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Thursday, May 2nd, 2024
the Fifth Week after Easter

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Bible Reading Plan

Daily Bible Reading

September 21 - Old & New Testament
niv

Jump to: Isaiah 28,29 • Romans 1

Isaiah 28,29

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Woe to the Leaders of Ephraim and Judah

¹ Woe^(a) to that wreath, the pride of Ephraim's^(b) drunkards,
     to the fading flower, his glorious beauty,
set on the head of a fertile valley^(c)—
     to that city, the pride of those laid low by wine!^(d)
² See, the Lord has one who is powerful^(e) and strong.
     Like a hailstorm^(f) and a destructive wind,^(g)
like a driving rain and a flooding^(h) downpour,
     he will throw it forcefully to the ground.
³ That wreath, the pride of Ephraim's⁽ⁱ⁾ drunkards,
     will be trampled^(j) underfoot.
⁴ That fading flower, his glorious beauty,
     set on the head of a fertile valley,^(k)
will be like figs^(l) ripe before harvest—
     as soon as people see them and take them in hand,
     they swallow them.

⁵ In that day^(m) the Lord Almighty
     will be a glorious⁽ⁿ⁾ crown,^(o)
a beautiful wreath
     for the remnant^(p) of his people.
⁶ He will be a spirit of justice^(q)
     to the one who sits in judgment,^(r)
a source of strength
     to those who turn back the battle^(s) at the gate.

⁷ And these also stagger^(t) from wine^(u)
     and reel^(v) from beer:
Priests^(w) and prophets^(x) stagger from beer
     and are befuddled with wine;
they reel from beer,
     they stagger when seeing visions,^(y)
     they stumble when rendering decisions.
⁸ All the tables are covered with vomit^(z)
     and there is not a spot without filth.

⁹ "Who is it he is trying to teach?^(aa)
     To whom is he explaining his message?^(ab)
To children weaned^(ac) from their milk,^(ad)
     to those just taken from the breast?
¹⁰ For it is:
     Do this, do that,
     a rule for this, a rule for that^[a];
     a little here, a little there.^(ae)"

¹¹ Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues^(af)
     God will speak to this people,^(ag)
¹² to whom he said,
     "This is the resting place, let the weary rest";^(ah)
and, "This is the place of repose"—
     but they would not listen.
¹³ So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:
     Do this, do that,
     a rule for this, a rule for that;
     a little here, a little there^(ai)—
so that as they go they will fall backward;
     they will be injured^(aj) and snared and captured.^(ak)

¹⁴ Therefore hear the word of the Lord ,^(al) you scoffers^(am)
     who rule this people in Jerusalem.
¹⁵ You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death,^(an)
     with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^(ao)
     it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie^(ap) our refuge
     and falsehood^[b] our hiding place.^(aq)"

¹⁶ So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

"See, I lay a stone in Zion,^(ar) a tested stone,^(as)
     a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;^(at)
the one who relies on it
     will never be stricken with panic.^(au)
¹⁷ I will make justice^(av) the measuring line
     and righteousness the plumb line;^(aw)
hail^(ax) will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
     and water will overflow^(ay) your hiding place.
¹⁸ Your covenant with death will be annulled;
     your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.^(az)
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^(ba)
     you will be beaten down^(bb) by it.
¹⁹ As often as it comes it will carry you away;^(bc)
     morning after morning,^(bd) by day and by night,
     it will sweep through."

The understanding of this message
     will bring sheer terror.^(be)
²⁰ The bed is too short to stretch out on,
     the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.^(bf)
²¹ The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,^(bg)
     he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon^(bh)—
to do his work,^(bi) his strange work,
     and perform his task, his alien task.
²² Now stop your mocking,^(bj)
     or your chains will become heavier;
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me
     of the destruction decreed^(bk) against the whole land.^(bl)

²³ Listen^(bm) and hear my voice;
     pay attention and hear what I say.
²⁴ When a farmer plows for planting,^(bn) does he plow continually?
     Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?
²⁵ When he has leveled the surface,
     does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?^(bo)
Does he not plant wheat in its place,^[c]
     barley^(bp) in its plot,^[d]
     and spelt^(bq) in its field?
²⁶ His God instructs him
     and teaches^(br) him the right way.

²⁷ Caraway is not threshed^(bs) with a sledge,^(bt)
     nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,^(bu)
     and cumin with a stick.
²⁸ Grain must be ground to make bread;
     so one does not go on threshing it forever.
The wheels of a threshing cart^(bv) may be rolled over it,
     but one does not use horses to grind grain.
²⁹ All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,
     whose plan is wonderful,^(bw)
     whose wisdom is magnificent.^(bx)

Woe to David's City

¹ Woe^(a) to you, Ariel, Ariel,^(b)
     the city^(c) where David settled!
Add year to year
     and let your cycle of festivals^(d) go on.
² Yet I will besiege Ariel;^(e)
     she will mourn and lament,^(f)
     she will be to me like an altar hearth.^[a]^(g)
³ I will encamp against you on all sides;
     I will encircle^(h) you with towers
     and set up my siege works⁽ⁱ⁾ against you.
⁴ Brought low, you will speak from the ground;
     your speech will mumble^(j) out of the dust.^(k)
Your voice will come ghostlike^(l) from the earth;
     out of the dust your speech will whisper.^(m)

⁵ But your many enemies will become like fine dust,⁽ⁿ⁾
     the ruthless^(o) hordes like blown chaff.^(p)
Suddenly,^(q) in an instant,
⁶      the Lord Almighty will come^(r)
with thunder^(s) and earthquake^(t) and great noise,
     with windstorm and tempest^(u) and flames of a devouring fire.^(v)
⁷ Then the hordes of all the nations^(w) that fight against Ariel,^(x)
     that attack her and her fortress and besiege her,
will be as it is with a dream,^(y)
     with a vision in the night—
⁸ as when a hungry person dreams of eating,
     but awakens^(z) hungry still;
as when a thirsty person dreams of drinking,
     but awakens faint and thirsty still.^(aa)
So will it be with the hordes of all the nations
     that fight against Mount Zion.^(ab)

⁹ Be stunned and amazed,^(ac)
     blind yourselves and be sightless;^(ad)
be drunk,^(ae) but not from wine,^(af)
     stagger,^(ag) but not from beer.
¹⁰ The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep:^(ah)
     He has sealed your eyes^(ai) (the prophets);^(aj)
     he has covered your heads (the seers).^(ak)

¹¹ For you this whole vision^(al) is nothing but words sealed^(am) in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, "Read this, please," they will answer, "I can't; it is sealed." ¹² Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, "Read this, please," they will answer, "I don't know how to read."

¹³ The Lord says:

"These people^(an) come near to me with their mouth
     and honor me with their lips,^(ao)
     but their hearts are far from me.^(ap)
Their worship of me
     is based on merely human rules they have been taught.^[b]^(aq)
¹⁴ Therefore once more I will astound these people
     with wonder upon wonder;^(ar)
the wisdom of the wise^(as) will perish,
     the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.^(at)"
¹⁵ Woe to those who go to great depths
     to hide^(au) their plans from the Lord ,
who do their work in darkness and think,
     "Who sees us?^(av) Who will know?"^(aw)
¹⁶ You turn things upside down,
     as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!^(ax)
Shall what is formed say to the one who formed^(ay) it,
     "You did not make me"?
Can the pot say to the potter,^(az)
     "You know nothing"?^(ba)

¹⁷ In a very short time,^(bb) will not Lebanon^(bc) be turned into a fertile field^(bd)
     and the fertile field seem like a forest?^(be)
¹⁸ In that day^(bf) the deaf^(bg) will hear the words of the scroll,
     and out of gloom and darkness^(bh)
     the eyes of the blind will see.^(bi)
¹⁹ Once more the humble^(bj) will rejoice in the Lord ;
     the needy^(bk) will rejoice in the Holy One^(bl) of Israel.
²⁰ The ruthless^(bm) will vanish,^(bn)
     the mockers^(bo) will disappear,
     and all who have an eye for evil^(bp) will be cut down—
²¹ those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,
     who ensnare the defender in court^(bq)
     and with false testimony^(br) deprive the innocent of justice.^(bs)

²² Therefore this is what the Lord , who redeemed^(bt) Abraham,^(bu) says to the descendants of Jacob:

"No longer will Jacob be ashamed;^(bv)
     no longer will their faces grow pale.^(bw)
²³ When they see among them their children,^(bx)
     the work of my hands,^(by)
they will keep my name holy;^(bz)
     they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One^(ca) of Jacob,
     and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
²⁴ Those who are wayward^(cb) in spirit will gain understanding;^(cc)
     those who complain will accept instruction."^(cd)

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Romans 1

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Chapter 1

¹ Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle^(a) and set apart^(b) for the gospel of God^(c)— ² the gospel he promised beforehand^(d) through his prophets^(e) in the Holy Scriptures^(f) ³ regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life^[a]^(g) was a descendant of David,^(h) ⁴ and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power^[b]⁽ⁱ⁾ by his resurrection from the dead:^(j) Jesus Christ our Lord.^(k) ⁵ Through him we received grace^(l) and apostleship to call all the Gentiles^(m) to the obedience that comes from^[c] faith⁽ⁿ⁾ for his name's sake. ⁶ And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.^(o)

⁷ To all in Rome who are loved by God^(p) and called to be his holy people:^(q)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.^(r)

Paul's Longing to Visit Rome

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,^(s) because your faith is being reported all over the world.^(t) ⁹ God, whom I serve^(u) in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness^(v) how constantly I remember you ¹⁰ in my prayers at all times;^(w) and I pray that now at last by God's will^(x) the way may be opened for me to come to you.^(y)

¹¹ I long to see you^(z) so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift^(aa) to make you strong— ¹² that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware,^(ab) brothers and sisters,^[d]^(ac) that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now)^(ad) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

¹⁴ I am obligated^(ae) both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. ¹⁵ That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.^(af)

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel,^(ag) because it is the power of God^(ah) that brings salvation to everyone who believes:^(ai) first to the Jew,^(aj) then to the Gentile.^(ak) ¹⁷ For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed^(al)—a righteousness that is by faith^(am) from first to last,^[e] just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."^[f]^(an)

God's Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

¹⁸ The wrath of God^(ao) is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.^(ap) ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,^(aq) so that people are without excuse.^(ar)

²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.^(as) ²² Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools^(at) ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images^(au) made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them over^(av) in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.^(aw) ²⁵ They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,^(ax) and worshiped and served created things^(ay) rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.^(az) Amen.^(ba)

²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over^(bb) to shameful lusts.^(bc) Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.^(bd) ²⁷ In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.^(be)

²⁸ Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over^(bf) to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,^(bg) ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;^(bh) ³¹ they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love,^(bi) no mercy. ³² Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,^(bj) they not only continue to do these very things but also approve^(bk) of those who practice them.