savior.
9 In all their suffering, He suffered,[e](g)
and the Angel of His Presence saved them.
He redeemed them
because of His love and compassion;(h)
He lifted them up and carried them
all the days of the past.(i)
10 But they rebelled
and grieved His Holy Spirit.(j)
So He became their enemy
and fought against them.
11 Then He[f] remembered the days of the past,
the days of Moses and his people.
Where is He who brought them out of the sea
with the shepherds[g] of His flock?
Where is He who put His Holy Spirit among the flock?
12 He sent His glorious arm
to be at Moses' right hand,
divided the waters before them(k)
to obtain eternal fame for Himself,
13 and led them through the depths
like a horse in the wilderness,
so that they did not stumble.
14 Like cattle that go down into the valley,
the Spirit of the
Lord
gave them[h] rest.
You led Your people this way
to make a glorious name for Yourself.
Israel's Prayer
15 Look down from heaven and see(l)
from Your lofty home—holy and beautiful.
Where is Your zeal and Your might?
Your yearning[i] and Your compassion
are withheld from me.
16 Yet You are our Father,
even though Abraham does not know us
and Israel doesn't recognize us.
You, Yahweh, are our Father;
from ancient times,
Your name is our Redeemer.(m)
17 Why, Yahweh, do You make us stray from Your ways?
You harden our hearts so we do not fear[j] You.(n)
Return, because of Your servants,
the tribes of Your heritage.
18 Your holy people had a possession[k]
for a little while,
but our enemies have trampled down
Your sanctuary.(o)
19 We have become like those You never ruled over,
like those not called by Your name.(p)
Luke 3:21-38
Chapter 3
21 When all the people were baptized,(u) Jesus also was baptized. As He was praying,(v) heaven opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven:
You are My beloved Son.
I take delight in You!(w)
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
23 As He began His ministry, Jesus was about 30 years old and was thought to be[p] the
son of Joseph,(x) son[q] of Heli,
24 son of Matthat, son of Levi,
son of Melchi, son of Jannai,
son of Joseph,
25 son of Mattathias,
son of Amos, son of Nahum,
son of Esli, son of Naggai,
26 son of Maath, son of Mattathias,
son of Semein, son of Josech,
son of Joda,
27 son of Joanan,
son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel,(y)
son of Shealtiel, son of Neri,
28 son of Melchi, son of Addi,
son of Cosam, son of Elmadam,
son of Er,
29 son of Joshua,
son of Eliezer, son of Jorim,
son of Matthat, son of Levi,
30 son of Simeon, son of Judah,
son of Joseph, son of Jonam,
son of Eliakim,
31 son of Melea,
son of Menna, son of Mattatha,
son of Nathan, son of David,
32 son of Jesse,(z) son of Obed,
son of Boaz, son of Salmon,[r]
son of Nahshon,
33 son of Amminadab,
son of Ram,[s] son of Hezron,
son of Perez, son of Judah,
34 son of Jacob, son of Isaac,
son of Abraham,(aa) son of Terah,
son of Nahor,
35 son of Serug,
son of Reu, son of Peleg,
son of Eber, son of Shelah,
36 son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad,
son of Shem, son of Noah,(ab)
son of Lamech,
37 son of Methuselah,
son of Enoch, son of Jared,
son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan,
38 son of Enos, son of Seth,
son of Adam, son of God.
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