the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
April 16 - Bible-in-a-Year
csb
Deuteronomy 25-27
Chapter 25
Fairness and Mercy
1 "If there is a dispute between men, they are to go to court, and the judges will hear their case. They will clear the innocent and condemn the guilty. 2 If the guilty party deserves to be flogged, the judge will make him lie down and be flogged in his presence with the number of lashes appropriate for his crime. 3 He may be flogged with 40 lashes, but no more. Otherwise, if he is flogged with more lashes than these, your brother will be degraded in your sight.
4 "Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain.(a)
Preserving the Family Line
5 "When brothers live on the same property[a] and one of them dies without a son, the wife of the dead man may not marry a stranger outside the family. Her brother-in-law is to take her as his wife, have sexual relations with her, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law for her. 6 The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so his name will not be blotted out from Israel.(b) 7 But if the man doesn't want to marry his sister-in-law, she must go to the elders at the city gate(c) and say, ‘My brother-in-law refuses to preserve his brother's name in Israel. He isn't willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.' 8 The elders of his city will summon him and speak with him. If he persists and says, ‘I don't want to marry her,' 9 then his sister-in-law will go up to him in the sight of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. Then she will declare, ‘This is what is done to a man who will not build up his brother's house.' 10 And his family name in Israel will be called ‘The house of the man whose sandal was removed.'(d)
11 "If two men are fighting with each other, and the wife of one steps in to rescue her husband from the one striking him, and she puts out her hand and grabs his genitals, 12 you are to cut off her hand. You must not show pity.
Honest Weights and Measures
13 "You must not have two different weights[b] in your bag, one heavy and one light.(e) 14 You must not have two differing dry measures in your house, a larger and a smaller. 15 You must have a full and honest weight, a full and honest dry measure, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 16 For everyone who does such things and acts unfairly is detestable to the Lord your God.(f)
Revenge on the Amalekites
17 "Remember what the Amalekites did to you on the journey after you left Egypt.(g) 18 They met you along the way and attacked all your stragglers from behind when you were tired and weary. They did not fear God. 19 When the Lord your God gives you rest(h) from all the enemies around you in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance,(i) blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven. Do not forget.(j)
Chapter 26
Giving the Firstfruits
1 "When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance,(a) and you take possession of it and live in it, 2 you must take some of the first of all the land's produce that you harvest from the land Yahweh your God is giving you and put it in a container. Then go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to have His name dwell.(b) 3 When you come before the priest who is serving at that time, you must say to him, ‘Today I acknowledge to the Lord your[a] God that I have entered the land the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.'
4 "Then the priest will take the container from your hand and place it before the altar of the Lord your God. 5 You are to respond by saying in the presence of the Lord your God:
My father was a wandering Aramean.(c) He went down to Egypt with a few people and lived there.(d) There he became a great, powerful, and populous nation. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated and afflicted us, and forced us to do hard labor. 7 So we called out to Yahweh, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our cry and saw our misery, hardship, and oppression.(e) 8 Then the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with terrifying power, and with signs and wonders. 9 He led us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.(f) 10 I have now brought the first of the land's produce that You, Lord , have given me.
You will then place the container before the Lord your God and bow down to Him. 11 You, the Levite, and the foreign resident among you will rejoice(g) in all the good things the Lord your God has given you and your household.
The Tenth in the Third Year
12 "When you have finished paying all the tenth of your produce in the third year,(h) the year of the tenth, you are to give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. 13 Then you will say in the presence of the Lord your God:
I have taken the consecrated portion out of my house; I have also given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all the commands You gave me. I have not violated or forgotten Your commands. 14 I have not eaten any of it while in mourning, or removed any of it while unclean, or offered any of it for the dead.(i) I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done all You commanded me. 15 Look down from Your holy dwelling, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land You have given us as You swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Covenant Summary
16 "The Lord your God is commanding you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. You must be careful to follow them with all your heart and all your soul. 17 Today you have affirmed that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes, commands, and ordinances, and obey Him. 18 And today the Lord has affirmed that you are His special people as He promised you, that you are to keep all His commands, 19 that He will elevate you to praise, fame, and glory above all the nations He has made, and that you will be a holy people(j) to the Lord your God as He promised."
Chapter 27
The Law Written on Stones
1 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, "Keep every command I am giving you today. 2 At the time you cross the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, you must set up large stones and cover them with plaster.(a) 3 Write all the words of this law on the stones after you cross to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey,(b) as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised you. 4 When you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to cover them with plaster. 5 Build an altar of stones there to the Lord your God—you must not use any iron tool on them.(c) 6 Use uncut stones to build the altar of the Lord your God and offer burnt offerings to the Lord your God on it. 7 There you are to sacrifice fellowship offerings, eat, and rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God. 8 Write clearly all the words of this law on the plastered stones."
The Covenant Curses
9 Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, "Be silent, Israel, and listen! This day you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 Obey the Lord your God and follow His commands and statutes I am giving you today."
11 On that day Moses commanded the people, 12 "When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these tribes will stand on Mount Ebal to deliver the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.(d) 14 The Levites will proclaim in a loud voice to every Israelite:
15 ‘The person who makes a carved idol or cast image, which is detestable to the
Lord
, the work of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret is cursed.'
And all the people will reply, ‘Amen!'
16 ‘The one who dishonors his father or mother is cursed.'
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!'
17 ‘The one who moves his neighbor's boundary marker is cursed.'
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!'
18 ‘The one who leads a blind person astray on the road is cursed.'
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!'
19 ‘The one who denies justice to a foreigner, a fatherless child, or a widow is cursed.'
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!'
20 ‘The one who sleeps with his father's wife is cursed, for he has violated his father's marriage bed.'[a]
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!'
21 ‘The one who has sexual intercourse with any animal is cursed.'
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!'
22 ‘The one who sleeps with his sister, whether his father's daughter or his mother's daughter is cursed.'
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!'
23 ‘The one who sleeps with his mother-in-law is cursed.'
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!'
24 ‘The one who secretly kills his neighbor is cursed.'
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!'
25 ‘The one who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person is cursed.'
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!'
26 ‘Anyone who does not put the words of this law into practice is cursed.'
And all the people will say, ‘Amen!'
Job 16
Chapter 16
Job's Reply to Eliphaz
1 Then Job answered:
2 I have heard many things like these.
You are all miserable comforters.(a)
3 Is there no end to your empty[a](b) words?
What provokes you that you continue testifying?
4 If you were in my place I could also talk like you.
I could string words together against you
and shake my head at you.
5 Instead, I would encourage you with my mouth,
and the consolation from my lips would bring relief.(c)
6 Even if I speak, my suffering is not relieved,
and if I hold back, what have I lost?
7 Surely He[b] has now exhausted me.
You have devastated my entire family.
8 You have shriveled me up[c]—it has become a witness;
My frailty rises up against me and testifies to my face.
9 His anger tears at me, and He harasses(d) me.
He gnashes His teeth at me.
My enemy pierces me with His eyes.
10 They open their mouths against me
and strike my cheeks with contempt;(e)
they join themselves together against me.
11 God hands me over to unjust men;[d]
He throws me into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but He shattered me;
He seized me by the scruff of the neck
and smashed me to pieces.
He set me up as His target;(f)
13 His archers[e] surround me.
He pierces my kidneys without mercy
and pours my bile on the ground.
14 He breaks through my defenses again and again;[f]
He charges at me like a warrior.(g)
15 I have sewn sackcloth over my skin;
I have buried my strength[g] in the dust.(h)
16 My face has grown red with weeping,
and darkness(i) covers my eyes,
17 although my hands are free from violence(j)
and my prayer is pure.
18 Earth, do not cover my blood;
may my cry for help find no resting place.(k)
19 Even now my witness is in heaven,
and my advocate is in the heights!(l)
20 My friends scoff at me
as I weep before God.
21 I wish that someone might arbitrate
between a man and God(m)
just as a man pleads for his friend.
22 For only a few years will pass
before I go the way of no return.
Acts 5:17-42
Chapter 5
17 Then the high priest took action. He and all his colleagues, those who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.(j) 18 So they arrested[a] the apostles and put them in the city jail.(k) 19 But an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail during the night, brought them out, and said,(l) 20 "Go and stand in the temple complex, and tell the people all about this life."(m) 21 In obedience to this, they entered the temple complex at daybreak and began to teach.
The Apostles on Trial Again
When the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full Senate of the sons of Israel—and sent orders to the jail to have them brought.(n) 22 But when the temple police got there, they did not find them in the jail, so they returned and reported, 23 "We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing in front of the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!" 24 As[b] the commander of the temple police and the chief priests heard these things, they were baffled about them, as to what could come of this.
25 Someone came and reported to them, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple complex and teaching the people." 26 Then the commander went with the temple police and brought them in without force, because they were afraid the people might stone them.(o) 27 After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked, 28 "Didn't we strictly order you not to teach in this name?(p) And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man's blood on us!"(q)
29 But Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus,(r) whom you had murdered by hanging Him on a tree.(s) 31 God exalted this man to His right hand as ruler and Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.(t) 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit(u) whom God has given to those who obey Him."
Gamaliel's Advice
33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.(v) 34 A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered the men[c] to be taken outside for a little while.(w) 35 He said to them, "Men of Israel, be careful about what you're going to do to these men. 36 Not long ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about 400 men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his partisans were dispersed and came to nothing.(x) 37 After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following.[d] That man also perished, and all his partisans were scattered. 38 And now, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of men, it will be overthrown;(y) 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God." So they were persuaded by him.(z) 40 After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.(aa) 41 Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the Name.[e](ab) 42 Every day in the temple complex, and in various homes, they continued teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
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