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Bible Reading Plan

Daily Bible Reading

October 21 - Bible-in-a-Year
niv

 

Isaiah 9-10

Chapter 9

1 [a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom(a) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,(b) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

2 The people walking in darkness(c)
     have seen a great light;(d)
on those living in the land of deep darkness(e)
     a light has dawned.(f)
3 You have enlarged the nation(g)
     and increased their joy;(h)
they rejoice before you
     as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
     when dividing the plunder.(i)
4 For as in the day of Midian's defeat,(j)
     you have shattered(k)
the yoke(l) that burdens them,
     the bar across their shoulders,(m)
     the rod of their oppressor.(n)
5 Every warrior's boot used in battle
     and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,(o)
     will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,(p)
     to us a son is given,(q)
     and the government(r) will be on his shoulders.(s)
And he will be called
     Wonderful Counselor,(t) Mighty God,(u)
     Everlasting(v) Father,(w) Prince of Peace.(x)
7 Of the greatness of his government(y) and peace(z)
     there will be no end.(aa)
He will reign(ab) on David's throne
     and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
     with justice(ac) and righteousness(ad)
     from that time on and forever.(ae)
The zeal(af) of the Lord Almighty
     will accomplish this.

The Lord's Anger Against Israel

8 The Lord has sent a message(ag) against Jacob;
     it will fall on Israel.
9 All the people will know it—
     Ephraim(ah) and the inhabitants of Samaria(ai)
who say with pride
     and arrogance(aj) of heart,
10 "The bricks have fallen down,
     but we will rebuild with dressed stone;(ak)
the fig(al) trees have been felled,
     but we will replace them with cedars.(am)"
11 But the Lord has strengthened Rezin's(an) foes against them
     and has spurred their enemies on.
12 Arameans(ao) from the east and Philistines(ap) from the west
     have devoured(aq) Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger(ar) is not turned away,
     his hand is still upraised.(as)

13 But the people have not returned(at) to him who struck(au) them,
     nor have they sought(av) the Lord Almighty.
14 So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
     both palm branch and reed(aw) in a single day;(ax)
15 the elders(ay) and dignitaries(az) are the head,
     the prophets(ba) who teach lies(bb) are the tail.
16 Those who guide(bc) this people mislead them,
     and those who are guided are led astray.(bd)
17 Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,(be)
     nor will he pity(bf) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly(bg) and wicked,(bh)
     every mouth speaks folly.(bi)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
     his hand is still upraised.(bj)

18 Surely wickedness burns like a fire;(bk)
     it consumes briers and thorns,(bl)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,(bm)
     so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
19 By the wrath(bn) of the Lord Almighty
     the land will be scorched(bo)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;(bp)
     they will not spare one another.(bq)
20 On the right they will devour,
     but still be hungry;(br)
on the left they will eat,(bs)
     but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring[b]:
21       Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;(bt)
     together they will turn against Judah.(bu)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
     his hand is still upraised.(bv)

Chapter 10

1 Woe(a) to those who make unjust laws,
     to those who issue oppressive decrees,(b)
2 to deprive(c) the poor of their rights
     and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,(d)
making widows their prey
     and robbing the fatherless.(e)
3 What will you do on the day of reckoning,(f)
     when disaster(g) comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?(h)
     Where will you leave your riches?
4 Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives(i)
     or fall among the slain.(j)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,(k)
     his hand is still upraised.

God's Judgment on Assyria

5 "Woe(l) to the Assyrian,(m) the rod(n) of my anger,
     in whose hand is the club(o) of my wrath!(p)
6 I send him against a godless(q) nation,
     I dispatch(r) him against a people who anger me,(s)
to seize loot and snatch plunder,(t)
     and to trample(u) them down like mud in the streets.
7 But this is not what he intends,(v)
     this is not what he has in mind;
his purpose is to destroy,
     to put an end to many nations.
8 ‘Are not my commanders(w) all kings?' he says.
9       ‘Has not Kalno(x) fared like Carchemish?(y)
Is not Hamath(z) like Arpad,(aa)
     and Samaria(ab) like Damascus?(ac)
10 As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols,(ad)
     kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—
11 shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images
     as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?(ae)'"

12 When the Lord has finished all his work(af) against Mount Zion(ag) and Jerusalem, he will say, "I will punish the king of Assyria(ah) for the willful pride(ai) of his heart and the haughty look(aj) in his eyes. 13 For he says:

"‘By the strength of my hand(ak) I have done this,(al)
     and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
     I plundered their treasures;(am)
     like a mighty one I subdued[a] their kings.(an)
14 As one reaches into a nest,(ao)
     so my hand reached for the wealth(ap) of the nations;
as people gather abandoned eggs,
     so I gathered all the countries;(aq)
not one flapped a wing,
     or opened its mouth to chirp.(ar)'"

15 Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,
     or the saw boast against the one who uses it?(as)
As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,
     or a club(at) brandish the one who is not wood!
16 Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
     will send a wasting disease(au) upon his sturdy warriors;(av)
under his pomp(aw) a fire(ax) will be kindled
     like a blazing flame.
17 The Light of Israel will become a fire,(ay)
     their Holy One(az) a flame;
in a single day it will burn and consume
     his thorns(ba) and his briers.(bb)
18 The splendor of his forests(bc) and fertile fields
     it will completely destroy,(bd)
     as when a sick person wastes away.
19 And the remaining trees of his forests(be) will be so few(bf)
     that a child could write them down.

The Remnant of Israel

20 In that day(bg) the remnant of Israel,
     the survivors(bh) of Jacob,
will no longer rely(bi) on him
     who struck them down(bj)
but will truly rely(bk) on the Lord ,
     the Holy One of Israel.(bl)
21 A remnant(bm) will return,[b](bn) a remnant of Jacob
     will return to the Mighty God.(bo)
22 Though your people be like the sand(bp) by the sea, Israel,
     only a remnant will return.(bq)
Destruction has been decreed,(br)
     overwhelming and righteous.
23 The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out
     the destruction decreed(bs) upon the whole land.(bt)

24 Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:

"My people who live in Zion,(bu)
     do not be afraid(bv) of the Assyrians,
who beat(bw) you with a rod(bx)
     and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
25 Very soon(by) my anger against you will end
     and my wrath(bz) will be directed to their destruction.(ca)"

26 The Lord Almighty will lash(cb) them with a whip,
     as when he struck down Midian(cc) at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff(cd) over the waters,(ce)
     as he did in Egypt.
27 In that day(cf) their burden(cg) will be lifted from your shoulders,
     their yoke(ch) from your neck;(ci)
the yoke(cj) will be broken
     because you have grown so fat.[c]

28 They enter Aiath;
     they pass through Migron;(ck)
     they store supplies(cl) at Mikmash.(cm)
29 They go over the pass, and say,
     "We will camp overnight at Geba.(cn)"
Ramah(co) trembles;
     Gibeah(cp) of Saul flees.(cq)
30 Cry out, Daughter Gallim!(cr)
     Listen, Laishah!
     Poor Anathoth!(cs)
31 Madmenah is in flight;
     the people of Gebim take cover.
32 This day they will halt at Nob;(ct)
     they will shake their fist(cu)
at the mount of Daughter Zion,(cv)
     at the hill of Jerusalem.

33 See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
     will lop off(cw) the boughs with great power.
The lofty trees will be felled,(cx)
     the tall(cy) ones will be brought low.(cz)
34 He will cut down(da) the forest thickets with an ax;
     Lebanon(db) will fall before the Mighty One.(dc)

Psalms 111

Chapter 111

Psalm 111[a]

1 Praise the Lord .[b]

I will extol the Lord (a) with all my heart(b)
     in the council(c) of the upright and in the assembly.(d)

2 Great are the works(e) of the Lord ;
     they are pondered by all(f) who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
     and his righteousness endures(g) forever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
     the Lord is gracious and compassionate.(h)
5 He provides food(i) for those who fear him;(j)
     he remembers his covenant(k) forever.

6 He has shown his people the power of his works,(l)
     giving them the lands of other nations.(m)
7 The works of his hands(n) are faithful and just;
     all his precepts are trustworthy.(o)
8 They are established for ever(p) and ever,
     enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He provided redemption(q) for his people;
     he ordained his covenant forever—
     holy and awesome(r) is his name.

10 The fear of the Lord (s) is the beginning of wisdom;(t)
     all who follow his precepts have good understanding.(u)
     To him belongs eternal praise.(v)

Revelation 21-22

Chapter 21

A New Heaven and a New Earth

1 Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth,"[a](a) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,(b) and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City,(c) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,(d) prepared as a bride(e) beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.(f) They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.(g) 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.(h) There will be no more death'[b](i) or mourning or crying or pain,(j) for the old order of things has passed away."(k)

5 He who was seated on the throne(l) said, "I am making everything new!"(m) Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."(n)

6 He said to me: "It is done.(o) I am the Alpha and the Omega,(p) the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost(q) from the spring of the water of life.(r) 7 Those who are victorious(s) will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.(t) 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars(u)—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.(v) This is the second death."(w)

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues(x) came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride,(y) the wife of the Lamb." 10 And he carried me away(z) in the Spirit(aa) to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.(ab) 11 It shone with the glory of God,(ac) and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,(ad) clear as crystal.(ae) 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,(af) and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.(ag) 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations,(ah) and on them were the names of the twelve apostles(ai) of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod(aj) of gold to measure the city, its gates(ak) and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[c] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human(al) measurement, and it was 144 cubits[d] thick.[e] 18 The wall was made of jasper,(am) and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.(an) 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.(ao) The first foundation was jasper,(ap) the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,(aq) the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[f] 21 The twelve gates(ar) were twelve pearls,(as) each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.(at)

22 I did not see a temple(au) in the city, because the Lord God Almighty(av) and the Lamb(aw) are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God(ax) gives it light,(ay) and the Lamb(az) is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.(ba) 25 On no day will its gates(bb) ever be shut,(bc) for there will be no night there.(bd) 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.(be) 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful,(bf) but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.(bg)

Chapter 22

Eden Restored

1 Then the angel showed me the river(a) of the water of life,(b) as clear as crystal,(c) flowing(d) from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life,(e) bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.(f) 3 No longer will there be any curse.(g) The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.(h) 4 They will see his face,(i) and his name will be on their foreheads.(j) 5 There will be no more night.(k) They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.(l) And they will reign for ever and ever.(m)

John and the Angel

6 The angel said to me,(n) "These words are trustworthy and true.(o) The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets,(p) sent his angel(q) to show his servants the things that must soon take place."

7 "Look, I am coming soon!(r) Blessed(s) is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll."(t)

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.(u) And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet(v) of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll.(w) Worship God!"(x)

10 Then he told me, "Do not seal up(y) the words of the prophecy of this scroll,(z) because the time is near.(aa) 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy."(ab)

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

12 "Look, I am coming soon!(ac) My reward is with me,(ad) and I will give to each person according to what they have done.(ae) 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega,(af) the First and the Last,(ag) the Beginning and the End.(ah)

14 "Blessed are those who wash their robes,(ai) that they may have the right to the tree of life(aj) and may go through the gates(ak) into the city.(al) 15 Outside(am) are the dogs,(an) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 "I, Jesus,(ao) have sent my angel(ap) to give you[a] this testimony for the churches.(aq) I am the Root(ar) and the Offspring of David,(as) and the bright Morning Star."(at)

17 The Spirit(au) and the bride(av) say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.(aw)

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:(ax) If anyone adds anything to them,(ay) God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.(az) 19 And if anyone takes words away(ba) from this scroll of prophecy,(bb) God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life(bc) and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

20 He who testifies to these things(bd) says, "Yes, I am coming soon."(be)

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.(bf)

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people.(bg) Amen.

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