the Fourth Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
May 31 - Old & New Testament
niv
Psalms 36,37,38
Psalm 36[a]
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord .
1 I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[b](a)
There is no fear(b) of God
before their eyes.(c)
2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.(d)
3 The words of their mouths(e) are wicked and deceitful;(f)
they fail to act wisely(g) or do good.(h)
4 Even on their beds they plot evil;(i)
they commit themselves to a sinful course(j)
and do not reject what is wrong.(k)
5 Your love,
Lord
, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness(l) to the skies.(m)
6 Your righteousness(n) is like the highest mountains,(o)
your justice like the great deep.(p)
You,
Lord
, preserve both people and animals.(q)
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!(r)
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(s)
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;(t)
you give them drink from your river(u) of delights.(v)
9 For with you is the fountain of life;(w)
in your light(x) we see light.
10 Continue your love(y) to those who know you,(z)
your righteousness to the upright in heart.(aa)
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked(ab) drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
thrown down, not able to rise!(ac)
Psalm 37[a]
Of David.
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious(a) of those who do wrong;(b)
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,(c)
like green plants they will soon die away.(d)
3 Trust in the
Lord
and do good;
dwell in the land(e) and enjoy safe pasture.(f)
4 Take delight(g) in the
Lord
,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.(h)
5 Commit your way to the
Lord
;
trust in him(i) and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward(j) shine like the dawn,(k)
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still(l) before the
Lord
and wait patiently(m) for him;
do not fret(n) when people succeed in their ways,(o)
when they carry out their wicked schemes.(p)
8 Refrain from anger(q) and turn from wrath;
do not fret(r)—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,(s)
but those who hope(t) in the
Lord
will inherit the land.(u)
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(v)
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(w)
and enjoy peace and prosperity.(x)
12 The wicked plot(y) against the righteous
and gnash their teeth(z) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.(aa)
14 The wicked draw the sword(ab)
and bend the bow(ac)
to bring down the poor and needy,(ad)
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(ae)
and their bows will be broken.(af)
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth(ag) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(ah)
but the
Lord
upholds(ai) the righteous.
18 The blameless spend their days under the
Lord
's care,(aj)
and their inheritance will endure forever.(ak)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish:(al)
Though the
Lord
's enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(am)
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;(an)
22 those the
Lord
blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses(ao) will be destroyed.(ap)
23 The
Lord
makes firm the steps(aq)
of the one who delights(ar) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(as)
for the
Lord
upholds(at) him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(au)
or their children begging(av) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(aw)
their children will be a blessing.[b](ax)
27 Turn from evil and do good;(ay)
then you will dwell in the land forever.(az)
28 For the
Lord
loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.(ba)
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[c];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.(bb)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(bc)
and dwell in it forever.(bd)
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(be)
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;(bf)
their feet do not slip.(bg)
32 The wicked lie in wait(bh) for the righteous,(bi)
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the
Lord
will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned(bj) when brought to trial.(bk)
34 Hope in the
Lord
(bl)
and keep his way.(bm)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed,(bn) you will see(bo) it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing(bp) like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.(bq)
37 Consider the blameless,(br) observe the upright;(bs)
a future awaits those who seek peace.[d](bt)
38 But all sinners(bu) will be destroyed;(bv)
there will be no future[e] for the wicked.(bw)
39 The salvation(bx) of the righteous comes from the
Lord
;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.(by)
40 The
Lord
helps(bz) them and delivers(ca) them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves(cb) them,
because they take refuge(cc) in him.
Psalm 38[a]
A psalm of David. A petition.
1
Lord
, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.(a)
2 Your arrows(b) have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health(c) in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones(d) because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed(e) me
like a burden too heavy to bear.(f)
5 My wounds(g) fester and are loathsome(h)
because of my sinful folly.(i)
6 I am bowed down(j) and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.(k)
7 My back is filled with searing pain;(l)
there is no health(m) in my body.
8 I am feeble and utterly crushed;(n)
I groan(o) in anguish of heart.(p)
9 All my longings(q) lie open before you, Lord;
my sighing(r) is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds,(s) my strength fails(t) me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.(u)
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;(v)
my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,(w)
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;(x)
all day long they scheme and lie.(y)
13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,(z)
like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
15
Lord
, I wait(aa) for you;
you will answer,(ab) Lord my God.
16 For I said, "Do not let them gloat(ac)
or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip."(ad)
17 For I am about to fall,(ae)
and my pain(af) is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;(ag)
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies(ah) without cause[b];
those who hate me(ai) without reason(aj) are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil(ak)
lodge accusations(al) against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
21
Lord
, do not forsake me;(am)
do not be far(an) from me, my God.
22 Come quickly(ao) to help me,(ap)
my Lord and my Savior.(aq)
John 12:1-26
Chapter 12
Jesus Anointed at Bethany(a)
1 Six days before the Passover,(b) Jesus came to Bethany,(c) where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served,(d) while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume;(e) she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair.(f) And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him,(g) objected, 5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.[b]" 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag,(h) he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.(i) 8 You will always have the poor among you,[c](j) but you will not always have me."
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.(k) 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him(l) many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.(m)
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King(n)
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches(o) and went out to meet him, shouting,
"Hosanna![d]"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"[e](p)
"Blessed is the king of Israel!"(q)
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
15 "Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey's colt."[f](r)
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this.(s) Only after Jesus was glorified(t) did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.
17 Now the crowd that was with him(u) when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign,(v) went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"(w)
Jesus Predicts His Death
20 Now there were some Greeks(x) among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida(y) in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, "The hour(z) has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.(aa) 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,(ab) it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it(ac) for eternal life.(ad) 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.(ae) My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
