the Fifth Week after Easter
Click here to join the effort!
Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 9 - Bible-in-a-Year
nas
Ezekiel 14-15
Chapter 14
Idolatrous Elders Condemned
1 Then some (C1)elders of Israel came to me and (C2)sat down before me.2 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,3 "Son of man, these men have (C1)set up their idols in their hearts and have (C2)put in front of their faces the stumbling block of their wrongdoing. Should I let Myself be (C3)consulted by them at all?4 "Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the Lord (F1)GOD says: "Anyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will let Myself answer him in (F2)the matter in view of the (C1)multitude of his idols,5 in order to take hold of (F1)(C1)the hearts of the house of Israel who have (F2)(C2)turned away from Me due to all their idols."'
6 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "(C1)Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your (C2)abominations.7 "For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the (C1)strangers who reside in Israel, who deserts Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet to request something of Me for himself, (C2)I the LORD will let Myself answer him Myself.8 "I will (C1)set My face against that person and make him a (C2)sign and (F1)a proverb, and I will eliminate him from among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.
9 "But if the prophet is persuaded so that he speaks a word, it is I, the LORD, who have persuaded that prophet; and I will stretch out My hand against him and (C1)eliminate him from among My people Israel.10 "And they will bear the punishment for their wrongdoing; as the wrongdoing of the inquirer is, so the wrongdoing of the prophet will be,11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer (C1)stray from Me and no longer (C2)defile themselves with all their offenses. So they will be (C3)My people, and I shall be their God,"' declares the Lord GOD."
The City Will Not Be Spared
12 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,13 "Son of man, if a country sins against Me by (C1)being unfaithful, and I stretch out My hand against it, (F1)destroy its (C2)supply of bread, send famine against it, and eliminate from it both human and animal life,14 even (C1)though these three men, (C2)Noah, (C3)Daniel, and (C4)Job, were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only save (C5)themselves," declares the Lord GOD.15 "If I were to cause (C1)vicious animals to pass through the land and they (F1)depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the animals,16 though these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not save either their sons or their daughters. (C1)They alone would be saved, but the country would be desolate.17 "Or if I were to (C1)bring a sword on that country and say, 'A sword is to pass through the country,' and I (C2)eliminated human and animal life from it,18 even though these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not save either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be saved.19 "Or if I were to send a (C1)plague against that country and pour out My wrath on it in blood to eliminate man and animal from it,20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not save either their son or their daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness."
21 For this is what the Lord GOD says: "How much more when (C1)I send My four (F1)severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, vicious animals, and plague to eliminate human and animal life from it!22 "Yet, behold, (F1)survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come out to you, and you will (C1)see their conduct and actions; then you will be (C2)comforted for the disaster which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it.23 "Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done (C1)without reason whatever I did (F1)to it," declares the Lord GOD.
Chapter 15
Jerusalem like a Useless Vine
1 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,2 "Son of man, (F1)how is the wood of the (C1)vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest?3 "Can wood be taken from it to make (F1)anything, or can even a peg be taken from it on which to hang any utensil?4 "If it has been put into the (C1)fire for fuel, and the fire has consumed both of its ends and its middle part has been charred, is it then good for (F1)anything?5 "Behold, while it is intact, it is not made into (F1)anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into (F1)anything!6 "Therefore, this is what the Lord (F1)GOD says: 'As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem;7 and I (C1)set My face against them. Though they have (C2)come out of the fire, yet the fire will consume them. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I set My face against them.8 'So I will make the land desolate, because they have (C1)acted unfaithfully,'" declares the Lord GOD.
Isaiah 44
Chapter 44
The Blessings of Israel
1 "But now listen, Jacob, My (C1)servant,
And Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 This is what the LORD says, He who made you
And (C1)formed you from the womb, who (C2)will help you:
'(C3)Do not fear, Jacob My servant,
And (F1)(C4)Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 'For (C1)I will pour water on (F1)the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will (C2)pour out My Spirit on your (C3)offspring,
And My blessing on your descendants;
4 And they will spring up (F1)among the grass
Like (C1)poplars by streams of water.'
5 "This one will say, 'I am the LORD'S';
And that one (F1)will call on the name of Jacob;
And another will (C1)write (F2)on his hand, 'Belonging to the LORD,'
And will give himself Israel's name with honor.
6 "This is what the LORD says, He who is the (C1)King of Israel and his (C2)Redeemer, the LORD of armies: 'I am the (C3)first and I am the last,
And there is no God (C4)besides Me.
7 'Who is like Me? (C1)Let him proclaim and declare it;
And, let him confront Me
(F1)Beginning with My establishing of the ancient (F2)nation.
Then let them declare to them the things that are coming
And the events that are going to take place.
8 'Do not tremble and do not be afraid;
(C1)Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it?
And (C2)you are My witnesses.
Is there any God (C3)besides Me,
Or is there any other (C4)Rock?
I know of none.'"
The Foolishness of Idolatry
9 Those who fashion an idol are all futile, and their treasured things are of no benefit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be (C1)put to shame.10 Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to (C1)no benefit?11 Behold, all his companions will be (C1)put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them be put to shame together.
12 The (C1)craftsman of iron shapes a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, (F1)fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and (F2)his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary.13 (C1)The craftsman of wood extends a measuring line; he outlines it with a marker. He works it with carving knives and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of (C2)mankind, so that it may sit in a (C3)house.14 He will cut cedars for himself, and he takes a holm-oak or another oak and lets it grow strong for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel tree, and the rain makes it grow.15 Then it becomes something for a person to burn, so he takes one of them and gets warm; he also makes a fire and bakes bread. He also (C1)makes a god and worships it; he makes it a carved image and (C2)bows down before it.16 Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat, he roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, "Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire."17 Yet the rest of it he (C1)makes into a god, his carved image. He bows down before it and worships; he also (C2)prays to it and says, "Save me, for you are my god."
18 They do not (C1)know, nor do they understand, for He has (C2)smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see, and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.19 No one (F1)remembers, nor is there (C1)knowledge or understanding to say, "I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then (F2)I make the rest of it into an (C2)abomination, (F3)I bow down before a block of wood!"20 He (F1)(C1)feeds on ashes; a (C2)deceived heart has misled him. And he cannot save (F2)himself, nor say, "(C3)Is there not a lie in my right hand?"
God Forgives and Redeems
21 "(C1)Remember these things, Jacob,
And Israel, for you are (C2)My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant,
Israel, you will (C3)not be forgotten by Me.
22 "I have (C1)wiped out your wrongdoings like a thick cloud
And your sins like a (F1)heavy mist.
(C2)Return to Me, for I have (C3)redeemed you."
23 (C1)Shout for joy, you heavens, for the LORD has done it!
Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth;
(C2)Break into a shout of jubilation, you mountains,
Forest, and every tree in it;
For (C3)the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
And in Israel He (C4)shows His glory.
24 This is what the LORD says, He who is your (C1)Redeemer, and the One who (C2)formed you from the womb: "I, the LORD, am the Maker of all things,
(C3)Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth (F1)alone,
25 (C1)Causing the (F1)omens of diviners to fail,
(F2)Making fools of fortune-tellers;
(C2)Causing wise men to turn back
And (F3)making their knowledge ridiculous,
26 (C1)Confirming the word of His servant
And (F1)carrying out the purpose of His messengers.
It is I who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited!'
And of the (C2)cities of Judah, '(C3)They shall be built.'
And I will raise her ruins again.
27 "I am the One who says to the depth of the sea, 'Dry up!'
And I will make your rivers (C1)dry up.
28 "It is I who says of (C1)Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd,
And he will carry out all My desire.'
And (F1)he says of Jerusalem, '(C2)She will be built,'
And of the temple, '(F2)Your foundation will be laid.'"
Ephesians 5:1-20
Chapter 5
Be Imitators of God
1 (C1)Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;2 and (C1)walk in love, just as Christ also (C2)loved (F1)you and (C3)gave Himself up for us, an (C4)offering and a sacrifice to God (F2)as a (C5)fragrant aroma.
3 But (C1)sexual immorality (F1)or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among (F2)saints;4 and there must be no (C1)filthiness (F1)or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which (C2)are not fitting, but rather (C3)giving of thanks.5 For this you know with certainty, that (C1)no sexually immoral or (F1)impure or greedy person, which (F2)amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom (C2)of Christ and God.
6 (C1)See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things (C2)the wrath of God comes upon (C3)the (F1)sons of disobedience.7 Therefore do not become (C1)partners with them;8 for (C1)you were once (C2)darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as (C3)children of light9 (for (C1)the fruit of the light consists in all (C2)goodness, righteousness, and truth),10 (F1)(C1)as you try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.11 (C1)Do not participate in the useless (C2)deeds of (C3)darkness, but instead even (C4)expose them;12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.13 But all things become visible (C1)when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.14 For this reason (F1)it says, "(C1)Awake, sleeper,
And arise from (C2)the dead,
And Christ (C3)will shine on you."
15 So then, (F1)be careful how you (C1)walk, not (C2)as unwise people but as wise,16 (F1)(C1)making the most of your time, because (C2)the days are evil.17 Therefore do not be foolish, but (C1)understand what the will of the Lord is.18 And (C1)do not get drunk with wine, (F1)in which there is (C2)debauchery, but be (C3)filled with the Spirit,19 (C1)speaking to (F1)one another in (C2)psalms and (C3)hymns and spiritual (C4)songs, (C5)singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord;20 (C1)always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our (C2)God and Father;<
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995,2020 by The Lockman Foundation
