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Monday, September 16th, 2024
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Bible Reading Plan

Daily Bible Reading

November 19 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Jeremiah 33-34

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Chapter 33

Israel's Restoration

1 While he was still confined in the guard's courtyard,(a) the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time: 2 "The Lord who made the earth,[a] the Lord who forms it to establish it, Yahweh is His name,(b) says this: 3 Call to Me and I will answer you(c) and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.(d) 4 For this is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says concerning the houses of this city and the palaces of Judah's kings, the ones torn down for defense against the siege ramps and the sword:(e) 5 The people coming to fight the Chaldeans will fill the houses with the corpses of their own men that I strike down in My wrath and rage. I have hidden My face(f) from this city because of all their evil. 6 Yet I will certainly bring health(g) and healing to it and will indeed heal them. I will let them experience the abundance[b] of peace and truth.(h) 7 I will restore the fortunes[c] of Judah and of Israel and will rebuild them as in former times.(i) 8 I will purify them from all the wrongs they have committed against Me,(j) and I will forgive all the wrongs they have committed against Me, rebelling against Me. 9 This city will bear on My behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory(k) before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good I will do for them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace(l) I will bring about for them.

10 "This is what the Lord says: In this place, which you say is a ruin,(m) without man or beast—that is, in Judah's cities and Jerusalem's streets that are a desolation without man, without inhabitant, and without beast—there will be heard again 11 a sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the groom and the bride,(n) and the voice of those saying,

Praise the Lord of Hosts,
for the Lord is good;
His faithful love endures forever

as they bring thank offerings to the temple of the Lord . For I will restore the fortunes[d] of the land as in former times, says the Lord .

12 "This is what the Lord of Hosts says: In this desolate place—without man or beast—and in all its cities there will once more be a grazing land where shepherds may rest flocks.(o) 13 The flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them(p) in the cities of the hill country,(q) the cities of the Judean foothills, the cities of the Negev, the land of Benjamin—the cities surrounding Jerusalem and Judah's cities, says the Lord .

God's Covenant with David

14 "Look, the days are coming"—
this is the Lord 's declaration—
"when I will fulfill the good promises
that I have spoken
concerning the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.(r)
15 In those days and at that time
I will cause a Righteous Branch(s)
to sprout up for David,
and He will administer justice
and righteousness in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved,
and Jerusalem will dwell securely,(t)
and this is what she will be named:
Yahweh Our Righteousness.

17 "For this is what the Lord says: David will never fail to have a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel.(u) 18 The Levitical priests will never fail to have a man always before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices."(v)

19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 "This is what the Lord says: If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night so that day and night cease to come at their regular time,(w) 21 then also My covenant with My servant David(x) may be broken so that he will not have a son reigning on his throne, and the Levitical priests will not be My ministers.(y) 22 The hosts of heaven cannot be counted; the sand of the sea cannot be measured.(z) So, too, I will make the descendants of My servant David and the Levites who minister to Me innumerable."

23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 "Have you not noticed what these people have said? They say, ‘The Lord has rejected the two families He had chosen.'(aa) My people are treated with contempt and no longer regarded as a nation among them. 25 This is what the Lord says: If I do not keep My covenant with the day and with the night and fail to establish the fixed order of heaven and earth,(ab) 26 then I might also reject the seed of Jacob and of My servant David—not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore their fortunes[e] and have compassion on them."(ac)

Chapter 34

Jeremiah's Word to King Zedekiah

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,(a) all his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control,(b) and all other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities: 2 "This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: Go, speak to Zedekiah, king of Judah, and tell him: This is what the Lord says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon,(c) and he will burn it down. 3 As for you, you will not escape from his hand but are certain to be captured and handed over to him. You will meet the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak face to face;[a](d) you will go to Babylon.

4 "Yet hear the Lord 's word, Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what the Lord says concerning you: You will not die by the sword; 5 you will die peacefully. There will be a burning ceremony for you just like the burning ceremonies for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you.(e) ‘Our king is dead!'[b] will be the lament for you, for I have spoken this word." This is the Lord 's declaration.

6 So Jeremiah the prophet related all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem 7 while the king of Babylon's army was attacking Jerusalem and all of Judah's remaining cities—against Lachish and Azekah,(f) for they were the only ones left of Judah's fortified cities.

The People and Their Slaves

8 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom(g) to them, 9 so each man would free his male and female Hebrew slaves and no one would enslave his Judean brother.(h) 10 All the officials and people who entered into covenant to free their male and female slaves—in order not to enslave them any longer—obeyed and freed them. 11 Afterward, however, they changed their minds and took back their male and female slaves they had freed and forced them to become slaves again.

12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord : 13 "This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant(i) with your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, saying: 14 At the end of seven years, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who sold himself[c] to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must send him out free from you.(j) But your ancestors did not obey Me or pay any attention. 15 Today you repented and did what pleased Me, each of you proclaiming freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me(k) at the temple called by My name.(l) 16 But you have changed your minds(m) and profaned My name.(n) Each has taken back his male and female slaves who had been freed to go wherever they wanted, and you have again subjugated them to be your slaves.

17 "Therefore, this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed Me by proclaiming freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. I hereby proclaim freedom for you"(o)—this is the Lord 's declaration—"to the sword, to plague, and to famine! I will make you a horror to all the earth's kingdoms. 18 As for those who disobeyed My covenant,(p) not keeping the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat them like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces.(q) 19 The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf 20 will be handed over to their enemies, to those who want to take their life. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.(r) 21 I will hand Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials over to their enemies, to those who want to take their lives, to the king of Babylon's army that is withdrawing. 22 I am about to give the command"—this is the Lord 's declaration—"and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down.(s) I will make Judah's cities a desolation,(t) without inhabitant."

Psalms 135

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Chapter 135

Psalm 135

Yahweh Is Great

1 Hallelujah!
Praise the name of Yahweh.
Give praise, you servants of Yahweh(a)
2 who stand in the house of Yahweh,
in the courts of the house of our God.(b)
3 Praise Yahweh, for Yahweh is good;
sing praise to His name, for it is delightful.(c)
4 For Yahweh has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel as His treasured possession.(d)

5 For I know that Yahweh is great;
our Lord is greater than all gods.(e)
6 Yahweh does whatever He pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the depths.(f)
7 He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings the wind from His storehouses.(g)

8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both man and beast.(h)
9 He sent signs and wonders against you, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his officials.(i)
10 He struck down many nations
and slaughtered mighty kings:(j)
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan.(k)
12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to His people Israel.(l)

13 Yahweh, Your name endures forever,
Your reputation, Yahweh,
through all generations.(m)
14 For Yahweh will vindicate His people
and have compassion on His servants.(n)

15 The idols of the nations are of silver and gold,
made by human hands.(o)
16 They have mouths but cannot speak,(p)
eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears but cannot hear;
indeed, there is no breath in their mouths.(q)
18 Those who make them are just like them,
as are all who trust in them.(r)

19 House of Israel, praise Yahweh!(s)
House of Aaron, praise Yahweh!(t)
20 House of Levi, praise Yahweh!
You who revere the Lord , praise the Lord !(u)
21 May the Lord be praised from Zion;(v)
He dwells in Jerusalem.(w)
Hallelujah!

1 Peter 2

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Chapter 2

The Living Stone and a Holy People

1 So rid yourselves of(a) all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.(b) 2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk,(c) so that you may grow by it for your salvation,[a] 3 since you have tasted (d) that the Lord is good. (e)[b] 4 Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God(f) through Jesus Christ. 6 For it is contained in Scripture:

Look! I lay a stone in Zion, (g)
a chosen and honored [c] cornerstone, [d](h)
and the one who believes in Him
will never be put to shame! [e](i)[f]

7 So honor will come to you who believe, but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected—
this One has become the cornerstone, (j)[g]

8 and

A stone to stumble over, [h]
and a rock to trip over. [i](k)[j]

They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined(l) for this.

9 But you are a chosen race, [k](m)[l] a royal priesthood, (n)[m]
a holy nation, (o)[n] a people for His possession, (p)[o]
so that you may proclaim the praises [p](q)[q]
of the One who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.(r)
10 Once you were not a people,
but now you are God's people;
you had not received mercy,(s)
but now you have received mercy.

A Call to Good Works

11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents(t) to abstain(u) from fleshly(v) desires that war against you.[r](w) 12 Conduct(x) yourselves honorably among the Gentiles,[s] so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation.[t](y)

13 Submit(z) to every human authority[u] because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor[v] as the supreme authority(aa) 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God's will(ab) that you silence the ignorance(ac) of foolish people by doing good. 16 As God's slaves,(ad) live as free people, but don't use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.(ae) 17 Honor everyone. Love(af) the brotherhood.(ag) Fear God.(ah) Honor the Emperor.[w]

Submission of Slaves to Masters

18 Household slaves, submit with all fear(ai) to your masters,(aj) not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel.[x](ak) 19 For it brings favor[y] if, mindful of God's will,[z][aa] someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer,(al) if you endure it, this brings favor with God.

21 For you were called to this,
because Christ also suffered(am) for you,
leaving you an example,(an)
so that you should follow(ao) in His steps.
22 He did not commit sin, (ap)
and no deceit (aq) was found in His mouth; (ar)[ab]
23 when He was reviled,
He did not revile in return;
when He was suffering,
He did not threaten
but entrusted Himself to the One who judges(as) justly.
24 He Himself bore our sins(at)
in His body(au) on the tree,(av)
so that, having died to sins,(aw)
we might live for righteousness;(ax)
you have been healed by His wounds. (ay)[ac]
25 For you were like sheep going astray, (az)[ad]
but you have now returned
to the Shepherd(ba) and Guardian[ae] of your souls.

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