the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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December 31 - Bible-in-a-Year
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Ezekiel 48
Chapter 48
The Tribal Allotments
1 "Now these are the names of the tribes:
From the northern end, along the road of Hethlon, to Lebo-hamath as far as Hazar-enon, at the northern border of Damascus, alongside Hamath and extending from the eastern side to the sea, will be Dan—one portion.
2 Next to the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, will be Asher—one portion.
3 Next to the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, will be Naphtali—one portion.
4 Next to the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, will be Manasseh—one portion.
5 Next to the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, will be Ephraim—one portion.
6 Next to the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, will be Reuben—one portion.
7 Next to the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, will be Judah—one portion.
8 "Next to the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, will be the portion you donate to the Lord , 8⅓ miles[a] wide, and as long as one of the tribal portions from the east side to the west.(a) The sanctuary will be in the middle of it.
9 "The special portion you donate to the Lord will be 8⅓ miles[b] long and 3⅓ miles[c] wide. 10 This holy donation will be set apart for the priests alone. It will be 8⅓ miles[d] long on the northern side, 3⅓ miles[e] wide on the western side, 3⅓ miles[f] wide on the eastern side, and 8⅓ miles[g] long on the southern side. The Lord 's sanctuary will be in the middle of it. 11 It is for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept My charge(b) and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray. 12 It will be a special donation for them out of the holy donation of the land, a most holy place adjacent to the territory of the Levites.
13 "Next to the territory of the priests, the Levites will have an area 8⅓ miles[h] long and 3⅓ miles[i] wide. The total length will be 8⅓ miles[j] and the width 3⅓ miles.[k](c) 14 They must not sell or exchange any of it, and they must not transfer this choice part of the land, for it is holy to the Lord .(d)
15 "The remaining area, 1⅔ of a mile[l] wide and 8⅓ miles[m] long, will be for common use by the city,(e) for both residential and open space. The city will be in the middle of it. 16 These are the city's measurements:
1½ miles[n] on the north side;
1½ miles[o] on the south side;
1½ miles[p] on the east side;
and 1½ miles[q] on the west side.
17 The city's open space will extend:
425 feet[r] to the north,
425 feet[s] to the south,
425 feet[t] to the east,
and 425 feet[u] to the west.
18 "The remainder of the length alongside the holy donation will be 3⅓ miles[v] to the east and 3⅓ miles[w] to the west. It will run alongside the holy donation. Its produce will be food for the workers of the city. 19 The city's workers from all the tribes of Israel will cultivate it.(f) 20 The entire donation will be 8⅓ miles[x] by 8⅓ miles;[y] you are to set apart the holy donation along with the city property as a square area.
21 "The remaining area on both sides of the holy donation and the city property will belong to the prince.(g) He will own the land adjacent to the tribal portions, next to the 8⅓ miles[z] of the donation as far as the eastern border and[aa] next to the 8⅓ miles[ab] of the donation as far as the western border. The holy donation and the sanctuary of the temple will be in the middle of it. 22 Except for the Levitical property and the city property in the middle of the area belonging to the prince, the area between the territory of Judah and that of Benjamin will belong to the prince.(h)
23 "As for the rest of the tribes:
From the east side to the west, will be Benjamin—one portion.
24 Next to the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, will be Simeon—one portion.
25 Next to the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, will be Issachar—one portion.
26 Next to the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, will be Zebulun—one portion.
27 Next to the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, will be Gad—one portion.
28 Next to the territory of Gad toward the south side, the border will run from Tamar to the waters(i) of Meribath-kadesh, to the Brook of Egypt, and out to the Mediterranean Sea. 29 This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to Israel's tribes,(j) and these will be their portions." This is the declaration of the Lord God .
The New City
30 "These are the exits of the city:
On the north side, which measures 1½ miles,[ac]
31 there will be three gates facing north, the gates of the city being named for the tribes of Israel: one, the gate of Reuben; one, the gate of Judah; and one, the gate of Levi.
32 On the east side, which is 1½ miles,[ad] there will be three gates: one, the gate of Joseph; one, the gate of Benjamin; and one, the gate of Dan.
33 On the south side, which measures 1½ miles,[ae] there will be three gates: one, the gate of Simeon; one, the gate of Issachar; and one, the gate of Zebulun.
34 On the west side, which is 1½ miles,[af] there will be three gates: one, the gate of Gad; one, the gate of Asher; and one, the gate of Naphtali.
35 The perimeter of the city will be six miles,[ag] and the name of the city from that day on will be: Yahweh Is There."(k)
Isaiah 66
Chapter 66
Final Judgment and Joyous Restoration
1 This is what the Lord says:
Heaven(a) is My throne,(b)
and earth is My footstool.(c)
What house could you possibly build for Me?
And what place could be My home?(d)
2 My hand made all these things,
and so they all came into being.
This is the
Lord
's declaration.
I will look favorably on this kind of person:
one who is humble,(e) submissive[a] in spirit,(f)
and trembles at My word.
3 One slaughters an ox, one kills a man;
one sacrifices a lamb, one breaks a dog's neck;
one offers a grain offering, one offers pig's blood;
one offers incense, one praises an idol—
all these have chosen their ways
and delight in their detestable practices.(g)
4 So I will choose their punishment,
and I will bring on them what they dread
because I called and no one answered;
I spoke and they didn't hear;
they did what was evil in My sight
and chose what I didn't delight in.(h)
5 You who tremble at His word,(i)
hear the word of the
Lord
:(j)
"Your brothers who hate and exclude you
because of Me have said,(k)
‘Let the
Lord
be glorified
so that we can see your joy!'
But they will be put to shame."(l)
6 A sound of uproar from the city!
A voice from the temple—
the voice of the
Lord
,
paying back His enemies what they deserve!(m)
7 Before Zion was in labor, she gave birth;
before she was in pain, she delivered a boy.
8 Who has heard of such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Can a land be born in one day
or a nation be delivered in an instant?
Yet as soon as Zion was in labor,
she gave birth to her sons.
9 "Will I bring a baby to the point of birth
and not deliver it?"
says the
Lord
;
"or will I who deliver, close the womb?"
says your God.
10 Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her,
all who love her.(n)
Rejoice greatly with her,
all who mourn over her—
11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her comforting breast
and drink deeply and delight yourselves
from her glorious breasts.
12 For this is what the Lord says:
I will make peace flow to her like a river,(o)
and the wealth[b] of nations like a flood;(p)
you will nurse and be carried on her hip(q)
and bounced on her lap.
13 As a mother comforts her son,
so I will comfort you,(r)
and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 You will see, you will rejoice,
and you[c] will flourish like grass;(s)
then the
Lord
's power will be revealed to His servants,
but He will show His wrath against His enemies.
15 Look, the
Lord
will come with fire(t)—
His chariots are like the whirlwind(u)—
to execute His anger with fury
and His rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For the
Lord
will execute judgment
on all flesh(v) with His fiery sword,
and many will be slain by the
Lord
.
17 "Those who dedicate and purify themselves to enter the groves(w) following their leader,[d] eating meat from pigs, vermin, and rats, will perish together."
This is the Lord 's declaration.
18 "Knowing[e] their works and their thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages;(x) they will come and see My glory. 19 I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put,[f] Lud (who are archers), Tubal, Javan,(y) and the islands far away—who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. And they will proclaim My glory among the nations.(z) 20 They will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the Lord on horses and chariots, in litters, and on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,"(aa) says the Lord , "just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord . 21 I will also take some of them as priests and Levites,"(ab) says the Lord .
22 "For just as the new heavens and the new earth,(ac)
which I will make,
will endure before Me"—
this is the
Lord
's declaration—
"so your offspring and your name will endure.
23 All mankind will come to worship Me
from one New Moon to another
and from one Sabbath to another,"
says the
Lord
.
24 "As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against Me;(ad) for their worm(ae) will never die, their fire will never go out,(af) and they will be a horror to all mankind."(ag)
Luke 5:1-26
Chapter 5
The First Disciples
1 As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God's word,(a) He was standing by Lake Gennesaret.[a](b) 2 He saw two boats at the edge of the lake;[b] the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats,(c) which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.
4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and let down[c] your nets for a catch." (d)
5 "Master,"(e) Simon replied, "we've worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I'll let down the nets."[d]
6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets[e] began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, because I'm a sinful man, Lord!" 9 For he and all those with him were amazed[f] at the catch of fish they took, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's partners.
"Don't be afraid," (f) Jesus told Simon. "From now on you will be catching people!" (g) 11 Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him.(h)
A Man Cleansed
12 While He was in one of the towns, a man was there who had a serious skin disease all over him.(i) He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged Him: "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."
13 Reaching out His hand, He touched him, saying, "I am willing; be made clean," and immediately the disease left him. 14 Then He ordered him to tell no one: "But go and show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses prescribed for your cleansing as a testimony to them."
15 But the news[g] about Him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.(j)
The Son of Man Forgives and Heals
17 On one of those days while He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law(k) were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord's power to heal was in Him.(l) 18 Just then some men came,(m) carrying on a mat a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before Him. 19 Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the mat through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.
20 Seeing their faith He said, "Friend,[h] your sins are forgiven you."
21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees(n) began to think: "Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"(o)
22 But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, "Why are you thinking this in your hearts?[i] 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, ‘Get up and walk'? 24 But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" —He told the paralyzed man, "I tell you: Get up, pick up your mat, and go home."
25 Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe(p) and said, "We have seen incredible things today!"
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