the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 12 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Ezekiel 18
Chapter 18
Personal Responsibility for Sin
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 "What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel:
The fathers eat sour grapes,(a)
and the children's teeth are set on edge?(b)
3 As I live"—this is the declaration of the Lord God —"you will no longer use this proverb in Israel.(c) 4 Look, every life belongs to Me.(d) The life of the father is like the life of the son—both belong to Me. The person who sins is the one who will die.(e)
5 "Now suppose a man is righteous and does what is just and right: 6 He does not eat at the mountain shrines(f) or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife(g) or come near a woman during her menstrual impurity.(h) 7 He doesn't oppress anyone(i) but returns his collateral to the debtor.(j) He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry(k) and covers the naked with clothing. 8 He doesn't lend at interest or for profit(l) but keeps his hand from wrongdoing and carries out true justice between men.(m) 9 He follows My statutes and keeps My ordinances, acting faithfully. Such a person is righteous; he will certainly live."(n) This is the declaration of the Lord God .
10 "Now suppose the man has a violent son, who sheds blood(o) and does any of these things, 11 though the father has done none of them. Indeed, when the son eats at the mountain shrines and defiles his neighbor's wife, 12 and when he oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, and does not return collateral, and when he raises his eyes to the idols, commits detestable acts,(p) 13 and lends at interest or for profit, will he live? He will not live! Since he has committed all these detestable acts, he will certainly die. His blood will be on him.(q)
14 "Now suppose he has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed, and though he sees them, he does not do likewise. 15 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife. 16 He doesn't oppress anyone, hold collateral, or commit robbery. He gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. 17 He keeps his hand from harming the poor, not taking interest or profit on a loan. He practices My ordinances and follows My statutes. Such a person will not die for his father's iniquity. He will certainly live.
18 "As for his father, he will die for his own iniquity because he practiced fraud, robbed his brother, and did what was wrong among his people.(r) 19 But you may ask, ‘Why doesn't the son suffer punishment for the father's iniquity?'(s) Since the son has done what is just and right, carefully observing all My statutes, he will certainly live. 20 The person who sins is the one who will die.(t) A son won't suffer punishment for the father's iniquity, and a father won't suffer punishment for the son's iniquity.(u) The righteousness of the righteous person will be on him,(v) and the wickedness of the wicked person will be on him.(w)
21 "Now if the wicked person turns from all the sins he has committed,(x) keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will certainly live; he will not die. 22 None of the transgressions he has committed will be held against him.(y) He will live because of the righteousness he has practiced.(z) 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?"(aa) This is the declaration of the Lord God . "Instead, don't I take pleasure when he turns from his ways and lives? 24 But when a righteous person turns from his righteousness(ab) and practices iniquity, committing the same detestable acts that the wicked do, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered.(ac) He will die because of the treachery he has engaged in and the sin he has committed.
25 "But you say, ‘The Lord's way isn't fair.'(ad) Now listen, house of Israel: Is it My way that is unfair? Instead, isn't it your ways that are unfair? 26 When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, he will die for this. He will die because of the iniquity he has practiced. 27 But if a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life. 28 He will certainly live because he thought it over and turned from all the transgressions he had committed; he will not die. 29 But the house of Israel says, ‘The Lord's way isn't fair.' Is it My ways that are unfair, house of Israel? Instead, isn't it your ways that are unfair?
30 "Therefore, house of Israel, I will judge each one of you according to his ways."(ae) This is the declaration of the Lord God . "Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so they will not be a stumbling block that causes your punishment. 31 Throw off all the transgressions you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.(af) Why should you die, house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in anyone's death." This is the declaration of the Lord God . "So repent and live!
Isaiah 47
Chapter 47
The Fall of Babylon
1 "Go down and sit in the dust,(a)
Virgin Daughter Babylon.(b)
Sit on the ground without a throne,
Daughter Chaldea!
For you will no longer be called pampered and spoiled.
2 Take millstones and grind meal;(c)
remove your veil,
strip off your skirt, bare your thigh,
wade through the streams.
3 Your nakedness will be uncovered,
and your shame will be exposed.(d)
I will take vengeance;
I will spare no one.[a]
4 The Holy One of Israel is our Redeemer;(e)
Yahweh of Hosts is His name.
5 "Daughter Chaldea,
sit in silence(f) and go into darkness.
For you will no longer be called mistress of kingdoms.
6 I was angry with My people;
I profaned My possession,
and I placed them under your control.
You showed them no mercy;
you made your yoke very heavy on the elderly.
7 You said, ‘I will be the mistress forever.'
You did not take these things to heart
or think about their outcome.
8 "So now hear this, lover of luxury,
who sits securely,(g)
who says to herself,
‘I exist, and there is no one else.
I will never be a widow
or know the loss of children.'(h)
9 These two things will happen to you
suddenly, in one day:
loss of children and widowhood.
They will happen to you in their entirety,
in spite of your many sorceries(i)
and the potency of your spells.
10 You were secure in your wickedness;
you said, ‘No one sees me.'(j)
Your wisdom and knowledge
led you astray.
You said to yourself,
‘I exist, and there is no one else.'
11 But disaster will happen to you;
you will not know how to avert it.
And it will fall on you,
but you will be unable to ward it off.[b]
Devastation will happen to you suddenly
and unexpectedly.(k)
12 So take your stand with your spells
and your many sorceries,
which you have wearied yourself with from your youth.
Perhaps you will be able to succeed;
perhaps you will inspire terror!
13 You are worn out with your many consultations.
So let them stand and save you—
the astrologers,[c] who observe the stars,(l)
who predict monthly
what will happen to you.
14 Look, they are like stubble;(m)
fire burns them up.(n)
They cannot deliver themselves
from the power[d] of the flame.
This is not a coal for warming themselves,
or a fire to sit beside!
15 This is what they are to you—
those who have wearied you
and have traded with you from your youth—
each wanders on his own way;
no one can save you.
Philippians 1:1-11
Chapter 1
Greeting
1 Paul(a) and Timothy,(b) slaves of Christ Jesus:
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,(c) including the overseers(d) and deacons.(e)
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you,[a] 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day(f) until now.(g) 6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work(h) in you[b] will carry it on to completion(i) until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right(j) for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart,[c] and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment(k) and in the defense(l) and establishment of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness,(m) how deeply I miss all of you(n) with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And I pray this: that your love(o) will keep on growing(p) in knowledge and every kind of discernment,(q) 10 so that you can approve the things that are superior(r) and can be pure(s) and blameless(t) in[d] the day of Christ,(u) 11 filled with the fruit(v) of righteousness(w) that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory(x) and praise of God.
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