the Third Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
June 22 - Historical Order
niv
Nahum 1-3
Chapter 1
1 A prophecy(a) concerning Nineveh.(b) The book of the vision(c) of Nahum the Elkoshite.
The Lord's Anger Against Nineveh
2 The
Lord
is a jealous(d) and avenging God;
the
Lord
takes vengeance(e) and is filled with wrath.
The
Lord
takes vengeance on his foes
and vents his wrath against his enemies.(f)
3 The
Lord
is slow to anger(g) but great in power;
the
Lord
will not leave the guilty unpunished.(h)
His way is in the whirlwind(i) and the storm,(j)
and clouds(k) are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebukes(l) the sea and dries it up;(m)
he makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel(n) wither
and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
5 The mountains quake(o) before him
and the hills melt away.(p)
The earth trembles(q) at his presence,
the world and all who live in it.(r)
6 Who can withstand(s) his indignation?
Who can endure(t) his fierce anger?(u)
His wrath is poured out like fire;(v)
the rocks are shattered(w) before him.
7 The
Lord
is good,(x)
a refuge in times of trouble.(y)
He cares for(z) those who trust in him,(aa)
8
but with an overwhelming flood(ab)
he will make an end of Nineveh;
he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.
9 Whatever they plot(ac) against the
Lord
he will bring[a] to an end;
trouble will not come a second time.
10 They will be entangled among thorns(ad)
and drunk(ae) from their wine;
they will be consumed like dry stubble.[b](af)
11 From you, Nineveh, has one come forth
who plots evil against the
Lord
and devises wicked plans.
12 This is what the Lord says:
"Although they have allies and are numerous,
they will be destroyed(ag) and pass away.
Although I have afflicted you, Judah,
I will afflict you no more.(ah)
13 Now I will break their yoke(ai) from your neck
and tear your shackles away."(aj)
14 The
Lord
has given a command concerning you, Nineveh:
"You will have no descendants to bear your name.(ak)
I will destroy the images(al) and idols
that are in the temple of your gods.
I will prepare your grave,(am)
for you are vile."
15 Look, there on the mountains,
the feet of one who brings good news,(an)
who proclaims peace!(ao)
Celebrate your festivals,(ap) Judah,
and fulfill your vows.
No more will the wicked invade you;(aq)
they will be completely destroyed.[c]
Chapter 2
Nineveh to Fall
1 [a]An attacker(a) advances against you, Nineveh.
Guard the fortress,
watch the road,
brace yourselves,
marshal all your strength!
2 The
Lord
will restore(b) the splendor(c) of Jacob
like the splendor of Israel,
though destroyers have laid them waste
and have ruined their vines.
3 The shields of the soldiers are red;
the warriors are clad in scarlet.(d)
The metal on the chariots flashes
on the day they are made ready;
the spears of juniper are brandished.[b]
4 The chariots(e) storm through the streets,
rushing back and forth through the squares.
They look like flaming torches;
they dart about like lightning.
5 Nineveh summons her picked troops,
yet they stumble(f) on their way.
They dash to the city wall;
the protective shield is put in place.
6 The river gates(g) are thrown open
and the palace collapses.
7 It is decreed[c] that Nineveh
be exiled and carried away.
Her female slaves moan(h) like doves
and beat on their breasts.(i)
8 Nineveh is like a pool
whose water is draining away.
"Stop! Stop!" they cry,
but no one turns back.
9 Plunder the silver!
Plunder the gold!
The supply is endless,
the wealth from all its treasures!
10 She is pillaged, plundered, stripped!
Hearts melt,(j) knees give way,
bodies tremble, every face grows pale.(k)
11 Where now is the lions' den,(l)
the place where they fed their young,
where the lion and lioness went,
and the cubs, with nothing to fear?
12 The lion killed(m) enough for his cubs
and strangled the prey for his mate,
filling his lairs(n) with the kill
and his dens with the prey.(o)
13 "I am against(p) you,"
declares the
Lord
Almighty.
"I will burn up your chariots in smoke,(q)
and the sword(r) will devour your young lions.
I will leave you no prey on the earth.
The voices of your messengers
will no longer be heard."(s)
Chapter 3
Woe to Nineveh
1 Woe to the city of blood,(a)
full of lies,(b)
full of plunder,
never without victims!
2 The crack of whips,
the clatter of wheels,
galloping horses
and jolting chariots!
3 Charging cavalry,
flashing swords
and glittering spears!
Many casualties,
piles of dead,
bodies without number,
people stumbling over the corpses(c)—
4 all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,
alluring, the mistress of sorceries,(d)
who enslaved nations by her prostitution(e)
and peoples by her witchcraft.
5 "I am against(f) you," declares the
Lord
Almighty.
"I will lift your skirts(g) over your face.
I will show the nations your nakedness(h)
and the kingdoms your shame.
6 I will pelt you with filth,(i)
I will treat you with contempt(j)
and make you a spectacle.(k)
7 All who see you will flee(l) from you and say,
‘Nineveh(m) is in ruins(n)—who will mourn for her?'(o)
Where can I find anyone to comfort(p) you?"
8 Are you better than(q) Thebes,(r)
situated on the Nile,(s)
with water around her?
The river was her defense,
the waters her wall.
9 Cush[a](t) and Egypt were her boundless strength;
Put(u) and Libya(v) were among her allies.
10 Yet she was taken captive(w)
and went into exile.
Her infants were dashed(x) to pieces
at every street corner.
Lots(y) were cast for her nobles,
and all her great men were put in chains.(z)
11 You too will become drunk;(aa)
you will go into hiding(ab)
and seek refuge from the enemy.
12 All your fortresses are like fig trees
with their first ripe fruit;(ac)
when they are shaken,
the figs(ad) fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Look at your troops—
they are all weaklings.(ae)
The gates(af) of your land
are wide open to your enemies;
fire has consumed the bars of your gates.(ag)
14 Draw water for the siege,(ah)
strengthen your defenses!(ai)
Work the clay,
tread the mortar,
repair the brickwork!
15 There the fire(aj) will consume you;
the sword(ak) will cut you down—
they will devour you like a swarm of locusts.
Multiply like grasshoppers,
multiply like locusts!(al)
16 You have increased the number of your merchants
till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky,
but like locusts(am) they strip the land
and then fly away.
17 Your guards are like locusts,(an)
your officials like swarms of locusts
that settle in the walls on a cold day—
but when the sun appears they fly away,
and no one knows where.
18 King of Assyria, your shepherds[b] slumber;(ao)
your nobles lie down to rest.(ap)
Your people are scattered(aq) on the mountains
with no one to gather them.
19 Nothing can heal you;(ar)
your wound is fatal.
All who hear the news about you
clap their hands(as) at your fall,
for who has not felt
your endless cruelty?(at)
Habakkuk 1-3
Chapter 1
1 The prophecy(a) that Habakkuk the prophet received.
Habakkuk's Complaint
2 How long,(b)
Lord
, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?(c)
Or cry out to you, "Violence!"
but you do not save?(d)
3 Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate(e) wrongdoing?(f)
Destruction and violence(g) are before me;
there is strife,(h) and conflict abounds.
4 Therefore the law(i) is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice(j) is perverted.(k)
The Lord's Answer
5 "Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.(l)
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.(m)
6 I am raising up the Babylonians,[a](n)
that ruthless and impetuous people,
who sweep across the whole earth(o)
to seize dwellings not their own.(p)
7 They are a feared and dreaded people;(q)
they are a law to themselves
and promote their own honor.
8 Their horses are swifter(r) than leopards,
fiercer than wolves(s) at dusk.
Their cavalry gallops headlong;
their horsemen come from afar.
They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;
9
they all come intent on violence.
Their hordes[b] advance like a desert wind
and gather prisoners(t) like sand.
10 They mock kings
and scoff at rulers.(u)
They laugh at all fortified cities;
by building earthen ramps(v) they capture them.
11 Then they sweep past like the wind(w) and go on—
guilty people, whose own strength is their god."(x)
Habakkuk's Second Complaint
12
Lord
, are you not from everlasting?(y)
My God, my Holy One,(z) you[c] will never die.(aa)
You,
Lord
, have appointed(ab) them to execute judgment;
you, my Rock,(ac) have ordained them to punish.
13 Your eyes are too pure(ad) to look on evil;
you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.(ae)
Why then do you tolerate(af) the treacherous?(ag)
Why are you silent while the wicked
swallow up those more righteous than themselves?(ah)
14 You have made people like the fish in the sea,
like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
15 The wicked(ai) foe pulls all of them up with hooks,(aj)
he catches them in his net,(ak)
he gathers them up in his dragnet;
and so he rejoices and is glad.
16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net
and burns incense(al) to his dragnet,
for by his net he lives in luxury
and enjoys the choicest food.
17 Is he to keep on emptying his net,
destroying nations without mercy?(am)
Chapter 2
1 I will stand at my watch(a)
and station myself on the ramparts;(b)
I will look to see what he will say(c) to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.[a](d)
The Lord's Answer
2 Then the Lord replied:
"Write(e) down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald[b] may run with it.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;(f)
it speaks of the end(g)
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait(h) for it;
it[c] will certainly come
and will not delay.(i)
4 "See, the enemy is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous person(j) will live by his faithfulness[d](k)—
5 indeed, wine(l) betrays him;
he is arrogant(m) and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
and like death is never satisfied,(n)
he gathers to himself all the nations
and takes captive(o) all the peoples.
6 "Will not all of them taunt(p) him with ridicule and scorn, saying,
"‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
and makes himself wealthy by extortion!(q)
How long must this go on?'
7 Will not your creditors suddenly arise?
Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
Then you will become their prey.(r)
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
the peoples who are left will plunder you.(s)
For you have shed human blood;(t)
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.(u)
9 "Woe to him who builds(v) his house by unjust gain,(w)
setting his nest(x) on high
to escape the clutches of ruin!
10 You have plotted the ruin(y) of many peoples,
shaming(z) your own house and forfeiting your life.
11 The stones(aa) of the wall will cry out,
and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.
12 "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed(ab)
and establishes a town by injustice!
13 Has not the
Lord
Almighty determined
that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire,(ac)
that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?(ad)
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory(ae) of the
Lord
as the waters cover the sea.(af)
15 "Woe to him who gives drink(ag) to his neighbors,
pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!
16 You will be filled with shame(ah) instead of glory.(ai)
Now it is your turn! Drink(aj) and let your nakedness be exposed[e]!(ak)
The cup(al) from the
Lord
's right hand is coming around to you,
and disgrace will cover your glory.
17 The violence(am) you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
and your destruction of animals will terrify you.(an)
For you have shed human blood;(ao)
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
18 "Of what value(ap) is an idol(aq) carved by a craftsman?
Or an image(ar) that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.(as)
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!'
Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!'(at)
Can it give guidance?
It is covered with gold and silver;(au)
there is no breath in it."(av)
20 The
Lord
is in his holy temple;(aw)
let all the earth be silent(ax) before him.
Chapter 3
Habakkuk's Prayer
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.[a](a)
2
Lord
, I have heard(b) of your fame;
I stand in awe(c) of your deeds,
Lord
.(d)
Repeat(e) them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.(f)
3 God came from Teman,(g)
the Holy One(h) from Mount Paran.[b](i)
His glory covered the heavens(j)
and his praise filled the earth.(k)
4 His splendor was like the sunrise;(l)
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power(m) was hidden.
5 Plague(n) went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled(o)
and the age-old hills(p) collapsed(q)—
but he marches on forever.(r)
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
the dwellings of Midian(s) in anguish.(t)
8 Were you angry with the rivers,(u)
Lord
?
Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea(v)
when you rode your horses
and your chariots to victory?(w)
9 You uncovered your bow,
you called for many arrows.(x)
You split the earth with rivers;
10
the mountains saw you and writhed.(y)
Torrents of water swept by;
the deep roared(z)
and lifted its waves(aa) on high.
11 Sun and moon stood still(ab) in the heavens
at the glint of your flying arrows,(ac)
at the lightning(ad) of your flashing spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the earth
and in anger you threshed(ae) the nations.
13 You came out(af) to deliver(ag) your people,
to save your anointed(ah) one.
You crushed(ai) the leader of the land of wickedness,
you stripped him from head to foot.
14 With his own spear you pierced his head
when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,(aj)
gloating as though about to devour
the wretched(ak) who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea(al) with your horses,
churning the great waters.(am)
16 I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.(an)
Yet I will wait patiently(ao) for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,(ap)
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,(aq)
18 yet I will rejoice in the
Lord
,(ar)
I will be joyful in God my Savior.(as)
19 The Sovereign
Lord
is my strength;(at)
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.(au)
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
