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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 28 - Bible-in-a-Year
niv
Ezekiel 42-43
Chapter 42
The Rooms for the Priests
1 Then the man led me northward into the outer court and brought me to the rooms(a) opposite the temple courtyard(b) and opposite the outer wall on the north side.(c) 2 The building whose door faced north was a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide.[a] 3 Both in the section twenty cubits[b] from the inner court and in the section opposite the pavement of the outer court, gallery(d) faced gallery at the three levels.(e) 4 In front of the rooms was an inner passageway ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits[c] long.[d] Their doors were on the north.(f) 5 Now the upper rooms were narrower, for the galleries took more space from them than from the rooms on the lower and middle floors of the building. 6 The rooms on the top floor had no pillars, as the courts had; so they were smaller in floor space than those on the lower and middle floors. 7 There was an outer wall parallel to the rooms and the outer court; it extended in front of the rooms for fifty cubits. 8 While the row of rooms on the side next to the outer court was fifty cubits long, the row on the side nearest the sanctuary was a hundred cubits long. 9 The lower rooms had an entrance(g) on the east side as one enters them from the outer court.
10 On the south side[e] along the length of the wall of the outer court, adjoining the temple courtyard(h) and opposite the outer wall, were rooms(i) 11 with a passageway in front of them. These were like the rooms on the north; they had the same length and width, with similar exits and dimensions. Similar to the doorways on the north 12 were the doorways of the rooms on the south. There was a doorway at the beginning of the passageway that was parallel to the corresponding wall extending eastward, by which one enters the rooms.
13 Then he said to me, "The north(j) and south rooms(k) facing the temple courtyard(l) are the priests' rooms, where the priests who approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will put the most holy offerings—the grain offerings,(m) the sin offerings[f](n) and the guilt offerings(o)—for the place is holy.(p) 14 Once the priests enter the holy precincts, they are not to go into the outer court until they leave behind the garments(q) in which they minister, for these are holy. They are to put on other clothes before they go near the places that are for the people.(r)"
15 When he had finished measuring what was inside the temple area, he led me out by the east gate(s) and measured the area all around: 16 He measured the east side with the measuring rod; it was five hundred cubits.[g][h] 17 He measured the north side; it was five hundred cubits[i] by the measuring rod. 18 He measured the south side; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. 19 Then he turned to the west side and measured; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. 20 So he measured(t) the area(u) on all four sides. It had a wall around it,(v) five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide,(w) to separate the holy from the common.(x)
Chapter 43
God's Glory Returns to the Temple
1 Then the man brought me to the gate facing east,(a) 2 and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters,(b) and the land was radiant with his glory.(c) 3 The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he[a] came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. 4 The glory(d) of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east.(e) 5 Then the Spirit(f) lifted me up(g) and brought me into the inner court, and the glory(h) of the Lord filled the temple.(i)
6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. 7 He said: "Son of man, this is the place of my throne(j) and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. The people of Israel will never again defile(k) my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and the funeral offerings[b] for their kings at their death.[c](l) 8 When they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they defiled my holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in my anger. 9 Now let them put away from me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will live among them forever.(m)
10 "Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed(n) of their sins. Let them consider its perfection, 11 and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple—its arrangement, its exits and entrances—its whole design and all its regulations[d] and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations.(o)
12 "This is the law of the temple: All the surrounding area(p) on top of the mountain will be most holy.(q) Such is the law of the temple.
The Great Altar Restored
13 "These are the measurements of the altar(r) in long cubits,[e] that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: Its gutter is a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span[f] around the edge. And this is the height of the altar: 14 From the gutter on the ground up to the lower ledge that goes around the altar it is two cubits high, and the ledge is a cubit wide.[g] From this lower ledge to the upper ledge that goes around the altar it is four cubits high, and that ledge is also a cubit wide.[h] 15 Above that, the altar hearth(s) is four cubits high, and four horns(t) project upward from the hearth. 16 The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits[i] long and twelve cubits wide.(u) 17 The upper ledge(v) also is square, fourteen cubits[j] long and fourteen cubits wide. All around the altar is a gutter of one cubit with a rim of half a cubit.[k] The steps(w) of the altar face east.(x)"
18 Then he said to me, "Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: These will be the regulations for sacrificing burnt offerings(y) and splashing blood(z) against the altar when it is built: 19 You are to give a young bull(aa) as a sin offering[l] to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok,(ab) who come near(ac) to minister before me, declares the Sovereign Lord . 20 You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar(ad) and on the four corners of the upper ledge(ae) and all around the rim, and so purify the altar(af) and make atonement for it. 21 You are to take the bull for the sin offering and burn it in the designated part of the temple area outside the sanctuary.(ag)
22 "On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering, and the altar is to be purified as it was purified with the bull. 23 When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect.(ah) 24 You are to offer them before the Lord , and the priests are to sprinkle salt(ai) on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord .
25 "For seven days(aj) you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect.(ak) 26 For seven days they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; thus they will dedicate it. 27 At the end of these days, from the eighth day(al) on, the priests are to present your burnt offerings(am) and fellowship offerings(an) on the altar. Then I will accept you, declares the Sovereign Lord ."
Isaiah 63
Chapter 63
God's Day of Vengeance and Redemption
1 Who is this coming from Edom,(a)
from Bozrah,(b) with his garments stained crimson?(c)
Who is this, robed in splendor,
striding forward in the greatness of his strength?(d)
"It is I, proclaiming victory,
mighty to save."(e)
2 Why are your garments red,
like those of one treading the winepress?(f)
3 "I have trodden the winepress(g) alone;
from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled(h) them in my anger
and trod them down in my wrath;(i)
their blood spattered my garments,(j)
and I stained all my clothing.
4 It was for me the day of vengeance;(k)
the year for me to redeem had come.
5 I looked, but there was no one(l) to help,
I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm(m) achieved salvation for me,
and my own wrath sustained me.(n)
6 I trampled(o) the nations in my anger;
in my wrath I made them drunk(p)
and poured their blood(q) on the ground."
Praise and Prayer
7 I will tell of the kindnesses(r) of the
Lord
,
the deeds for which he is to be praised,
according to all the
Lord
has done for us—
yes, the many good things(s)
he has done for Israel,
according to his compassion(t) and many kindnesses.
8 He said, "Surely they are my people,(u)
children who will be true to me";
and so he became their Savior.(v)
9 In all their distress he too was distressed,
and the angel(w) of his presence(x) saved them.[a]
In his love and mercy he redeemed(y) them;
he lifted them up and carried(z) them
all the days of old.(aa)
10 Yet they rebelled(ab)
and grieved his Holy Spirit.(ac)
So he turned and became their enemy(ad)
and he himself fought(ae) against them.
11 Then his people recalled[b] the days of old,
the days of Moses and his people—
where is he who brought them through the sea,(af)
with the shepherd of his flock?(ag)
Where is he who set
his Holy Spirit(ah) among them,
12 who sent his glorious arm(ai) of power
to be at Moses' right hand,
who divided the waters(aj) before them,
to gain for himself everlasting renown,(ak)
13 who led(al) them through the depths?(am)
Like a horse in open country,
they did not stumble;(an)
14 like cattle that go down to the plain,
they were given rest(ao) by the Spirit of the
Lord
.
This is how you guided your people
to make for yourself a glorious name.
15 Look down from heaven(ap) and see,
from your lofty throne,(aq) holy and glorious.
Where are your zeal(ar) and your might?
Your tenderness and compassion(as) are withheld(at) from us.
16 But you are our Father,(au)
though Abraham does not know us
or Israel acknowledge(av) us;
you,
Lord
, are our Father,
our Redeemer(aw) from of old is your name.
17 Why,
Lord
, do you make us wander(ax) from your ways
and harden our hearts(ay) so we do not revere(az) you?
Return(ba) for the sake of your servants,
the tribes that are your inheritance.(bb)
18 For a little while(bc) your people possessed your holy place,
but now our enemies have trampled(bd) down your sanctuary.(be)
19 We are yours from of old;
but you have not ruled over them,
they have not been called[c] by your name.(bf)
Luke 3:21-38
Chapter 3
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying,(ac) heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him(ad) in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son,(ae) whom I love; with you I am well pleased."(af)
23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.(ag) He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,(ah)
the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son of Melki,
the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josek, the son of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,
the son of Zerubbabel,(ai) the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melki,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon,
the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna,
the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,(aj)
the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse,
the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,
the son of Salmon,[d] the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram,[e]
the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,(ak)
the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob,
the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,(al)
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu,
the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,
the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan,
the son of Arphaxad,(am) the son of Shem,
the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,(an)
37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,
the son of Kenan,(ao) 38 the son of Enosh,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.(ap)
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