the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
September 8 - Straight Thru the Bible
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Lamentations 3:52-5:22
Chapter 3
צ Tsade
52 For no apparent reason, my enemies[j]
hunted me like a bird.(aw)
53 They dropped me alive into[k] a pit(ax)
and threw stones at me.
54 Water flooded over my head,(ay)
and I thought: I'm going to die!(az)
ק Qof
55 I called on Your name, Yahweh,
from the depths of the Pit.(ba)
56 You hear my plea:
Do not ignore my cry for relief.
57 You come near when I call on You;
You say: "Do not be afraid."
ר Resh
58 You defend my cause, Lord;(bb)
You redeem my life.(bc)
59
Lord
, You see the wrong done to me;
judge my case.
60 You see all their malice,
all their plots against me.(bd)
שׂ Sin/ שׁ Shin
61
Lord
, You hear their insults,(be)
all their plots against me.
62 The slander[l] and murmuring of my opponents
attack me all day long.
63 When they sit and when they rise, look,
I am mocked by their songs.(bf)
ת Tav
64 You will pay them back what they deserve,
Lord
,
according to the work of their hands.(bg)
65 You will give them a heart filled with anguish.[m](bh)
May Your curse be on them!
66 You will pursue them in anger and destroy them
under Your heavens.[n][o](bi)
Chapter 4
Terrors of the Besieged City
א Alef
1 How the gold has become tarnished,
the fine gold become dull!
The stones of the temple[a] lie scattered
at the corner of every street.(a)
ב Bet
2 Zion's precious people—
once worth their weight in pure gold(b)—
how they are regarded as clay jars,
the work of a potter's hands!
ג Gimel
3 Even jackals offer their breasts
to nurse their young,
but my dear people have become cruel
like ostriches(c) in the wilderness.
ד Dalet
4 The nursing infant's tongue
clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst.(d)
Little children beg for bread,
but no one gives them any.
ה He
5 Those who used to eat delicacies
are destitute in the streets;
those who were reared in purple garments(e)
huddle in garbage heaps.
ו Vav
6 The punishment of my dear people
is greater than that of Sodom,(f)
which was overthrown in an instant
without a hand laid on it.
ז Zayin
7 Her dignitaries were brighter than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies[b] were more ruddy than coral,
their appearance like sapphire.[c]
ח Khet
8 Now they appear darker than soot;(g)
they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become dry like wood.
ט Tet
9 Those slain by the sword are better off
than those slain by hunger,
who waste away, pierced with pain
because the fields lack produce.
י Yod
10 The hands of compassionate women
have cooked their own children;(h)
they became their food
during the destruction of my dear people.(i)
כ Kaf
11 The
Lord
has exhausted His wrath,
poured out His burning anger;
He has ignited a fire in Zion,
and it has consumed her foundations.(j)
ל Lamed
12 The kings of the earth
and all the world's inhabitants did not believe
that an enemy or adversary
could enter Jerusalem's gates.(k)
מ Mem
13 Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets
and the guilt of her priests,
who shed the blood of the righteous
within her.(l)
נ Nun
14 Blind, they stumbled in the streets,(m)
defiled by this blood,(n)
so that no one dared
to touch their garments.
ס Samek
15 "Stay away! Unclean!" people shouted at them.
"Away, away! Don't touch us!"(o)
So they wandered aimlessly.(p)
It was said among the nations,
"They can stay here no longer."
פ Pe
16 The
Lord
Himself has scattered them;
He regards them no more.
The priests are not respected;
the elders find no favor.
ע Ayin
17 All the while our eyes were failing
as we looked in vain for assistance;(q)
we watched from our towers
for a nation[d] that refused to help.
צ Tsade
18 Our steps were closely followed
so that we could not walk in our streets.
Our end drew near;(r) our time ran out.
Our end had come!
ק Qof
19 Those who chased us were swifter
than eagles in the sky;(s)
they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains
and ambushed us in the wilderness.
ר Resh
20 The
Lord
's anointed,[e] the breath of our life,[f](t)
was captured in their traps.
We had said about him,
"We will live under his protection among the nations."
שׂ Sin
21 So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,(u)
you resident of the land of Uz!(v)
Yet the cup(w) will pass to you as well;
you will get drunk and expose yourself.
ת Tav
22 Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete;
He will not lengthen your exile.[g]
But He will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom,
and will expose your sins.(x)
Chapter 5
Prayer for Restoration
1 Yahweh, remember what has happened to us.
Look, and see our disgrace!(a)
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our houses to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans, fatherless;
our mothers are widows.
4 We must pay for the water we drink;
our wood comes at a price.
5 We are closely pursued;
we are tired, and no one offers us rest.
6 We made a treaty with[a] Egypt
and with Assyria, to get enough food.(b)
7 Our fathers sinned; they no longer exist,
but we bear their punishment.
8 Slaves rule over us;(c)
no one rescues us from their hands.
9 We secure our food at the risk of our lives
because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin is as hot[b] as an oven(d)
from the ravages of hunger.
11 Women are raped in Zion,
girls in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes are hung up by their hands;
elders are shown no respect.(e)
13 Young men labor at millstones;(f)
boys stumble under loads of wood.
14 The elders have left the city gate,
the young men, their music.(g)
15 Joy has left our hearts;(h)
our dancing has turned to mourning.
16 The crown has fallen from our head.(i)
Woe to us, for we have sinned.(j)
17 Because of this, our heart is sick;
because of these, our eyes grow dim:(k)
18 because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate
and has jackals prowling in it.(l)
19 You,
Lord
, are enthroned forever;
Your throne endures from generation to generation.(m)
20 Why have You forgotten us forever,(n)
abandoned us for our entire lives?
21
Lord
, restore us to Yourself, so we may return;(o)
renew our days as in former times,
22 unless You have completely rejected us
and are intensely angry with us.
Ezekiel 1-2
Chapter 1
1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was among the exiles by the Chebar Canal,(a) the heavens opened(b) and I saw visions of God.(c) 2 On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile(d)— 3 the word of the Lord came(e) directly to Ezekiel(f) the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans(g) by the Chebar Canal. And the Lord 's hand was on him there.(h)
Vision of the Lord's Glory
4 I looked and there was a whirlwind(i) coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire, there was a gleam like amber.(j) 5 The form of four living creatures came from it.(k) And this was their appearance: They had human form, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, sparkling like the gleam of polished bronze.(l) 8 They had human hands under their wings on their four sides.(m) All four of them had faces and wings.(n) 9 Their wings were touching. The creatures did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead.(o) 10 The form of each of their faces was that of a man,(p) and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle.(q) 11 That is what their faces were like. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching that of another and two wings covering its body.(r) 12 Each creature went straight ahead.(s) Wherever the Spirit[a] wanted to go, they went without turning as they moved.(t)
13 The form of the living creatures was like the appearance of burning coals of fire and torches.(u) Fire was moving back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, with lightning coming out of it. 14 The creatures were darting back and forth(v) like flashes of lightning.(w)
15 When I looked at the living creatures, there was one wheel on the ground beside each creature that had four faces. 16 The appearance of the wheels(x) and their craftsmanship was like the gleam of beryl,(y) and all four had the same form. Their appearance and craftsmanship was like a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved. 18 Their rims were large and frightening. Each of their four rims were full of eyes(z) all around. 19 So when the living creatures moved,(aa) the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever the Spirit[b] wanted to go, the creatures went in the direction the Spirit was moving. The wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 The shape of an expanse,(ab) with a gleam like awe-inspiring crystal,(ac) was spread out over the heads of the living creatures.(ad) 23 And under the expanse their wings extended one toward another. Each of them also had two wings covering their bodies. 24 When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of mighty waters,(ae) like the voice of the Almighty,(af) and a sound of commotion like the noise of an army.(ag) When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
25 A voice came from above the expanse over their heads; when they stood still, they lowered their wings. 26 The shape of a throne with the appearance of sapphire[c] stone was above the expanse.[d](ah) There was a form with the appearance of a human on the throne high above.(ai) 27 From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire enclosing it all around.(aj) From what seemed to be His waist down, I also saw what looked like fire. There was a brilliant light all around Him. 28 The appearance of the brilliant light all around was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day.(ak) This was the appearance of the form of the Lord 's glory.(al) When I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.(am)
Chapter 2
Mission to Rebellious Israel
1 He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet(a) and I will speak with you." 2 As He spoke to me, the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet,(b) and I listened to the One who was speaking to me. 3 He said to me: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to[a] the rebellious pagans[b] who have rebelled against Me. The Israelites and their ancestors have transgressed against Me to this day.(c) 4 The children are obstinate[c] and hardhearted.(d) I am sending you to them, and you must say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.' 5 Whether they listen or refuse to listen(e)—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.(f)
6 "But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words,(g) though briers and thorns are beside you and you live among scorpions.(h) Don't be afraid of their words or be discouraged by the look on their faces, for they are a rebellious house. 7 But speak My words to them whether they listen or refuse to listen,(i) for they are rebellious.
8 "And you, son of man, listen to what I tell you: Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you."(j) 9 So I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me,(k) and there was a written scroll in it.(l) 10 When He unrolled it before me, it was written on the front and back; words of lamentation, mourning, and woe were written on it.
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