the Third Week after Easter
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 15 - Old & New Testament
niv
Psalms 79,80
Psalm 79
A psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;(a)
they have defiled(b) your holy temple,
they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.(c)
2 They have left the dead bodies of your servants
as food for the birds of the sky,(d)
the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.(e)
3 They have poured out blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury(f) the dead.(g)
4 We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
of scorn(h) and derision to those around us.(i)
5 How long,(j)
Lord
? Will you be angry(k) forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?(l)
6 Pour out your wrath(m) on the nations
that do not acknowledge(n) you,
on the kingdoms
that do not call on your name;(o)
7 for they have devoured(p) Jacob
and devastated his homeland.
8 Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;(q)
may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate need.(r)
9 Help us,(s) God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name's sake.(t)
10 Why should the nations say,
"Where is their God?"(u)
Before our eyes, make known among the nations
that you avenge(v) the outpoured blood(w) of your servants.
11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
12 Pay back into the laps(x) of our neighbors seven times(y)
the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,(z)
will praise you forever;(aa)
from generation to generation
we will proclaim your praise.
Psalm 80[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of "The Lilies of the Covenant." Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.(a)
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,(b)
shine forth
2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.(c)
Awaken(d) your might;
come and save us.(e)
3 Restore(f) us,(g) O God;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.(h)
4 How long,(i)
Lord
God Almighty,
will your anger smolder(j)
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;(k)
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.(l)
6 You have made us an object of derision[b] to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.(m)
7 Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.(n)
8 You transplanted a vine(o) from Egypt;
you drove out(p) the nations and planted(q) it.
9 You cleared the ground for it,
and it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 Its branches reached as far as the Sea,[c]
its shoots as far as the River.[d](r)
12 Why have you broken down its walls(s)
so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13 Boars from the forest ravage(t) it,
and insects from the fields feed on it.
14 Return to us, God Almighty!
Look down from heaven and see!(u)
Watch over this vine,
15
the root your right hand has planted,
the son[e] you have raised up for yourself.
16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;(v)
at your rebuke(w) your people perish.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man(x) you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
revive(y) us, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us,
Lord
God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
Revelation 7
Chapter 7
144,000 Sealed
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners(a) of the earth, holding back the four winds(b) of the earth to prevent(c) any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal(d) of the living God.(e) He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:(f) 3 "Do not harm(g) the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads(h) of the servants of our God." 4 Then I heard the number(i) of those who were sealed: 144,000(j) from all the tribes of Israel.
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
The Great Multitude in White Robes
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,(k) standing before the throne(l) and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes(m) and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God,(n)
who sits on the throne,(o)
and to the Lamb."
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders(p) and the four living creatures.(q) They fell down on their faces(r) before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
"Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!"(s)
13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes(t)—who are they, and where did they come from?"
14 I answered, "Sir, you know."
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes(u) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.(v) 15 Therefore,
"they are before the throne of God(w)
and serve him(x) day and night in his temple;(y)
and he who sits on the throne(z)
will shelter them with his presence.(aa)
16 ‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.(ab)
The sun will not beat down on them,'[a]
nor any scorching heat.(ac)
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;(ad)
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.'[b](ae)
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'[c]"(af)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
