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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
August 22 - Straight Thru the Bible
niv
Isaiah 66
Chapter 66
Judgment and Hope
1 This is what the Lord says:
"Heaven is my throne,(a)
and the earth is my footstool.(b)
Where is the house(c) you will build for me?
Where will my resting place be?
2 Has not my hand made all these things,(d)
and so they came into being?"
declares the
Lord
.
"These are the ones I look on with favor:
those who are humble and contrite in spirit,(e)
and who tremble at my word.(f)
3 But whoever sacrifices a bull(g)
is like one who kills a person,
and whoever offers a lamb
is like one who breaks a dog's neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
is like one who presents pig's(h) blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense(i)
is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,(j)
and they delight in their abominations;(k)
4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring on them what they dread.(l)
For when I called, no one answered,(m)
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil(n) in my sight
and chose what displeases me."(o)
5 Hear the word of the
Lord
,
you who tremble at his word:(p)
"Your own people who hate(q) you,
and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the
Lord
be glorified,
that we may see your joy!'
Yet they will be put to shame.(r)
6 Hear that uproar from the city,
hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound(s) of the
Lord
repaying(t) his enemies all they deserve.
7 "Before she goes into labor,(u)
she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
she delivers a son.(v)
8 Who has ever heard of such things?
Who has ever seen(w) things like this?
Can a country be born in a day(x)
or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
than she gives birth to her children.(y)
9 Do I bring to the moment of birth(z)
and not give delivery?" says the
Lord
.
"Do I close up the womb
when I bring to delivery?" says your God.
10 "Rejoice(aa) with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
all you who love(ab) her;
rejoice greatly with her,
all you who mourn(ac) over her.
11 For you will nurse(ad) and be satisfied
at her comforting breasts;(ae)
you will drink deeply
and delight in her overflowing abundance."(af)
12 For this is what the Lord says:
"I will extend peace(ag) to her like a river,(ah)
and the wealth(ai) of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried(aj) on her arm
and dandled on her knees.
13 As a mother comforts her child,(ak)
so will I comfort(al) you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."
14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice(am)
and you will flourish(an) like grass;
the hand(ao) of the
Lord
will be made known to his servants,(ap)
but his fury(aq) will be shown to his foes.
15 See, the
Lord
is coming with fire,(ar)
and his chariots(as) are like a whirlwind;(at)
he will bring down his anger with fury,
and his rebuke(au) with flames of fire.
16 For with fire(av) and with his sword(aw)
the
Lord
will execute judgment(ax) on all people,
and many will be those slain(ay) by the
Lord
.
17 "Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,(az) following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs,(ba) rats(bb) and other unclean things—they will meet their end(bc) together with the one they follow," declares the Lord .
18 "And I, because of what they have planned and done,(bd) am about to come[a] and gather the people of all nations(be) and languages, and they will come and see my glory.(bf)
19 "I will set a sign(bg) among them, and I will send some of those who survive(bh) to the nations—to Tarshish,(bi) to the Libyans[b] and Lydians(bj) (famous as archers), to Tubal(bk) and Greece,(bl) and to the distant islands(bm) that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.(bn) They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring(bo) all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain(bp) in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord —on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,"(bq) says the Lord . "They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.(br) 21 And I will select some of them also to be priests(bs) and Levites," says the Lord .
22 "As the new heavens and the new earth(bt) that I make will endure before me," declares the Lord , "so will your name and descendants endure.(bu) 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath(bv) to another, all mankind will come and bow down(bw) before me," says the Lord . 24 "And they will go out and look on the dead bodies(bx) of those who rebelled(by) against me; the worms(bz) that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched,(ca) and they will be loathsome to all mankind."
Jeremiah 1:1-2:25
Chapter 1
1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth(a) in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The word of the Lord came(b) to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah(c) son of Amon king of Judah, 3 and through the reign of Jehoiakim(d) son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah(e) son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.(f)
The Call of Jeremiah
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 "Before I formed you in the womb(g) I knew[a](h) you,
before you were born(i) I set you apart;(j)
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.(k)"
6 "Alas, Sovereign Lord ," I said, "I do not know how to speak;(l) I am too young."(m)
7 But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, ‘I am too young.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid(n) of them, for I am with you(o) and will rescue(p) you," declares the Lord .(q)
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched(r) my mouth and said to me, "I have put my words in your mouth.(s) 10 See, today I appoint you over nations(t) and kingdoms to uproot(u) and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."(v)
11 The word of the Lord came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?"(w)
"I see the branch of an almond tree," I replied.
12 The Lord said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching[b](x) to see that my word is fulfilled."
13 The word of the Lord came to me again: "What do you see?"(y)
"I see a pot that is boiling," I answered. "It is tilting toward us from the north."
14 The Lord said to me, "From the north(z) disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms," declares the Lord .
"Their kings will come and set up their thrones
in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
and against all the towns of Judah.(aa)
16 I will pronounce my judgments(ab) on my people
because of their wickedness(ac) in forsaking me,(ad)
in burning incense to other gods(ae)
and in worshiping(af) what their hands have made.(ag)
17 "Get yourself ready! Stand up and say(ah) to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified(ai) by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you(aj) a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome(ak) you, for I am with you(al) and will rescue(am) you," declares the Lord .
Chapter 2
Israel Forsakes God
1 The word(a) of the Lord came to me: 2 "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
"This is what the Lord says:
"‘I remember the devotion of your youth,(b)
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the wilderness,(c)
through a land not sown.
3 Israel was holy(d) to the
Lord
,(e)
the firstfruits(f) of his harvest;
all who devoured(g) her were held guilty,(h)
and disaster overtook them,'"
declares the
Lord
.
4 Hear the word of the
Lord
, you descendants of Jacob,
all you clans of Israel.
5 This is what the Lord says:
"What fault did your ancestors find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols(i)
and became worthless(j) themselves.
6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the
Lord
,
who brought us up out of Egypt(k)
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts(l) and ravines,(m)
a land of drought and utter darkness,
a land where no one travels(n) and no one lives?'
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.(o)
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.(p)
8 The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the
Lord
?'
Those who deal with the law did not know me;(q)
the leaders(r) rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,(s)
following worthless idols.(t)
9 "Therefore I bring charges(u) against you again,"
declares the
Lord
.
"And I will bring charges against your children's children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus(v) and look,
send to Kedar[a](w) and observe closely;
see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
(Yet they are not gods(x) at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious(y) God
for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,
and shudder with great horror,"
declares the
Lord
.
13 "My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken(z) me,
the spring of living water,(aa)
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
14 Is Israel a servant, a slave(ab) by birth?
Why then has he become plunder?
15 Lions(ac) have roared;
they have growled at him.
They have laid waste(ad) his land;
his towns are burned(ae) and deserted.(af)
16 Also, the men of Memphis(ag) and Tahpanhes(ah)
have cracked your skull.
17 Have you not brought this on yourselves(ai)
by forsaking(aj) the
Lord
your God
when he led you in the way?
18 Now why go to Egypt(ak)
to drink water from the Nile[b]?(al)
And why go to Assyria(am)
to drink water from the Euphrates?(an)
19 Your wickedness will punish you;
your backsliding(ao) will rebuke(ap) you.
Consider then and realize
how evil and bitter(aq) it is for you
when you forsake(ar) the
Lord
your God
and have no awe(as) of me,"
declares the Lord, the
Lord
Almighty.
20 "Long ago you broke off your yoke(at)
and tore off your bonds;(au)
you said, ‘I will not serve you!'(av)
Indeed, on every high hill(aw)
and under every spreading tree(ax)
you lay down as a prostitute.(ay)
21 I had planted(az) you like a choice vine(ba)
of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
into a corrupt,(bb) wild vine?
22 Although you wash(bc) yourself with soap(bd)
and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
the stain of your guilt is still before me,"
declares the Sovereign
Lord
.(be)
23 "How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;(bf)
I have not run after the Baals'?(bg)
See how you behaved in the valley;(bh)
consider what you have done.
You are a swift she-camel
running(bi) here and there,
24 a wild donkey(bj) accustomed to the desert,(bk)
sniffing the wind in her craving—
in her heat who can restrain her?
Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves;
at mating time they will find her.
25 Do not run until your feet are bare
and your throat is dry.
But you said, ‘It's no use!(bl)
I love foreign gods,(bm)
and I must go after them.'(bn)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
