the Fourth Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
August 20 - Old & New Testament
niv
Psalms 87,88
Psalm 87
Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.
1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain.(a)
2 The
Lord
loves the gates of Zion(b)
more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are said of you,
city of God:[a](c)
4 "I will record Rahab[b](d) and Babylon
among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia(e) too, and Tyre(f), along with Cush[c]—
and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.'"[d](g)
5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
"This one and that one were born in her,
and the Most High himself will establish her."
6 The
Lord
will write in the register(h) of the peoples:
"This one was born in Zion."
7 As they make music(i) they will sing,
"All my fountains(j) are in you."
Psalm 88[a]
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.[b] A maskil[c] of Heman the Ezrahite.
1
Lord
, you are the God who saves me;(a)
day and night I cry out(b) to you.
2 May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.
3 I am overwhelmed with troubles(c)
and my life draws near to death.(d)
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;(e)
I am like one without strength.(f)
5 I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off(g) from your care.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.(h)
7 Your wrath(i) lies heavily on me;
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.[d](j)
8 You have taken from me my closest friends(k)
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined(l) and cannot escape;(m)
9
my eyes(n) are dim with grief.
I call(o) to you,
Lord
, every day;
I spread out my hands(p) to you.
10 Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?(q)
11 Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness(r) in Destruction[e]?
12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
13 But I cry to you for help,(s)
Lord
;
in the morning(t) my prayer comes before you.(u)
14 Why,
Lord
, do you reject(v) me
and hide your face(w) from me?
15 From my youth(x) I have suffered(y) and been close to death;
I have borne your terrors(z) and am in despair.(aa)
16 Your wrath(ab) has swept over me;
your terrors(ac) have destroyed me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood;(ad)
they have completely engulfed me.
18 You have taken from me friend(ae) and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.
1 Corinthians 12
Chapter 12
Concerning Spiritual Gifts
1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit,(a) brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.(b) 2 You know that when you were pagans,(c) somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.(d) 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed,"(e) and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord,"(f) except by the Holy Spirit.(g)
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit(h) distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone(i) it is the same God(j) at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.(k) 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom,(l) to another a message of knowledge(m) by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith(n) by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing(o) by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers,(p) to another prophecy,(q) to another distinguishing between spirits,(r) to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a](s) and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,(t) and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Unity and Diversity in the Body
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body,(u) so it is with Christ.(v) 13 For we were all baptized(w) by[c] one Spirit(x) so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free(y)—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.(z) 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.(aa)
15 Now if the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed(ab) the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.(ac) 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.(ad)
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ,(ae) and each one of you is a part of it.(af) 28 And God has placed in the church(ag) first of all apostles,(ah) second prophets,(ai) third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing,(aj) of helping, of guidance,(ak) and of different kinds of tongues.(al) 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]?(am) Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire(an) the greater gifts.
Love Is Indispensable
And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
