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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
September 28 - Old & New Testament
niv
Isaiah 43,44
Israel's Only Savior
1 But now, this is what the
Lord
says—
he who created(a) you, Jacob,
he who formed(b) you, Israel:(c)
"Do not fear, for I have redeemed(d) you;
I have summoned you by name;(e) you are mine.(f)
2 When you pass through the waters,(g)
I will be with you;(h)
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,(i)
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.(j)
3 For I am the
Lord
your God,(k)
the Holy One(l) of Israel, your Savior;(m)
I give Egypt(n) for your ransom,
Cush[a](o) and Seba(p) in your stead.(q)
4 Since you are precious and honored(r) in my sight,
and because I love(s) you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid,(t) for I am with you;(u)
I will bring your children(v) from the east
and gather(w) you from the west.(x)
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!'
and to the south,(y) ‘Do not hold them back.'
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters(z) from the ends of the earth(aa)—
7 everyone who is called by my name,(ab)
whom I created(ac) for my glory,(ad)
whom I formed and made.(ae)"
8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,(af)
who have ears but are deaf.(ag)
9 All the nations gather together(ah)
and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold(ai) this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, "It is true."
10 "You are my witnesses,(aj)" declares the
Lord
,
"and my servant(ak) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know(al) and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god(am) was formed,
nor will there be one after me.(an)
11 I, even I, am the
Lord
,(ao)
and apart from me there is no savior.(ap)
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god(aq) among you.
You are my witnesses,(ar)" declares the
Lord
, "that I am God.
13
Yes, and from ancient days(as) I am he.(at)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?"(au)
God's Mercy and Israel's Unfaithfulness
14 This is what the
Lord
says—
your Redeemer,(av) the Holy One(aw) of Israel:
"For your sake I will send to Babylon
and bring down as fugitives(ax) all the Babylonians,[b](ay)
in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the
Lord
,(az) your Holy One,
Israel's Creator,(ba) your King.(bb)"
16 This is what the
Lord
says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,(bc)
17 who drew out(bd) the chariots and horses,(be)
the army and reinforcements together,(bf)
and they lay(bg) there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:(bh)
18 "Forget the former things;(bi)
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!(bj)
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness(bk)
and streams in the wasteland.(bl)
20 The wild animals(bm) honor me,
the jackals(bn) and the owls,
because I provide water(bo) in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21
the people I formed(bp) for myself(bq)
that they may proclaim my praise.(br)
22 "Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
you have not wearied(bs) yourselves for[c] me, Israel.(bt)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,(bu)
nor honored(bv) me with your sacrifices.(bw)
I have not burdened(bx) you with grain offerings
nor wearied you with demands(by) for incense.(bz)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus(ca) for me,
or lavished on me the fat(cb) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied(cc) me with your offenses.(cd)
25 "I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions,(ce) for my own sake,(cf)
and remembers your sins(cg) no more.(ch)
26 Review the past for me,
let us argue the matter together;(ci)
state the case(cj) for your innocence.
27 Your first father(ck) sinned;
those I sent to teach(cl) you rebelled(cm) against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
I consigned Jacob to destruction[d](cn)
and Israel to scorn.(co)
Israel the Chosen
1 "But now listen, Jacob, my servant,(a)
Israel, whom I have chosen.(b)
2 This is what the
Lord
says—
he who made(c) you, who formed you in the womb,(d)
and who will help(e) you:
Do not be afraid,(f) Jacob, my servant,(g)
Jeshurun,[a](h) whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water(i) on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;(j)
I will pour out my Spirit(k) on your offspring,
and my blessing(l) on your descendants.(m)
4 They will spring up like grass(n) in a meadow,
like poplar trees(o) by flowing streams.(p)
5 Some will say, ‘I belong(q) to the
Lord
';
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand,(r) ‘The
Lord
's,'(s)
and will take the name Israel.
The Lord, Not Idols
6 "This is what the
Lord
says—
Israel's King(t) and Redeemer,(u) the
Lord
Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;(v)
apart from me there is no God.(w)
7 Who then is like me?(x) Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
and what is yet to come—
yes, let them foretell(y) what will come.
8 Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim(z) this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God(aa) besides me?
No, there is no other Rock;(ab) I know not one."
9 All who make idols(ac) are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.(ad)
Those who would speak up for them are blind;(ae)
they are ignorant, to their own shame.(af)
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,(ag)
which can profit nothing?(ah)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;(ai)
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame.(aj)
12 The blacksmith(ak) takes a tool
and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
he forges it with the might of his arm.(al)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
he drinks no water and grows faint.(am)
13 The carpenter(an) measures with a line
and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,(ao)
human form in all its glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.(ap)
14 He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine,(aq) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(ar) for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships(as) it;
he makes an idol and bows(at) down to it.
16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
"Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.(au)"
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.(av)
He prays(aw) to it and says,
"Save(ax) me! You are my god!"
18 They know nothing, they understand(ay) nothing;
their eyes(az) are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19 No one stops to think,
no one has the knowledge or understanding(ba) to say,
"Half of it I used for fuel;(bb)
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable(bc) thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?"(bd)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;(be) a deluded(bf) heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
"Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?(bg)"
21 "Remember(bh) these things, Jacob,
for you, Israel, are my servant.(bi)
I have made you, you are my servant;(bj)
Israel, I will not forget you.(bk)
22 I have swept away(bl) your offenses like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return(bm) to me,
for I have redeemed(bn) you."
23 Sing for joy,(bo) you heavens, for the
Lord
has done this;
shout aloud, you earth(bp) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,(bq)
you forests and all your trees,(br)
for the
Lord
has redeemed(bs) Jacob,
he displays his glory(bt) in Israel.
Jerusalem to Be Inhabited
24 "This is what the
Lord
says—
your Redeemer,(bu) who formed(bv) you in the womb:(bw)
I am the
Lord
,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens,(bx)
who spreads out the earth(by) by myself,
25 who foils(bz) the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,(ca)
who overthrows the learning of the wise(cb)
and turns it into nonsense,(cc)
26 who carries out the words(cd) of his servants
and fulfills(ce) the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem,(cf) ‘It shall be inhabited,'
of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,'
and of their ruins,(cg) ‘I will restore them,'(ch)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
and I will dry up(ci) your streams,'
28 who says of Cyrus,(cj) ‘He is my shepherd
and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,(ck) "Let it be rebuilt,"
and of the temple,(cl) "Let its foundations(cm) be laid."'
Romans 8:1-21
Chapter 8
Life Through the Spirit
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation(a) for those who are in Christ Jesus,(b) 2 because through Christ Jesus(c) the law of the Spirit who gives life(d) has set you[a] free(e) from the law of sin(f) and death. 3 For what the law was powerless(g) to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b](h) God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh(i) to be a sin offering.[c](j) And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement(k) of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.(l)
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;(m) but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.(n) 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death,(o) but the mind governed by the Spirit is life(p) and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God;(q) it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh(r) cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh(s) but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.(t) And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,(u) they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you,(v) then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead(w) is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies(x) because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.(y) 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die;(z) but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,(aa) you will live.(ab)
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God(ac) are the children of God.(ad) 15 The Spirit(ae) you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;(af) rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, "Abba,[g] Father."(ag) 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit(ah) that we are God's children.(ai) 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs(aj)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings(ak) in order that we may also share in his glory.(al)
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.(am) 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God(an) to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,(ao) in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay(ap) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.(aq)
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