the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 6 - Bible-in-a-Year
csb
Ezekiel 8-9
Chapter 8
Visionary Journey to Jerusalem
1 In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting in front of me,(a) and there the hand of the Lord God came down on me.(b) 2 I looked, and there was a form that had the appearance of a man.[a] From what seemed to be His waist down was fire, and from His waist up was something that looked bright,(c) like the gleam of amber.(d) 3 He stretched out what appeared to be a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God(e) to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the inner gate that faces north, where the offensive statue that provokes jealousy(f) was located. 4 I saw the glory of the God of Israel(g) there, like the vision I had seen in the plain.(h)
Pagan Practices in the Temple
5 The Lord said to me, "Son of man, look toward the north." I looked to the north, and there was this offensive statue north of the altar gate, at the entrance. 6 He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing here, more detestable things that the house of Israel is committing,(i) so that I must depart from My sanctuary? You will see even more detestable things."
7 Then He brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked there was a hole in the wall. 8 He said to me, "Son of man, dig through the wall." So I dug through the wall, and there was a doorway. 9 He said to me, "Go in and see the terrible and detestable things they are committing here." 10 I went in and looked, and there engraved all around the wall was every form of detestable thing, crawling creatures and beasts, as well as all the idols of the house of Israel.(j)
11 Seventy elders from the house of Israel were standing before them, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan(k) standing among them. Each had a firepan in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising up. 12 Then He said to me, "Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his idol? For they are saying, ‘The Lord does not see us. The Lord has abandoned the land.'"(l) 13 Again He said to me, "You will see even more detestable things, which they are committing."
14 So He brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord 's house, and I saw women sitting there weeping for Tammuz. 15 And He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? You will see even more detestable things than these."
16 So He brought me to the inner court of the Lord 's house, and there were about 25 men at the entrance of the Lord 's temple, between the portico and the altar,(m) with their backs to the Lord 's temple and their faces turned to the east.(n) They were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.(o) 17 And He said to me, "Do you see this, son of man? Is it not enough for the house of Judah to commit the detestable things they are practicing here, that they must also fill the land with violence(p) and repeatedly provoke Me to anger,(q) even putting the branch to their nose?[b][c] 18 Therefore I will respond with wrath.(r) I will not show pity or spare them.(s) Though they cry out in My ears with a loud voice,(t) I will not listen to them."
Chapter 9
Vision of Slaughter in Jerusalem
1 Then He called to me directly with a loud voice, "Come near, executioners of the city, each of you with a destructive weapon in his hand." 2 And I saw six men coming from the direction of the Upper Gate,(a) which faces north, each with a war club in his hand. There was another man among them, clothed in linen,(b) with writing equipment at his side. They came and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Then the glory of the God of Israel(c) rose from above the cherub where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. He called to the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his side. 4 "Pass throughout the city of Jerusalem," the Lord said to him, "and put a mark on the foreheads(d) of the men who sigh and groan(e) over all the detestable practices committed in it."
5 He spoke as I listened to the others, "Pass through the city after him and start killing; do not show pity or spare them!(f) 6 Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, as well as the older women and little children,(g) but do not come near anyone who has the mark.(h) Now begin at My sanctuary."(i) So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. 7 Then He said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain.(j) Go!" So they went out killing people in the city.
8 While they were killing, I was left alone. And I fell facedown and cried out, "Oh, Lord God !(k) Are You going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel when You pour out Your wrath on Jerusalem?"
9 He answered me: "The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is extremely great; the land is full of bloodshed,(l) and the city full of perversity. For they say, ‘The Lord has abandoned the land;(m) He does not see.'(n) 10 But as for Me, I will not show pity or spare them.(o) I will bring their actions down on their own heads."(p) 11 Then the man clothed in linen with the writing equipment at his side reported back, "I have done as You commanded me."
Isaiah 41
Chapter 41
The Lord versus the Nations' Gods
1 "Be silent before Me, islands!(a)
And let peoples renew their strength.
Let them approach, then let them testify;
let us come together for the trial.
2 Who has stirred him up from the east?(b)
He calls righteousness to his feet.[a](c)
The
Lord
hands nations over to him,(d)
and he subdues kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
like wind-driven stubble with his bow.
3 He pursues them, going on safely,
hardly touching the path with his feet.
4 Who has performed and done this,
calling the generations from the beginning?
I, Yahweh, am the first,
and with the last(e)—I am He."(f)
5 The islands see and are afraid,
the whole earth trembles.(g)
They approach and arrive.
6 Each one helps the other,
and says to another, "Take courage!"
7 The craftsman encourages the metalworker;(h)
the one who flattens with the hammer
supports the one who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, "It is good."
He fastens it with nails so that it will not fall over.(i)
8 But you, Israel, My servant,(j)
Jacob, whom I have chosen,(k)
descendant of Abraham, My friend(l)—
9 I brought[b] you from the ends of the earth
and called you from its farthest corners.
I said to you: You are My servant;
I have chosen you and not rejected you.(m)
10 Do not fear, for I am with you;(n)
do not be afraid, for I am your God.(o)
I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.(p)
11 Be sure that all who are enraged against you
will be ashamed and disgraced;(q)
those who contend with you
will become as nothing and will perish.
12 You will look for those who contend with you,
but you will not find them.
Those who war against you
will become absolutely nothing.
13 For I, Yahweh your God,(r)
hold your right hand
and say to you: Do not fear,
I will help you.
14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob,(s)
you men[c] of Israel:
I will help you—
this is the
Lord
's declaration.
Your Redeemer(t) is the Holy One of Israel.(u)
15 See, I will make you into a sharp threshing board,
new, with many teeth.
You will thresh mountains and pulverize them
and make hills into chaff.(v)
16 You will winnow them(w)
and a wind will carry them away,
a gale will scatter them.
But you will rejoice in the
Lord
;
you will boast in the Holy One of Israel.
17 The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, Yahweh, will answer them;(x)
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18 I will open rivers on the barren heights,(y)
and springs in the middle of the plains.
I will turn the desert into a pool of water
and dry land into springs of water.(z)
19 I will plant cedars in the desert,
acacias, myrtles, and olive trees.(aa)
I will put juniper trees in the desert,
elms and cypress trees together,
20 so that all may see and know,
consider and understand,
that the hand of the
Lord
has done this,(ab)
the Holy One of Israel has created(ac) it.
21 "Submit your case," says the
Lord
.
"Present your arguments," says Jacob's King.
22 "Let them come and tell us
what will happen.(ad)
Tell us the past events,
so that we may reflect on them
and know the outcome,
or tell us the future.
23 Tell us the coming events,(ae)
then we will know that you are gods.
Indeed, do something good or bad,
then we will be in awe[d] and perceive.
24 Look, you are nothing(af)
and your work is worthless.
Anyone who chooses you is detestable.
25 "I have raised up one from the north,(ag) and he has come,
one from the east(ah) who invokes My[e] name.(ai)
He will march over rulers as if they were mud,
like a potter who treads the clay.
26 Who told about this from the beginning,
so that we might know,
and from times past,
so that we might say: He is right?
No one announced it,
no one told it,
no one heard your words.
27 I was the first to say to Zion:[f]
Look! Here they are!
And I gave a herald of good news to Jerusalem.(aj)
28 When I look, there is no one;
there is no counselor among them;
when I ask them, they have nothing to say.(ak)
29 Look, all of them are a delusion;[g]
their works are nonexistent;
their images are wind and emptiness.
Ephesians 3
Chapter 3
Paul's Ministry to the Gentiles
1 For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner(a) of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 you have heard, haven't you, about the administration of God's grace that He gave to me for you? 3 The mystery was made known to me by revelation,(b) as I have briefly written above. 4 By reading this you are able to understand my insight about the mystery of the Messiah.(c) 5 This was not made known to people[a] in other generations as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets(d) by the Spirit: 6 The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise(e) in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace that was given to me by the working of His power.(f)
8 This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches(g) of the Messiah, 9 and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created(h) all things. 10 This is so God's multi-faceted wisdom(i) may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.(j) 11 This is according to His eternal purpose(k) accomplished in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord. 12 In Him we have boldness and confident access(l) through faith in Him.[b] 13 So then I ask you not to be discouraged(m) over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.(n)
Prayer for Spiritual Power
14 For this reason I kneel(o) before the Father[c] 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches(p) of His glory,(q) to be strengthened with power(r) in the inner man(s) through His Spirit, 17 and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God's love,(t) 19 and to know the Messiah's love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able(u) to do above and beyond all that we ask or think(v) according to the power(w) that works in us— 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.(x)
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