the Third Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 22 - Bible-in-a-Year
niv
Ezekiel 33
Chapter 33
Renewal of Ezekiel's Call as Watchman
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword(a) against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman,(b) 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet(c) to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning(d) and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head.(e) 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head.(f) If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves.(g) 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone's life, that person's life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.'(h)
7 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman(i) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(j) 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,(k)' and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(l) 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so,(m) they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.(n)
10 "Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: "Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away(o) because of[b] them. How then can we live?(p)"' 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord , I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.(q) Turn!(r) Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?'(s)
12 "Therefore, son of man, say to your people,(t) ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person's former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person's former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.'(u) 13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.(v) 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,' but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just(w) and right— 15 if they give back what they took in pledge(x) for a loan, return what they have stolen,(y) follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die.(z) 16 None of the sins(aa) that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.(ab)
17 "Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just. 18 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil,(ac) they will die for it.(ad) 19 And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.(ae) 20 Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.' But I will judge each of you according to your own ways."(af)
Jerusalem's Fall Explained
21 In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped(ag) from Jerusalem came to me and said, "The city has fallen!(ah)" 22 Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the Lord was on me,(ai) and he opened my mouth(aj) before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.(ak)
23 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 24 "Son of man, the people living in those ruins(al) in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many;(am) surely the land has been given to us as our possession.'(an) 25 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you eat(ao) meat with the blood(ap) still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land?(aq) 26 You rely on your sword, you do detestable things,(ar) and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife.(as) Should you then possess the land?'
27 "Say this to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague.(at) 28 I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains(au) of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them.(av) 29 Then they will know that I am the Lord , when I have made the land a desolate(aw) waste because of all the detestable things they have done.'(ax)
30 "As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord .' 31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before(ay) you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy(az) for unjust gain.(ba) 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs(bb) with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.(bc)
33 "When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.(bd)"
Isaiah 57
Chapter 57
1 The righteous perish,(a)
and no one takes it to heart;(b)
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.(c)
2 Those who walk uprightly(d)
enter into peace;
they find rest(e) as they lie in death.
3 "But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,(f)
you offspring of adulterers(g) and prostitutes!(h)
4 Who are you mocking?
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,(i)
the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oaks(j)
and under every spreading tree;(k)
you sacrifice your children(l) in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idols(m) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings(n)
and offered grain offerings.
In view of all this, should I relent?(o)
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;(p)
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.(q)
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,(r)
and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.(s)
9 You went to Molek[a](t) with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.(u)
You sent your ambassadors[b](v) far away;
you descended to the very realm of the dead!(w)
10 You wearied(x) yourself by such going about,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.'(y)
You found renewal of your strength,(z)
and so you did not faint.
11 "Whom have you so dreaded and feared(aa)
that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered(ab) me
nor taken this to heart?(ac)
Is it not because I have long been silent(ad)
that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,(ae)
and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out(af) for help,
let your collection of idols save(ag) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow(ah) them away.
But whoever takes refuge(ai) in me
will inherit the land(aj)
and possess my holy mountain."(ak)
Comfort for the Contrite
14 And it will be said:
"Build up, build up, prepare the road!(al)
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."(am)
15 For this is what the high and exalted(an) One says—
he who lives forever,(ao) whose name is holy:
"I live in a high(ap) and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite(aq) and lowly in spirit,(ar)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.(as)
16 I will not accuse(at) them forever,
nor will I always be angry,(au)
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people(av) I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;(aw)
I punished them, and hid(ax) my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways.(ay)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal(az) them;
I will guide(ba) them and restore comfort(bb) to Israel's mourners,
19
creating praise on their lips.(bc)
Peace, peace,(bd) to those far and near,"(be)
says the
Lord
. "And I will heal them."
20 But the wicked(bf) are like the tossing sea,(bg)
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire(bh) and mud.
21 "There is no peace,"(bi) says my God, "for the wicked."(bj)
Luke 1:1-25
Chapter 1
Introduction(a)
1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first(b) were eyewitnesses(c) and servants of the word.(d) 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account(e) for you, most excellent(f) Theophilus,(g) 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.(h)
The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea(i) there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah;(j) his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly.(k) 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
8 Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,(l) 9 he was chosen by lot,(m) according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.(n) 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.(o)
11 Then an angel(p) of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.(q) 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.(r) 13 But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid,(s) Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.(t) 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,(u) 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,(v) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit(w) even before he is born.(x) 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord,(y) in the spirit and power of Elijah,(z) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children(aa) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."(ab)
18 Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this?(ac) I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."(ad)
19 The angel said to him, "I am Gabriel.(ae) I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak(af) until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time."
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs(ag) to them but remained unable to speak.
23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace(ah) among the people."
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
