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Bible Reading Plan

Daily Bible Reading

August 8 - Straight Thru the Bible
niv

 

Isaiah 1:10-5:17

Chapter 1

10 Hear the word of the Lord ,(ao)
     you rulers of Sodom;(ap)
listen to the instruction(aq) of our God,
     you people of Gomorrah!(ar)
11 "The multitude of your sacrifices—
     what are they to me?" says the Lord .
"I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
     of rams and the fat of fattened animals;(as)
I have no pleasure(at)
     in the blood of bulls(au) and lambs and goats.(av)
12 When you come to appear before me,
     who has asked this of you,(aw)
     this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!(ax)
     Your incense(ay) is detestable(az) to me.
New Moons,(ba) Sabbaths and convocations(bb)
     I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon(bc) feasts and your appointed festivals(bd)
     I hate with all my being.(be)
They have become a burden to me;(bf)
     I am weary(bg) of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands(bh) in prayer,
     I hide(bi) my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
     I am not listening.(bj)

Your hands(bk) are full of blood!(bl)

16 Wash(bm) and make yourselves clean.
     Take your evil deeds out of my sight;(bn)
     stop doing wrong.(bo)
17 Learn to do right;(bp) seek justice.(bq)
     Defend the oppressed.[a](br)
Take up the cause of the fatherless;(bs)
     plead the case of the widow.(bt)

18 "Come now, let us settle the matter,"(bu)
     says the Lord .
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
     they shall be as white as snow;(bv)
though they are red as crimson,
     they shall be like wool.(bw)
19 If you are willing and obedient,(bx)
     you will eat the good things of the land;(by)
20 but if you resist and rebel,(bz)
     you will be devoured by the sword."(ca)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(cb)

21 See how the faithful city
     has become a prostitute!(cc)
She once was full of justice;
     righteousness(cd) used to dwell in her—
     but now murderers!(ce)
22 Your silver has become dross,(cf)
     your choice wine is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,(cg)
     partners with thieves;(ch)
they all love bribes(ci)
     and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
     the widow's case does not come before them.(cj)

24 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
     the Mighty One(ck) of Israel, declares:
"Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
     and avenge(cl) myself on my enemies.(cm)
25 I will turn my hand against you;[b](cn)
     I will thoroughly purge(co) away your dross(cp)
     and remove all your impurities.(cq)
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old,(cr)
     your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called(cs)
     the City of Righteousness,(ct)
     the Faithful City.(cu)"

27 Zion will be delivered with justice,
     her penitent(cv) ones with righteousness.(cw)
28 But rebels and sinners(cx) will both be broken,
     and those who forsake(cy) the Lord will perish.(cz)

29 "You will be ashamed(da) because of the sacred oaks(db)
     in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens(dc)
     that you have chosen.
30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves,(dd)
     like a garden without water.
31 The mighty man will become tinder
     and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
     with no one to quench the fire.(de)"

Chapter 2

The Mountain of the Lord (a)

1 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:(b)

2 In the last days(c)

the mountain(d) of the Lord 's temple will be established
     as the highest of the mountains;(e)
it will be exalted(f) above the hills,
     and all nations will stream to it.(g)

3 Many peoples(h) will come and say,

"Come, let us go(i) up to the mountain(j) of the Lord ,
     to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
     so that we may walk in his paths."
The law(k) will go out from Zion,
     the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.(l)
4 He will judge(m) between the nations
     and will settle disputes(n) for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
     and their spears into pruning hooks.(o)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,(p)
     nor will they train for war anymore.

5 Come, descendants of Jacob,(q)
     let us walk in the light(r) of the Lord .

The Day of the Lord

6 You, Lord , have abandoned(s) your people,
     the descendants of Jacob.(t)
They are full of superstitions from the East;
     they practice divination(u) like the Philistines(v)
     and embrace(w) pagan customs.(x)
7 Their land is full of silver and gold;(y)
     there is no end to their treasures.(z)
Their land is full of horses;(aa)
     there is no end to their chariots.(ab)
8 Their land is full of idols;(ac)
     they bow down(ad) to the work of their hands,(ae)
     to what their fingers(af) have made.
9 So people will be brought low(ag)
     and everyone humbled(ah)
     do not forgive them.[a](ai)

10 Go into the rocks, hide(aj) in the ground
     from the fearful presence of the Lord
     and the splendor of his majesty!(ak)
11 The eyes of the arrogant(al) will be humbled(am)
     and human pride(an) brought low;(ao)
the Lord alone will be exalted(ap) in that day.(aq)

12 The Lord Almighty has a day(ar) in store
     for all the proud(as) and lofty,(at)
for all that is exalted(au)
     (and they will be humbled),(av)
13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,(aw) tall and lofty,(ax)
     and all the oaks of Bashan,(ay)
14 for all the towering mountains
     and all the high hills,(az)
15 for every lofty tower(ba)
     and every fortified wall,(bb)
16 for every trading ship[b](bc)
     and every stately vessel.
17 The arrogance of man will be brought low(bd)
     and human pride humbled;(be)
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,(bf)
18       and the idols(bg) will totally disappear.(bh)

19 People will flee to caves(bi) in the rocks
     and to holes in the ground(bj)
from the fearful presence(bk) of the Lord
     and the splendor of his majesty,(bl)
     when he rises to shake the earth.(bm)
20 In that day(bn) people will throw away
     to the moles and bats(bo)
their idols of silver and idols of gold,(bp)
     which they made to worship.(bq)
21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks(br)
     and to the overhanging crags
from the fearful presence of the Lord
     and the splendor of his majesty,(bs)
     when he rises(bt) to shake the earth.(bu)

22 Stop trusting in mere humans,(bv)
     who have but a breath(bw) in their nostrils.
     Why hold them in esteem?(bx)

Chapter 3

Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

1 See now, the Lord,
     the Lord Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
     both supply and support:(a)
all supplies of food(b) and all supplies of water,(c)
2       the hero and the warrior,(d)
the judge and the prophet,
     the diviner(e) and the elder,(f)
3 the captain of fifty(g) and the man of rank,(h)
     the counselor, skilled craftsman(i) and clever enchanter.(j)

4 "I will make mere youths their officials;
     children will rule over them."(k)

5 People will oppress each other—
     man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(l)
The young will rise up against the old,
     the nobody against the honored.

6 A man will seize one of his brothers
     in his father's house, and say,
"You have a cloak, you be our leader;
     take charge of this heap of ruins!"
7 But in that day(m) he will cry out,
     "I have no remedy.(n)
I have no food(o) or clothing in my house;
     do not make me the leader of the people."(p)

8 Jerusalem staggers,
     Judah is falling;(q)
their words(r) and deeds(s) are against the Lord ,
     defying(t) his glorious presence.
9 The look on their faces testifies(u) against them;
     they parade their sin like Sodom;(v)
     they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
     They have brought disaster(w) upon themselves.

10 Tell the righteous it will be well(x) with them,
     for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(y)
11 Woe to the wicked!(z)
     Disaster(aa) is upon them!
They will be paid back(ab)
     for what their hands have done.(ac)

12 Youths(ad) oppress my people,
     women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(ae)
     they turn you from the path.

13 The Lord takes his place in court;(af)
     he rises to judge(ag) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(ah)
     against the elders and leaders of his people:
"It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
     the plunder(ai) from the poor(aj) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(ak)
     and grinding(al) the faces of the poor?"(am)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(an)

16 The Lord says,
     "The women of Zion(ao) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,(ap)
     flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
     with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
     the Lord will make their scalps bald.(aq)"

18 In that day(ar) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,(as) 19 the earrings and bracelets(at) and veils,(au) 20 the headdresses(av) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings,(aw) 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,(ax) the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments(ay) and tiaras(az) and shawls.

24 Instead of fragrance(ba) there will be a stench;(bb)
     instead of a sash,(bc) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;(bd)
     instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;(be)
     instead of beauty,(bf) branding.(bg)
25 Your men will fall by the sword,(bh)
     your warriors in battle.(bi)
26 The gates(bj) of Zion will lament and mourn;(bk)
     destitute,(bl) she will sit on the ground.(bm)

Chapter 4

1 In that day(a) seven women
     will take hold of one man(b)
and say, "We will eat our own food(c)
     and provide our own clothes;
only let us be called by your name.
     Take away our disgrace!"(d)

The Branch of the Lord

2 In that day(e) the Branch of the Lord (f) will be beautiful(g) and glorious, and the fruit(h) of the land will be the pride and glory(i) of the survivors(j) in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion,(k) who remain(l) in Jerusalem, will be called holy,(m) all who are recorded(n) among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth(o) of the women of Zion;(p) he will cleanse(q) the bloodstains(r) from Jerusalem by a spirit[a] of judgment(s) and a spirit[b] of fire.(t) 5 Then the Lord will create(u) over all of Mount Zion(v) and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night;(w) over everything the glory[c](x) will be a canopy.(y) 6 It will be a shelter(z) and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge(aa) and hiding place from the storm(ab) and rain.

Chapter 5

The Song of the Vineyard

1 I will sing for the one I love
     a song about his vineyard:(a)
My loved one had a vineyard
     on a fertile hillside.
2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones
     and planted it with the choicest vines.(b)
He built a watchtower(c) in it
     and cut out a winepress(d) as well.
Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,
     but it yielded only bad fruit.(e)

3 "Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah,
     judge between me and my vineyard.(f)
4 What more could have been done for my vineyard
     than I have done for it?(g)
When I looked for good grapes,
     why did it yield only bad?(h)
5 Now I will tell you
     what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will take away its hedge,
     and it will be destroyed;(i)
I will break down its wall,(j)
     and it will be trampled.(k)
6 I will make it a wasteland,(l)
     neither pruned nor cultivated,
     and briers and thorns(m) will grow there.
I will command the clouds
     not to rain(n) on it."

7 The vineyard(o) of the Lord Almighty
     is the nation of Israel,
and the people of Judah
     are the vines he delighted in.
And he looked for justice,(p) but saw bloodshed;
     for righteousness,(q) but heard cries of distress.(r)

Woes and Judgments

8 Woe(s) to you who add house to house
     and join field to field(t)
till no space is left
     and you live alone in the land.

9 The Lord Almighty(u) has declared in my hearing:(v)

"Surely the great houses will become desolate,(w)
     the fine mansions left without occupants.
10 A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath[a] of wine;
     a homer[b] of seed will yield only an ephah[c] of grain."(x)

11 Woe(y) to those who rise early in the morning
     to run after their drinks,
who stay up late at night
     till they are inflamed with wine.(z)
12 They have harps and lyres at their banquets,
     pipes(aa) and timbrels(ab) and wine,
but they have no regard(ac) for the deeds of the Lord ,
     no respect for the work of his hands.(ad)
13 Therefore my people will go into exile(ae)
     for lack of understanding;(af)
those of high rank(ag) will die of hunger
     and the common people will be parched with thirst.(ah)
14 Therefore Death(ai) expands its jaws,
     opening wide its mouth;(aj)
into it will descend their nobles and masses
     with all their brawlers and revelers.(ak)
15 So people will be brought low(al)
     and everyone humbled,(am)
     the eyes of the arrogant(an) humbled.
16 But the Lord Almighty will be exalted(ao) by his justice,(ap)
     and the holy God will be proved holy(aq) by his righteous acts.
17 Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;(ar)
     lambs will feed[d] among the ruins of the rich.

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