the Fifth Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
September 8 - Old & New Testament
niv
Isaiah 3,4
Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah
1 See now, the Lord,
the
Lord
Almighty,
is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah
both supply and support:(a)
all supplies of food(b) and all supplies of water,(c)
2
the hero and the warrior,(d)
the judge and the prophet,
the diviner(e) and the elder,(f)
3 the captain of fifty(g) and the man of rank,(h)
the counselor, skilled craftsman(i) and clever enchanter.(j)
4 "I will make mere youths their officials;
children will rule over them."(k)
5 People will oppress each other—
man against man, neighbor against neighbor.(l)
The young will rise up against the old,
the nobody against the honored.
6 A man will seize one of his brothers
in his father's house, and say,
"You have a cloak, you be our leader;
take charge of this heap of ruins!"
7 But in that day(m) he will cry out,
"I have no remedy.(n)
I have no food(o) or clothing in my house;
do not make me the leader of the people."(p)
8 Jerusalem staggers,
Judah is falling;(q)
their words(r) and deeds(s) are against the
Lord
,
defying(t) his glorious presence.
9 The look on their faces testifies(u) against them;
they parade their sin like Sodom;(v)
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
They have brought disaster(w) upon themselves.
10 Tell the righteous it will be well(x) with them,
for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(y)
11 Woe to the wicked!(z)
Disaster(aa) is upon them!
They will be paid back(ab)
for what their hands have done.(ac)
12 Youths(ad) oppress my people,
women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(ae)
they turn you from the path.
13 The
Lord
takes his place in court;(af)
he rises to judge(ag) the people.
14 The
Lord
enters into judgment(ah)
against the elders and leaders of his people:
"It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
the plunder(ai) from the poor(aj) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(ak)
and grinding(al) the faces of the poor?"(am)
declares the Lord, the
Lord
Almighty.(an)
16 The
Lord
says,
"The women of Zion(ao) are haughty,
walking along with outstretched necks,(ap)
flirting with their eyes,
strutting along with swaying hips,
with ornaments jingling on their ankles.
17 Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion;
the
Lord
will make their scalps bald.(aq)"
18 In that day(ar) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,(as) 19 the earrings and bracelets(at) and veils,(au) 20 the headdresses(av) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings,(aw) 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,(ax) the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments(ay) and tiaras(az) and shawls.
24 Instead of fragrance(ba) there will be a stench;(bb)
instead of a sash,(bc) a rope;
instead of well-dressed hair, baldness;(bd)
instead of fine clothing, sackcloth;(be)
instead of beauty,(bf) branding.(bg)
25 Your men will fall by the sword,(bh)
your warriors in battle.(bi)
26 The gates(bj) of Zion will lament and mourn;(bk)
destitute,(bl) she will sit on the ground.(bm)
1 1 In that day(a) seven women
will take hold of one man(b)
and say, "We will eat our own food(c)
and provide our own clothes;
only let us be called by your name.
Take away our disgrace!"(d)
The Branch of the Lord
2 In that day(e) the Branch of the Lord (f) will be beautiful(g) and glorious, and the fruit(h) of the land will be the pride and glory(i) of the survivors(j) in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion,(k) who remain(l) in Jerusalem, will be called holy,(m) all who are recorded(n) among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth(o) of the women of Zion;(p) he will cleanse(q) the bloodstains(r) from Jerusalem by a spirit[a] of judgment(s) and a spirit[b] of fire.(t) 5 Then the Lord will create(u) over all of Mount Zion(v) and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night;(w) over everything the glory[c](x) will be a canopy.(y) 6 It will be a shelter(z) and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge(aa) and hiding place from the storm(ab) and rain.
2 Corinthians 12
Chapter 12
Paul's Vision and His Thorn
1 I must go on boasting.(a) Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations(b) from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ(c) who fourteen years ago was caught up(d) to the third heaven.(e) Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.(f) 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up(g) to paradise(h) and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.(i) 6 Even if I should choose to boast,(j) I would not be a fool,(k) because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations.(l) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,(m) a messenger of Satan,(n) to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.(o) 9 But he said to me, "My grace(p) is sufficient for you, for my power(q) is made perfect in weakness.(r)"(s) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight(t) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,(u) in persecutions,(v) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.(w)
Paul's Concern for the Corinthians
11 I have made a fool of myself,(x) but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the "super-apostles,"[a](y) even though I am nothing.(z) 12 I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.(aa) 13 How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you?(ab) Forgive me this wrong!(ac)
14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,(ad) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,(ae) but parents for their children.(af) 15 So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.(ag) If I love you more,(ah) will you love me less? 16 Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.(ai) Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 17 Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? 18 I urged(aj) Titus(ak) to go to you and I sent our brother(al) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?
19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God(am) as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends,(an) is for your strengthening.(ao) 20 For I am afraid that when I come(ap) I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.(aq) I fear that there may be discord,(ar) jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,(as) slander,(at) gossip,(au) arrogance(av) and disorder.(aw) 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved(ax) over many who have sinned earlier(ay) and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery(az) in which they have indulged.
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