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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
April 9 - Bible-in-a-Year
niv
Deuteronomy 11-12
Chapter 11
Love and Obey the Lord
1 Love(a) the Lord your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.(b) 2 Remember today that your children(c) were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God:(d) his majesty,(e) his mighty hand, his outstretched arm;(f) 3 the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country;(g) 4 what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots,(h) how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea[a](i) as they were pursuing you, and how the Lord brought lasting ruin on them. 5 It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the wilderness until you arrived at this place, 6 and what he did(j) to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened(k) its mouth right in the middle of all Israel and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing that belonged to them. 7 But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.(l)
8 Observe therefore all the commands(m) I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess,(n) 9 and so that you may live long(o) in the land the Lord swore(p) to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.(q) 10 The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt,(r) from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. 11 But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys(s) that drinks rain from heaven.(t) 12 It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes(u) of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.
13 So if you faithfully obey(v) the commands I am giving you today—to love(w) the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul(x)— 14 then I will send rain(y) on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains,(z) so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. 15 I will provide grass(aa) in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.(ab)
16 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.(ac) 17 Then the Lord 's anger(ad) will burn against you, and he will shut up(ae) the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce,(af) and you will soon perish(ag) from the good land the Lord is giving you. 18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.(ah) 19 Teach them to your children,(ai) talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.(aj) 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates,(ak) 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many(al) in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.(am)
22 If you carefully observe(an) all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love(ao) the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast(ap) to him— 23 then the Lord will drive out(aq) all these nations(ar) before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you.(as) 24 Every place where you set your foot will be yours:(at) Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River(au) to the Mediterranean Sea. 25 No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror(av) and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.(aw)
26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing(ax) and a curse(ay)— 27 the blessing(az) if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey(ba) the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods,(bb) which you have not known. 29 When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim(bc) the blessings, and on Mount Ebal(bd) the curses.(be) 30 As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, westward, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh,(bf) in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal.(bg) 31 You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession(bh) of the land the Lord your God is giving(bi) you. When you have taken it over and are living there, 32 be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws I am setting before you today.
Chapter 12
The One Place of Worship
1 These are the decrees(a) and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the Lord , the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess—as long as you live in the land.(b) 2 Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains,(c) on the hills and under every spreading tree,(d) where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. 3 Break down their altars, smash(e) their sacred stones and burn(f) their Asherah(g) poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names(h) from those places.
4 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way.(i) 5 But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name(j) there for his dwelling.(k) To that place you must go; 6 there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes(l) and special gifts, what you have vowed(m) to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.(n) 7 There, in the presence(o) of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice(p) in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.
8 You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,(q) 9 since you have not yet reached the resting place(r) and the inheritance(s) the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving(t) you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest(u) from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. 11 Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name(v)—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord .(w) 12 And there rejoice(x) before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites(y) from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance(z) of their own. 13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please.(aa) 14 Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose(ab) in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.
15 Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer,(ac) according to the blessing the Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. 16 But you must not eat the blood;(ad) pour(ae) it out on the ground like water.(af) 17 You must not eat in your own towns the tithe(ag) of your grain and new wine and olive oil,(ah) or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give,(ai) or your freewill offerings or special gifts.(aj) 18 Instead, you are to eat(ak) them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose(al)—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns—and you are to rejoice(am) before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to. 19 Be careful not to neglect the Levites(an) as long as you live in your land.(ao)
20 When the Lord your God has enlarged your territory(ap) as he promised(aq) you, and you crave meat(ar) and say, "I would like some meat," then you may eat as much of it as you want. 21 If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put his Name(as) is too far away from you, you may slaughter animals from the herds and flocks the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and in your own towns you may eat as much of them as you want.(at) 22 Eat them as you would gazelle or deer.(au) Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat. 23 But be sure you do not eat the blood,(av) because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.(aw) 24 You must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.(ax) 25 Do not eat it, so that it may go well(ay) with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right(az) in the eyes of the Lord .
26 But take your consecrated things and whatever you have vowed to give,(ba) and go to the place the Lord will choose. 27 Present your burnt offerings(bb) on the altar of the Lord your God, both the meat and the blood. The blood of your sacrifices must be poured beside the altar of the Lord your God, but you may eat(bc) the meat. 28 Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well(bd) with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.
29 The Lord your God will cut off(be) before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land,(bf) 30 and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared(bg) by inquiring about their gods, saying, "How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same."(bh) 31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates.(bi) They even burn their sons(bj) and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.(bk)
32 See that you do all I command you; do not add(bl) to it or take away from it.[a]
Job 9
Chapter 9
Job
1 Then Job replied:
2 "Indeed, I know that this is true.
But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God?(a)
3 Though they wished to dispute with him,(b)
they could not answer him one time out of a thousand.(c)
4 His wisdom(d) is profound, his power is vast.(e)
Who has resisted(f) him and come out unscathed?(g)
5 He moves mountains(h) without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.(i)
6 He shakes the earth(j) from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.(k)
7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;(l)
he seals off the light of the stars.(m)
8 He alone stretches out the heavens(n)
and treads on the waves of the sea.(o)
9 He is the Maker(p) of the Bear[a] and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.(q)
10 He performs wonders(r) that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.(s)
11 When he passes me, I cannot see him;
when he goes by, I cannot perceive him.(t)
12 If he snatches away, who can stop him?(u)
Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?'(v)
13 God does not restrain his anger;(w)
even the cohorts of Rahab(x) cowered at his feet.
14 "How then can I dispute with him?
How can I find words to argue with him?(y)
15 Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;(z)
I could only plead(aa) with my Judge(ab) for mercy.(ac)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
I do not believe he would give me a hearing.(ad)
17 He would crush me(ae) with a storm(af)
and multiply(ag) my wounds for no reason.(ah)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
but would overwhelm me with misery.(ai)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!(aj)
And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him[b]?(ak)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.(al)
21 "Although I am blameless,(am)
I have no concern for myself;(an)
I despise my own life.(ao)
22 It is all the same; that is why I say,
‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.'(ap)
23 When a scourge(aq) brings sudden death,
he mocks the despair of the innocent.(ar)
24 When a land falls into the hands of the wicked,(as)
he blindfolds its judges.(at)
If it is not he, then who is it?(au)
25 "My days are swifter than a runner;(av)
they fly away without a glimpse of joy.(aw)
26 They skim past(ax) like boats of papyrus,(ay)
like eagles swooping down on their prey.(az)
27 If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,(ba)
I will change my expression, and smile,'
28 I still dread(bb) all my sufferings,
for I know you will not hold me innocent.(bc)
29 Since I am already found guilty,
why should I struggle in vain?(bd)
30 Even if I washed myself with soap(be)
and my hands(bf) with cleansing powder,(bg)
31 you would plunge me into a slime pit(bh)
so that even my clothes would detest me.(bi)
32 "He is not a mere mortal(bj) like me that I might answer him,(bk)
that we might confront each other in court.(bl)
33 If only there were someone to mediate between us,(bm)
someone to bring us together,(bn)
34 someone to remove God's rod from me,(bo)
so that his terror would frighten me no more.(bp)
35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,(bq)
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.(br)
Acts 1
Chapter 1
Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
1 In my former book,(a) Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach(b) 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven,(c) after giving instructions(d) through the Holy Spirit to the apostles(e) he had chosen.(f) 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them(g) over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.(h) 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait(i) for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.(j) 5 For John baptized with[a] water,(k) but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit."(l)
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore(m) the kingdom to Israel?"
7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.(n) 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;(o) and you will be my witnesses(p) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,(q) and to the ends of the earth."(r)
9 After he said this, he was taken up(s) before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white(t) stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee,"(u) they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back(v) in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem(w) from the hill called the Mount of Olives,(x) a Sabbath day's walk[c] from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room(y) where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.(z) 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer,(aa) along with the women(ab) and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.(ac)
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, "Brothers and sisters,[d](ad) the Scripture had to be fulfilled(ae) in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas,(af) who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number(ag) and shared in our ministry."(ah)
18 (With the payment(ai) he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field;(aj) there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language(ak) Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 "For," said Peter, "it is written in the Book of Psalms:
"‘May his place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in it,'[e](al)
and,
"‘May another take his place of leadership.'[f](am)
21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John's baptism(an) to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness(ao) with us of his resurrection."
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed,(ap) "Lord, you know everyone's heart.(aq) Show us(ar) which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.(as)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
