November 25 Reading through the Bible

 

DANIEL 1:1-2:23

1 PETER 3:8-4:6

PSALM 119:65-80

PROVERBS 28:14

DANIEL 1:1-2:23

During the third year of King Jehoiakim's reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it with his armies. 2 The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah. When Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon, he took with him some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God and placed them in the treasure-house of his god in the land of Babylonia. 3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, who was in charge of the palace officials, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah's royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. 4 " Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men," he said. " Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good sense, and have the poise needed to serve in the royal palace. Teach these young men the language and literature of the Babylonians." 5 The king assigned them a daily ration of the best food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for a three-year period, and then some of them would be made his advisers in the royal court. 6 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 7 The chief official renamed them with these Babylonian names:Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego. 8 But Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief official for permission to eat other things instead. 9 Now God had given the chief official great respect for Daniel. 10 But he was alarmed by Daniel's suggestion. " My lord the king has ordered that you eat this food and wine," he said. " If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded for neglecting my duties." 11 Daniel talked it over with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief official to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 12 " Test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water," Daniel said. 13 " At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king's rich food. Then you can decide whether or not to let us continue eating our diet." 14 So the attendant agreed to Daniel's suggestion and tested them for ten days.15 At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. 16 So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the rich foods and wines. 17 God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for learning the literature and science of the time. And God gave Daniel special ability in understanding the meanings of visions and dreams. 18 When the three-year training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief official brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with each of them, and none of them impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they were appointed to his regular staff of advisers. 20 In all matters requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, the king found the advice of these young men to be ten times better than that of all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. 21 Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus's reign.2:1 ONE night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that disturbed him so much that he couldn't sleep. 2 He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood before the king, 3 he said, " I have had a dream that troubles me. Tell me what I dreamed, for I must know what it means." 4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, " Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means." 5 But the king said to the astrologers, " I am serious about this. If you don't tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be demolished into heaps of rubble! 6 But if you tell me what I dreamed and what the dream means, I will give you many wonderful gifts and honors. Just tell me the dream and what it means!" 7 They said again, " Please, Your Majesty. Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means." 8 The king replied, " I can see through your trick! You are trying to stall for time because you know I am serious about what I said. 9 If you don't tell me the dream, you will be condemned. You have conspired to tell me lies in hopes that something will change. But tell me the dream, and then I will know that you can tell me what it means." 10 The astrologers replied to the king, " There isn't a man alive who can tell Your Majesty his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! 11 This is an impossible thing the king requires. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live among people." 12 The king was furious when he heard this, and he sent out orders to execute all the wise men of Babylon. 13 And because of the king's decree, men were sent to find and kill Daniel and his friends. 14 When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. 15 He asked Arioch, " Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?" So Arioch told him all that had happened. 16 Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time so he could tell the king what the dream meant. 17 Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. 18 He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. 19 That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven, 20 saying, " Praise the name of God forever and ever,

for he alone has all wisdom and power.

21 He determines the course of world events;

he removes kings and sets others on the throne.

He gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to the scholars.

22 He reveals deep and mysterious things

and knows what lies hidden in darkness,

though he himself is surrounded by light.

23 I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors,

for you have given me wisdom and strength.

You have told me what we asked of you

and revealed to us what the king demanded."

1 PETER 3:8-4:6

Finally, all of you should be of one mind, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds. 9 Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate when people say unkind things about you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God wants you to do, and he will bless you for it. 10 For the Scriptures say, " If you want a happy life and good days,

keep your tongue from speaking evil,

and keep your lips from telling lies.

11 Turn away from evil and do good.

Work hard at living in peace with others.

12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,

and his ears are open to their prayers.

But the Lord turns his face

against those who do evil."

13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't be afraid and don't worry. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak evil against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! 18 Christ also suffered when he died for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners that he might bring us safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. 19 So he went and preached to the spirits in prison--20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. 21 And this is a picture of baptism, which now saves you by the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection. Baptism is not a removal of dirt from your body; it is an appeal to God from a clean conscience.22 Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers are bowing before him. 4:1 SO then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you are willing to suffer for Christ, you have decided to stop sinning. 2 And you won't spend the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy--their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. 4 Of course, your former friends are very surprised when you no longer join them in the wicked things they do, and they say evil things about you. 5 But just remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead. 6 That is why the Good News was preached even to those who have died--so that although their bodies were punished with death, they could still live in the spirit as God does.

PSALM 119:65-80

You have done many good things for me, LORD,

just as you promised.

66 I believe in your commands;

now teach me good judgment and knowledge.

67 I used to wander off until you disciplined me;

but now I closely follow your word.

68 You are good and do only good;

teach me your principles.

69 Arrogant people have made up lies about me,

but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart.

70 Their hearts are dull and stupid,

but I delight in your law.

71 The suffering you sent was good for me,

for it taught me to pay attention to your principles.

72 Your law is more valuable to me

than millions in gold and silver!

73 You made me; you created me.

Now give me the sense to follow your commands.

74 May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy,

for I have put my hope in your word.

75 I know, O LORD, that your decisions are fair;

you disciplined me because I needed it.

76 Now let your unfailing love comfort me,

just as you promised me, your servant.

77 Surround me with your tender mercies so I may live,

for your law is my delight.

78 Bring disgrace upon the arrogant people who lied about me;

meanwhile, I will concentrate on your commandments.

79 Let me be reconciled

with all who fear you and know your decrees.

80 May I be blameless in keeping your principles;

then I will never have to be ashamed.

PROVERBS 28:14

Blessed are those who have a tender conscience, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble.

November 24 Reading through the Bible

 

1 PETER 2:11-3:7

PSALM 119:49-64

PROVERBS 28:12-13

EZEKIEL 47:1-48:35

Then the man brought me [Ezekiel] back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing eastward from beneath the Temple threshold. This stream then passed to the right of the altar on its south side. 2 The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the stream flowing out through the south side of the east gateway. 3 Measuring as he went, he led me along the stream for 1,750 feet and told me to go across. At that point the water was up to my ankles. 4 He measured off another 1,750 feet and told me to go across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. 5 Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to cross without swimming. 6 He told me to keep in mind what I had seen; then he led me back along the riverbank. 7 Suddenly, to my surprise, many trees were now growing on both sides of the river! 8 Then he said to me, " This river flows east through the desert into the Jordan Valley, where it enters the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will heal the salty waters of the Dead Sea and make them fresh and pure. 9 Everything that touches the water of this river will live. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will be healed. Wherever this water flows, everything will live. 10 Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea, fishing all the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim. The shores will be covered with nets drying in the sun. Fish of every kind will fill the Dead Sea, just as they fill the Mediterranean! 11 But the marshes and swamps will not be purified; they will be sources of salt. 12 All kinds of fruit trees will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, without fail! For they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing." 13 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " Follow these instructions for dividing the land for the twelve tribes of Israel: The tribe of Joseph will be given two shares of land. 14 Otherwise each tribe will receive an equal share. I swore that I would give this land to your ancestors, and it will now come to you as your inheritance. 15 " The northern border will run from the Mediterranean toward Hethlon, then on through Lebo-hamath to Zedad; 16 then it will run to Berothah and Sibraim, which are on the border between Damascus and Hamath, and finally to Hazer-hatticon, on the border of Hauran. 17 So the northern border will run from the Mediterranean to Hazar-enan, on the border between Hamath to the north and Damascus to the south. 18 " The eastern border starts at a point between Hauran and Damascus and runs southward along the Jordan River between Israel and Gilead, past the Dead Sea and as far south as Tamar. This will be the eastern border. 19 " The southern border will go west from Tamar to the waters of Meribah at Kadesh and then follow the course of the brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean. This will be the southern border. 20 " On the west side the Mediterranean itself will be your border from the southern border to the point where the northern border begins, opposite Lebo-hamath.21 " Divide the land within these boundaries among the tribes of Israel. 22 Distribute the land as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners who have joined you and are raising their families among you. They will be just like native-born Israelites to you, and they will receive an inheritance among the tribes. 23 All these immigrants are to be given land within the territory of the tribe with whom they now live. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! 48:1 " HERE is the list of the tribes of Israel and the territory each is to receive. The territory of Dan is in the extreme north. Its boundary line follows the Hethlon road to Lebo-hamath and then runs on to Hazar-enan on the border of Damascus, with Hamath to the north. Dan's territory extends all the way across the land of Israel from east to west. 2 Asher's territory lies south of Dan's and also extends from east to west. 3 Naphtali's land lies south of Asher's, also extending from east to west. 4 Then comes Manasseh south of Naphtali, and its territory also extends from east to west. 5 South of Manasseh is Ephraim, 6 and then Reuben, 7 and then Judah, all of whose boundaries extend from east to west. 8 " South of Judah is the land set aside for a special purpose. It will be 8 miles wide and will extend as far east and west as the tribal territories, with the Temple at the center.9 " The area set aside for the LORD's Temple will be 8 miles long and 6 miles wide. 10 For the priests there will be a strip of land measuring 8 miles long by 3 miles wide, with the LORD's Temple at the center. 11 This area is set aside for the ordained priests, the descendants of Zadok who obeyed me and did not go astray when the people of Israel and the rest of the Levites did. 12 It will be their special portion when the land is distributed, the most sacred land of all. Next to the priests' territory will lie the land where the other Levites will live. 13 The land allotted to the Levites will be the same size and shape as that belonging to the priests--8 miles long and 3 miles wide. Together these portions of land will measure 8 miles long by 6 miles wide. 14 None of this special land will ever be sold or traded or used by others, for it belongs to the LORD; it is set apart as holy. 15 " An additional strip of land 8 miles long by 1 miles wide, south of the sacred Temple area, will be allotted for public use--homes, pasturelands, and common lands, with a city at the center. 16 The city will measure 1 miles on each side. 17 Open lands will surround the city for 150 yards in every direction. 18 Outside the city there will be a farming area that stretches 3 miles to the east and 3 miles to the west along the border of the sacred area. This farmland will produce food for the people working in the city. 19 Those who come from the various tribes to work in the city may farm it. 20 This entire area--including the sacred lands and the city--is a square that measures 8 miles on each side. 21 " The areas that remain, to the east and to the west of the sacred lands and the city, will belong to the prince. Each of these areas will be 8 miles wide, extending in opposite directions to the eastern and western borders of Israel. 22 So the prince's land will include everything between the territories allotted to Judah and Benjamin, except for the areas set aside for the sacred lands and the city.23 " These are the territories allotted to the rest of the tribes. Benjamin's territory lies just south of the prince's lands, and it extends across the entire land of Israel from east to west. 24 South of Benjamin's territory lies that of Simeon, also extending across the land from east to west. 25 Next is the territory of Issachar with the same eastern and western boundaries. 26 Then comes the territory of Zebulun, which also extends across the land from east to west. 27 The territory of Gad is just south of Zebulun with the same borders to the east and west. 28 The southern border of Gad runs from Tamar to the waters of Meribah at Kadesh and then follows the brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean. 29 These are the allotments that will be set aside for each tribe's inheritance, says the Sovereign LORD. 30 " These will be the exits to the city: On the north wall, which is 1 miles long, 31 there will be three gates, each one named after a tribe of Israel. The first will be named for Reuben, the second for Judah, and the third for Levi. 32 On the east wall, also 1 miles long, the gates will be named for Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan. 33 The south wall, also 1 miles long, will have gates named for Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun. 34 And on the west wall, also 1 miles long, the gates will be named for Gad, Asher, and Naphtali. 35 " The distance around the entire city will be six miles. And from that day the name of the city will be ` The LORD Is There.'"

1 PETER 2:11-3:7

Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I [Peter] warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls. 12 Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world. 13 For the Lord's sake, accept all authority--the king as head of state, 14 and the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish all who do wrong and to honor those who do right. 15 It is God's will that your good lives should silence those who make foolish accusations against you. 16 You are not slaves; you are free. But your freedom is not an excuse to do evil. You are free to live as God's slaves. 17 Show respect for everyone. Love your Christian brothers and sisters.* Fear God. Show respect for the king.18 You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters. Do whatever they tell you--not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are harsh. 19 For God is pleased with you when, for the sake of your conscience, you patiently endure unfair treatment. 20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing right and are patient beneath the blows, God is pleased with you. 21 This suffering is all part of what God has called you to. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps. 22 He never sinned, and he never deceived anyone. 23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted. When he suffered, he did not threaten to get even. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. 24 He personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by his wounds! 25 Once you were wandering like lost sheep. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.3:1 IN the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands, even those who refuse to accept the Good News. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words. They will be won over 2 by watching your pure, godly behavior. 3 Don't be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 5 That is the way the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands. 6 For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, when she called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do. 7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. If you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard.

PSALM 119:49-64

Remember your [the LORD's] promise to me,

for it is my only hope.

50 Your promise revives me;

it comforts me in all my troubles.

51 The proud hold me in utter contempt,

but I do not turn away from your law.

52 I meditate on your age-old laws;

O LORD, they comfort me.

53 I am furious with the wicked,

those who reject your law.

54 Your principles have been the music of my life

throughout the years of my pilgrimage.

55 I reflect at night on who you are, O LORD,

and I obey your law because of this.

56 This is my happy way of life:

obeying your commandments.

57 LORD, you are mine!

I promise to obey your words!

58 With all my heart I want your blessings.

Be merciful just as you promised.

59 I pondered the direction of my life,

and I turned to follow your statutes.

60 I will hurry, without lingering,

to obey your commands.

61 Evil people try to drag me into sin,

but I am firmly anchored to your law.

62 At midnight I rise to thank you

for your just laws.

63 Anyone who fears you is my friend--

anyone who obeys your commandments.

64 O LORD, the earth is full of your unfailing love;

teach me your principles.

PROVERBS 28:12-13

When the godly succeed, everyone is glad. When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding. People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy.

November 23 Reading through the Bible

 

EZEKIEL 45:13-46:24

1 PETER 1:13-2:10

PSALM 119:33-48

PROVERBS 28:11

EZEKIEL 45:13-46:24

" This is the tax you [Israelites] must give to the prince: one bushel of wheat or barley for every sixty you harvest, 14 one percent of your olive oil, 15 and one sheep for every two hundred in your flocks in Israel. These will be the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings that will make atonement for the people who bring them, says the Sovereign LORD. 16 All the people of Israel must join the prince in bringing their offerings. 17 The prince will be required to provide offerings that are given at the religious festivals, the new moon celebrations, the Sabbath days, and all other similar occasions. He will provide the sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, and peace offerings to make reconciliation for the people of Israel. 18 " This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In early spring, on the first day of each new year, sacrifice a young bull with no physical defects to purify the Temple. 19 The priest will take some of the blood of this sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the Temple, the four corners of the upper ledge on the altar, and the gateposts at the entrance to the inner courtyard. 20 Do this also on the seventh day of the new year for anyone who has sinned through error or ignorance. In that way, you will make atonement for the Temple.21 " On the fourteenth day of the new year, you must celebrate the Passover. This festival will last for seven days. Only bread without yeast may be eaten during that time. 22 On the day of Passover the prince will provide a young bull as a sin offering for himself and the people of Israel. 23 On each of the seven days of the feast he will prepare a burnt offering to the LORD. This daily offering will consist of seven young bulls and seven rams without any defects. A male goat will also be given each day for a sin offering. 24 The prince will provide a half bushel of flour as a grain offering and a gallon of olive oil with each young bull and ram. 25 " During the seven days of the Festival of Shelters, which occurs every year in early autumn, the prince will provide these same sacrifices for the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the grain offering, along with the required olive oil.46:1 " THIS is what the Sovereign LORD says: The east gateway of the inner wall will be closed during the six workdays each week, but it will be open on Sabbath days and the days of new moon celebrations. 2 The prince will enter the foyer of the gateway from the outside. Then he will stand by the gatepost while the priest offers his burnt offering and peace offering. He will worship inside the gateway passage and then go back out the way he came. The gateway will not be closed until evening. 3 The common people will worship the LORD in front of this gateway on Sabbath days and the days of new moon celebrations. 4 " Each Sabbath day the prince will present to the LORD a burnt offering of six lambs and one ram, all with no physical defects. 5 He will present a grain offering of a half bushel of flour to go with the ram and whatever amount of flour he chooses to go with each lamb. He is to offer one gallon of olive oil for each half bushel of flour. 6 At the new moon celebrations, he will bring one young bull, six lambs, and one ram, all with no physical defects. 7 With the young bull he must bring a half bushel of flour for a grain offering. With the ram he must bring another half bushel of flour. And with each lamb he is to bring whatever amount of flour that he decides to give. With each half bushel of flour he must offer one gallon of olive oil. 8 " The prince must enter the gateway through the foyer, and he must leave the same way he came. 9 But when the people come in through the north gateway to worship the LORD during the religious festivals, they must leave by the south gateway. And those who entered through the south gateway must leave by the north gateway. They must never leave by the same gateway they came in; they must always use the opposite gateway. 10 The prince will enter and leave with the people on these occasions. 11 " So at the special feasts and sacred festivals, the grain offering will be a half bushel of flour with each young bull, another half bushel of flour with each ram, and as much flour as the prince chooses to give with each lamb. One gallon of oil is to be given with each half bushel of flour. 12 Whenever the prince offers a voluntary burnt offering or peace offering to the LORD, the east gateway to the inner courtyard will be opened for him to enter, and he will offer his sacrifices just as he does on Sabbath days. Then he will turn and leave the way he entered, and the gateway will be shut behind him.13 " Each morning a year-old lamb with no physical defects must be sacrificed as a burnt offering to the LORD. 14 With the lamb, a grain offering must also be given to the LORD--about two and a half quarts of flour with a third of a gallon of olive oil to moisten the flour. This will be a permanent law for you. 15 The lamb, the grain offering, and the olive oil must be given as a daily sacrifice every morning without fail. 16 " This is what the Sovereign LORD says: If the prince gives a gift of land to one of his sons, it will belong to him and his descendants forever. 17 But if he gives a gift of land to one of his servants, the servant may keep it only until the Year of Jubilee, which comes every fiftieth year. At that time the servant will be set free, and the land will return to the prince. Only the gifts given to the prince's sons will be permanent. 18 And the prince may never take anyone's property by force. If he gives property to his sons, it must be from his own land, for I do not want any of my people unjustly evicted from their property." 19 Then the man brought me through the entrance beside the gateway and led me to the sacred rooms assigned to the priests, which faced toward the north. He showed me a place at the extreme west end of these rooms. 20 He explained, " This is where the priests will cook the meat from the guilt offerings and sin offerings and bake the flour from the grain offerings into bread. They will do it here to avoid carrying the sacrifices through the outer courtyard and harming the people by transmitting holiness to them." 21 Then he brought me back to the outer courtyard and led me to each of its four corners. In each corner I saw an enclosure. 22 Each of these enclosures was 70 feet long and 52 feet wide, surrounded by walls. 23 Along the inside of these walls was a ledge of stone with fireplaces under the ledge all the way around. 24 The man said to me, " These are the kitchens to be used by the Temple assistants to boil the sacrifices offered by the people."

1 PETER 1:13-2:10

So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ. 14 Obey God because you are his children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God--who chose you to be his children--is holy. 16 For he himself has said, " You must be holy because I am holy." 17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites when he judges. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as foreigners here on earth. 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you.21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God. 22 Now you can have sincere love for each other as brothers and sisters* because you were cleansed from your sins when you accepted the truth of the Good News. So see to it that you really do love each other intensely with all your hearts. 23 For you have been born again. Your new life did not come from your earthly parents because the life they gave you will end in death. But this new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. 24 As the prophet says, " People are like grass that dies away;

their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of wildflowers.

The grass withers,

and the flowers fall away.

25 But the word of the Lord will last forever."

And that word is the Good News that was preached to you. 2:1 SO get rid of all malicious behavior and deceit. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing. 2 You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness. 4 Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him. 5 And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are God's holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ. 6 As the Scriptures express it, " I am placing a stone in Jerusalem,

a chosen cornerstone,

and anyone who believes in him

will never be disappointed."

7 Yes, he is very precious to you who believe. But for those who reject him, " The stone that was rejected by the builders

has now become the cornerstone."

8 And the Scriptures also say, " He is the stone that makes people stumble,

the rock that will make them fall."

They stumble because they do not listen to God's word or obey it, and so they meet the fate that has been planned for them. 9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.10 " Once you were not a people;

now you are the people of God.

Once you received none of God's mercy;

now you have received his mercy."

PSALM 119:33-48

Teach me, O LORD,

to follow every one of your principles.

34 Give me understanding and I will obey your law;

I will put it into practice with all my heart.

35 Make me walk along the path of your commands,

for that is where my happiness is found.

36 Give me an eagerness for your decrees;

do not inflict me with love for money!

37 Turn my eyes from worthless things,

and give me life through your word.

38 Reassure me of your promise,

which is for those who honor you.

39 Help me abandon my shameful ways;

your laws are all I want in life.

40 I long to obey your commandments!

Renew my life with your goodness.

41 LORD, give to me your unfailing love,

the salvation that you promised me.

42 Then I will have an answer for those who taunt me,

for I trust in your word.

43 Do not snatch your word of truth from me,

for my only hope is in your laws.

44 I will keep on obeying your law

forever and forever.

45 I will walk in freedom,

for I have devoted myself to your commandments.

46 I will speak to kings about your decrees,

and I will not be ashamed.

47 How I delight in your commands!

How I love them!

48 I honor and love your commands.

I meditate on your principles.

PROVERBS 28:11

Rich people picture themselves as wise, but their real poverty is evident to the poor.

November 22 Reading through the Bible

 

EZEKIEL 44:1-45:12

1 PETER 1:1-12

PSALM 119:17-32

PROVERBS 28:8-10

EZEKIEL 44:1-45:12

Then the man brought me [Ezekiel] back to the east gateway in the outer wall, but it was closed. 2 And the LORD said to me, " This gate must remain closed; it will never again be opened. No man will ever pass through it, for the LORD, the God of Israel, entered here. Thus, it must always remain shut. 3 Only the prince himself may sit inside this gateway to feast in the LORD's presence. But he may come and go only through the gateway's foyer." 4 Then the man brought me through the north gateway to the front of the Temple. I looked and saw that the glory of the LORD filled the Temple of the LORD, and I fell to the ground with my face in the dust. 5 And the LORD said to me, " Son of man, take careful notice; use your eyes and ears. Listen to everything I tell you about the regulations concerning the LORD's Temple. Take careful note of who may be admitted to the Temple and who is to be excluded from it. 6 And give these rebels, the people of Israel, this message from the Sovereign LORD: O people of Israel, enough of your disgusting sins! 7 You have brought uncircumcised foreigners into my sanctuary--people who have no heart for God. In this way, you profaned my Temple even as you offered me my food, the fat and blood of sacrifices. Thus, in addition to all your other disgusting sins, you have broken my covenant. 8 You have not kept the laws I gave you concerning these sacred rituals, for you have hired foreigners to take charge of my sanctuary. 9 " So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: No foreigners, including those who live among the people of Israel, will enter my sanctuary if they have not been circumcised and do not love the LORD. 10 And the men of the tribe of Levi who abandoned me when Israel strayed away from me to worship idols must bear the consequences of their unfaithfulness. 11 They may still be Temple guards and gatemen, and they may still slaughter the animals brought for burnt offerings and be present to help the people. 12 But they encouraged my people to worship other gods, causing Israel to fall into deep sin. So I have raised my hand and taken an oath that they must bear the consequences for their sins, says the Sovereign LORD. 13 They may not approach me to minister as priests. They may not touch any of my holy things or the holy offerings, for they must bear the shame of all the sins they have committed. 14 They are to serve as the Temple caretakers and are relegated to doing maintenance work and helping the people in a general way. 15 " However, the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok continued to minister faithfully in the Temple when Israel abandoned me for idols. These men will serve as my ministers. They will stand in my presence and offer the fat and blood of the sacrifices, says the Sovereign LORD. 16 They are the ones who will enter my sanctuary and approach my table to serve me. They are the ones who will fulfill all my requirements. 17 When they enter the gateway to the inner courtyard, they must wear only linen clothing. They must wear no wool while on duty in the inner courtyard or in the Temple itself. 18 They must wear linen turbans and linen undergarments. They must not wear anything that would cause them to perspire. 19 When they return to the outer courtyard where the people are, they must take off the clothes they wear while ministering to me. They must leave them in the sacred rooms and put on other clothes so they do not harm the people by transmitting holiness to them through this clothing. 20 " They must neither let their hair grow too long nor shave it off completely. Instead, they must trim it regularly. 21 The priests must never drink wine before entering the inner courtyard. 22 They may choose their wives only from among the virgins of Israel or the widows of the priests. They may not marry other widows or divorced women. 23 They will teach my people the difference between what is holy and what is common, what is ceremonially clean and unclean. 24 " They will serve as judges to resolve any disagreements among my people. Their decisions must be based on my regulations. And the priests themselves must obey my instructions and laws at all the sacred festivals, and they will see to it that the Sabbath is set apart as a holy day. 25 A priest must never defile himself by being in the presence of a dead person unless it is his father, mother, child, brother, or unmarried sister. In such cases it is permitted. 26 But such a priest can only return to his Temple duties after being ritually cleansed and then waiting for seven days. 27 The first day he returns to work and enters the inner courtyard and the sanctuary, he must offer a sin offering for himself, says the Sovereign LORD. 28 " As to property, the priests will not have any, for I alone am their inheritance. 29 Their food will come from the gifts and sacrifices brought to the Temple by the people--the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Whatever anyone sets apart for the LORD will belong to the priests. 30 The first of the ripe fruits and all the gifts brought to the LORD will go to the priests. The first samples of each grain harvest and the first of your flour must also be given to the priests so the LORD will bless your homes. 31 The priests may never eat meat from any bird or animal that dies a natural death or that dies after being attacked by another animal.45:1 " WHEN you divide the land among the tribes of Israel, you must set aside a section of it for the LORD as his holy portion. This piece of land will be 8 miles long and 6 miles wide. The entire area will be holy ground. 2 A section of this land, measuring 875 feet by 875 feet, will be set aside for the Temple. An additional strip of land 87 feet wide is to be left empty all around it. 3 Within the larger sacred area, measure out a portion of land 8 miles long and 3 miles wide. Within it the sanctuary of the Most Holy Place will be located. 4 This area will be a holy land, set aside for the priests who minister to the LORD in the sanctuary. They will use it for their homes, and my Temple will be located within it. 5 The strip of sacred land next to it, also 8 miles long and 3 miles wide, will be a living area for the Levites who work at the Temple. It will be their possession and a place for their towns. 6 " Adjacent to the larger sacred area will be a section of land 8 miles long and 1 miles wide. This will be set aside to be a city where anyone in Israel can come and live. 7 " Two special sections of land will be set apart for the prince. One section will share a border with the east side of the sacred lands and city, and the second section will share a border on the west side. Then the far eastern and western borders of the prince's lands will line up with the eastern and western boundaries of the tribal areas. 8 These sections of land will be the prince's allotment. " My princes will no longer oppress and rob my people; they will assign the rest of the land to the people, giving an allotment to each tribe. 9 For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Enough, you princes of Israel! Stop all your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Quit robbing and cheating my people out of their land! Stop expelling them from their homes! 10 You must use only honest weights and scales, honest dry volume measures, and honest liquid volume measures. 11 The homer will be your standard unit for measuring volume. The ephah and the bath will each measure one-tenth of a homer. 12 The standard unit for weight will be the silver shekel. One shekel consists of twenty gerahs, and sixty shekels are equal to one mina."

1 PETER 1:1-12

This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God's chosen people who are living as foreigners in the lands of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the province of Asia, and Bithynia. 2 God the Father chose you long ago, and the Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed Jesus Christ and are cleansed by his blood. May you have more and more of God's special favor and wonderful peace. 3 All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. 4 For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. 6 So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. 7 These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 Your reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. 10 This salvation was something the prophets wanted to know more about. They prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you, even though they had many questions as to what it all could mean. 11 They wondered what the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ's suffering and his great glory afterward. They wondered when and to whom all this would happen. 12 They were told that these things would not happen during their lifetime, but many years later, during yours. And now this Good News has been announced by those who preached to you in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.

PSALM 119:17-32

Be good to your servant,

that I may live and obey your word.

18 Open my eyes to see

the wonderful truths in your law.

19 I am but a foreigner here on earth;

I need the guidance of your commands.

Don't hide them from me!

20 I am overwhelmed continually

with a desire for your laws.

21 You rebuke those cursed proud ones

who wander from your commands.

22 Don't let them scorn and insult me,

for I have obeyed your decrees.

23 Even princes sit and speak against me,

but I will meditate on your principles.

24 Your decrees please me;

they give me wise advice.

25 I lie in the dust, completely discouraged;

revive me by your word.

26 I told you my plans, and you answered.

Now teach me your principles.

27 Help me understand the meaning of your commandments,

and I will meditate on your wonderful miracles.

28 I weep with grief;

encourage me by your word.

29 Keep me from lying to myself;

give me the privilege of knowing your law.

30 I have chosen to be faithful;

I have determined to live by your laws.

31 I cling to your decrees.

LORD, don't let me be put to shame!

32 If you will help me,

I will run to follow your commands.

PROVERBS 28:8-10

A person who makes money by charging interest will lose it. It will end up in the hands of someone who is kind to the poor. The prayers of a person who ignores the law are despised. Those who lead the upright into sin will fall into their own trap, but the honest will inherit good things.

November 21 Reading through the Bible

 

EZEKIEL 42:1-43:27

JAMES 5:1-20

PSALM 119:1-16

PROVERBS 28:6-7

EZEKIEL 42:1-43:27

Then the man led me [Ezekiel] out of the Temple courtyard by way of the north gateway. We entered the outer courtyard and came to a group of rooms against the north wall of the inner courtyard. 2 This group of structures, whose entrance opened toward the north, was 175 feet long and 87 feet wide. 3 One block of rooms overlooked the 35-foot width of the inner courtyard. Another block of rooms looked out onto the pavement of the outer courtyard. The two blocks were built three levels high and stood across from each other. 4 Between the two blocks of rooms ran a walkway 17 feet wide. It extended the entire 175 feet of the complex, and all the doors faced toward the north. 5 Each of the two upper levels of rooms was narrower than the one beneath it because the upper levels had to allow space for walkways in front of them. 6 Since there were three levels and they did not have supporting columns as in the courtyards, each of the upper levels was set back from the level beneath it. 7 There was an outer wall that separated the rooms from the outer courtyard; it was 87 feet long. 8 This wall added length to the outer block of rooms, which extended for only 87 feet, while the inner block--the rooms toward the Temple--extended for 175 feet. 9 There was an entrance from the outer courtyard to these rooms from the east. 10 On the south side of the Temple there were two blocks of rooms just south of the inner courtyard between the Temple and the outer courtyard. These rooms were arranged just like the rooms on the north. 11 There was a walkway between the two blocks of rooms just like the complex on the north side of the Temple. This complex of rooms was the same length and width as the other one, and it had the same entrances and doors. The dimensions of each were identical. 12 So there was an entrance in the wall facing the doors of the inner block of rooms, and another on the east at the end of the interior walkway. 13 Then the man told me, " These rooms that overlook the Temple from the north and south are holy. It is there that the priests who offer sacrifices to the LORD will eat the most holy offerings. And they will use these rooms to store the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings because these rooms are holy. 14 When the priests leave the Holy Place, they must not go directly to the outer courtyard. They must first take off the clothes they wore while ministering because these clothes are holy. They must put on other clothes before entering the parts of the building complex open to the public." 15 When the man had finished taking these measurements, he led me out through the east gateway to measure the entire Temple area. 16 He measured the east side; it was 875 feet long. 17 He also measured the north side and got the same measurement. 18 The south side was the same length, 19 and so was the west side. 20 So the area was 875 feet on each side with a wall all around it to separate the holy places from the common.43:1 AFTER this, the man brought me back around to the east gateway. 2 Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel appeared from the east. The sound of his coming was like the roar of rushing waters, and the whole landscape shone with his glory. 3 This vision was just like the others I had seen, first by the Kebar River and then when he came to destroy Jerusalem. And I fell down before him with my face in the dust. 4 And the glory of the LORD came into the Temple through the east gateway. 5 Then the Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner courtyard, and the glory of the LORD filled the Temple. 6 And I heard someone speaking to me from within the Temple. (The man who had been measuring was still standing beside me.) 7 And the LORD said to me, " Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place where I will rest my feet. I will remain here forever, living among the people of Israel. They and their kings will not defile my holy name any longer by their adulterous worship of other gods or by raising monuments in honor of their dead kings. 8 They put their idol altars right next to mine with only a wall between them and me. They defiled my holy name by such wickedness, so I consumed them in my anger. 9 Now let them put away their idols and the sacred pillars erected to honor their kings, and I will live among them forever. 10 " Son of man, describe to the people of Israel the Temple I have shown you. Tell them its appearance and its plan so they will be ashamed of all their sins. 11 And if they are ashamed of what they have done, describe to them all the specifications of its construction--including its entrances and doors--and everything else about it. Write down all these specifications and directions as they watch so they will be sure to remember them. 12 And this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness! The entire top of the hill where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the primary law of the Temple. 13 " These are the measurements of the altar: There is a gutter all around the altar 21 inches wide and 21 inches deep, with a curb 9 inches wide around its edge. And this is the height of the altar: 14 From the gutter the altar rises 3 feet to a ledge that surrounds the altar; this lower ledge is 21 inches wide. From the lower ledge the altar rises 7 feet to the upper ledge; this upper ledge is also 21 inches wide. 15 The top of the altar, the hearth, rises still 7 feet higher, with a horn rising up from each of the four corners. 16 The top of the altar is square, measuring 21 feet by 21 feet. 17 The upper ledge also forms a square, measuring 24 feet on each side, with a 21-inch gutter and a 10-inch curb all around the edge. There are steps going up the east side of the altar." 18 Then he said to me, " Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: These will be the regulations for the burning of offerings and the sprinkling of blood when the altar is built. 19 At that time, the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who minister before me, are to be given a young bull for a sin offering, says the Sovereign LORD. 20 You will take some of its blood and smear it on the four horns of the altar, the four corners of the upper ledge, and the curb that runs around that ledge. This will cleanse and make atonement for the altar. 21 Then take the young bull for the sin offering and burn it at the appointed place outside the Temple area. 22 " On the second day, sacrifice as a sin offering a young male goat that has no physical defects. Then cleanse and make atonement for the altar again, just as you did with the young bull. 23 When you have finished the cleansing ceremony, offer another young bull that has no defects and a perfect ram from the flock. 24 You are to present them to the LORD, and the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to the LORD. 25 " Every day for seven days a male goat, a young bull, and a ram from the flock will be sacrificed as a sin offering. None of these animals may have physical defects of any kind. 26 Do this each day for seven days to cleanse and make atonement for the altar, thus setting it apart for holy use. 27 On the eighth day, and on each day afterward, the priests will sacrifice on the altar the burnt offerings and peace offerings of the people. Then I will accept you, says the Sovereign LORD."

JAMES 5:1-20

Look here, you rich people, weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh in hell. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every whim. Now your hearts are nice and fat, ready for the slaughter. 6 You have condemned and killed good people who had no power to defend themselves against you.7 Dear brothers and sisters,* you must be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Don't grumble about each other, my brothers and sisters, or God will judge you. For look! The great Judge is coming. He is standing at the door! 10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord's plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy. 12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it. 13 Are any among you suffering? They should keep on praying about it. And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord. 14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and a half years! 18 Then he prayed for rain, and down it poured. The grass turned green, and the crops began to grow again. 19 My dear brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back again, 20 you can be sure that the one who brings that person back will save that sinner from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

PSALM 119:1-16

Happy are people of integrity,>

who follow the law of the LORD.

2 Happy are those who obey his decrees

and search for him with all their hearts.

3 They do not compromise with evil,

and they walk only in his paths.

4 You have charged us

to keep your commandments carefully.

5 Oh, that my actions would consistently

reflect your principles!

6 Then I will not be disgraced

when I compare my life with your commands.

7 When I learn your righteous laws,

I will thank you by living as I should!

8 I will obey your principles.

Please don't give up on me!

9 How can a young person stay pure?

By obeying your word and following its rules.

10 I have tried my best to find you--

don't let me wander from your commands.

11 I have hidden your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

12 Blessed are you, O LORD;

teach me your principles.

13 I have recited aloud

all the laws you have given us.

14 I have rejoiced in your decrees

as much as in riches.

15 I will study your commandments

and reflect on your ways.

16 I will delight in your principles

and not forget your word.

PROVERBS 28:6-7

It is better to be poor and honest than rich and crooked. Young people who obey the law are wise; those who seek out worthless companions bring shame to their parents.

November 20 Reading through the Bible

 

EZEKIEL 40:28-41:26

JAMES 4:1-17

PSALM 118:19-29

PROVERBS 28:3-5

EZEKIEL 40:28-41:26

Then the man took me [Ezekiel] to the south gateway leading into the inner courtyard. He measured it and found that it had the same measurements as the other gateways. 29 Its guard alcoves, dividing walls, and foyer were the same size as those in the others. It also had windows along its walls and in the foyer structure. And like the others, the gateway passage was 87 feet long and 43 feet wide. 30 (The foyers of the gateways leading into the inner courtyard were 8 feet deep and 43 feet wide.) 31 The foyer of the south gateway faced into the outer courtyard. It had palm tree decorations on its columns, and there were eight steps leading to its entrance. 32 Then he took me to the east gateway leading to the inner courtyard. He measured it and found that it had the same measurements as the other gateways. 33 Its guard alcoves, dividing walls, and foyer were the same size as those of the others, and there were windows along the walls and in the foyer structure. The gateway passage measured 87 feet long and 43 feet wide. 34 Its foyer faced into the outer courtyard. It had palm tree decorations on its columns, and there were eight steps leading to its entrance. 35 Then he took me around to the north gateway leading to the inner courtyard. He measured it and found that it had the same measurements as the other gateways. 36 The guard alcoves, dividing walls, and foyer of this gateway had the same measurements as in the others and the same window arrangements. The gateway passage measured 87 feet long and 43 feet wide. 37 Its foyer faced into the outer courtyard, and it had palm tree decorations on the columns. There were eight steps leading to its entrance. 38 A door led from the foyer of the inner gateway on the north side into a side room where the meat for sacrifices was washed before being taken to the altar. 39 On each side of this foyer were two tables, where the sacrificial animals were slaughtered for the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. 40 Outside the foyer, on each side of the stairs going up to the north entrance, there were two more tables. 41 So there were eight tables in all, four inside and four outside, where the sacrifices were cut up and prepared. 42 There were also four tables of hewn stone for preparation of the burnt offerings, each 31 inches square and 21 inches high. On these tables were placed the butchering knives and other implements and the sacrificial animals. 43 There were hooks, each three inches long, fastened to the foyer walls and set on the tables where the sacrificial meat was to be laid. 44 Inside the inner courtyard there were two one-room buildings for the singers, one beside the north gateway, facing south, and the other beside the south gateway, facing north. 45 And the man said to me, " The building beside the north inner gate is for the priests who supervise the Temple maintenance. 46 The building beside the south inner gate is for the priests in charge of the altar--the descendants of Zadok--for they alone of all the Levites may approach the LORD to minister to him." 47 Then the man measured the inner courtyard and found it to be 175 feet square. The altar stood there in the courtyard in front of the Temple. 48 Then he brought me to the foyer of the Temple. He measured its supporting columns and found them to be 8 feet square. The entrance was 24 feet wide with walls 5 feet thick. 49 The depth of the foyer was 35 feet and the width was 19 feet. There were ten steps leading up to it, with a column on each side.41:1 AFTER that, the man brought me into the Holy Place, the large main room of the Temple, and he measured the columns that framed its doorway. They were 10 feet square. 2 The entrance was 17 feet wide, and the walls on each side were 8 feet wide. The Holy Place itself was 70 feet long and 35 feet wide. 3 Then he went into the inner room at the end of the Holy Place. He measured the columns at the entrance and found them to be 3 feet thick. The entrance was 10 feet wide, and the walls on each side of the entrance extended 12 feet to the corners of the inner room. 4 The inner room was 35 feet square. " This," he told me, " is the Most Holy Place."5 Then he measured the wall of the Temple and found that it was 10 feet thick. There was a row of rooms along the outside wall; each room was 7 feet wide. 6 These rooms were built in three levels, one above the other, with thirty rooms on each level. The supports for these rooms rested on ledges in the Temple wall, but the supports did not extend into the wall. 7 Each level was wider than the one below it, corresponding to the narrowing of the Temple wall as it rose higher. A stairway led up from the bottom level through the middle level to the top level. 8 I noticed that the Temple was built on a terrace, which provided a foundation for the side rooms. This terrace was 10 feet high. 9 The outer wall of the Temple's side rooms was 8 feet thick. This left an open area between these side rooms 10 and the row of rooms along the outer wall of the inner courtyard. This open area measured 35 feet in width, and it went all the way around the Temple. 11 Two doors opened from the side rooms into the terrace yard, which was 8 feet wide. One door faced north and the other south. 12 A large building stood on the west, facing the Temple courtyard. It was 122 feet wide and 157 feet long, and its walls were 8 feet thick. 13 Then the man measured the Temple, and he found it to be 175 feet long. The courtyard around the building, including its walls, was an additional 175 feet in length. 14 The inner courtyard to the east of the Temple was also 175 feet wide. 15 The building to the west, including its two walls, was also 175 feet wide. The Holy Place, the Most Holy Place, and the foyer of the Temple were all paneled with wood, 16 as were the frames of the recessed windows. The inner walls of the Temple were paneled with wood above and below the windows. 17 The space above the door leading into the Most Holy Place was also paneled. 18 All the walls were decorated with carvings of cherubim, each with two faces, and there was a palm tree carving between each of the cherubim. 19 One face--that of a man--looked toward the palm tree on one side. The other face--that of a young lion--looked toward the palm tree on the other side. The figures were carved all along the inside of the Temple, 20 from the floor to the top of the walls, including the outer wall of the Holy Place. 21 There were square columns at the entrance to the Holy Place, and the ones at the entrance of the Most Holy Place were similar. 22 There was an altar made of wood, 3 feet square and 5 feet high. Its corners, base, and sides were all made of wood. " This," the man told me, " is the table that stands in the LORD's presence."23 Both the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place had double doorways, 24 each with two swinging doors. 25 The doors leading into the Holy Place were decorated with carved cherubim and palm trees just as on the walls. And there was a wooden canopy over the front of the Temple's foyer. 26 On both sides of the foyer there were recessed windows decorated with carved palm trees.

JAMES 4:1-17

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn't it the whole army of evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can't possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don't have what you want is that you don't ask God for it. 3 And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong--you want only what will give you pleasure. 4 You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with this world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy this world, you can't be a friend of God. 5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, jealously longs for us to be faithful? 6 He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, " God sets himself against the proud,

but he shows favor to the humble."

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. 9 Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor. 11 Don't speak evil against each other, my dear brothers and sisters.* If you criticize each other and condemn each other, then you are criticizing and condemning God's law. But you are not a judge who can decide whether the law is right or wrong. Your job is to obey it. 12 God alone, who made the law, can rightly judge among us. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to condemn your neighbor? 13 Look here, you people who say, " Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." 14 How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone. 15 What you ought to say is, " If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." 16 Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. 17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

PSALM 118:19-29

Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,

and I will go in and thank the LORD.

20 Those gates lead to the presence of the LORD,

and the godly enter there.

21 I thank you for answering my prayer

and saving me!

22 The stone rejected by the builders

has now become the cornerstone.

23 This is the LORD's doing,

and it is marvelous to see.

24 This is the day the LORD has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Please, LORD, please save us.

Please, LORD, please give us success.

26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD.

We bless you from the house of the LORD.

27 The LORD is God, shining upon us.

Bring forward the sacrifice and put it on the altar.

28 You are my God, and I will praise you!

You are my God, and I will exalt you!

29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

PROVERBS 28:3-5

A poor person who oppresses the poor is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops. To reject the law is to praise the wicked; to obey the law is to fight them. Evil people don't understand justice, but those who follow the LORD understand completely.

November 19 Reading through the Bible

 

EZEKIEL 39:1-40:27

JAMES 2:18-3:18

PSALM 118:1-18

PROVERBS 28:2

EZEKIEL 39:1-40:27

" Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: I am your enemy, O Gog, ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. 2 I will turn you and drive you toward the mountains of Israel, bringing you from the distant north. 3 I will knock your weapons from your hands and leave you helpless. 4 You and all your vast hordes will die on the mountains. I will give you as food to the vultures and wild animals. 5 You will fall in the open fields, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign LORD. 6 And I will rain down fire on Magog and on all your allies who live safely on the coasts. Then they will know that I am the LORD. 7 " Thus, I will make known my holy name among my people of Israel. I will not let it be desecrated anymore. And the nations, too, will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. 8 That day of judgment will come, says the Sovereign LORD. Everything will happen just as I have declared it.9 " Then the people in the towns of Israel will go out and pick up your small and large shields, bows and arrows, javelins and spears, and they will use them for fuel. There will be enough to last them seven years! 10 They will need nothing else for their fires. They won't need to cut wood from the fields or forests, for these weapons will give them all they need. They will take plunder from those who planned to plunder them, says the Sovereign LORD. 11 " And I will make a vast graveyard for Gog and his hordes in the Valley of the Travelers, east of the Dead Sea. The path of those who travel there will be blocked by this burial ground, and they will change the name of the place to the Valley of Gog's Hordes. 12 It will take seven months for the people of Israel to cleanse the land by burying the bodies. 13 Everyone in Israel will help, for it will be a glorious victory for Israel when I demonstrate my glory on that day, says the Sovereign LORD. 14 At the end of the seven months, special crews will be appointed to search the land for any skeletons and to bury them, so the land will be made clean again. 15 Whenever some bones are found, a marker will be set up beside them so the burial crews will see them and take them to be buried in the Valley of Gog's Hordes. 16 (There will be a town there named Hamonah--which means ` horde.') And so the land will finally be cleansed. 17 " And now, son of man, call all the birds and wild animals, says the Sovereign LORD. Say to them: Gather together for my great sacrificial feast. Come from far and near to the mountains of Israel, and there eat the flesh and drink the blood! 18 Eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of princes as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and fat young bulls of Bashan! 19 Gorge yourselves with flesh until you are glutted; drink blood until you are drunk. This is the sacrificial feast I have prepared for you. 20 Feast at my banquet table--feast on horses, riders, and valiant warriors, says the Sovereign LORD. 21 " Thus, I will demonstrate my glory among the nations. Everyone will see the punishment I have inflicted on them and the power I have demonstrated. 22 And from that time on the people of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God. 23 The nations will then know why Israel was sent away to exile--it was punishment for sin, for they acted in treachery against their God. Therefore, I turned my back on them and let their enemies destroy them. 24 I turned my face away and punished them in proportion to the vileness of their sins.25 " So now the Sovereign LORD says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on Israel, for I am jealous for my holy reputation! 26 They will accept responsibility for their past shame and treachery against me after they come home to live in peace and safety in their own land. And then no one will bother them or make them afraid. 27 When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, my holiness will be displayed to the nations. 28 Then my people will know that I am the LORD their God--responsible for sending them away to exile and responsible for bringing them home. I will leave none of my people behind. 29 And I will never again turn my back on them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon them, says the Sovereign LORD." 40:1 ON April 28, during the twenty-fifth year of our captivity--fourteen years after the fall of Jerusalem--the LORD took hold of me. 2 In a vision of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. From there I could see what appeared to be a city across from me toward the south. 3 As he brought me nearer, I saw a man whose face shone like bronze standing beside a gateway entrance. He was holding in his hand a measuring tape and a measuring rod. 4 He said to me, " Son of man, watch and listen. Pay close attention to everything I show you. You have been brought here so I can show you many things. Then you will return to the people of Israel and tell them everything you have seen." 5 I could see a wall completely surrounding the Temple area. The man took a measuring rod that was 10 feet long and measured the wall, and the wall was 10 feet thick and 10 feet high. 6 Then he went over to the gateway that goes through the eastern wall. He climbed the steps and measured the threshold of the gateway; it was 10 feet deep. 7 There were guard alcoves on each side built into the gateway passage. Each of these alcoves was 10 feet square, with a distance between them of 8 feet along the passage wall. The gateway's inner threshold, which led to the foyer at the inner end of the gateway passage, was 10 feet deep. 8 He also measured the foyer of the gateway 9 and found it to be 14 feet deep, with supporting columns 3 feet thick. This foyer was at the inner end of the gateway structure, facing toward the Temple. 10 There were three guard alcoves on each side of the gateway passage. Each had the same measurements, and the dividing walls separating them were also identical. 11 The man measured the gateway entrance, which was 17 feet wide at the opening and 22 feet wide in the gateway passage. 12 In front of each of the guard alcoves was a 21-inch curb. The alcoves themselves were 10 feet square.13 Then he measured the entire width of the gateway, measuring the distance between the back walls of facing guard alcoves; this distance was 43 feet. 14 He measured the dividing walls all along the inside of the gateway up to the gateway's foyer; this distance was 105 feet. 15 The full length of the gateway passage was 87 feet from one end to the other. 16 There were recessed windows that narrowed inward through the walls of the guard alcoves and their dividing walls. There were also windows in the foyer structure. The surfaces of the dividing walls were decorated with carved palm trees. 17 Then the man brought me through the gateway into the outer courtyard of the Temple. A stone pavement ran along the walls of the courtyard, and thirty rooms were built against the walls, opening onto the pavement. 18 This pavement flanked the gates and extended out from the walls into the courtyard the same distance as the gateway entrance. This was the lower pavement. 19 Then the man measured across the Temple's outer courtyard between the outer and inner gateways; the distance was 175 feet. 20 There was a gateway on the north just like the one on the east, and the man measured it. 21 Here, too, there were three guard alcoves on each side, with dividing walls and a foyer. All the measurements matched those of the east gateway. The gateway passage was 87 feet long and 43 feet wide between the back walls of facing guard alcoves. 22 The windows, the foyer, and the palm tree decorations were identical to those in the east gateway. There were seven steps leading up to the gateway entrance, and the foyer was at the inner end of the gateway passage. 23 Here on the north side, just as on the east, there was another gateway leading to the Temple's inner courtyard directly opposite this outer gateway. The distance between the two gateways was 175 feet. 24 Then the man took me around to the south gateway and measured its various parts, and he found they were exactly the same as in the others. 25 It had windows along the walls as the others did, and there was a foyer where the gateway passage opened into the outer courtyard. And like the others, the gateway passage was 87 feet long and 43 feet wide between the back walls of facing guard alcoves. 26 This gateway also had a stairway of seven steps leading up to it, and there were palm tree decorations along the dividing walls. 27 And here again, directly opposite the outer gateway, was another gateway that led into the inner courtyard. The distance between the two gateways was 175 feet.

JAMES 2:18-3:18

Now someone may argue, " Some people have faith; others have good deeds." I [James] say, " I can't see your faith if you don't have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds." 19 Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! 20 Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?21 Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did--by his actions. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: " Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous." He was even called " the friend of God." 24 So you see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. 25 Rahab the prostitute is another example of this. She was made right with God by her actions--when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds.3:1 DEAR brothers and sisters,* not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness. 2 We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way. 3 We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself. 7 People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Can you pick olives from a fig tree or figs from a grapevine? No, and you can't draw fresh water from a salty pool. 13 If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.

PSALM 118:1-18

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

2 Let the congregation of Israel repeat:

" His faithful love endures forever."

3 Let Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat:

" His faithful love endures forever."

4 Let all who fear the LORD repeat:

" His faithful love endures forever."

5 In my distress I prayed to the LORD,

and the LORD answered me and rescued me.

6 The LORD is for me, so I will not be afraid.

What can mere mortals do to me?

7 Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me.

I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

8 It is better to trust the LORD

than to put confidence in people.

9 It is better to trust the LORD

than to put confidence in princes.

10 Though hostile nations surrounded me,

I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD.

11 Yes, they surrounded and attacked me,

but I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD.

12 They swarmed around me like bees;

they blazed against me like a roaring flame.

But I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD.

13 You did your best to kill me, O my enemy,

but the LORD helped me.

14 The LORD is my strength and my song;

he has become my victory.

15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.

The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!

16 The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph.

The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!

17 I will not die, but I will live

to tell what the LORD has done.

18 The LORD has punished me severely,

but he has not handed me over to death.

PROVERBS 28:2

When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But with wise and knowledgeable leaders, there is stability.

November 18 Reading through the Bible

 EZEKIEL 37:1-38:23

JAMES 1:19-2:17

PSALM 117:1-2

PROVERBS 28:1

EZEKIEL 37:1-38:23

The LORD took hold of me [Ezekiel], and I was carried away by the Spirit of the LORD to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me around among the old, dry bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground. 3 Then he asked me, " Son of man, can these bones become living people again?" " O Sovereign LORD," I replied, " you alone know the answer to that." 4 Then he said to me, " Speak to these bones and say, ` Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to breathe into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' " 7 So I spoke these words, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as they had been before. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, " Speak to the winds and say: ` This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so that they may live again.' " 10 So I spoke as he commanded me, and the wind entered the bodies, and they began to breathe. They all came to life and stood up on their feet--a great army of them. 11 Then he said to me, " Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ` We have become old, dry bones--all hope is gone.' 12 Now give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the LORD. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I am the LORD. You will see that I have done everything just as I promised. I, the LORD, have spoken!"15 Again a message came to me from the LORD: 16 " Son of man, take a stick and carve on it these words: ` This stick represents Judah and its allied tribes.' Then take another stick and carve these words on it: ` This stick represents the northern tribes of Israel.' 17 Now hold them together in your hand as one stick. 18 When your people ask you what your actions mean, 19 say to them, ` This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the northern tribes and join them to Judah. I will make them one stick in my hand.' 20 Then hold out the sticks you have inscribed, so the people can see them. 21 And give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. 22 I will unify them into one nation in the land. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations. 23 They will stop polluting themselves with their detestable idols and other sins, for I will save them from their sinful backsliding. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. 24 " My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and keep my laws. 25 They will live in the land of Israel where their ancestors lived, the land I gave my servant Jacob. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever. 26 And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and multiply them, and I will put my Temple among them forever. 27 I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 And since my Temple will remain among them forever, the nations will know that I, the LORD, have set Israel apart for myself to be holy."38:1 THIS is another message that came to me from the LORD: 2 " Son of man, prophesy against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal. 3 Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: Gog, I am your enemy! 4 I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws to lead you out to your destruction. I will mobilize your troops and cavalry and make you a vast and mighty horde, all fully armed. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya will join you, too, with all their weapons. 6 Gomer and all its hordes will also join you, along with the armies of Beth-togarmah from the distant north and many others. 7 " Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them. 8 A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be lying in peace after her recovery from war and after the return of her people from many lands. 9 You and all your allies--a vast and awesome horde--will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud.10 " This is what the Sovereign LORD says: At that time evil thoughts will come to your mind, and you will devise a wicked scheme. 11 You will say, ` Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence! 12 I will go to those once-desolate cities that are again filled with people who have returned from exile in many nations. I will capture vast amounts of plunder and take many slaves, for the people are rich with cattle now, and they think the whole world revolves around them!' 13 But Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish will ask, ` Who are you to rob them of silver and gold? Who are you to drive away their cattle and seize their goods and make them poor?' 14 " Therefore, son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: When my people are living in peace in their land, then you will rouse yourself. 15 You will come from your homeland in the distant north with your vast cavalry and your mighty army, 16 and you will cover the land like a cloud. This will happen in the distant future. I will bring you against my land as everyone watches, and my holiness will be displayed by what happens to you. Then all the nations will know that I am the LORD. 17 " This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You are the one I was talking about long ago, when I announced through Israel's prophets that in future days I would bring you against my people. 18 But when Gog invades the land of Israel, says the Sovereign LORD, my fury will rise! 19 For in my jealousy and blazing anger, I promise a mighty shaking in the land of Israel on that day. 20 All living things--all the fish, birds, animals, and people--will quake in terror at my presence. Mountains will be thrown down; cliffs will crumble; walls will fall to the earth. 21 I will summon the sword against you throughout Israel, says the Sovereign LORD. Your men will turn against each other in mortal combat. 22 I will punish you and your hordes with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur! 23 Thus will I show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the LORD!"

JAMES 1:19-2:17

My dear brothers and sisters,* be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Your anger can never make things right in God's sight. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls. 22 And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. 23 For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law--the law that sets you free--and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.26 If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. 2:1 MY dear brothers and sisters,* how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others? 2 For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, " You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"--well, 4 doesn't this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives? 5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the kingdom God promised to those who love him? 6 And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? 8 Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord's royal command found in the Scriptures: " Love your neighbor as yourself." 9 But if you pay special attention to the rich, you are committing a sin, for you are guilty of breaking that law.10 And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God's laws. 11 For the same God who said, " Do not commit adultery," also said, " Do not murder." So if you murder someone, you have broken the entire law, even if you do not commit adultery. 12 So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free. 13 For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God's mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you. 14 Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, 16 and you say, " Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well"--but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all--it is dead and useless.

PSALM 117:1-2

Praise the LORD, all you nations.

Praise him, all you people of the earth.

2 For he loves us with unfailing love;

the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.

Praise the LORD!

PROVERBS 28:1

The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions.