WELS Through my Bible in Three Years: Recent Episodes
WELS
Through My Bible Yr 01 – May 11Deuteronomy 31LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 11
Deuteronomy 31 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0511db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Joshua Will Follow Moses1 Moses came and spoke the following words to all Israel. 2 He said to them:
“I am now one hundred twenty years old. I can no longer go out and come back. [1] The Lord has said to me, ‘You will not cross over this Jordan.’
3 “The Lord your God himself will cross over before you. He will destroy those nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua is the one who will cross over before you, as the Lord promised. 4 The Lord will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites, and as he did to their lands when he destroyed them. 5 The Lord will hand them over to you, and you are to deal with them according to the whole set of commands that I gave you.
6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid and do not be terrified before them, because the Lord your God is going with you. He will not abandon you and he will not forsake you.”
7 Moses called Joshua and said to him in the view of all Israel:
“Be strong and courageous, because you will go with this people into the land that the Lord promised to your fathers with an oath, and you will divide it among them as their possession. 8 The Lord himself will go ahead of you. He will be with you. He will not abandon you, and he will not forsake you. Do not be afraid and do not be overwhelmed.”
Reading the Law9 Then Moses wrote down this law, and he gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carry the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Moses commanded them:
“At the end of seven years, at the appointed time of the year of the release, at the Festival of Shelters, 11 when all Israel comes to appear in the presence of the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you are to read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Gather the people—the men, the women, the children, and the alien who resides within your gates—so that they may hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God and to be careful to carry out all the words of this law. 13 Their children also, who do not know the law, are to hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God all the time that you live on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
The Transition to Joshua14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The time is approaching for you to die. Summon Joshua and stand at the Tent of Meeting, and I will commission him.”
So Moses and Joshua went and stood at the Tent of Meeting. 15 Then the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance to the tent. 16 The Lord said to Moses:
“You are about to lie down with your fathers, but this people will rise up and prostitute themselves to the foreign gods among them in the land they are about to enter. They will forsake me and break my covenant that I made with them. 17 My anger will burn against them on that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them. They will be on the verge of being devoured, and many evils and distresses will find them. They will say on that day, ‘Haven’t these evil things found us because our God is not among us?’ 18 Yet I will hide my face on that day because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.
19 “So now, write down this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths so this song will be my witness against the people of Israel. 20 When I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey that I promised by oath to their fathers, and they eat and are satisfied and grow fat, and they then turn to other gods and serve them, when they despise me and break my covenant, 21 and many evils and distresses find them, then this song will testify against them as a witness, because it will not be forgotten or gone from the mouths of their descendants. I certainly know the inclination that they are developing today before I bring them to the land that I have promised on oath.”
22 So Moses wrote down this song on that day and taught it to the people of Israel.
23 Then the Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said to him:
“Be strong and courageous, because you will bring the people of Israel into the land that I have promised to them with an oath, and I will be with you.”
24 When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, 25 he gave this command to the Levites, who carry the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord:
26 “Take this Book of the Law, and place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, and let it remain there as a witness against you. 27 I certainly know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Even while I am still alive and among you today, you are rebels against the Lord. So how much more after my death! 28 Assemble all the elders of your tribes and your officials before me, and I will speak all these words in their hearing, and I will call the heavens and the earth to witness against them. 29 I know that after my death you will act corruptly and turn from the way that I have commanded you, and that evil will come on you in future days when you do evil in the sight of the Lord by provoking him to anger by the work of your hands.”
Moses’ Song30 Then Moses spoke the words of this song in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel, from beginning to end:
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 31:2 That is, he could no longer lead them on their campaigns.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – May 10Deuteronomy 29 – 30LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 10
Deuteronomy 29 – 30 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0510db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Renewing the CovenantDeuteronomy 291 These are the words of the covenant that the Lord commanded Moses to make with the people of Israel in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant that he had made with them at Horeb. [1] 2 Moses summoned all Israel and spoke to them as follows:
You have seen everything that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to his whole land: 3 the great trials that your eyes saw, those great signs and wonders. 4 Yet the Lord to this very day has not given you a heart to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear.
5 “I led you through the wilderness for forty years. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did the sandals on your feet. 6 You did not eat bread, and you did not drink wine and beer. I did all this so you would know that I am the Lord your God.”
7 When you came to this place, and Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out to meet us in battle, we struck them down. 8 We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half of the tribe of Manasseh.
9 Therefore you are to keep the words of this covenant and carry them out so that you may succeed in all that you do.
10 You are standing today before the Lord your God, all of you—your tribal heads, your elders, your officers, and men of every rank in Israel, 11 your children, your wives, and the aliens who reside in your camp, whether as wood cutters or water carriers. 12 You are standing here so that you may enter into the covenant of the Lord your God, which is sealed by the oath that the Lord your God is making with you today, 13 in order to establish you today as his people and himself as your God, just as he promised you and just as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
14 Today I am not making this covenant and its oath only with you, 15 but also with everyone who is standing here with us before the Lord our God, and also with those who are not here with us today.
16 You yourselves know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we passed through the midst of the various nations we encountered. 17 You saw their detestable things and their filthy idols of wood and stone and silver and gold that were with them.
18 Make sure that there is not among you a man, a woman, a family, or a tribe whose heart today is turning away from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Make sure that there is among you no root that is producing a poison plant and bitter wormwood. 19 When such a person hears the words of this oath, he might congratulate himself in his heart and say, “I’ll be safe, even though I’m proceeding in my stubborn way.” By acting this way he will destroy the watered ground as well as the parched.
20 The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger and jealousy of the Lord will smoke against that man, and all the curses written in this document will come to rest on him, and the Lord will wipe away his name from under the heavens. 21 The Lord will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, in keeping with all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Law.
22 And when the next generation, your children who will come after your time, and the foreigner who will come from a distant land have seen the plagues on that land and the sicknesses with which the Lord struck it, they will say, 23 “Sulfur and salt, conflagration for all of its land! No planting, no sprouting, no maturing crop in it! It will be like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in his fierce anger!”
24 Then all the nations will say, “Why did the Lord do something like that to this land? What is the reason for this burning, this fierce anger?”
25 Then they will say, “It is because they forsook the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. 26 They went and served other gods and bowed down to them, gods that they had not known and that he had not allotted to them. 27 So the anger of the Lord burned against that land to bring on it the entire curse written in this book. 28 The Lord uprooted them from their land in anger, in rage, and in his great wrath, and he hurled them into another land, as it is to this day.”
29 The hidden things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and to our children forever, so that we carry out all the words of this law.
Prosperity Will Follow RepentanceDeuteronomy 301 When all these things come upon you, both the blessing and the curse that I have given you, and you take them to heart while you are among all the nations to which the Lord your God has banished you, 2 and when you return to the Lord your God and listen to his voice with all your heart and soul, in every way that I am commanding you today, you and your children, 3 then the Lord your God will restore you from your captivity. He will have compassion on you, and he will gather you together again out of all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 Even if your banished people are at the end of the heavens, the Lord your God will gather you together there and take you away from there. 5 The Lord your God will bring you back to the land that your fathers possessed, and then you will possess it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.
6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, with the result that you will live.
7 Then the Lord your God will place all these curses on your enemies and on those who hated you and persecuted you. 8 Once again you will listen to the voice of the Lord, and you will carry out all of his commands that I am giving you today.
9 The Lord your God will cause you to be overflowing with good things from all the work of your hands, in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your animals, and in the fruit of your soil. Once again he will rejoice over your prosperity, just as he rejoiced over your fathers, 10 when you obey the voice of the Lord your God by keeping his commandments and his statutes written in this Book of the Law, when you return to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
11 Certainly, this commandment that I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not far away. 12 It is not up in the heavens, so that you have to say, “Which one of us will go up to the heavens and get it for us so we can listen to it and carry it out?” 13 It is not across the sea, so that you have to say, “Which one of us will cross over to the other side of the sea and get it for us so we can listen to it and carry it out?” 14 Instead, the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so you can obey it.
Life or Death15 See now, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and disaster. 16 This is what I am commanding you today: Love the Lord your God, walk in his ways, and keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and increase in number, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are going to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away, and you do not listen, and you are lured away, and you bow down to other gods and serve them, 18 then I declare to you today that you will most certainly perish. You will not live a long life on the land that you are about to enter and possess by crossing over the Jordan.
19 I call the heavens and the earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, a blessing and a curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live 20 by loving the Lord your God, by listening to his voice, and by clinging to him, because that means life for you, and you will live a long life on your land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 29:1 In chapter 29, English verse 1 is equal to Hebrew verse 28:69. English verses 2-29 are equal to Hebrew verses 1-28.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – May 09Deuteronomy 28:15-68LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 09
Deuteronomy 28:15-68 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0509db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Deuteronomy 28The Curses for Disobedience15 If you do not listen to the voice of the Lord your God and do not carefully carry out all of his commandments and statutes that I am commanding you today, then all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.
16 You will be cursed in the city, and you will be cursed in the fields.
17 You will be cursed in your basket and in your kneading trough.
18 You will be cursed in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your soil, in the calves of your cattle and in the lambs of your flock.
19 You will be cursed when you come in, and you will be cursed when you go out.
20 The Lord will send on you a curse and confusion and opposition in every undertaking of your hand that you carry out, until you are destroyed and until you quickly perish, because of the evil you have done by forsaking me.
21 The Lord will cause epidemics to cling to you until he has removed you from your land that you are going to possess.
22 The Lord will strike you with wasting diseases, fever, and inflammation, with intense heat and with drought, [1] and with blight and with mildew. [2] They will pursue you until you perish.
23 The skies over your head will become bronze, and the earth under you will become iron. 24 The Lord will turn the rain of your land to dust. From the heavens it will come down on you until you are destroyed.
25 The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. In one direction you will go out against them, but in seven directions you will flee from them, and you will become a horrible sight to all the kingdoms of the earth.
26 Your dead bodies will become food for every bird of the sky and every animal of the earth, and there will not be anyone to scare them away.
27 The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, scabs, and itch, from which you cannot be healed.
28 The Lord will strike you with insanity and with blindness and with a confused mind.
29 You will grope at noon as a blind person gropes in the dark, and you will not prosper in your ways.
You will be cheated and robbed all the time, and there will be no one to rescue you.
30 You will be pledged in marriage to a woman, but another man will violate her.
You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not enjoy its fruit.
31 Your ox will be slaughtered in front of your eyes, but you will not eat of it. Your donkey will be seized right in front of your face, and it will not return to you. Your flock will be given to your enemies, but there will be no one to help you.
32 Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people, and your eyes will grow weak as you look longingly for them all day long, but your hands will be powerless.
33 A people that you do not know will eat what your soil and all your work produces.
You will be squeezed and crushed throughout the days 34 until you go insane from the sights that your eyes will see.
35 The Lord will strike you on your knees and legs with distressing boils from which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.
36 The Lord will lead you and the king, whom you will set over you, to a nation that you and your fathers have not known, and there you will serve other gods of wood and stone.
37 You will become an object of horror, the subject of proverbs, and the butt of sarcastic taunts among all the people to whom the Lord will send you.
38 You will take a lot of seed out to the field, but you will harvest little, because locusts will finish it off.
39 You will plant and tend vineyards, but you will not drink the wine and store it, because worms will eat them up.
40 You will have olive trees covering your whole property, but you will not anoint yourselves with oil, because your olives will fall off the trees.
41 You will produce sons and daughters, but they will not remain yours, because they will go into captivity.
42 Locusts will take possession of all of your trees and all the fruit of your land.
43 The alien who resides among you will ascend higher and higher over you, and you will descend lower and lower. 44 He will cause you to borrow, but you will not cause him to borrow. He will become the head, and you will become the tail.
45 All of these curses will come upon you, and they will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not listen to the voice of the Lord your God by keeping his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you. 46 They will be signs and wonders against you and your descendants perpetually.
47 Because you would not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness in your heart flowing from the abundance of everything he gave you, 48 you will serve your enemies that the Lord will unleash against you in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and a lack of everything, and he will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.
49 He will bring a nation from far away against you, from the end of the earth, as fast as an eagle soars through the air, a nation whose language you do not understand, 50 a fierce nation that does not show any regard for the old or any mercy to the young. 51 That nation will eat the produce from your animals and the fruit from your soil until you are destroyed. It will leave you no grain, no new wine, no fresh oil, no calves of your cattle or lambs from your flock until it has caused you to perish. 52 That nation will besiege you in all of your cities until the high, fortified walls that you were trusting collapse throughout your land. When that nation besieges you in all of the cities throughout your whole land that the Lord your God is giving you, 53 you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons and daughters, whom the Lord your God has given you, because of the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you.
54 The most sensitive and refined man among you will be so begrudging against his brother, against the wife he embraces, and against any of his children who still survive, 55 that he will not give to any one of them some of the flesh of his children that he is eating, because then he would have nothing left for himself, because of the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you in all of your cities.
56 The most sensitive and refined woman among you, so refined and sensitive that she would not venture to touch the sole of her foot to the ground, will begrudge the husband she embraces and her son and daughter 57 the afterbirth that goes out from between her legs and the babies that she gives birth to, because she plans to eat them secretly since she has nothing else, as a result of the siege and the distress that your enemy will inflict on you in all of your cities.
58 If you are not careful to carry out all the words of this law that are written in this book, [3] to fear this honored and awesome Name, the Lord your God, 59 then the Lord will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants: severe, long-lasting plagues and distressing, long-lasting sicknesses.
60 Then he will bring back on you all the sicknesses of Egypt that you feared, and they will cling to you. 61 More than that, the Lord will bring on you all other sicknesses and plagues that are not written in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed.
62 Then you will be left as just a few people instead of being as numerous as the stars in the heavens, because you did not listen to the voice of the Lord your God.
63 Just as the Lord delighted in making you prosperous and making you many in number, likewise the Lord will delight in causing you to perish and in destroying you. You will be torn away from your land that you are going to possess.
64 The Lord will scatter you among all the peoples from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will serve other gods, gods made of wood and stone, gods that you and your fathers have not known. 65 Still, among those nations you will find no peace, nor will the sole of your foot find a place to rest. There the Lord will give you a trembling heart and longing eyes and a despairing soul.
66 Your life will be hung out in front of you. Night and day you will live in dread, and you will not expect to survive.
67 In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” In the evening you will say, “If only it were morning!” because of the dread you feel in your heart and because of what your eyes see.
68 The Lord will send you back to Egypt in ships on a journey that I said you would never again experience. There you will try to sell yourselves to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 28:22 The translation follows an alternate reading of the Hebrew. The main Hebrew reading is sword. 2. Deuteronomy 28:22 The identification of some of these plagues is uncertain. 3. Deuteronomy 28:58 Ancient books were written on scrolls, not in bound books.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – May 08Deuteronomy 27:1 – 28:14LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 08
Deuteronomy 27:1 – 28:14 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0508db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
The Altar for Cursing and BlessingDeuteronomy 271 Moses and the elders of Israel gave the following orders to the people: Keep the entire set of commands that I am giving you today.
2 At the time that you cross the Jordan into the land that the Lord your God is giving to you, set up large stones and coat them with lime plaster. 3 Write on them all the words of this law when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you. 4 When you cross over the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal and coat them with lime plaster, as I am commanding you today.
5 Build an altar there to the Lord your God, an altar made of stones. Do not shape them with an iron tool. 6 Build the altar of the Lord your God with whole, uncut stones, and offer whole burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God. 7 Sacrifice fellowship offerings and eat there, and rejoice before the Lord your God.
8 Write clearly and carefully all of the words of this law on the stones.
9 Moses and the priests, who are Levites, also spoke the following to all Israel:
Be silent and listen, Israel! Today you have become the people of the Lord your God. 10 Obey the voice of the Lord your God and carry out his commandments and statutes that I am giving you today.
11 Then Moses gave this command to the people that day:
12 The following tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people when you cross the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 The following will stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
The Curses From Mount Ebal14 The Levites will testify to every person of Israel with a loud voice:
15 Cursed is the man that makes a carved image or a molten metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a work of the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up secretly.
All the people will say, “Amen!”
16 Cursed is anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.
All the people will say, “Amen!”
17 Cursed is anyone who moves the boundary marker of his neighbor.
All the people will say, “Amen!”
18 Cursed is anyone who leads astray a blind man on his way.
All the people will say, “Amen!”
19 Cursed is anyone who perverts the justice due to an alien who resides among you, or justice due to the fatherless or a widow.
All the people will say, “Amen!”
20 Cursed is any man who lies down with his father’s wife, because he has removed the skirt that is reserved for his father.
All the people will say, “Amen!”
21 Cursed is anyone who lies down with any animal.
All the people will say, “Amen!”
22 Cursed is any man who lies down with his sister, either the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.
All the people will say, “Amen!”
23 Cursed is any man who lies down with his mother-in-law.
All the people will say, “Amen!”
24 Cursed is anyone who strikes down his neighbor secretly.
All the people will say, “Amen!”
25 Cursed is anyone who takes payment to strike down an innocent person.
All the people will say, “Amen!”
26 Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by doing them.
All the people will say, “Amen!”
The Blessings for ObedienceDeuteronomy 281 If you fully obey the voice of the Lord your God by carefully carrying out all his commandments that I am giving you today, then the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 All of the following blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you listen to the voice of the Lord your God:
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the fields.
4 You will be blessed in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your soil, and in the fruit of your animals: the calves of your cattle and the lambs of your flock.
5 You will be blessed in your basket and in your kneading trough.
6 You will be blessed when you come in, and you will be blessed when you go out.
7 The Lord will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. From one direction they will come out against you, but they will flee from you in seven directions.
8 The Lord will command a blessing on you in your storehouses and in regard to every action of your hand, and he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
9 The Lord will establish you as his holy people, just as he swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and you walk in his ways.
10 Then all the people of the earth will see that the name of the Lord has been proclaimed over you, and they will fear you.
11 The Lord will cause you to be overflowing with good things: with the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your animals, and the fruit of the soil of the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.
12 The Lord will open for you his good storehouse, the heavens, by giving rain for your land in its season and by blessing all the work of your hand.
Then you will cause many nations to borrow from you, but you yourself will not borrow.
13 The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will be only at the top and never at the bottom, if you conscientiously obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today to carry out, 14 and if you do not turn away to the right or to the left from all the words that I am commanding you today, to walk after other gods and serve them.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – May 07Deuteronomy 26LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 07
Deuteronomy 26 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0507db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Firstfruits and Tithes1 When you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and settle in it, 2 take some of the first ripe produce that you harvest from the soil of the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Put it in a basket, and go to the place where the Lord your God will choose to establish his name. 3 Go to the priest who is presiding at that time and say to him, “Today I declare before the Lord your God that I have come to the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to give to us.” 4 The priest will take the basket from your hand and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God.
5 Then you will respond and say in the presence of the Lord your God, “My father was a wandering [1] Aramean. He went down to Egypt and lived there as an alien with just a few people, but there he became a great, strong, and populous nation. 6 The Egyptians mistreated and afflicted us. They imposed hard labor on us. 7 We cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and he saw our affliction, our labor, and oppression. 8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with great awe-inspiring acts and signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So now, look as I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you have given me, Lord.”
Then set the basket down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. 11 Then you, as well as the Levite and the alien who resides among you, will rejoice in all the good things that the Lord your God has given to you and your household.
12 When you have finished tithing a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of tithing, and you have given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless, and to the widow so that they may eat within the gates of your cities and be satisfied, 13 then say before the Lord your God, “I have completely removed the holy portion from my house, and I have also given it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless, and to the widow just as you have commanded me. I have neither transgressed nor forgotten your commandments. 14 I have not eaten any of it while I was mourning, and I have not removed any of it while I was unclean or given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God. I have done just as you have commanded me. 15 Look down from your holy dwelling place, from the heavens, and bless your people Israel and the soil that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Obey the Lord’s Command16 The Lord your God commands you this day to carry out these statutes and commandments, and to be careful to do them with all your heart and soul. 17 You have declared today that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in his ways and keep his statutes and commandments and his ordinances and obey his voice.
18 The Lord has declared today, just as he promised you, that you are his treasured people who are to carry out all of his commandments, 19 and that he will set you up in praise, fame, and splendor, high above all the nations that he has made, and that you will be set apart as a holy people to the Lord your God, just as he promised.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 26:5 Or perishing
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – May 06Deuteronomy 24 – 25LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 06
Deuteronomy 24 – 25 (EHV)
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See series: Through My Bible
Restrictions on DivorceDeuteronomy 241 When a man takes a woman and marries her, if she is not pleasing to him because he has found something indecent about her, and he writes her a divorce document and hands it to her and sends her out of his house, 2 and she leaves and moves on and becomes the wife of another man, 3 and then that second man hates her and writes her a divorce document and hands it to her and sends her out of his house, or perhaps the second man that took her as a wife dies, 4 in these circumstances her first husband, who sent her away, cannot take her again as his wife after she was stigmatized as impure, because that would be detestable to the Lord. You must not attach guilt to the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
More Miscellaneous Laws5 When a man takes a new wife, he must not go out with the army, and no one is to impose any duty on him. He is to be freed from duty for one year for the sake of his homelife so that he may make the woman whom he has married happy.
6 No person is to hold as security a mill or an upper millstone, because he would be holding someone’s livelihood as security.
7 If a man is caught kidnapping a fellow Israelite and enslaving him or selling him, that kidnapper must die, and you will purge the evil from among you.
8 Be careful during an outbreak of an impure skin disease [1] by being very conscientious about doing everything that the priests, who are Levites, instruct you to do. Take care to do exactly as I have commanded them. 9 Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on your journey after coming out of Egypt.
10 When you make a loan to your neighbor, a loan of any kind, do not go into his house to take his security pledge. 11 Stand outside, and the man to whom you are making the loan will bring the pledged object out to you. 12 If he is a poor man, do not sleep in a garment he has pledged as security. 13 You are certainly to return the pledged object to him at sundown so he can sleep in his garment and bless you. Righteousness will be yours before the Lord your God.
14 Do not oppress a hired person who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brother Israelites or one of the aliens who reside in your land inside your gates. 15 Each day, before the sun goes down, pay him his wages, because he is poor and his life depends on it. If you do not, he will cry out against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
16 Fathers are not to be put to death because of their sons, and sons are not to be put to death because of their fathers. Each man is to be put to death because of his own crime.
17 Do not neglect justice for an alien who lives among you or for a fatherless child, and do not take the clothing of a widow as a pledge.
18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, but the Lord your God redeemed you from there. Therefore I am commanding you to do this.
19 When you harvest the crops in your field and you forget a bundle in the field, do not return to get it. It will be for the benefit of the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything your hands do.
20 When you beat your olives off the tree, do not strip the boughs clean of olives. Some are to be left for the benefit of the alien, the fatherless, and the widow.
21 When you cut grapes from your vineyard, do not go over it again. Leave some for the benefit of the alien, the fatherless, and the widow.
22 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. That is why I am commanding you to do this.
Deuteronomy 251 When there is a dispute between men and they go to court and a verdict is reached, and they have acquitted the innocent person and convicted the guilty one, 2 if the guilty one is to be flogged, the judge is to make him lie down, and he will order him to be flogged in his presence with the number of blows that is proportionate to his guilt. 3 He may have him struck forty times, but no more, so that your brother does not become degraded in your eyes by receiving a severe beating that goes beyond this number.
4 You are not to muzzle an ox when it is threshing.
5 When brothers live together and one of them dies without having children, the wife of the deceased brother is not to marry a stranger from outside the family. Her brother-in-law is to come and take her as his wife and perform for her the duty of a brother-in-law. 6 The firstborn that she bears will be recognized as a son who carries on the name of his deceased brother, so his name will not be erased from Israel. 7 But if a man does not want to marry his sister-in-law, his sister-in-law is to go to the city gate where the elders preside and say, “My brother-in-law refuses to establish a name in Israel for his brother. He does not want to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.” 8 Then the elders of his city are to call him and talk to him. If he stands firm and says, “I do not want to marry her,” 9 his sister-in-law is to approach him in the sight of the elders. She is to pull the sandal off his foot, spit in his face, and testify by saying, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up the house of his brother!” 10 Then the name that he will go by in Israel is “the house of a man whose sandal was pulled off.”
11 If two men are fighting each other, a man and his neighbor, and the wife of one comes up to rescue her husband from the hands of the one striking him, and she reaches out her hand and she grabs hold of his testicles, 12 you are to cut off her hand. Your eye is not to look on her with compassion.
13 Do not have two alternate sets of stone weights in your bag, larger and smaller. 14 Do not have alternate measures in your house, larger and smaller. 15 You must have a full and honest set of weights. You must have a full and honest set of measures, so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 16 For anyone doing such things, anyone who acts dishonestly, is detestable to the Lord your God.
17 Remember what the Amalekites, without any fear of God, did to you on your journey after you came out of Egypt. 18 Remember how they confronted you on the way, when you were weak and tired, and they cut off all the stragglers among you, the ones who were lagging behind. 19 When the Lord your God gives you rest from all your enemies that are around you in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, wipe away the memory of Amalek from under the heavens. Do not forget!
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 24:8 Traditionally leprosy
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – May 05Deuteronomy 22 – 23LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 05
Deuteronomy 22 – 23 (EHV)
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See series: Through My Bible
Deuteronomy 221 If you see an ox or a sheep that belongs to your brother Israelite going astray, do not ignore it. Return it to your brother. 2 If your brother Israelite does not live nearby and you are not acquainted with him, bring it to your own house and keep it with you until your brother comes looking for it. Then return it to him. 3 Do the same with his donkey, the same with his clothing, and the same with anything your brother has lost and you have found. You are not allowed to do nothing. [1]
4 If you see the donkey or ox that belongs to your brother Israelite and it has fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help him lift it up.
5 A woman must not wear the attire of a man, and a man is not to put on the clothing of a woman, because anyone doing these things is detestable to the Lord your God.
6 If you happen to see a bird’s nest along the road, whether in a tree or on the ground, and it has young ones or eggs in it, and the mother is sitting over the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother along with the young birds. 7 You may take the young birds for yourself, but be sure to set the mother free, so that it may go well for you and you may have a long life.
8 When you build a new house, you are to make a railing for your roof so you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if someone should fall from it.
9 Do not plant your vineyard with two kinds of seed. If you do, the whole yield becomes unusable [2]—both the seed that you sow and the produce from the vineyard.
10 Do not plow with an ox and a donkey together.
11 Do not wear fabric that is a mixture of wool and linen.
12 Make tassels on the four corners of your clothing that you use to cover yourself.
Issues Concerning Marriage13 If a man marries a woman and goes to her, and afterward he hates her 14 and accuses her with unfounded charges and defames her and says, “I married this woman, but when I approached her I found that she did not have evidence of virginity,” 15 then the father and mother of the girl are to produce evidence of the girl’s virginity and bring it to the elders of the city at the gate.
16 The father of the girl shall say to the elders, “I gave my daughter to this man as a wife, and afterward he hated her, 17 so he has accused her with unfounded charges by saying, ‘I have found that your daughter does not have evidence of virginity,’ but here is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.” Then they are to spread out the bed covering in front of the elders of the city.
18 Then the elders of that city will take the man and discipline him. 19 They will fine him a hundred pieces of silver and give them to the father of the girl because the man defamed a virgin of Israel. She shall continue to be his wife. He is not allowed to divorce her as long as he lives.
20 But if the accusation proves to be the truth because evidence of the girl’s virginity was not found, 21 then they will bring the girl out to the entrance of her father’s house, and the men of her city will pelt her with stones until she dies, because she did a disgraceful thing in Israel by shaming the house of her father with her sexual immorality. In this way you will purge the evil from among you.
22 If a man is found lying down with a married woman, both of them are to die: the man lying with the woman, and also the woman. In that way you will purge the evil from Israel.
23 If there is a virgin pledged in marriage to a man, and another man comes upon her in the city and lies down with her, 24 take both of them out to the gate of that city and pelt them with stones until they die—the girl, because she did not cry out for help in the city, and the man, because he violated the wife of another man. In that way you will purge the evil from your midst.
25 But if a man comes upon a girl who has been pledged in marriage and they are out in the countryside, and he grabs her and lies down with her, then only the man that lay with her must die. 26 Do not do anything to the girl. There is no sin worthy of death on her part, because this is like a case in which a man attacks another person and kills him. 27 He came upon her in the open country, and the girl who was pledged in marriage cried out for help, but she had no one to rescue her.
28 If a man finds a virgin who is not pledged in marriage and he grabs her and lies down with her and they are caught, 29 the man lying down with her must give the father of the girl fifty pieces of silver, and she will become his wife. Because he violated her, he is not allowed to divorce her as long as he lives.
30 A man must not marry the wife of his father; that is, he is not to remove the skirt that is reserved for his father.
Exclusion From the AssemblyDeuteronomy 231 No man whose testicles are crushed or who has a severed penis is to come within the assembly of the Lord. [3]
2 A child born of an incestuous relationship [4] is not to come within the assembly of the Lord. Even in the tenth generation his descendant is not to come within the assembly of the Lord.
3 An Ammonite or a Moabite is not to come within the assembly. Even in the tenth generation their descendants may never come within the assembly of the Lord, 4 because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey after you came out of Egypt, and because they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor of Aram Naharaim [5] to curse you. 5 But the Lord your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, and the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loved you. 6 Do not seek their peace and prosperity as long as you live.
7 Do not detest an Edomite, because he is your brother. Do not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land. 8 Their children may come within the assembly of the Lord in the third generation.
Miscellaneous Laws9 When you go out on a campaign against your enemies, you must guard yourselves against anything evil.
10 If there is a man among you who is unclean because of an emission during the night, he must go outside the camp. He must not come inside the camp. 11 Toward evening he is to bathe himself in water, and when the sun sets, he may re-enter the camp.
12 You are to have a designated area [6] outside the camp where you can go. 13 In addition to your weapon, you must have a scraper with you so that when you squat out there, you can dig a hole with it and then proceed to cover up what comes out. 14 Since the Lord your God is moving within your camp to save you and to defeat your enemies before you, your camp is to be holy. Do not let him see anything indecent among you so that he turns away from you.
15 Do not return a slave who escaped to you from his master. 16 Let him live with you, among your people, in the place he chooses within one of your cities that he thinks is good for him. Do not mistreat him.
17 The daughters of Israel must not become female temple prostitutes, and neither are the sons of Israel to become male temple prostitutes.
18 Do not bring the fee earned by a whore or the pay earned by a “dog” [7] to the house of the Lord your God to fulfill any vow, because it is an abomination to the Lord. Yes, both of them are.
19 Do not make your brother Israelite pay interest, whether interest of money or of food, or of anything that may be loaned out for interest. 20 You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your brother you are not to charge interest, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you do in the land that you are coming to possess.
21 When you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not delay fulfilling it, because the Lord your God will require it of you and you will be guilty. 22 But if you do not make a vow at all, you will not be guilty. 23 Whatever has passed from your lips you must be careful to do, because with your own mouth you vowed to make an offering to the Lord your God with your mouth.
24 When you come into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat grapes to satisfy your appetite, but you must not put any into your container. 25 When you come into a field of standing grain belonging to your neighbor and you pluck the heads of grain with your hand, you are not allowed to use a sickle to cut his standing grain.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 22:3 Or hide it 2. Deuteronomy 22:9 Hebrew is declared holy, that is, set aside from common use 3. Deuteronomy 23:1 In the Hebrew text, chapter 23 starts with English verse 22:30. In chapter 23, the remaining Hebrew verse numbers are one number higher than the corresponding English verse numbers. 4. Deuteronomy 23:2 The meaning of the term mamzer is uncertain. Some believe it refers to any illegitimate birth or to any birth resulting from prostitution. The suggestion that it refers to an incestuous relationship is supported by the mention of the Moabites and Ammonites in verse 3. See Genesis 19. 5. Deuteronomy 23:4 Or Aram of the Two Rivers, which is in northern Syria between the tributaries of the Euphrates River 6. Deuteronomy 23:12 The Hebrew word here usually means hand. It sometimes refers to a sign or marker, which explains its meaning here, “a handy place.” 7. Deuteronomy 23:18 A male prostitute
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – May 04Deuteronomy 20 – 21LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 04
Deuteronomy 20 – 21 (EHV)
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Conduct During WarDeuteronomy 201 When you go out for battle against your enemies, and you see the horses and chariots of a people more numerous than you are, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.
2 When you are approaching the battle, the priest is to come forward and speak to the people. 3 He will say to them, “Listen, Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies. Do not let your heart become weak. Do not be afraid. Do not tremble. Do not dread them, 4 because the Lord your God is going with you to do battle for you against your enemies, to save you.”
5 The officers also are to speak to the people and say, “Whoever has built a new house but has not dedicated it, let him go and return to his house so that he does not die in the battle and another man dedicates it.
6 “Whoever has planted a vineyard but has not yet removed it from sacred status, [1] let him go and return to his house so that he does not die in the battle and another man is the first to eat from it.
7 “Whoever is pledged in marriage to a woman but has not consummated the marriage, let him go and return to his house so that he does not die in the battle and another man takes her in marriage.”
8 Then the officers are to speak again to the people and say, “Whoever is afraid and fainthearted may go and return to his house, so that the hearts of his brother Israelites do not melt in cowardice like his heart.”
9 When the officers finish speaking to the people, they are to appoint army commanders at the head of the people.
10 When you approach a city to fight against it, call out to it, asking for a peaceful surrender. 11 If the city answers you, “Peace,” and it opens up its gates for you, then all the people found in it will become forced labor for you and they will serve you.
12 But if it does not make peace with you, and it makes war against you, then lay siege against it. 13 The Lord your God will deliver it into your hands, and you will strike down all the males with the edge of the sword.
14 But the women and the children, and the cattle and everything that is in the city—all its plunder—take as spoils of war for yourself. You may make use of the plunder of your enemies that the Lord your God gives you.
15 Do this to all the cities that are very far away from you, which are not cities of the nations around here.
16 However, from the cities of these people that the Lord your God is giving to you as your inheritance, do not keep alive anything that breathes. 17 Devote them completely to destruction—the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites—just as the Lord your God has commanded you, 18 so that they do not teach you to commit all of the abominations that they commit for their gods, with the result that you sin against the Lord your God.
19 When you lay siege against a city for a long time, as you fight against it in order to capture it, do not destroy its trees by swinging axes against them, because you will be able to eat what the trees bear, so do not cut them down. For is a tree in the field something human that you should besiege it? 20 Only trees that you know are not food-producing trees may be destroyed. You may cut them down to build siege works against the city that makes war against you, until it falls.
Unsolved MurdersDeuteronomy 211 In the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess, if a person who has been killed is found lying in the open country and it is not known who struck him down, 2 then your elders and your judges are to go out and measure the distance from the person who was killed to each of the surrounding towns.
3 The elders of the city that is closest to the person who was killed are to take a heifer that has not been worked and has not pulled with a yoke. 4 The elders of that city are to bring the heifer down to a gully that has a flowing stream and that has not been plowed and sown, and they are to break the neck of the heifer there in the gully.
5 Then the priests, the descendants of Levi, are to come near, because the Lord your God has chosen them to serve and to bless you in the name of the Lord, and every dispute and every case of assault is to be decided according to their ruling. 6 Then all the elders of the city closest to the person who was killed are to wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the gully.
7 Then they are to testify by saying, “Our hands did not pour out this blood, and our eyes did not observe it. 8 Atone, Lord, for your people whom you have redeemed, and do not charge us with taking innocent life among your people Israel.” Then their bloodguilt will be atoned for.
9 In this way you will purge away from among you the guilt of shedding the blood of an innocent person by doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
Captive Wives10 When you go out for battle against your enemies and the Lord your God gives them into your hands, if you take some of them as captives, 11 and you see in that group of captives a beautiful woman, and you are attracted to her and would like to take her as your wife, 12 then you will bring her into your house. She is to shave her head and trim her nails. 13 She also is to remove the clothing she wore when she was captured and to stay in your house and weep for her father and her mother for a month. After that you may come to her and become her husband and she will become your wife.
14 Then if you are no longer pleased with her, you are to let her go as she desires. You must not sell her for money. You are not to deal with her as a slave, [2] because you have humiliated her.
Family Law15 If a man has two wives, and one is loved and one is not loved, and both the loved one and the unloved one have borne children for him, and the firstborn son belongs to the unloved wife, 16 then on the day that he bequeaths what he owns to his sons, he cannot declare the son of the loved wife as his firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved wife, who is the true firstborn. 17 He must acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of everything that is recognized as his. Because that son is the beginning of his father’s virility, the legal right of the firstborn belongs to him.
18 If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey the voice of his father and his mother, and they discipline him, but he will not listen to them, 19 then his father and his mother are to take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his hometown. 20 Then they will say to the elders of his city, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He does not obey us. He is a worthless glutton and a drunkard.” 21 Then all the men of his city are to stone him to death, and so you will purge the evil from among you, and all Israel will hear and fear.
Miscellaneous Laws22 If there is a man whose sin justly deserves a death sentence, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, [3] 23 his dead body is not to remain on the tree overnight. You must bury him on the same day, because a person left hanging on a tree is cursed by God. You are not to defile your ground that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 20:6 That is, he has not yet been allowed to eat from it. 2. Deuteronomy 21:14 Or tyrannically. The meaning is uncertain. 3. Deuteronomy 21:22 Or pole
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – May 03Deuteronomy 18 – 19LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 03
Deuteronomy 18 – 19 (EHV)
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The Inheritance of the LevitesDeuteronomy 181 The priests, who are Levites, as well as the whole tribe of Levi, will not have any allotted inheritance with Israel. They will eat from the offerings made to the Lord by fire, [1] which is their inheritance.
2 So they will not have an inheritance among their brothers. The Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them.
3 This then will be the prescribed allotment for the priests from the people who offer sacrifices, whether an ox or a sheep: They are to give to the priests the shoulder, both cheeks, and the stomach. 4 You are also to give them the firstfruits from your grain, your new wine, your fresh oil, and the first fleece from your flock. 5 For the Lord your God has chosen them from all of your tribes to stand in service in the name of the Lord—them and their sons for all time.
6 When a Levite comes from any of your towns throughout Israel where he resides, and whenever he follows his heart’s desire and comes to the place that the Lord will choose, 7 and he serves in the name of the Lord your God, standing there before the Lord like all of his fellow Levites, 8 then he may eat the same portion, regardless of any income he received from selling family property.
9 When you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to practice anything like the abominations of those nations. 10 Let no one be found among you who makes his son or his daughter pass through fire, or who uses divination, or who engages in fortune telling, or who observes omens, or who practices witchcraft, 11 or who casts a magic spell, or who consults a ghost or a familiar spirit, or who inquires of the dead. [2]
12 Anyone doing these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these abominations, the Lord your God is driving them out before you.
13 You are to be blameless with the Lord your God.
14 It is true that those nations whose land you are taking listen to fortune tellers and diviners, but the Lord your God has not permitted you to do things like that.
The Prophet15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brother Israelites. Listen to him.
16 That is exactly what you asked from the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly. You said, “Do not let me hear the voice of the Lord my God anymore, and do not let me see this great fire again, or I will die.”
17 Then the Lord said to me, “They have done well by saying what they said. 18 I will raise up a prophet for them from among their brothers, like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he will speak to them everything that I command him. 19 Anyone who will not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. 20 Any prophet who presumes to speak something in my name that I have not commanded him to speak or who speaks something in the name of other gods—that prophet shall die.”
21 What if you ask yourselves, “How can we know that the Lord has not spoken that word?” 22 If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and the thing does not come about and does not come true, the Lord has not spoken that word. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. [3]
Cities of RefugeDeuteronomy 191 When the Lord your God has cut down the nations whose land the Lord your God is giving you, and you have taken possession of their land and settled in their cities and houses, 2 set aside three cities within the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess. 3 Prepare roads [4] for yourselves, and divide the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance into three parts, so that anyone who has killed a person will be able to flee to one of these cities.
4 Now this is an example of a person who has killed someone who may flee there and live: someone who has struck down his friend unintentionally, without being hateful toward him beforehand. 5 For instance, someone goes with his friend into the forest to cut down trees, and when his hand swings the ax to cut down the tree, the iron ax head slips off the wooden handle and strikes his friend, who then dies—that person may flee to one of these cities and live.
6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the one who has killed someone, because the avenger is hot with anger. Then because of the long distance to the city of refuge, the avenger may overtake the man and strike him down fatally. His death would not be just, because he had not been hateful toward the other one beforehand. 7 Therefore I am commanding you this: Set aside for yourselves three cities.
8 When the Lord your God expands your territory, as he swore to your fathers, and he gives you the entire land that he promised to give your fathers, 9 if you carefully keep this whole set of commands that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God and by walking in his ways always, then add for yourselves three more cities in addition to these three. 10 Then innocent blood will not be poured out within your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, nor will you be guilty of bloodshed.
11 But if there is a person who is hateful toward another, and he lies in ambush for him and springs up on him and strikes him so he dies, and the killer flees to one of the cities of God, 12 then the elders of his home city are to send for him and take him from there. They are to hand him over to the avenger of blood, and he is to be put to death.
13 Your eye is not to look with compassion on him. You are to purge the blood of the innocent person from Israel so that it may go well for you.
Miscellaneous Laws14 Do not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which the first generation of occupants set up as a boundary for your inherited property in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.
15 A single witness does not have legal standing to convict a person of any guilt or sin in connection with any wrongful action he may have committed. A case is to have standing only on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
16 If a malicious witness rises up against a person to testify against him about a legal offense, 17 and if the two people involved in the dispute stand before the Lord and before the priests and the judges who preside at that time, 18 the judges are to investigate diligently. If the person is a dishonest witness because he has falsely accused his brother, 19 then you are to do to him just as he had plotted to do to his brother. So you will purge the evil from among you. 20 The rest of the people will hear, and they will fear, and they will not do an evil thing like this among you again. 21 Your eye is not to look with compassion. The principle is life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 18:1 Or from the food offerings 2. Deuteronomy 18:11 The distinctions between all these classes of occult practitioners are uncertain. 3. Deuteronomy 18:22 Or it 4. Deuteronomy 19:3 Or determine the distances
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – May 02Deuteronomy 16 – 17LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 02
Deuteronomy 16 – 17 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0502db.mp3
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The FestivalsThe PassoverDeuteronomy 161 Observe the month of Abib [1] and keep the Passover for the Lord your God, because it was in the month of Abib that the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt at night.
2 As a Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God, slaughter an animal from the flock or herd at the place where the Lord will choose to establish his name. 3 Do not eat leavened bread with it. For seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you went out of the land of Egypt in a hurry. Do this so that you may remember the day that you went out from the land of Egypt for all the days of your life.
4 No yeast or leaven is to be found among you for seven days, and none of the meat that you sacrifice on the evening of the first day is to be left until morning.
5 You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover inside the gates of any of the cities that the Lord your God is giving you. 6 Rather, it is at the place where the Lord your God will choose to establish his name that you are to sacrifice the Passover, in the evening at the setting of the sun, the time of day that you went out of Egypt.
7 Cook it and eat it at the place that the Lord your God will choose. In the morning return to your tents.
8 Six days you are to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there is to be a special convocation to the Lord your God. Do not do any regular work.
The Festival of Weeks9 Count off seven weeks. As the starting point of the seven weeks, mark the time that the sickle first strikes the standing grain.
10 Then observe the Festival of Weeks [2] for the Lord your God and give a voluntary offering of as much as you can afford, in keeping with how much the Lord has blessed you.
11 Rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within the gates of your city, and the alien and the fatherless and the widow who are among you. Do this in the place where the Lord your God will choose to establish his name.
12 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, so you are to be careful to carry out these statutes.
The Festival of Shelters13 After you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress, celebrate the Festival of Shelters [3] for seven days.
14 Rejoice in your festival, you and your son and your daughter, and your male servant and your female servant, and the alien and the orphan and the widow within your gates.
15 For seven days celebrate to the Lord your God in the place that the Lord will choose, because the Lord your God will bless you in all of your crops and in all the work of your hands, and you will most certainly be joyful.
16 Three times a year all of your males are to present themselves before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, at the Festival of Weeks, and at the Festival of Shelters. They are not to present themselves before the Lord empty-handed, 17 but each person is to have in his hand a gift that is in keeping with the blessing that the Lord your God has given you.
Judges18 Appoint judges and officers for your tribes to serve at the gates of all the cities that the Lord your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.
19 Do not distort justice. Do not show partiality. Do not take a bribe, because a bribe blinds the eyes of wise people and twists the actions of righteous people.
20 Justice! You are to pursue justice, so that you may live and possess the land that the Lord your God is giving you!
The Penalty for Idolatry21 Do not set up any kind of wooden Asherah pole beside the altar of the Lord your God that you have made for yourself. 22 Do not set up for yourself a sacred memorial stone, which is something that the Lord your God hates.
Deuteronomy 171 Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God any ox or sheep that has any kind of defect or serious flaw, because that is something detestable to the Lord your God.
2 If there is found among you (within the gates of one of your cities that the Lord your God is giving you) a man or a woman who is doing something that is evil in the eyes of the Lord your God by transgressing his covenant, 3 or a man or a woman who is going and serving other gods and bowing down to them or to the sun or to the moon or to any of the army of the heavens, something that I have not commanded, 4 and you are told about it and you listen and investigate diligently, and it is established that the charge is true and that this abomination has been committed in Israel, 5 then you are to bring that man or that woman who has committed this evil out to your city gate, and you are to stone that person to death, whether man or woman.
6 A person is to be put to death on the basis of the testimony of two or three witnesses. No one is to be put to death based on the testimony of one witness. 7 The hands of the witnesses are to be the first ones raised against him when putting him to death, and after that the hands of all the other people. In that way you are to purge the evil from among you.
8 If a case is too difficult for you to make a decision, whether it involves a homicide, a lawsuit, or an assault, or any matters of controversy within the gates of your cities, then proceed by going up to the place that the Lord your God will choose. 9 Go to the priests, who are from the tribe of Levi, and to the presiding judge at that time and lay out the case. They will declare the verdict to you. 10 Then you are to act according to the verdict that they will declare to you from the place that the Lord will choose, and you are to be careful to carry out everything that they instruct you to do.
11 Act according to the instructions they give you and according to the judgment that they speak to you. Do not turn to the right or to the left from the word that they declare to you.
12 Any man who acts presumptuously by not listening to the priest, who presides and serves the Lord your God there, or by not listening to the judge, that man is condemned to die. In that way you will purge the evil from Israel. 13 Then all the people will hear and fear and not act presumptuously anymore.
The King14 When you have entered the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “I am determined to set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,” 15 you may set a king over yourself, one whom the Lord your God will choose. You may set over yourself a king who is from among your brother Israelites. You must not set a foreigner over you, one who is not your brother.
16 But the king must not accumulate more and more horses for himself, and he must not send people back to Egypt in order to accumulate more horses, because the Lord has said to you, “You must not go back that way again.” 17 He must not accumulate more and more wives for himself, or his heart may go astray. He must not accumulate excessive silver and gold for himself.
18 When he sits on his royal throne, he is to have a copy of this law written for him on a scroll in the presence of the priests, who are from the tribe of Levi. 19 It is to remain with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he learns to fear the Lord his God by being careful to carry out all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 so that his heart does not grow haughty toward his brothers and turn away from this set of commands, either to the right or the left, so that the days of his royal reign in Israel, as well as that of his sons, may be many.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 16:1 Abib corresponds to March/April. It was the month the grain harvest began. 2. Deuteronomy 16:10 Also called Pentecost or Reaping 3. Deuteronomy 16:13 Also called Tabernacles or Ingathering
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – May 01Deuteronomy 14 – 15LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 01
Deuteronomy 14 – 15 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0501db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Deuteronomy 141 You are the children of the Lord your God.
Do not cut yourselves or make a bald spot on your forehead for a dead person, 2 because you are set apart as holy people for the Lord your God, and the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the people that are on the face of the earth, to be his people that are his treasured possession.
Clean and Unclean Foods3 Do not eat any detestable thing.
4 These are the animals that you may eat: cattle, sheep, and goats; 5 deer, gazelle, roebuck, wild goat, ibex, antelope, and mountain sheep. 6 Every animal that has divided hoofs with splits in the middle and that rechews its food [1] among the animals—you may eat them.
7 But these you are not to eat from among those that either rechew their food or have divided hoofs with splits in the middle: the camel, the hare, and the rock badger, because even though they rechew their food, their hoofs are not divided. They are unclean for you. 8 The pig, because it has divided hoofs but does not rechew its food, is unclean for you. You are not to eat their flesh and you are not to touch their carcasses.
9 These you may eat of all the creatures that live in the water: Any that have fins and scales you may eat. 10 Any that do not have fins and scales you are not to eat. They are unclean for you.
11 Any clean bird you may eat. 12 But you are not to eat the following: the eagle, the black vulture, and the bearded vulture, 13 the red kite, the black kite, and falcons of every kind, 14 ravens and crows of every kind, 15 the eagle owl, the short-eared owl, the long-eared owl, all species of hawks, 16 the tawny owl, the fisher owl, the screech owl, 17 the white owl, and the scops owl, the osprey, 18 the stork and herons of every kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. [2] 19 Any swarming insect that flies is unclean for you. None of them are to be eaten. 20 Any clean winged creature you may eat.
21 Do not eat the carcass of any animal that is found dead. You may give it to the alien who resides in your town, and he may eat it or sell it to a foreigner, but you are a people who are set apart as holy for the Lord your God.
Do not boil a baby goat in its mother’s milk.
Tithes22 Give a tenth of all the yield from your seed that comes out of the field every year.
23 Eat the tithe in the presence of the Lord your God in the place that he will choose to establish his name—the tenth of your grain, your new wine, and your fresh oil, as well as the firstborn of your herd and flock, so that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.
24 When the Lord your God blesses you, if the distance of your journey is so long that you cannot carry the tithe with you, because the place that the Lord your God will choose to establish his name is far away from you, 25 then you may exchange the tithe for silver and take the silver in your hand and travel to the place that the Lord your God will choose for himself. 26 There exchange the silver for anything that you desire—animals from the herd or the flock, or wine or beer, or anything that you may want. Then eat it there before the Lord your God and rejoice, both you and your household.
27 But you must not neglect the Levites who reside within the gates of your cities, because they do not have an allotted inheritance among you. 28 At the end of every third year, bring out the entire tithe of your produce from that year and store it in your towns. 29 Then the Levites may come, because they do not have an allotted inheritance among you, and also the aliens and the fatherless and the widows within your towns, and they may eat and be satisfied, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work that your hands perform.
The Sabbatical YearDeuteronomy 151 At the end of seven years grant a release. [3]
2 This is how the release is to be done: Every creditor is to release [4] what he has loaned to his neighbor. He must not exact it from his neighbor or from his brother Israelite, because the Lord’s release has been proclaimed. 3 You may exact it from a foreigner, but your hand is to release whatever your brother Israelite owes you. [5]
4 However, there should be no poor people among you, because the Lord will greatly bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance for you to possess, 5 if you obey the voice of the Lord your God by carefully carrying out all of this command that I am giving you today. 6 For the Lord your God will bless you, just as he has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.
7 However, if there is a poor person among you, any one of your fellow Israelites within the gates of your towns in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your poor brother. 8 Rather, open up your hand to him and freely lend him enough of whatever he needs for himself. 9 Be careful that you do not harbor this wicked thought: Year seven, the year of release, is near! So as a result you have a harsh attitude toward your poor brother and do not give him anything. Then he will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin. 10 Give freely to him, and do not feel resentful about giving to him, because on account of your giving, the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and whatever you put your hand to. 11 Since there will never cease to be poor people in the land, I command you, open up your hand to your brother in your land, to the afflicted and the poor among you.
The Release of Servants12 If your brother, that is, a Hebrew man or woman, sells himself to you, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year you are to set him free. 13 When you set him free, do not send him out empty-handed. 14 Provide for him generously from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your winepress. Give to him from the blessings that the Lord your God has given to you. 15 You should remember that you yourself were a slave in the land of Egypt, but the Lord your God redeemed you. Therefore I am commanding this procedure to you today.
16 But he might say to you, “I don’t want to leave you,” because he loves you and your household, and he is well off with you. 17 In that case you are to take an awl and bore through his ear into the door, and he will be a slave to you permanently. Do the same in the case of your female slave. 18 When you do set a servant free, it should not seem like a hardship to you, because for six years he has earned for you double the income that a hired worker would. The Lord your God will bless you in everything that you do.
The Firstborn19 Set apart for the Lord your God every firstborn male from your herd and your flock. Do not work the firstborn of your oxen, and do not shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 You and your household are to eat the firstborn in the presence of the Lord each year, in the place that the Lord will choose. 21 But if it has a defect (if it is lame or blind, or if it has any other serious defect), you must not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. 22 You may eat it within the gates of your towns. The unclean and the clean person alike may eat it, as you would a gazelle or a deer. 23 But you must not eat its blood. You are to pour it out on the ground like water.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 14:6 Or brings up the cud. The term describes an animal that rechews its food after it has swallowed it once and then regurgitated it or excreted it. This list is not limited to true ruminants. 2. Deuteronomy 14:18 The precise identity of many of the birds is uncertain. Translations vary greatly. The inclusion of bats shows that the category is flyers. 3. Deuteronomy 15:1 That is, a remission of debt 4. Deuteronomy 15:2 Or forgive 5. Deuteronomy 15:3 It is not certain if the creditor is to forgive the debt permanently or to suspend repayment during the year in which there is no harvest.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 30Deuteronomy 12 – 13LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 30
Deuteronomy 12 – 13 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0430db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Deuteronomy 121 These are the statutes and the ordinances that you are to be conscientious about keeping in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given to you to possess all the days that you live in the land:
2 Completely destroy all the places where the nations that you are driving out serve their gods, whether on the high mountains or on the hills or under every beautiful green tree. 3 Tear down their altars! Smash their sacred memorial stones! Burn their Asherah poles [1] with fire, and cut down the carved images of their gods! In this way you will destroy their names from those places.
4 Do not serve the Lord your God in the way that they worship, 5 but seek out and go to the site that the Lord your God will choose from within all your tribes to place his name and his dwelling place. 6 There you are to bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the elevated offerings from your hands, your offerings to fulfill a vow, your voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock. 7 Eat there in the presence of the Lord your God, and rejoice in everything you do, you and your household, because the Lord your God has blessed you.
8 Do not in any way do what we are doing here today, that is, each person doing whatever is right in his own eyes, 9 because you have not yet come to your place of rest, the inheritance that the Lord your God is giving to you.
10 But you will cross over the Jordan and settle in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies all around you, so that you will live in safety. 11 Then go to the place that the Lord your God chooses as the place to establish his name. There you are to bring everything that I am commanding you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes, the offerings from your hands, and all the best voluntary offerings that you vow to the Lord.
12 You will rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, and your male servants and your female servants, and the Levites who live within the gates of your cities, because they do not have an allotted inheritance among you.
13 Be careful that you do not offer up your burnt offering in just any place that you see fit, 14 but only in the place that the Lord will choose in one of your tribes. That is where you are to offer up your burnt offerings and where you are to do everything that I am commanding you.
15 But in any town you may butcher and eat meat to your heart’s content, as the Lord your God has blessed you. The unclean and the clean person alike may eat it as they would a gazelle or a deer, 16 but you must never eat the blood. Pour it on the ground like water.
17 You are not to eat the tithe from your grain, your new wine, or your fresh oil in your towns. The same applies to the firstborn of your herd and your flock, or anything you vow, or your voluntary offerings, or your special elevated offerings. 18 Eat those things before the Lord your God in the place that the Lord your God will choose—you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levites within your cities. Rejoice before the Lord your God in everything that you are doing.
19 Be careful that you do not neglect the Levites as long as you live on your land.
20 When the Lord your God expands your territory as he promised you, and you say, “I would like to eat meat,” because you are hungry for meat, then you may eat it to your heart’s content. 21 If the place that the Lord your God will choose to establish his name is too far away for you, then you may slaughter [2] animals from your herd and flock which the Lord has given you, just as I commanded you, and you may eat within your cities as you desire. 22 Yes, just as gazelle and deer are eaten, you may eat it. The unclean and the clean person alike may eat it. 23 Only be very sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life together with the flesh. 24 Do not eat it. Pour it out on the ground like water. 25 Do not eat it, so that it may go well for you and for your children after you when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
26 But as for the holy things that you have and your voluntary offerings, gather them up and take them to the place that the Lord will choose. 27 Offer your burnt offerings, both the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of the sacrifice is to be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, but the meat you may eat.
28 Be careful that you obey all these words that I am commanding you so that it may go well for you and for your children after you in the distant future when you do what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.
29 When the Lord your God cuts off the nations where you are going and drives them out before you, and when you take possession of their land and settle in it, 30 be careful that you are not snared after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods and ask, “How did these people serve their gods? I also want to do the same thing.”
31 Do not serve the Lord your God in the way that they worship, because they do for their gods every detestable thing that the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in fire for their gods.
32 Be careful to do everything that I am commanding you. Do not add to it, and do not subtract from it.
False Prophets and Fortune TellersDeuteronomy 131 If a prophet or an interpreter of dreams arises among you, and he predicts a sign or wonder for you, [3] 2 and the sign or wonder that he promised you comes true, and he says, “Let’s go after other gods that you do not know, and let’s serve them,” 3 do not listen to the words of that prophet or that interpreter of dreams, because the Lord your God is testing you to see whether you really love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 Follow the Lord your God, fear him, keep his commandments, listen to his voice, serve him, and cling to him.
5 That prophet or that interpreter of dreams is to be put to death because he advised you to turn against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, in order to draw you away from the path on which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. Purge the evil from among you.
The Penalty for Idolatry6 If your full brother or your mother’s son, your son or your daughter, the wife you embrace, or your closest friend tempts you by saying secretly, “Let’s go and serve other gods,”—gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 from among the gods of the peoples around you, either near or far from you, anywhere from one end of the land to the other— 8 do not be influenced by him and do not listen to him. Your eye is not to look on him with compassion. Do not spare him and do not pardon him, 9 but kill him. Your hand is to be the first one on him when putting him to death, and afterward the hands of all the other people. 10 Stone him to death, because he tried to pull you away from the Lord your God, who led you out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves. 11 Then all of Israel will hear and fear, and such an evil thing as this will not be done among you again.
12 If you hear in one of your cities, which the Lord your God is giving you so that you can live in them, 13 men of worthless character have gone out from among you and have pulled the inhabitants of their city away from the Lord, saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods,” gods whom you have not known, 14 then investigate, search out the truth, and inquire diligently. If it becomes established truth that this abomination has been done among you, 15 you are to strike down the inhabitants of that city with the blade of the sword. Devote it and everything in it to complete destruction by the blade of the sword, including its cattle. 16 Gather all its plunder at the center of its town square. Then burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It is to be a permanent mound of ruins, never to be rebuilt.
17 Let nothing that has been devoted to destruction stick to your hands, so that the Lord will turn away from his anger and show you compassion. In his compassion he will increase your population, as he swore to your fathers, 18 if you obey the voice of the Lord your God by keeping all of his commandments that I am commanding you today, by doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 12:3 Asherah poles were representations of the goddess Asherah. They may have been living trees or poles carved from tree trunks. 2. Deuteronomy 12:21 The word translated slaughter often refers to sacrifices, but sacrifices were to be offered only at the Dwelling, which was the only legitimate sanctuary. 3. Deuteronomy 13:1 In the Hebrew text, chapter 13 starts with English verse 12:32. In chapter 13, the remaining Hebrew verse numbers are one number higher than the corresponding English verse numbers.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 29Deuteronomy 10:12 – 11:32LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 29
Deuteronomy 10:12 – 11:32 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0429db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Deuteronomy 1012 So now, Israel, what is the Lord your God asking of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 to keep the commandments of the Lord and his statutes that I am commanding you today for your own good.
14 Indeed, the heavens and the heaven of heavens, [1] the earth and everything that is on it—these belong to the Lord your God. 15 Still, the Lord attached himself to your fathers, loved them, and he chose their descendants after them (that’s you!) from all peoples, as it is today.
16 So cut away the tough shell of your sinful nature, [2] and do not be stubborn any longer.
17 The Lord your God is God of Gods and Lord of Lords, the great God, the mighty one and the awesome one, who does not show favoritism and does not take a bribe. 18 He carries out justice for the fatherless and widows. He loves the alien who dwells among you and gives him food and clothing. 19 So you are to love the alien, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
20 Fear the Lord your God, serve him, cling to him, and take your oaths in his name.
21 He is your glory. He is your God, who performed for you these great and awesome things that your own eyes have seen.
22 When your fathers went down to Egypt, they numbered seventy people, but now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.
Deuteronomy 111 Love the Lord your God and always carry out his requirements, his statutes, his ordinances, and his commandments.
2 Know this today! I am not addressing your children, who have not known and seen all these things:
the discipline of the Lord your God;
his greatness, his strong hand, and his outstretched arm;
3 his signs and his deeds that he performed in Egypt
against Pharaoh king of Egypt and against all his land;
4 what he did to the army of Egypt and its horses and chariots;
how he caused the water of the Red Sea to flow over their heads
when they pursued you;
how the Lord has destroyed them to this day;
5 what he did for you in the wilderness until you came to this place;
6 what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab son of Reuben;
how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them
with their households, their tents,
and every living thing that was at their feet,
in the middle of all Israel.
7 Know today it is your own eyes that have seen every deed that the Lord your God performed.
8 Therefore, keep the whole set of commands that I am giving you today so that you may have the strength to enter and take possession of the land that you are about to cross into and possess, 9 and so that you may live for a long time on the land that the Lord your God swore to give to your fathers and to their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.
10 The land that you are about to enter and possess is not like that land of Egypt that you left, where you were accustomed to sow your seed and water it by hand [3] like a vegetable garden. 11 But the land you are entering to possess is a land of mountains and valleys. It drinks water provided by rain from the heavens. 12 It is a land that the Lord your God takes care of. The eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it, from the start to the end of the year.
13 If you faithfully listen to my commandments that I am giving you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 then I will provide rain for your land in season, early fall rain and late spring rain, and you will gather your grain and your new wine and your fresh oil. 15 I will provide grass in your field for your livestock, and you will eat and be satisfied.
16 Be careful, or your heart will be deceived and you will turn away and serve other gods and bow down to them. 17 Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will close up the heavens. There will be no rain, the ground will not produce crops, and you will perish quickly from the good land that the Lord is giving you.
18 Put these words of mine in your hearts and in your soul, and tie them on your wrists as signs and as symbols on your forehead. 19 Teach them to your children by talking about them when you sit in your house and when you travel on the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many on the land that the Lord promised to your fathers with an oath, as many as the days that the heavens remain over the earth.
22 If you carefully keep the whole set of commandments that I am giving you, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and clinging to him, 23 then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will take possession of nations larger and stronger than you.
24 Every place where the sole of your foot walks will be yours. From the Wilderness to Lebanon, from the River—the River Euphrates—to the Mediterranean Sea, [4] all of it will be your territory.
25 No one will be able to stand up to you. The Lord your God will put the fear and dread of you over the whole land on which you walk, just as he promised you.
26 You see, I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, 28 or the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God and you turn away from the path that I am commanding you today by walking after other gods whom you did not know.
29 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and possess, you are to pronounce the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. 30 As you know, they are on the other side of the Jordan, beyond the west road, [5] toward the setting sun, in the land of the Canaanites that live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, by the oaks of Moreh.
31 You are about to cross over the Jordan to go in and take the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You will take it and live in it. 32 But be careful to carry out all the statutes and the ordinances that I am giving you today.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 10:14 The heavens are where the birds and stars are. The heaven of heavens is where God dwells. 2. Deuteronomy 10:16 Literally circumcise the foreskin of your hearts 3. Deuteronomy 11:10 Literally by foot, referring to using one’s foot to dig a furrow through which the water could run 4. Deuteronomy 11:24 Hebrew the Western Sea 5. Deuteronomy 11:30 The meaning of this phrase is uncertain.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 28Deuteronomy 9:1 – 10:11LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 28
Deuteronomy 9:1 – 10:11 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0428db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Deuteronomy 91 Listen, Israel, today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and to take possession of nations larger and stronger than you, nations with large cities that have fortified walls reaching up to the skies, 2 with people strong and tall, the Anakites, whom you know and about whom you have heard it said: “Who can stand up against the descendants of Anak?”
3 So know today that the Lord your God himself is crossing over in front of you. Like a consuming fire he will destroy them, and he will subdue them before you. You will take possession of their land and destroy them quickly, just as the Lord promised you.
4 When the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the Lord brought me in to take possession of this land,” when actually it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is handing over their land to you.
5 You are not entering to take possession of their land because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart, but because of the wickedness of these nations. The Lord your God is handing over their land to you, in order to confirm the promise that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
6 Know, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, because a stiff-necked people [1] is what you are. 7 Remember and do not forget how you made the Lord your God angry in the wilderness. From the day that you went out of the land of Egypt until your arrival at this place, you have been rebels against the Lord. 8 Even at Horeb you made the Lord angry. Yes, the Lord was angry enough at you to destroy you.
9 When I went up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the Lord made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I did not eat bread and I did not drink water. 10 Then the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words that the Lord had spoken with you from the middle of the fire on the mountain, on the day of the assembly. 11 At the end of the forty days and forty nights, the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant.
12 Then the Lord said to me, “Get moving and go down quickly from here because your people, whom you led out of Egypt, have acted corruptly. They have turned away quickly from the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a thing of molten metal.”
13 The Lord also said to me, “I have seen these people, and what a stiff-necked people they are! 14 Leave me alone, and I will destroy them. I will blot out their name from under the heavens, and I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they.”
15 So I turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in my two hands, while the mountain was burning with fire.
16 I saw how you were sinning against the Lord your God by making for yourselves a calf from molten metal and by quickly turning aside from the way that the Lord your God had commanded you to go.
17 I grabbed the two tablets and I threw them from my two hands [2] and I shattered them right before your eyes.
18 Then I lay facedown before the Lord forty days and forty nights like the first time. I did not eat bread and I did not drink water, because of all the sin that you committed by doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and making him angry.
19 I was afraid of the heated anger of the Lord, who was angry enough at you to destroy you, but the Lord listened to me again at that time.
20 The Lord was even angry enough with Aaron to destroy him. So I prayed also for Aaron at that time.
21 Then I took that wicked thing that you had made, the calf. I burned it with fire and crushed it by grinding it until it was as fine as dust. Then I threw its dust into the gully that goes down from the mountain.
22 Again and again, at Taberah and at Massah and at Kibroth Hatta’avah, you made the Lord angry.
23 Then, when the Lord sent you from Kadesh Barnea, and he said, “Go up and take possession of the land that I have given to you,” you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. You did not put your faith in him, and you did not obey him. 24 You have been rebels against the Lord ever since I have known you.
25 So I lay facedown before the Lord for forty days and forty nights. I lay facedown because the Lord said he would destroy you. 26 So I prayed to the Lord and said, “Lord God, do not destroy your people, your inheritance that you have redeemed by your greatness, whom you brought out of Egypt with a strong hand.
27 “Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not look at the stubbornness of these people and at their wickedness and their sin. 28 Otherwise the land out of which you brought us will say, ‘This happened because the Lord did not have the power to bring them to the land that he had promised to them, or this happened because he hated them and brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.’
29 “But they are your people and your possession, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.”
Deuteronomy 101 At that time the Lord said to me, “Cut out two tablets of stone like the first ones, and come up to me on the mountain, and make an ark [3] out of wood. 2 Then I will write on the tablets the same words that were on the first ones that you shattered, and you are to put them in the ark.”
3 So I made an ark of acacia wood and I cut out two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hands. 4 He wrote on the tablets the same writing as on the first tablets, the Ten Commandments [4] that the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the middle of the fire, on the day of the assembly. Then the Lord gave them to me. 5 I turned and came back down the mountain, and I put the tablets in the ark that I had made. There they are kept, as the Lord commanded me to do.
6 The people of Israel traveled from Be’eroth Bene Ja’akan to Moserah. Aaron died there, and he was buried there, and Eleazar his son served as priest in his place. 7 From there they traveled to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of gullies filled with water.
8 At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord and to serve him, and to pronounce a blessing in his name, as they do to this day. 9 That is why Levi did not have an allotment of land and an inheritance with his brothers. The Lord himself is their inheritance, as the Lord your God promised him.
10 I had stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights like the first time, and the Lord listened to me again on this second occasion. The Lord agreed not to destroy you. 11 So the Lord said to me, “Set out and continue the journey at the head of the people, and they will enter and take possession of the land that I promised to give them with an oath to their fathers.”
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 9:6 Like a stubborn animal that refuses to be led 2. Deuteronomy 9:17 It is not apparent why the account emphasizes that it was two hands. 3. Deuteronomy 10:1 An ark is a box. This is not the same Hebrew word as Noah’s ark. 4. Deuteronomy 10:4 Literally the Ten Words
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 27Deuteronomy 8LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 27
Deuteronomy 8 (EHV)
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1 Be conscientious about carrying out the entire body of commands that I am giving you today so that you may thrive and increase and you may go in and possess the land that the Lord promised by oath to give to your fathers. 2 Remember the whole journey on which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you and to test you, in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments. 3 So he humbled you and allowed you to be hungry. Then he fed you manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known before, in order to teach you that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 The clothes you wore did not wear out, and your feet did not swell these forty years. 5 So know in your heart that just as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. 6 Therefore you are to keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by revering him.
7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of gullies filled with water, a land with springs and groundwater that flows out into the valleys and down the mountains, 8 a land with wheat and barley and vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees for oil, and honey, [1] 9 a land where you can eat bread and not be poor, where you will not lack anything, a land whose rocks are iron and from whose mountains you can mine copper.
10 Then you will eat, and you will be filled, and you will praise the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you. 11 Be very careful so that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and ordinances and his statutes that I am commanding you today. 12 When you eat and are satisfied, and you build nice houses and move into them, 13 and your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold increase, and everything that you have prospers, 14 watch out so that your heart does not become arrogant and forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves. 15 Do not forget the Lord, who led you in the great and terrifying wilderness, where there were venomous snakes and scorpions, where the thirsty ground had no water, but the Lord made water come out of a flint rock for you. 16 Do not forget the Lord, who in the wilderness fed you manna, which your fathers had not known before, to humble you and to test you so that it would be good for you later on.
17 You might say in your heart, “My ability and the power of my hand have earned this wealth for me.” 18 But then you are to remember that the Lord your God is the one who gives you the ability to produce wealth, to confirm his covenant that he promised to your fathers with an oath, as he does to this day.
19 But if you ever do forget the Lord your God and you follow other gods, and if you serve them and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will certainly perish. 20 Just like the nations that the Lord is about to destroy in front of you, you also will perish, because you would not listen to the voice of the Lord your God.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 8:8 Dvash includes bee honey and sweet fruit syrup.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 26Deuteronomy 7LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 26
Deuteronomy 7 (EHV)
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1 When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take as a possession, and when he clears away many nations before you (the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and stronger than you), 2 and when the Lord your God has given them over to you and he has struck them down, you are to devote them to destruction. Do not make a treaty with them, and do not show mercy to them. 3 Do not form marriage alliances with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take their daughters for your sons, 4 because they will turn your sons away from following me, and they will serve other gods. The anger of the Lord will burn against you, and then he will destroy you quickly. 5 Instead, this is the way you must deal with them: Break down their altars. Smash their sacred memorial stones. Cut down their Asherah poles. [1]Burn their idols with fire.
6 For you are a people that is holy to the Lord your God, because the Lord your God has chosen you to belong to him as a people that is his treasured possession, chosen from all the peoples that are on the face of the earth. 7 The Lord became attached to you by love and has chosen you, not because you were more numerous than all the peoples. Actually you were the fewest of all the peoples. 8 But because of the Lord’s love for you and because he was keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that is why the Lord brought you out by a strong hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9 He did this so that you would know that the Lord your God, yes, he is God, the faithful God who maintains both his covenant and his mercy for those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. 10 But he also repays the ones who hate him to their face by destroying them. He will not delay repaying anyone who hates him. To his face he will fully repay him. 11 So you are to be careful to keep the set of commandments and the statutes and the ordinances that I am commanding you today.
12 When you obey these ordinances and are careful to keep them, the Lord your God will keep for your benefit the covenant and the mercy that he promised to your fathers with an oath. 13 He will love you and bless you and multiply you. He will bless the fruit from your womb and the fruit from your soil, your grain and your new wine and your fresh olive oil, the offspring of your cattle and the young of your flock upon the land that he swore to your fathers that he would give you. 14 You will be blessed beyond all the peoples. There will not be an infertile male or infertile female among you or among your livestock. 15 The Lord will remove from you all sickness, and he will not place on you all of the diseases of Egypt, the calamities that you experienced. Instead he will put them on all those who hate you. 16 You will consume all the peoples that the Lord your God is giving to you. Your eye is not to look with compassion on them. You are not to serve their gods, because that would be a snare to you.
17 If you say in your heart, “These nations are more numerous than we are. How are we able to take possession of their land?” 18 do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all the Egyptians. 19 The great test which your eyes saw and the signs and the wonders and the strong hand and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God brought you out—that is what the Lord your God will do to all the peoples that you fear.
20 The Lord your God will also send the hornet against them until those who are left and are hiding from you have been destroyed. 21 Do not be overwhelmed before them, because the Lord your God is right among you, a great and awe-inspiring God.
22 The Lord your God, the God before you, will clear away the nations little by little. You will not succeed in finishing them off too quickly, so that the wild animals do not become too numerous for you. 23 But the Lord your God will give them over to you, and he will throw these peoples into complete confusion until they are destroyed. 24 He will give their kings into your hands, and he will cause their names to die out under the heavens, because none of them will be able to hold their ground against you until you have destroyed them. 25 Burn the images of their gods with fire, and do not covet the silver and gold on them or take it for yourself, so that you are not snared by it, because it is an abomination to the Lord your God. 26 Do not bring a detestable thing to your house and in that way become devoted to destruction just like it. Detest it and regard it as an utterly disgusting thing, because it is devoted to destruction.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 7:5 Asherah poles were representations of the goddess Asherah. They may have been living trees or poles carved from tree trunks.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 25Deuteronomy 6LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 25
Deuteronomy 6 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0425db.mp3
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1 Moses spoke as follows: [1]
Now this is the body of commands, and these are the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, so you may carry them out in the land to which you are crossing over to receive as a possession, 2 so that you may fear the Lord your God by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I am commanding to you, as well as to your children and grandchildren, all the days of your life, and so that your days may be long.
3 Listen, O Israel, and be conscientious about doing those things, so it may go well for you and so you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you. 4 Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God. The Lord is one! 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul [2] and with all your might. 6 These words that I am commanding you today are to be on your heart. 7 Teach them diligently to your children, and speak about them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as a sign on your wrists, and they will serve as symbols on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.
10 When the Lord your God brings you to the land about which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that he would give it to you, he will bring you to great and good cities that you did not build, 11 to houses full of all kinds of good things that you did not fill, to wells that you did not dig, and to vineyards and olives that you did not plant. Then, when you eat and are full, 12 watch yourself, so that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves. 13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him, and swear by his name. 14 Do not go after other gods from among the gods of the peoples around you. 15 If you do, the Lord your God will be a jealous God in your midst, and the anger of the Lord your God will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the earth.
16 Do not put the Lord your God to the test the way you tested him at Massah. 17 Be very conscientious about keeping the commandments of the Lord your God and his testimonies and his statutes, which he commanded you. 18 Do what is right and good in the eyes of the Lord, so that it may go well for you and you may go and take possession of the good land that the Lord promised to your fathers with an oath, 19 driving out all your enemies from your presence, as the Lord promised.
20 When your son asks you in the future, “What are these testimonies and statutes and ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded for you?” 21 then you are to say to your son, “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand. 22 Right before our eyes the Lord gave great, devastating signs and wonders in Egypt against Pharaoh and against his whole household. 23 Then he brought us out of there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised to our fathers with an oath.”
24 Then the Lord commanded us to carry out all of these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our own lasting good, to keep us alive, even as we are today. 25 Righteousness will be ours when we are conscientious about carrying out this entire set of commands in the presence of the Lord our God as he commanded us.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 6:1 These words are added to indicate the resumption of the law code after the chapter break. 2. Deuteronomy 6:5 Or with your whole being
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 24Deuteronomy 4:41 – 5:33LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 24
Deuteronomy 4:41 – 5:33 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0424db.mp3
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Deuteronomy 4Cities of Refuge41 Then Moses set aside three cities in the region east of the Jordan, the place where the sun rises, 42 so that someone who killed a man could flee to them, that is, someone who killed his neighbor unintentionally and who did not previously hate him—he could flee to one of these cities and remain alive: 43 Bezer in the wilderness in the tableland belonging to the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan belonging to the Manassites.
A Review of the Law44 This is the Law that Moses set before the people of Israel. 45 These are the testimonies and statutes and ordinances that Moses spoke to the people of Israel when they went out of Egypt, 46 in the region east of the Jordan opposite Beth Peor in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel struck down when they came out of Egypt. 47 So they took possession of his land as well as the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites who were in the region east of the Jordan, where the sun rises. 48 They took possession from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Canyon, all the way to Mount Siyon, that is, Mount Hermon, 49 including all of the Arabah on the east side of the Jordan, up to the Sea of the Arabah [1] below the slopes of Pisgah.
Deuteronomy 51 Moses called together all Israel and said this to them: Listen, Israel, to the statutes and ordinances that I am speaking in your hearing today so that you learn them and are conscientious about carrying them out. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with those who are here today, all of us who are living today. 4 Face-to-face the Lord spoke with you at the mountain from the middle of the fire. 5 At that time I was standing between the Lord and you to relate to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and you did not go up on the mountain.
Then the Lord said:
6 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, where you were slaves. [2]
7 You shall have no other gods beside me. [3] 8 You shall not make any carved image for yourself or a likeness of anything in heaven above, on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth. 9 Do not bow down to them or be subservient to [4] them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God. [5] I follow up on [6] the guilt of the fathers with their children, their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren if they also hate me. 10 But I show mercy to thousands who love me and keep my commandments.
11 You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not permit anyone who misuses his name to escape unpunished.
12 Observe the Sabbath day by setting it apart as holy, just as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you are to serve and perform all of your regular work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath rest to the Lord your God. You are not to do any regular work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock or the alien who resides inside your gates, in order that your male servant and your female servant may rest like you. 15 Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the day of rest.
16 Honor your father and your mother, just as the Lord your God commanded you, so that you may prolong your days and so that it may go well for you on the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
17 You shall not commit murder.
18 You shall not commit adultery.
19 You shall not steal.
20 You shall not give lying testimony against your neighbor.
21 You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house or his field, his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
22 These are the words the Lord spoke to your whole assembly at the mountain from the middle of the fire, the thick cloud, and the gloom, with a loud voice, and he did not add anything. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. 23 When you heard the voice from the middle of the darkness while the mountain was burning with fire, you approached me—all the heads of your tribes and your elders.
24 Then you said, “See how the Lord our God has shown us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice from the middle of the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even though God has spoken to him. 25 But now, why should we die, because this great fire will consume us? If we continue to hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we will die. 26 For who of all flesh has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking from the middle of fire as we have and has lived? 27 You go near and listen to everything that the Lord our God says, and then you speak to us everything that the Lord our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do it.”
28 The Lord heard what you said when you spoke to me. So the Lord said to me, “I heard what these people said when they spoke to you. Everything that they spoke to you is good. 29 If only this would be in their hearts—to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, so that it might go well for them and for their children continually. 30 Go and say to them, ‘Go back to your tents.’ 31 As for you, stand here with me and I will speak to you all the commands and the statutes and the ordinances that you are to teach them and that they are to do in the land that I am giving them as a possession. 32 Tell them: [7] ‘Be conscientious about doing just as the Lord your God commanded you. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33 Walk in every way the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and it may be good for you and you may live long in the land that you will possess.’”
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 4:49 The Dead Sea 2. Deuteronomy 5:6 Literally the house of slaves 3. Deuteronomy 5:7 Literally against my face. Or besides me or before me or in my presence or because of my presence. 4. Deuteronomy 5:9 The Hebrew verb for to serve is written as a passive form to give it a derogatory tone. 5. Deuteronomy 5:9 That is, a God who demands exclusive loyalty 6. Deuteronomy 5:9 Or demand an accounting for. The Hebrew verb pachad has traditionally been translated visit, but in modern English visit has a social connotation. The term, however, refers to an official visit to bring punishment or reward to someone. 7. Deuteronomy 5:32 The words tell them are added to mark the change of addressee.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 23Deuteronomy 4:1-40LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 23
Deuteronomy 4:1-40 (EHV)
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Deuteronomy 4Review of the Covenant for a New Generation1 So now, Israel, listen to the statutes and the ordinances that I am teaching you, and carry them out so that you may live and so that you may enter the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving to you and take possession of it. 2 Do not add to the word that I am commanding you, and do not subtract from it, so that you keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you. 3 With your own eyes you have been observing what the Lord did at Baal Peor. Indeed, the Lord your God destroyed from among you every man who followed the Baal of Peor.
4 But all of you, who are clinging to the Lord your God, are still alive today. 5 Note well now, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may carry them out also in the land that you are entering to take as a possession. 6 Keep them and put them into practice, because in this way your wisdom and your understanding will be recognized by all the people who hear about all these statutes; and they will say, “This great nation is certainly a wise and understanding people,” 7 because what other great nation is there that has a god as close to it as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call on him? 8 What other great nation is there that has statutes and ordinances as righteous as this entire law that I am presenting to you today?
9 But guard yourselves and guard your whole being [1] diligently, so that you do not forget the things that your eyes have seen and so that those things do not disappear from your heart all the rest of the days of your life. Make them known to your children and to your children’s children. 10 Tell about the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb when the Lord said to me, “Bring the people near to me and I will make sure that they hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they are living in the land, and so that they may teach their children.” 11 So you drew near and you stood under the mountain while the mountain was burning with fire up to the very heavens. There was darkness, a thick cloud, and gloom. 12 Then the Lord your God spoke to you from the middle of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but you did not see a form. You only heard the sound. 13 He declared to you his covenant that he commanded you to carry out, namely, the Ten Commandments. [2] Then he wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 At that time the Lord commanded me to teach you the statutes and ordinances for you to carry out in the land that you are entering in order to occupy it.
15 So guard your hearts very carefully, because you did not see any form on the day that the Lord your God spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire. 16 Do this so that you do not act corruptly and make for yourselves an idol of any form. Do not make an image of a male or female, 17 an image of any animal that walks on the earth, an image of any bird that flies in the sky, 18 an image of anything that creeps on the ground, or an image of any fish that swims in the water below the earth. 19 Beware so that you do not lift up your eyes to the heavens and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the vast army of the heavens, and you are lured away, and you bow down to them and worship them—things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the nations under all the heavens.
20 But you are the ones that the Lord has chosen and has brought out of the iron furnace of Egypt, to be a nation that is his possession, as is the case today. 21 But the Lord was angry with me because of your words, and he swore that I would not cross the Jordan and would not come into the good land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 I will die in this land without crossing over the Jordan, but you will cross over and take possession of this good land. 23 Be on guard so that you do not forget the covenant that the Lord your God made [3] with you and so that you do not make an idol for yourselves in the form of anything that the Lord your God prohibited. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. [4]
25 But when you become the father of children, and you have grandchildren, and you have grown old in the land, if you then act corruptly by making an idol of any form, and you do evil in the eyes of the Lord your God, provoking him to anger, 26 I today call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you, that you will most certainly perish quickly from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live many days in it, because you will most certainly be destroyed. 27 The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left as a people that are few in number among the nations where the Lord your God will force you to go. 28 There you will worship gods, the work of human hands, made of wood and stone—things that do not see or hear or eat or smell.
29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him when you search for him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you experience misery and all these things have happened to you in future days, then you will return to the Lord your God, and you will be obedient to his voice. 31 For the Lord your God is a compassionate God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant that he promised to your fathers with an oath.
32 So ask now about the former days, long before your time, beginning from the day when God created man on the earth. Search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has there ever been anything like this great event, or has anything like it ever been heard? 33 Has a people ever heard the voice of God speaking from the middle of fire as you heard and yet continued to live? 34 Or has a god ever tried to go and take for himself a nation from inside another nation by tests, signs, and warnings, or by war, by a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and by great awe-inspiring acts like all those that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt in front of your very eyes? 35 You yourselves were shown this so that you could know that the Lord—he is God! There is none except him alone. 36 He let you hear his voice from the heavens to discipline you, and on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words from the middle of the fire. 37 Yes, because he loved your fathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by the great power of his Presence, 38 driving out from your presence nations greater and stronger than you are, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day. 39 Therefore know this today and again take it to heart that the Lord is God in the heavens above and on the earth below. There is no other. 40 Keep his statutes and his commandments that I am commanding you today, so that it may go well for you and for your children after you, and so that you may live long on the land [5] that the Lord your God is giving you for all time. [6]
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 4:9 Or your soul or yourself 2. Deuteronomy 4:13 Literally the Ten Words 3. Deuteronomy 4:23 Literally cut. See Genesis 15 for a covenant made by cutting up sacrifices. 4. Deuteronomy 4:24 God’s jealousy is his demand for exclusive loyalty. 5. Deuteronomy 4:40 Or on the soil 6. Deuteronomy 4:40 Literally for all the days
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 22Deuteronomy 3LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 22
Deuteronomy 3 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0422db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
1 Then we turned and went up on the road to Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan came out to confront us. He and all his people came for war at Edrei. 2 But the Lord said to me, “Do not be afraid of him, because I have given him into your hands, as well as all of his people and his land. Do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 3 So the Lord our God gave into our hands also Og king of Bashan and all his people. We struck them down until they had no survivor remaining.
4 So we took all of his cities at that time. There was not a city that we did not take from them—sixty cities, the whole area of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5 All of these were fortified cities with high walls, gates, and bars, besides very many small unwalled towns. [1] 6 We devoted them to destruction, just as we had done to Sihon king of Heshbon. There was a total destruction of every city, of men, women, and children, 7 but all of the cattle and the plunder of the cities we took as spoils for ourselves.
8 So at that time we took the land out of the hands of the two kings of the Amorites who were east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Canyon to Mount Hermon. 9 (The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, but the Amorites call it Senir.) 10 We took all the cities of the tableland and all of Gilead and all of Bashan, up to Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 (Only Og king of Bashan had remained from what was left of the Rephaim. His bed, [2] a bed of iron, is it not in Rabbah of the people of Ammon? Its length is thirteen feet, and its width is six feet, [3] according to the standard measure.)
12 So we took possession of this land at that time. I gave to Reuben and to Gad the land starting at Aroer, which is at the Arnon Canyon, and half of the hill country [4] of Gilead, as well as its cities. 13 I gave to the half tribe of Manasseh the remainder of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og, all the territory of Argob (all that part of Bashan is called the land of the Rephaim). 14 Jair, the descendant of Manasseh, took all the territory of Argob up to the border of the Geshurites and the Ma’acathites, and he named the villages of Bashan after himself, Havvoth Jair, [5] as they are called to this day. 15 I gave Gilead to Makir. 16 To the Reubenites and to the Gadites I gave the land of Gilead from the Arnon Canyon (that is, from the middle of the canyon), which served as one of their borders, up to the Jabbok Canyon, which served as their border with the people of Ammon. 17 Also the Arabah and the Jordan served as their border from the Sea of Kinneret [6] to the Sea of the Arabah, that is, the Salt Sea, [7] under the slopes of Pisgah on the east.
18 I gave you a command at that time: “The Lord your God gave you this land as a possession. All of your soldiers, armed for battle, are to cross over before your brother Israelites. 19 Only your wives and your children and your livestock (I know that you have a lot of livestock) may stay in your cities that I have given you, 20 until the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also have taken possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them on the other side of the Jordan. After that you may return, each man to his possession that I have given you.”
21 I also gave a command to Joshua at that time: “With your own eyes you have been observing everything that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. The Lord will do the same to all the kingdoms to which you are crossing. 22 Do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God himself is fighting for you.”
23 I also begged the favor of the Lord at that time: 24 “My Lord God, you have begun to show your servant your greatness and your strong hand. Indeed, what god in heaven or on earth is there that has done anything like your works and your mighty deeds? 25 Let me cross over, please, and let me see the good land on the other side of the Jordan—this good hill country and the mountains of Lebanon.”
26 But the Lord was furious with me because of you, and he did not listen to me but said to me, “Enough from you! Do not continue to speak to me anymore about this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes toward the west and the north and the south and the east. Take a good look, because you will not be crossing over this Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua for duty and strengthen him and encourage him, because he will cross over in front of these people, and he will enable them to take possession of the land that you will only see.” 29 So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 3:5 The Hebrew word ‘ir, usually translated city, includes settlements smaller than what is usually denoted by the word cities. Here the Hebrew text specifies that the second category, translated small towns, are “country cities.” 2. Deuteronomy 3:11 Or sarcophagus 3. Deuteronomy 3:11 Nine cubits by four cubits 4. Deuteronomy 3:12 The Hebrew is literally the mountain. The translation retains the traditional rendering hill country for the highland regions of Israel. 5. Deuteronomy 3:14 Havvoth Jair means Villages of Jair. 6. Deuteronomy 3:17 The Sea of Galilee 7. Deuteronomy 3:17 The Dead Sea
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 21Deuteronomy 2LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 21
Deuteronomy 2 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0421db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
1 Then we turned and traveled toward the wilderness on the road to the Red Sea, as the Lord had told me, and we traveled for many days to get around the area of Mount Seir. [1]
The Journey Past Edom2 Then the Lord said to me, 3 “You have been traveling around this mountainous region long enough. Turn north 4 and command the people, ‘You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers, the people of Esau, who are living in Seir, and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful. 5 Do not wage war against them because I am not going to give you any of their land, not even an area the size of a footprint, because I have given the Mount Seir region to Esau as a possession. 6 You may buy food from them with money so you can eat, and you may purchase water from them with money so you can drink. 7 For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your trek through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have not lacked anything.’” 8 So we passed by the territory of our brothers, the people of Esau, who were living in Seir. After leaving the Arabah Road, Elat, and Ezion Geber behind us, we turned and we traveled along the road of the Wilderness of Moab.
The Journey Past Moab9 Then the Lord said to me, “Do not be hostile toward Moab and do not wage war against them in battle, because I am not going to give you any of their land as a possession, since I have given Ar to the people of Lot as a possession.”
10 (The Emites formerly lived in it, a strong, numerous people and tall like the Anakites. 11 They, like the Anakites, are also considered to be Rephaim, [2] but the Moabites call them Emites. 12 The Horites also lived in Seir formerly, but the people of Esau took possession of their land and destroyed them from their midst. They settled there in their place, just as Israel did in the land that the Lord gave to them as their possession.)
13 Then the Lord told us: [3] “Now get ready and cross the Zered Canyon.” So we crossed over the Zered Canyon. 14 The time that we traveled from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Zered Canyon was thirty-eight years, until that whole generation of fighting men were eliminated from the camp, just as the Lord had sworn to them. 15 Yes indeed, the hand of the Lord was against them to destroy them from the camp until they were eliminated.
The Journey Past Ammon16 Just as soon as all those fighting men were eliminated from the people by their death, 17 the Lord spoke to me: 18 “Today you are going to cross the border of Moab at Ar. 19 When you come near the people of Ammon, do not be hostile toward them and do not wage war against them, because I am not going to give any of the land of the people of Ammon to you as a possession, since I have given it to the people of Lot as a possession.”
20 (It also is considered to be the land of the Rephaim. The Rephaim lived in it formerly, but the Ammonites call them Zamzumites. 21 They are a strong and numerous people and as tall as the Anakites. But the Lord destroyed the Rephaim from among the Ammonites. The Ammonites took possession of their land and lived there in their place. 22 The Lord had done the same things for the people of Esau, who live in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites before them, and they took possession of their land and settled there in their place and remain there to this day. 23 Now the Caphtorites, who came out of Caphtor, [4] destroyed the Avvites who were living in villages as far as Gaza and settled in their place.)
Confrontation With the Amorites24 Then the Lord told us: [5] “Get ready to travel and cross over the Arnon Canyon. See, I have given into your hands Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Start to take possession of it and wage war against him. 25 This very day I will begin to put dread and fear of you on the faces of the people everywhere under heaven, so that they will hear reports about you and they will tremble, and they will be shaking because of you.”
26 So I sent messengers from the Wilderness of Kedmoth to Sihon king of Heshbon with an offer of peace. I said, 27 “Let us pass through your land. We will proceed only on the road. We will not turn aside to the right or to the left. 28 You can sell us food in exchange for money so we can eat, and you can give us water in exchange for money so we can drink. Only let us pass through on foot, 29 as did the people of Esau living in Seir and the Moabites living in Ar, until we can cross over the Jordan into the land that the Lord our God is giving us.”
30 But Sihon king of the Amorites was not willing to let us pass through on the road, because the Lord your God gave him a stubborn attitude by making his heart obstinate, in order to give him over into your hands, as is now the case today. 31 Then the Lord said to me, “Look now, I have begun to give you Sihon and his land. Start taking action to take possession of his land.”
32 Then Sihon and all of his people went out to meet us in battle at Jahaz. 33 The Lord our God gave him to us, and we struck him down, as well as his sons and all his people. 34 So we captured each of his cities at that time. We devoted each city to destruction, with the men, women, and children. We did not leave a survivor. 35 We took only the livestock as plunder for ourselves, as well as the spoils of war from the cities that we captured. 36 From Aroer, which is on the edge of the Arnon Canyon, from the city that is in the canyon, all the way up to Gilead, there was not a city that was out of reach for us. The Lord our God gave us everything. 37 But it was only the land of the people of Ammon that you did not approach: the land along both sides of the Jabbok Canyon, the cities of the hill country, and everything that the Lord our God had forbidden us to take.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 2:1 That is, Edom 2. Deuteronomy 2:11 The Rephaim were a race of giant people who were among the earliest inhabitants of the land. The translation retains the Hebrew form of the name Rephaim because of its occurrence in geographic terms like the Valley of Rephaim. 3. Deuteronomy 2:13 The words then the Lord told us are not in the Hebrew text but are added to the translation to mark the transition to a new subject. 4. Deuteronomy 2:23 Caphtor is a location in the Mediterranean Sea, perhaps Crete. 5. Deuteronomy 2:24 The words then the Lord told us are not in the Hebrew text but are added to mark the transition.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 20Deuteronomy 1LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 20
Deuteronomy 1 (EHV)
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1 These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel in the area beyond the Jordan, in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran on one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di Zahab on the other.
2 (It is an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)
3 In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first of the month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel everything that the Lord had commanded him concerning them. 4 This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and he had defeated Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth, at Edrei. [1] 5 In the area east of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses took on the task of explaining clearly this law [2] as follows. This is what he said:
6 The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb. He said, “You have stayed at this mountain long enough. 7 Turn in the other direction, start traveling, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all the people living in the Arabah, [3] in the hill country, [4] in the Shephelah, [5] and in the Negev, [6] and in the coastland by the sea (the land of the Canaanites) and the Lebanon range, up to the Great River (the River Euphrates). 8 Look now, I have given you the land that is ahead of you. Go and take possession of the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, promising to give it to them and to their descendants after them.”
9 So I said to you at that time, “I am not able to carry you by myself. 10 The Lord your God has increased your number, and here you are today, as numerous as the stars in the heavens. 11 May the Lord, the God of your fathers, add to you a thousand times as many as you are now, and may he bless you, just as he promised you. 12 But how can I manage by myself to carry the burden that you have become and the load that you are—especially your disputes? 13 Provide for yourselves, tribe by tribe, men who are wise and perceptive and with known ability, and I will appoint them as your leaders.”
14 Then you answered me, “What you propose to do is good.” 15 So I took the heads of your tribes, men who were wise and of known ability, and I appointed them as heads over you, commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and commanders of fifties and commanders of tens, as well as officers for your tribes.
16 I gave these orders to your judges at that time: “Listen to disputes among your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother Israelite, as well as with the alien who resides with him. 17 Do not show partiality in judgment. Provide a hearing for the small and the great alike. Do not be motivated by fear of any person, because judgment belongs to God. Any case that is too difficult for you, bring it before me and I will hear it.” 18 So I gave you orders at that time about everything that you should do.
19 Then we journeyed from Horeb, and we walked through that whole vast and terrifying wilderness that you saw on the road to the hill country of the Amorites, as the Lord our God had commanded us to do. When we came to Kadesh Barnea, 20 I said to you, “You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. 21 Look now, the Lord your God has given you the land ahead of you. Go up, take possession of it, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has said to you. Do not be afraid and do not be overwhelmed.”
22 Then all of you approached me and said, “Let us send out some of our men so that they can scout the land for us and bring us a report about the route that we should take and the cities that we will reach.”
23 The plan seemed good to me, so I selected from you twelve men, one man from each tribe. 24 They set out and went up to the hill country and came to the area of the Valley of Eshcol and spied on it. 25 They took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought it back to us and brought us a report that said, “The land that the Lord our God is giving us is good.”
26 Still you were not willing to go up, and you rebelled against the order of the Lord your God. 27 You complained in your tents and said, “Because the Lord hates us, he brought us out of the land of Egypt to hand us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us. 28 Where are we going? Our brothers have made our hearts melt by saying, ‘People there are stronger and taller than we are! There are large cities with fortified walls up to the skies! Also, we have seen the descendants of Anak there!’”
29 So I said to you, “Do not be overwhelmed and do not be afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who is going ahead of you, will fight for you, exactly as he did for you in Egypt, right before your very eyes, 31 and just as he did in the wilderness, where you saw that the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son, on the entire way that you walked until you came to this place.” 32 Yet even with this, you did not believe the Lord your God, 33 who went ahead of you on the journey to search out a place for you to camp. He showed you the way that you should travel, by fire during the night and by a cloud during the day.
34 When the Lord heard the tone of your words, he was angry, and he swore an oath: 35 “Not one of these people from this evil generation will see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers, 36 except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give the land on which he walked to him and his children, because he has fully followed the Lord.” 37 The Lord was angry with me too because of you. He said, “You also will not enter there. 38 Joshua son of Nun, who is standing before you, will enter there. Strengthen him, because he will lead Israel to possess it. 39 Your toddlers, who you said would become plunder of war, and your children, who today do not yet know good and evil, will enter there. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. 40 But you, turn around and travel into the wilderness toward the Red Sea.” [7]
41 Then you answered me, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will go up and fight, just as the Lord our God commanded us to do.” So each man among you strapped on his weapons of war, and you thought it would be easy to go up to the hill country.
42 But the Lord instructed me: “Say to them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be among you to keep you from being struck down by your enemies.’” 43 So I spoke to you, but you did not listen. You rebelled against the command of the Lord and acted presumptuously by going up to the hill country anyway. 44 Then the Amorites living in the hill country went out to meet you. They pursued you like bees, and they struck you down in Seir all the way to Hormah. 45 Then you returned and you cried out before the Lord, but the Lord did not pay attention to the noise you made. He did not listen to you. 46 So you stayed in Kadesh many days—those well-known days that you stayed there.
Footnotes1. Deuteronomy 1:4 Or and in Edrei. The word and is present in the ancient versions and in Joshua 12:4. 2. Deuteronomy 1:5 The Hebrew word torah, traditionally translated law, includes other types of instruction besides laws. 3. Deuteronomy 1:7 The Arabah is the Great Rift of the Jordan Valley. 4. Deuteronomy 1:7 The Hebrew is literally the mountain. The translation retains the traditional rendering hill country for the highland regions of Israel. 5. Deuteronomy 1:7 Shephelah, which means “pressed down region,” is the name for the foothills west of the hill country of Judah. 6. Deuteronomy 1:7 The Negev is the arid region in the southern part of Judah. 7. Deuteronomy 1:40 Hebrew Sea of Reeds. In this case it refers to the Gulf of Aqaba.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 19Mark 9:30-50LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 19
Mark 9:30-50 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/01-0419db.mp3
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Mark 9Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection Again30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know this, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. But three days after he is killed, he will rise.”
32 But they did not understand the statement and were afraid to ask him about it.
Who Is the Greatest?33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34 But they remained silent, because on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 Jesus sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he will be the last of all and the servant of all.” 36 Then he took a little child and placed him in their midst. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me, welcomes not just me but also him who sent me.”
Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”
39 But Jesus said, “Do not try to stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil about me. 40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Amen I tell you: Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, will certainly not lose his reward.
Do Not Cause Little Believers to Fall Into Sin42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall into sin, [1] it would be better for him if he were thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around his neck. 43 If your hand causes you to fall into sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed, than to have two hands and go into hell, [2] into the unquenchable fire, 44 ‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ [3] 45 If your foot causes you to fall into sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell, [4] 46 ‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 47 If your eye causes you to fall into sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, [5] 48 ‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good. But if the salt loses its flavor, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
Footnotes1. Mark 9:42 Or fall from faith (Greek skandalizo is also used in verses 43, 45, and 47) 2. Mark 9:43 Or Gehenna 3. Mark 9:44 Isaiah 66:24 is quoted in verses 44, 46, and 48. A few witnesses to the text omit verses 44 and 46. 4. Mark 9:45 Or Gehenna 5. Mark 9:47 Or Gehenna
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 18Mark 9:1-29LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 18
Mark 9:1-29 (EHV)
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Mark 91 He said to them, “Amen I tell you: There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God come with power.”
The Transfiguration2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain where they were alone by themselves. There he was transfigured in front of them. 3 His clothes became radiant, dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4 And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He did not know what to say because they were terrified.
7 A cloud appeared and overshadowed them, and a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him.”
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus alone.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing with one another what this “rising from the dead” meant.
11 They asked him, “Why do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come first?”
12 He said to them, “Elijah does come first and restores all things. Why was it also written about the Son of Man that he must suffer many things and be rejected? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it was written about him.”
Jesus Heals a Boy With a Demon14 When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some experts in the law were arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people in the crowd saw Jesus, they were very excited and ran to greet him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
17 One man from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who has a spirit that makes him unable to speak. 18 Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
19 “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied. “How long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring him to me.”
20 They brought the boy to Jesus. As soon as the spirit saw him, it threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
“From childhood,” he said. 22 “It has often thrown him into the fire and into the water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 “If you can?” [1] Jesus said to him. “All things are possible for the one who believes.”
24 The child’s father immediately cried out and said with tears, [2] “I do believe. Help me with my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit. “You mute and deaf spirit,” he said, “I command you to come out of him and never enter him again!”
26 The spirit screamed, shook the boy violently, and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many of them said, “He’s dead!” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him up, and he stood up.
28 When Jesus went into a house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why were we not able to drive it out?”
29 He said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out, except by prayer and fasting.” [3]
Footnotes1. Mark 9:23 Some witnesses to the text read If you are able to believe. 2. Mark 9:24 A few witnesses to the text omit with tears. 3. Mark 9:29 A few witnesses to the text omit and fasting.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 17Mark 8:27-38LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 17
Mark 8:27-38 (EHV)
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Mark 8Jesus Is the Christ27 Jesus went away with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
28 They told him, “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others say one of the prophets.”
29 “But who do you say I am?” he asked them.
Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” [1]
30 Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection31 Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things; be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the experts in the law; be killed; and after three days rise again. 32 He was speaking plainly to them. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But after turning around and looking at his disciples, Jesus rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have your mind set on the things of God, but the things of men.”
Take Up the Cross34 He called the crowd and his disciples together and said to them, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 After all, what good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 In fact, whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Footnotes1. Mark 8:29 Christ is the Greek word for Anointed One. The Hebrew/Aramaic word is Messiah.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 16Mark 8:1-26LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 16
Mark 8:1-26 (EHV)
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Mark 8Jesus Feeds More Than Four Thousand1 In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples and said to them, 2 “I feel compassion for the crowd because they have already stayed with me three days and do not have anything to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will faint on the way. Some of them have come from a long distance.”
4 His disciples replied, “Where can anyone get enough bread to feed these people here in this deserted place?”
5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
“Seven,” they said.
6 He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, and broke them. He gave the pieces to his disciples to distribute to the crowd, and they did so. 7 They also had a few small fish. He blessed them and said that these should be distributed as well. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. They picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand men were there. Then he sent them away. 10 Right after that, Jesus got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
A Sign From Heaven11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen I tell you: No such sign will be given to this generation.” 13 After he left them and got back into the boat, he crossed to the other side.
Watch Out for the Teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees14 They had forgotten to take bread along except for one loaf that they had with them in the boat. 15 “Watch out,” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”
16 They began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread.
17 Since Jesus knew this, he said to them, “Why are you discussing your lack of bread? Do you still not understand or comprehend? Do you have a hardened heart? 18 You have eyes—do you not see? You have ears—do you not hear? Do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they told him.
20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you pick up?”
“Seven,” they said.
21 He said to them, “Do you still not comprehend?”
Jesus Heals a Blind Man22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 He took hold of the blind man’s hand and led him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes, he placed his hands on him and asked him, “Do you see anything?”
24 The man looked up and said, “I see people. To me they look like trees walking.”
25 Then Jesus placed his hands on his eyes again. The man opened his eyes and his sight was restored. He could see everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Do not go into the village.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 15Mark 7:24-37LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 15
Mark 7:24-37 (EHV)
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Mark 7The Faith of a Gentile Woman24 Jesus got up and went from there to the region of Tyre and Sidon. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, but he could not remain hidden. 25 Instead, when a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him, she immediately came and fell down at his feet. 26 This woman was a Greek, of Syro-Phoenician origin. She asked him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27 Jesus said to her, “Let the children be fed first, because it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to their little dogs.”
28 “Lord,” she answered, “their little dogs under the table also eat some of the children’s crumbs.”
29 Then he said to her, “Because of this statement, go! The demon has gone out of your daughter.”
30 She went home, found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone.
31 Jesus left the region of Tyre again and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of the Decapolis.
“Ephphatha! Be Opened!”32 They brought a man to him who was deaf and had a speech impediment. They pleaded with Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 Jesus took him aside in private, away from the crowd. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 After he looked up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”) 35 Immediately the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was set free, and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus gave the people strict orders to tell no one, but the more he did so, the more they kept proclaiming it. 37 They were amazed beyond measure and said, “He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 01 – April 14Mark 7:1-23LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 14
Mark 7:1-23 (EHV)
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Mark 7Commandments and Traditions1 The Pharisees and some of the experts in the law came from Jerusalem and gathered around Jesus. 2 They saw some of his disciples eating bread with unclean (that is, unwashed) hands. 3 In fact, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they scrub their hands with a fist, [1] holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. [2] And there are many other traditions they adhere to, such as the washing [3] of cups, pitchers, kettles, and dining couches. [4] 5 The Pharisees and the experts in the law asked Jesus, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders? Instead they eat bread with unclean hands.”
6 He answered them, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As it is written:
These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 They worship me in vain, teaching human rules as if they
were doctrines. [5]
8 “You abandon God’s commandment but hold to human tradition like the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.” [6] 9 He continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside God’s commandment to keep [7] your own tradition. 10 For example, Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ [8] and ‘Whoever speaks evil of his father or mother must be put to death.’ [9] 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother, “Whatever help you might have received from me is corban”’ [10] (which means an offering), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 So you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. You do many things like that.”
14 He called the crowd to him again and said, “Everyone, listen to me and understand. 15 There is nothing outside of a man that can make him unclean by going into him. But the things that come out of a man are what make a man unclean. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” [11]
17 After he had left the crowd and entered a house, his disciples asked him about this illustration. 18 He said, “Are you lacking in understanding too? Do you not understand that whatever goes into a man from the outside cannot make him unclean? 19 For it does not enter his heart but goes into his stomach and goes out of him into the latrine—in this way all foods are purified.” [12]
20 He continued, “What comes out of a man, that is what makes a man unclean. 21 In fact, from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual sins, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, unrestrained immorality, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things proceed from within and make a person unclean.”
Footnotes1. Mark 7:3 Or up to the wrist. This refers to a method of ceremonial washing. 2. Mark 7:4 Greek baptizo (translated baptize in other contexts) 3. Mark 7:4 Greek baptismos (translated baptism in other contexts) 4. Mark 7:4 A few witnesses to the text omit and dining couches. 5. Mark 7:7 Isaiah 29:13 6. Mark 7:8 A few witnesses to the text omit the last part of verse 8 (like the washing. . .). 7. Mark 7:9 Some witnesses to the text read establish. 8. Mark 7:10 Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16 9. Mark 7:10 Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9 10. Mark 7:11 Corban is a Hebrew word for an offering devoted to God. 11. Mark 7:16 A few witnesses to the text omit this verse. 12. Mark 7:19 Or latrine.” (In this way all foods are purified.) The punctuation in the text indicates Jesus spoke the last sentence of verse 19. The parentheses in this footnote would indicate that the last sentence was an inspired comment by Mark.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – September 02Joshua 1LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – September 02
Joshua 1 (EHV)
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Preparing to Enter the Land1 This is what happened after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord.
The Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, the attendant of Moses, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. So prepare to cross the Jordan River that lies in front of you. You and all this people, prepare to go into the land that I am about to give to the people of Israel. 3 I have given you every place where the sole of your foot has stepped, just as I promised Moses. 4 From the Wilderness [1] and from Lebanon to the Great River, the Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—as far as the Mediterranean Sea, [2] where the sun sets, this will be your territory. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you. I will not abandon you, and I will not forsake you.
6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will divide this land among these people, this land which I swore to their fathers that I would give to this people. 7 Just be strong and very courageous. Be careful to act according to the entire Law which my servant Moses commanded for you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may succeed wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law must never depart from your mouth, and you are to meditate on it day and night, so that you will act faithfully according to everything written in it, because then you will prosper in everything you do, and you will succeed. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified and do not be overwhelmed, because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
10 So Joshua gave this order to the officers of the people: 11 “Go through the camp and give this order to the people: ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, because within three days you will be crossing over this Jordan to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving to you as a possession.’”
12 To the Reubenites and the Gadites and to half of the tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, 13 “Remember the command that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you when he said, ‘The Lord your God is granting you rest, and he has given you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your children, and your cattle will stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but you yourselves, all of your strong warriors in their military units, are to cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers 15 until the Lord gives rest to them as he has to you and they too take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then you may return to the land allotted to you so that you may fully possess the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave to you in the area east of the Jordan, toward the sunrise.”
16 Then they answered Joshua, “Everything that you have commanded us we will do. We will go to any place you send us. 17 Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, we will likewise obey you. May the Lord your God be with you, just as he was with Moses. 18 Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey whatever you command him will be put to death. Just be strong and courageous!”
Footnotes1. Joshua 1:4 Or desert. This refers to the wilderness south of Israel in the Sinai Peninsula. 2. Joshua 1:4 Hebrew Great Sea
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – September 012 Thessalonians 2:13 – 3:17LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – September 01
2 Thessalonians 2:13 – 3:17 (EHV)
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2 Thessalonians 2Chosen for Salvation13 But we are always obligated to thank God for you, brothers, loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation by the sanctifying work of the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 For this reason he also called you through our gospel so that you would obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold on to the teachings that were passed along to you, either by word of mouth or by a letter from us. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and in his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.
Pray for Us2 Thessalonians 31 Finally, brothers, pray for us so that the word of the Lord may spread quickly and be glorified just as it was among you. 2 Pray also that we may be rescued from evil and wicked people. For not everyone has faith. 3 Still, the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and protect you from the Evil One. 4 We also have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we are telling you. 5 May the Lord continue to direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s patient endurance.
Warnings Against Idleness6 We instruct you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to avoid every brother who is walking idly and not in accordance with the teaching that you received from us. 7 In fact, you yourselves know how necessary it is for you to imitate us, because we were not idle among you. 8 We never ate anyone’s bread without paying for it. Instead, with labor and hardship we worked night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 This was not because we lacked authority, but to provide an example for you to imitate. 10 In fact, when we were with you, this was our command to you: If anyone does not want to work, he should not eat. 11 Indeed, we hear that some among you are idle, not busy working, but being busybodies. 12 In the Lord Jesus Christ, we command and urge these people to work quietly and eat their own bread.
13 But you, brothers, do not grow weary of doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this letter, take note of him so that you do not associate with him, in order that he may be put to shame. 15 Yet do not consider him an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Benediction16 May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all.
17 This greeting is written by me, Paul, with my own hand. This is a distinguishing sign of how I write in every letter.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 312 Thessalonians 2:1-12LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – August 31
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (EHV)
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2 Thessalonians 2The Man of Sin1 Now, about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together with him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken from your composure or disturbed by a spirit, a message, or a letter thought to be from us, which says that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way, because that day will not come until the falling away comes first, and the man of sin [1] is revealed—the son of destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above everyone who is called God or every object of worship, so that he sits in the temple of God, displaying himself as God.
5 Do you not remember that, while I was still with you, I kept telling you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 In fact, the mystery of this lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who is now holding him back moves out of the way. 8 Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with [2] the breath of his mouth and destroy when he appears in splendor at his coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan, with every kind of miracle, that is, with false signs and wonders, 10 and with every kind of unrighteousness that deceives those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 And because of this, God continues to send them a strong delusion, so that they believe the lie, 12 in order that all those may be condemned who refused to believe the truth but instead delighted in unrighteousness.
Footnotes1. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Some witnesses to the text read lawlessness. (“Witnesses to the text” mentioned in footnotes may include Greek manuscripts, lectionaries, translations, and quotations in the church fathers.) 2. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 Some witnesses to the text read slay by.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 302 Thessalonians 1LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – August 30
2 Thessalonians 1 (EHV)
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Greeting1 Paul, Silas, [1] and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Judgment at Christ’s Coming3 We are always obligated to thank God for you, brothers, [2] as is fitting, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love that each and every one of you has for one another is increasing. 4 So we ourselves boast about you in God’s churches in regard to your patient endurance and faith in all your persecutions and in the trials that you are enduring. 5 This is evidence of God’s righteous verdict that resulted in your being counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also suffer. 6 Certainly, it is right for God to repay trouble to those who trouble you, 7 and to give relief to you, who are troubled along with us. When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his powerful angels, 8 he will exercise vengeance in flaming fire on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 Such people will receive a just penalty: eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious strength, 10 on that day when he comes to be glorified among his saints, and to be marveled at among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 11 For this reason, we are always praying for you, that our God will make you worthy of your calling and use his power to fulfill every good desire and work of your faith, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in him, in keeping with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.
Footnotes1. 2 Thessalonians 1:1 Silvanus in Greek 2. 2 Thessalonians 1:3 When context indicates it, the Greek word for brothers may refer to all fellow believers, male and female.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 291 Thessalonians 5LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – August 29
1 Thessalonians 5 (EHV)
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Instruction Concerning the Signs of the End Times1 Concerning the times and dates, brothers, there is no need to write to you, 2 for you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will suddenly come on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will certainly not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in the dark so that this day takes you by surprise like a thief, 5 for you are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep like everyone else, but rather let us remain alert and sober.
7 To be sure, those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 You see, God did not appoint us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are also doing.
Final Exhortations and Greetings12 Brothers, we ask you to take note of those who work hard among you, who exercise leadership over you in the Lord, and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love, on account of their work. Live at peace with each other.
14 We also encourage you, brothers, to admonish those who are idle. Encourage those who are discouraged, help those who are weak, and be patient with everyone. 15 See to it that no one repays evil with evil, but instead, always strive to do good to each other and to everyone else.
16 Rejoice always. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not extinguish the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 But [1] test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Keep away from every kind [2] of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
25 Brothers, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27 I put you under oath to the Lord to read this letter to all the holy [3] brothers.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Footnotes1. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 A few witnesses to the text omit But. 2. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Or appearance 3. 1 Thessalonians 5:27 A few witnesses to the text omit holy.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 281 Thessalonians 4LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – August 28
1 Thessalonians 4 (EHV)
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Instruction Concerning Sexual Propriety1 Therefore, beyond this, brothers, just as you received instruction from us about how you are to walk [1] so as to please God (as indeed you are doing), we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that you do so even more. 2 To be sure, you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 Indeed, this is God’s will: that you be sanctified, namely, that you keep yourselves away from sexual immorality. 4 He wants each of you to learn to obtain a wife [2] for yourself [3] in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in lustful passion like the heathen, who do not know God. 6 No one is to overstep and take advantage of his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we said previously and solemnly testified to it. 7 For God did not call us for uncleanness, but in sanctification. 8 Consequently, whoever rejects this is not rejecting a man, but the God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
Instruction Concerning Brotherly Love and Labor9 Concerning brotherly love, there is no need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God, with the result that you love one another. 10 In fact, you are doing so toward all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers, to do this even more, 11 and to make it your ambition to live a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, just as we instructed you. 12 Do this so that you are conducting yourselves decently toward outsiders and are not lacking anything.
Instruction Concerning the Resurrection of the Dead at Christ’s Second Coming13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, [4] so that you do not grieve in the same way as the others, who have no hope. 14 Indeed, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then in the same way we also believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.
15 In fact, we tell you this by the word of the Lord: We who are alive and left until the coming of the Lord will certainly not go on ahead of those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, encourage one another with these words.
Footnotes1. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or conduct yourselves 2. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Literally vessel 3. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or each one of you to learn to control your own body 4. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 A few witnesses to the text read are falling asleep.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 271 Thessalonians 3LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – August 27
1 Thessalonians 3 (EHV)
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Timothy’s Mission and Good Report1 So, when we could not stand it any longer, we thought it best to remain behind in Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and coworker for God in the gospel of Christ. [1] We sent him to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one will be shaken by these trials, for you know well that we are destined for this. 4 In fact, even when we were with you, we told you ahead of time that we were going to suffer, and it happened just that way, as you know. 5 This is why, when I could not stand it any longer, I sent to find out about your faith, because I was afraid that somehow the Tempter had tempted you and our labor might have been for nothing.
6 But now, Timothy has returned to us from you and has told us the good news about your faith and love. He also told us that you always have fond memories of us and long to see us, just as much as we also long to see you. 7 Because of this, brothers, in all our distress and affliction, we have been encouraged about you through your faith. 8 For now we really live, if you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 Indeed, how can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have before God on account of you? 10 Night and day we are praying earnestly to see you in person and to supply what is lacking in your faith.
11 May God our Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord increase your love and make it overflow for each other and for all people, just as ours does for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts as blameless in holiness before our God and Father, when our Lord Jesus comes with all his saints. [2]
Footnotes1. 1 Thessalonians 3:2 Some witnesses to the text read our brother, God’s servant, and our coworker in the gospel of Christ. 2. 1 Thessalonians 3:13 Or holy ones, referring to the holy angels
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 261 Thessalonians 2LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – August 26
1 Thessalonians 2 (EHV)
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Paul Defends His Ministry Among the Thessalonians1 Indeed, brothers, you yourselves know that our visit to you was not a waste of time. 2 Even though we had suffered previously and were treated shamefully in Philippi (as you know), we were bold in our God to speak the gospel of God to you in the face of great opposition. 3 For our appeal does not come from error or impure motives, or by way of deceit. 4 Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts. 5 Indeed, as you know, we never at any time used flattering speech, nor did we act with greed as a motive. God is our witness. 6 Also, we did not seek the praise of people (neither yours nor anyone else’s), 7 even though we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles. On the contrary, we were gentle [1] among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 We yearned for you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.
9 Surely, brothers, you remember our labor and hardship! We worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you, while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devout, righteous, and blameless we were toward you who believe. 11 In the same way, you know that we treated each of you as a father deals with his own children: 12 encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who is calling you into his kingdom and glory.
13 There is also another reason we give thanks to God unceasingly, namely, when you received God’s word, which you heard from us, you did not receive it as the word of men but as the word of God (as it really is), which is now at work in you who believe. 14 Yes, brothers, you became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus, because you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and who severely persecuted us. They are not pleasing to God and are hostile to all people. 16 By hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved, they are always filling up the full measure of their sins. And the wrath has come upon them completely. [2]
Paul’s Desire to See the Thessalonians17 As for us, brothers, after we were separated from you like orphans for just a short time (in person, not in our heart), it was with great desire that we made every effort to see you again in person. 18 For we wanted to come to you (I, Paul, wanted this, not just once, but twice), but Satan hindered us. 19 Indeed, who is our hope or joy or crown about which we boast before our Lord Jesus when he returns? Is it not you? 20 Yes, you are our glory and our joy.
Footnotes1. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Some witnesses to the text read infants. This would change the translation to: we could have been a burden as Christ’s apostles, but we were infants among you. Like a nursing mother taking care of her own children, 8 we yearned. . . 2. 1 Thessalonians 2:16 Or has come upon them at last
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 251 Thessalonians 1LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – August 25
1 Thessalonians 1 (EHV)
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Greeting1 Paul, Silas, [1] and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. [2]
Thanksgiving for the Faith of the Thessalonians2 We always give thanks to God for all of you as we make mention of you in our prayers, 3 because we constantly remember before God our Father your work produced by faith, your labor produced by love, and your patient endurance produced by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 Dear brothers, [3] loved by God, we know that God has chosen you, 5 because our gospel did not come to you with mere words, but with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. You yourselves know very well what kind of people we proved to be for your sake, while we were with you. 6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you welcomed the word during a time of great affliction with the joy from the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. [4] 8 Indeed, the word of the Lord has resounded from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith in God has become known. As a result, we do not need to say anything, 9 because they themselves inform us about what kind of reception we received from you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. 10 They also report how you patiently wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, the one who is going to rescue us from the coming wrath.
Footnotes1. 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Silvanus in Greek 2. 1 Thessalonians 1:1 A few witnesses to the text omit from God. . . Jesus Christ. (“Witnesses to the text” mentioned in footnotes may include Greek manuscripts, lectionaries, translations, and quotations in the church fathers.) 3. 1 Thessalonians 1:4 When context indicates it, the Greek word for brothers may refer to all fellow believers, male and female. 4. 1 Thessalonians 1:7 Macedonia and Achaia were the two provinces comprising Greece.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 24Psalm 28 – 29LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – August 24
Psalm 28 – 29 (EHV)
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Psalm 28My RockHeadingBy David.Protect Me From the Wicked1 O Lord, I keep calling to you.
My Rock, do not be deaf to me.
If you remain silent to me,
I will become like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the sound of my plea for mercy when I cry out to you,
when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those evildoers.
They speak peace to their neighbors but hide evil in their hearts.
Punish the Wicked4 Give to them what they have done to others.
According to their evil actions,
according to the deeds of their hands,
punish them.
Repay to them what they deserve.
5 Because they do not recognize the works of the Lord
or the deeds of his hands,
he will tear them down and not build them up.
Then I Will Praise You6 Blessed be the Lord,
because he has heard the sound of my plea for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield.
In him my heart trusts, and I am helped.
My heart also celebrates.
With my song I will give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is their strength.
He is a stronghold of salvation for his anointed king.
9 Save your people, and bless the people that belong to you.
Shepherd them, and carry them forever.
Psalm 29The God of Glory ThundersHeadingA psalm by David.The God of Glory Thunders1 Ascribe to the Lord, you sons of God, [1]
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name.
Bow down to the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is heard over the waters.
The God of glory thunders.
The Lord thunders above the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord thunders in power.
The voice of the Lord thunders in majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars.
The Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Mount Lebanon skip like a calf.
Sirion [2] skips like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord slashes with flashes of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness.
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord destroys the oaks [3]
and strips the forests bare.
So in his temple they all say, “Glory!”
10 The Lord is seated over the flood.
The Lord is seated as King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people.
The Lord blesses his people with peace.
Footnotes1. Psalm 29:1 In this verse the Hebrew word translated God is elim rather than the usual elohim. Elim could also be translated mighty ones or heavenly beings. It seems to refer to the angels. 2. Psalm 29:6 Sirion and Mount Lebanon are names for Mount Hermon. 3. Psalm 29:9 Or makes the deer give birth. The Hebrew text provides vowels for the word as if it were the word for deer, rather than the word for oaks. Shattering oaks seems to fit the context and the parallelism better than makes the deer give birth.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 23Psalm 27LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – August 23
Psalm 27 (EHV)
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Psalm 27The Stronghold of My LifeHeadingBy David.Safe in God’s Stronghold1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers advance against me to eat my flesh,
when my foes and my enemies come against me,
it is they who will stumble and fall.
3 If an army lines up against me, my heart will not fear.
If war rises against me, even then I will keep trusting.
Happy in God’s Temple4 One thing I ask from the Lord. This is what I seek:
that I live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord,
and to seek him in his temple. [1]
5 Yes, he will hide me in his shelter on the day of trouble.
He will hide me in his tent.
He will set me high on a rock.
6 Then my head will be lifted up above the enemies who surround me.
I will offer sacrifices at his tent with a joyful shout.
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Confident in Prayer7 Hear me, O Lord. With my voice I call.
Be merciful to me and answer me.
8 When you say, “Seek my face,” my heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
9 Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger.
You have been my help.
Do not reject me or forsake me, O God who saves me.
10 If my father and my mother abandoned me,
the Lord would take me in.
Walking in God’s Path11 Lord, teach me your way,
and lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
12 Do not give me up to the desire of my foes,
because false witnesses rise up against me,
and so do those who breathe out violence.
At Home in God’s Land13 Unless I was confident to see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living— [2]
14 Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart,
and wait for the Lord!
Footnotes1. Psalm 27:4 The Hebrew word hekal, usually translated temple, means big house. It can refer to a palace or a temple. It can apply to the tent sanctuaries built by Moses and David and to the temple building constructed by Solomon. 2. Psalm 27:13 As it stands, the Hebrew text is an incomplete sentence which calls for a conclusion such as “I would have lost hope.” As the text stands, the construction breaks off and jumps to a positive affirmation. Some Hebrew manuscripts omit the initial word unless and have a positive statement: I am confident that I will . . .
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 22Psalm 26LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – August 22
Psalm 26 (EHV)
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Psalm 26Vindicate Me, O LordHeadingBy David.Affirmation of Innocence and Plea for Judgment1 Judge me favorably, O Lord,
because I have walked in my integrity.
In the Lord I have trusted. I have not wavered.
2 Test me, O Lord, and examine me.
Refine my thoughts and my emotions,
3 for your mercy is in front of my eyes,
and I keep walking in your truth.
Separation From Evil4 I do not sit with deceivers.
I do not associate with hypocrites.
5 I hate the company of evildoers.
I do not sit with the wicked.
Affirmation of Innocence and Love for God6 I wash my hands from sin,
so I can march around your altar, O Lord,
7 to shout thanks to you
and to proclaim all your wonderful deeds.
8 Lord, I love the house where you reside,
the place where your glory dwells.
Separation From Evil9 Do not snatch my soul away along with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 who grasp wicked schemes in their hands,
whose right hands are full of bribes.
Affirmation of Innocence and Prayer for Redemption11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity.
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
12 My feet stand on level ground.
In the assemblies I will bless the Lord.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 29Acts 5:17-42LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 29
Acts 5:17-42 (EHV)
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Acts 5On Trial Before the Sanhedrin17 The high priest rose up, along with his associates (that is, the party of the Sadducees), because they were filled with envy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, brought them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple and keep on telling the people the whole message about this life.” 21 After they heard this, they entered the temple courts at daybreak and began to teach.
When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin (that is, the whole council of elders of the people of Israel). Then they sent orders to the jail to have the apostles brought in. 22 But when the officers arrived, they did not find them in the prison. They returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” 24 When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were puzzled about them, wondering what could have happened.
25 Then someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts and teaching the people.”
26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles in without force, because they were afraid that the people might stone them. 27 After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin. The high priest asked them, 28 “Did we not give you strict orders not to teach in this name? [1] Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you are determined to bring this man’s blood down on us!”
29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you arrested and killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his right hand as Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins. 32 We are witnesses [2] of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were furious and began making a plan to put them to death. [3] 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was highly respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men [4] be put outside for a little while.
35 Then he said to them, “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you are about to do with these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, all his followers were scattered, and it all came to nothing.
37 “After him, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and led many [5] people in a revolt. He also was killed, and all his followers were scattered.
38 “So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and leave them alone! For if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. [6] Perhaps you might even be found to be fighting against God!”
40 They were convinced by him. They summoned the apostles, beat them, ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer shame for the Name. [7] 42 Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
Footnotes1. Acts 5:28 Some witnesses to the text read We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name! 2. Acts 5:32 Some witnesses to the text read his witnesses. 3. Acts 5:33 Some witnesses to the text read were furious and wanted to put them to death. 4. Acts 5:34 Some witnesses to the text read apostles. 5. Acts 5:37 Some witnesses to the text omit many. 6. Acts 5:39 Some witnesses to the text read it. 7. Acts 5:41 Some witnesses to the text read for the name of Jesus.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 28Acts 4:32 – 5:16LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 28
Acts 4:32 – 5:16 (EHV)
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Acts 4The Believers Shared Everything32 The whole group of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they held everything in common. 33 The apostles continued to testify about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ [1] with great power, and abundant grace was on all of them. 34 There was not a needy person among them. For from time to time those who were owners of lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds received from what was sold, 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet. It was distributed to each one according to what anyone needed.
36 Joseph, who was called Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated “son of encouragement”), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him. He brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Ananias and SapphiraActs 51 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s knowledge, he kept back part of the proceeds for himself. Then he brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 Was it not yours before it was sold? And after it was sold, was not the money at your disposal? How could you plan such a thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. Great fear gripped everyone who heard about it. 6 The young men got up and wrapped up his body. Then they carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this how much you got for the land?”
“Yes,” she said, “that was the price.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “How could you two agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of those who buried your husband are standing at the door, and they will carry you out too!”
10 Instantly she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in, they found her dead. Then they carried her outside and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear gripped the whole church and all who heard about these things.
Many Miracles12 Many signs and wonders were done among the people through the hands of the apostles. With one mind, they all continued meeting in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared to join them, but the people held them in high regard. 14 More and more believers in the Lord were added to their group, large numbers of both men and women. 15 As a result, people were even carrying the sick into the streets and laying them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 Crowds also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, [2] bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.
Footnotes1. Acts 4:33 Some witnesses to the text omit Christ. 2. Acts 5:16 Some witnesses to the text read from the neighboring towns to Jerusalem.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 27Acts 4:1-31LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 27
Acts 4:1-31 (EHV)
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Acts 4On Trial for an Act of Kindness1 As Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the commander of the temple guard, and the Sadducees approached them. 2 They were very upset because Peter and John were teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection from the dead in connection with Jesus. 3 They arrested them and put them in jail until the next day because it was already evening.
4 But many of those who had heard the message believed, and the number of the men increased to about five thousand.
5 The next day, the rulers, the elders, and the experts in the law assembled in Jerusalem 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the rest of the high priest’s family. 7 After they made Peter and John stand in front of them, they began to question them: “By what power or by what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, [1] 9 if we are being questioned today for a kind act that was done for the lame man, as to how this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead! By him this man stands before you healed. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. [2]
12 “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”
13 When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were astonished and took note of the fact that these men had been with Jesus.
14 But since they saw the man who had been healed standing there with them, they could not say anything in reply. 15 After they had ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they discussed the matter among themselves. 16 They asked, “What should we do with these men? To be sure, it is evident to all who live in Jerusalem that a miraculous sign has been done through them, and we cannot deny it. 17 However, in order that this may spread no further among the people, let us give them a strict [3] warning not to speak any longer to anyone in this name.”
18 Then they summoned them and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered them, “Decide whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God. 20 For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
21 After they had threatened them further, they let them go. They found no way to punish them because all of the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this miraculous sign of healing was performed was over forty years old.
The Church Speaks God’s Word Boldly23 After Peter and John were released, they went to their own friends and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said. 24 When they heard this, with one mind they raised their voices to God and said, “Master, you are the God who [4] made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. 25 By the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David, your servant, you said:
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth take their stand,
and the rulers are gathered together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One. [5] [6]
27 “For certainly, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and people of Israel, were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did whatever your hand and your plan had decided beforehand should happen.
29 “Now Lord, look at their threats and give to your servants the ability to keep on speaking your word with all boldness 30 as you stretch out your hand to heal and as signs and wonders take place through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After they prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. Also, everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Footnotes1. Acts 4:8 Some witnesses to the text omit of Israel. 2. Acts 4:11 Psalm 118:22 3. Acts 4:17 Some witnesses to the text omit strict. 4. Acts 4:24 Some witnesses to the text omit are the God who. 5. Acts 4:26 Or Christ 6. Acts 4:26 Psalm 2:1-2
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 26Acts 3LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 26
Acts 3 (EHV)
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Peter Heals a Lame Man1 Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, [1] an hour of prayer. 2 A certain man who was lame from birth was carried there every day and placed at the temple gate, which is called Beautiful, so that he could beg for donations from those entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked them for a donation.
4 Peter looked directly at him, as did John. Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So the man paid close attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.
6 But Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I will give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” 7 Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. 8 Jumping up, he stood and began to walk. He entered the temple courts with them, walking, jumping, and praising God.
9 All the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 They recognized him as the one who used to sit begging for money at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people came running toward them in utter amazement in the area called Solomon’s Colonnade.
12 When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Why are you staring at us, as if by our own power or godliness we have made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, [2] the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and disowned in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you. 15 You killed the Author [3] of Life, whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 And on the basis of faith in his name, it is the name of Jesus that has strengthened this man, whom you see and know. This faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
17 “Now brothers, [4] I know that you acted in ignorance, just like your leaders. 18 But in this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through the mouth of all the prophets: that his Christ would suffer. 19 Therefore repent and return to have your sins wiped out, 20 so that refreshing times may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you. 21 He must receive heaven [5] until the times when everything will be restored, as God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.
22 “Moses said to the fathers: [6]
The Lord your [7] God will raise up for you a Prophet from your brothers who is like me. Listen to everything he tells you. 23 And this is what will happen: Every person who does not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from the people. [8]
24 “Also, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have talked about these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with our [9] fathers when he said to Abraham:
In your seed [10] all the families of the earth will be blessed. [11]
26 “God raised up his Servant and sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you away from your wicked ways.”
Footnotes1. Acts 3:1 3 pm 2. Acts 3:13 Some witnesses to the text read the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 3. Acts 3:15 Or Prince 4. Acts 3:17 When context indicates it, the Greek word for brothers may refer to all fellow believers, male and female. In this case, it seems to refer to fellow Jews. 5. Acts 3:21 Or Heaven must receive him. 6. Acts 3:22 Some witnesses to the text omit to the fathers. 7. Acts 3:22 Some witnesses to the text read our. 8. Acts 3:23 Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19 9. Acts 3:25 Some witnesses to the text read your. 10. Acts 3:25 Or descendant. The literal seed is retained in the translation to help readers trace the line of the promised Savior from Eve through Abraham and David to Jesus, the promised Seed of the Woman. 11. Acts 3:25 Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 25Acts 2:37-47LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 25
Acts 2:37-47 (EHV)
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Acts 237 Now when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Gentlemen, brothers, what should we do?”
38 Peter answered them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your [1] sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
40 He testified solemnly with many other words and was appealing to them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
41 Those who [2] accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added.
The Christians Lived in Unity42 They continued to hold firmly to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers. 43 Awe came over every soul, [3] and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They were selling their possessions and property and were distributing the proceeds according to what anyone needed.
46 Day after day, with one mind, they were devoted to meeting in the temple area, as they continued to break bread in their homes. They shared their food with glad and sincere hearts, 47 as they continued praising God and being viewed favorably by all the people. Day after day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Footnotes1. Acts 2:38 Some witnesses to the text omit your. 2. Acts 2:41 Some witnesses to the text add gladly. 3. Acts 2:43 Some witnesses to the text omit Awe came over every soul.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 24Acts 2:14-36LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 24
Acts 2:14-36 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0524db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Acts 2Peter’s Pentecost Message14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and spoke loudly and clearly to them: “Men of Judea, and all you residents of Jerusalem, understand this, and listen closely to my words. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day. [1] 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 This is what God says will happen in the last days:
I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.
Your sons and your daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions.
Your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the sky above,
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and a rising cloud of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And this will happen: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved. [2]
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus the Nazarene was a man recommended to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know. 23 This man, who was handed over by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, you [3] killed by having lawless men nail him to a cross. 24 He is the one God raised up by freeing him from the agony of death, because death was not able to hold him in its grip.
25 “Indeed, David says concerning him:
I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart was glad,
and my tongue rejoiced.
My flesh also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon my life to the grave, [4]
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life.
You will fill me with joy in your presence. [5]
29 “Gentlemen, brothers, I can speak confidently to you about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath that he would seat one of his descendants [6] on his throne, [7] 31 he saw what was coming and spoke about the resurrection of Christ, saying that he [8] was neither abandoned to the grave nor did his flesh see decay. [9]
32 “This Jesus is the one God has raised up. We are all witnesses of that. 33 So, after he was exalted to the right hand of God and after he received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out what you are now seeing and hearing.
34 “For David did not ascend into heaven, and yet he says:
The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool under your feet.’ [10]
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Footnotes1. Acts 2:15 9 am 2. Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32 3. Acts 2:23 Some witnesses to the text add took and. 4. Acts 2:27 Greek hades 5. Acts 2:28 Psalm 16:8-11 6. Acts 2:30 Some witnesses to the text read that he would raise Christ, one of his descendants according to the flesh, to sit. 7. Acts 2:30 Psalm 89:3-4; 132:11 8. Acts 2:31 A few witnesses to the text read his life. 9. Acts 2:31 Psalm 16:10 10. Acts 2:35 Psalm 110:1
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 23Acts 2:1-13LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 23
Acts 2:1-13 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0523db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Acts 2The Holy Spirit Comes on Pentecost1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the rushing of a violent wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw divided tongues that were like fire resting on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, since the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak fluently.
5 Now there were godly Jewish men from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 When this sound was heard, a crowd came together and was confused, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were completely baffled and said to each other, [1] “Look, are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them speaking in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, and of Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya around Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes; 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring in our own languages the wonderful works of God.” 12 They were all amazed and perplexed. They kept saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocked them and said, “They are full of new wine.”
Footnotes1. Acts 2:7 Some witnesses to the text omit to each other.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 22Acts 1:12-26LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 22
Acts 1:12-26 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0522db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Acts 112 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. [1]
Matthias Is Chosen13 When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter and John were there, also James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 All of them kept praying together with one mind, along with the women, with Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15 In those days, when the group there numbered about 120 people, Peter stood up among the brothers [2] and said, 16 “Gentlemen, [3] brothers, the Scripture [4] had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David about Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 Judas was counted as one of us and was given a share in this ministry.
18 “Now this man acquired a field with what he was paid for his wicked act. When he fell headfirst, his middle burst open, and all his intestines spilled out. 19 This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, and so in their own language that field was called Akeldema, which means Field of Blood. 20 Indeed, it is written in the book of Psalms:
May his residence be deserted.
Let there be no one dwelling in it. [5]
And,
let someone else take his position. [6]
21 “Therefore it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us during the entire time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from his baptism by John until the day Jesus was taken up from us, become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
23 They proposed two: Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.” [7]
26 Then they assigned lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias. So he was counted with the eleven apostles. [8]
Footnotes1. Acts 1:12 That is, a distance less than a mile 2. Acts 1:15 Some witnesses to the text read disciples. (“Witnesses to the text” mentioned in footnotes may include Greek manuscripts, lectionaries, translations, and quotations in the church fathers.) 3. Acts 1:16 Literally Men 4. Acts 1:16 Some witnesses to the text read this Scripture. 5. Acts 1:20 Psalm 69:25 6. Acts 1:20 Psalm 109:8 7. Acts 1:25 Some witnesses to the text read portion or inheritance. 8. Acts 1:26 It is uncertain whether the procedure described in this verse refers to casting lots or voting.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 21Acts 1:1-11LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 21
Acts 1:1-11 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0521db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Acts 1Introduction and Theme1 I wrote my first book, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began doing and teaching 2 until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After he had suffered, he presented himself alive to the apostles with many convincing proofs. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and told them things about the kingdom of God.
4 Once, when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for what the Father promised, which you heard from me. 5 For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they were together with him, they asked, “Lord, is this the time when you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Jesus Ascends to Heaven9 After he said these things, he was taken up while they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 They were looking intently into the sky as he went away. Suddenly, two men in white clothes stood beside them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 20Psalm 11 – 12LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 20
Psalm 11 – 12 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0520db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 11Faith, Not FlightHeadingFor the choir director. By David.
The Fear of the Fainthearted1 In the Lord I take refuge.
How can you say to my soul:
“Flee to your mountain like a bird.
2 Look! The wicked bend their bow.
They set their arrow against the string
to shoot in the darkness at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being torn down,
what can the righteous do?”
David’s Answer4 The Lord is in his holy temple.
The Lord is on his throne in heaven.
His eyes observe.
He focuses on [1] the children of Adam. [2]
5 The Lord is righteous.
He examines the wicked.
He really hates [3] those who love violence.
6 On the wicked he will rain down fiery coals and sulfur. [4]
A scorching wind will be the cup given to them.
7 Indeed, the Lord is righteous. He loves righteousness.
The upright will view his face.
Psalm 12Proud Words vs. Pure WordsHeadingFor the choir director. According to sheminith. [5] A psalm by David.
The Proud Words of the Ungodly1 Save us, Lord, for the merciful have disappeared.
The faithful have vanished from among mankind.
2 Everyone speaks falsehood to his neighbor.
Their flattering lips speak double-talk. [6]
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips.
May he cut off every tongue that speaks boastfully,
4 which says, “With our tongues we will establish our power.
We say what we please. [7] Who is lord over us?”
The Pure Words of the Lord5 “Because of the destruction of the oppressed,
because of the groaning of the poor,
now I will rise up,” says the Lord.
“I will keep him safe from the one who puffs against him.” [8]
6 The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
7 You, Lord, will keep them safe.
You will protect them from such people forever.
8 The wicked strut around
when depravity is honored by the children of Adam.
Footnotes1. Psalm 11:4 Literally his eyelids test 2. Psalm 11:4 Or sons of man, that is, all mankind 3. Psalm 11:5 Literally his soul hates 4. Psalm 11:6 The Hebrew text reads snares, fire, and sulfur. The translation follows one Greek version, which inverts two letters in one Hebrew word, changing snares to fiery coals. 5. Psalm 12:1 Sheminith is apparently derived from the Hebrew word for eight. It may refer to an eight-stringed instrument, to the bass voice, to low-pitched stringed instruments, or, most likely, to a method for tuning a stringed instrument (1 Chronicles 15:21). 6. Psalm 12:2 Literally speak with a heart and a heart 7. Psalm 12:4 Literally our lips are with us 8. Psalm 12:5 Or in the safety he desires
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 19Psalm 9 – 10LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 19
Psalm 9 – 10 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0519db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 9Praise for God’s Righteous JudgmentHeadingFor the choir director. According to “The Death of the Son.” [1] A psalm by David.
Praise for God’s Righteous Judgment1 I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart.
I will tell about all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you.
I will make music to your name, O Most High.
Judgment Against David’s Enemies3 When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish from your presence,
4 for you have upheld my rights and my cause.
You sat on the throne, judging righteously.
5 You have rebuked the nations,
and you made the wicked perish.
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 As for the enemy, their destruction is complete and final.
You have uprooted cities.
Memory of them has perished with them.
Judgment Against the Whole World7 The Lord is seated forever.
He has established his throne for judgment.
8 The Lord himself will judge the world in righteousness.
He will judge the peoples with fairness.
9 The Lord will be a refuge for those who have been crushed,
a refuge for times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
Closing Praise and Final Appeal11 Make music for the Lord, who is seated in Zion.
Proclaim his deeds among the peoples.
12 Yes, he who avenges bloodshed remembers them.
He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13 Have mercy on me, O Lord.
See my afflictions that are caused by those who hate me,
and raise me up from the gates of death,
14 so that I may declare all your praise.
In the gates of the Daughter of Zion [2] I will rejoice in your salvation.
The Fate of the Wicked15 The nations have sunk into the pit they have made.
Their feet are caught in the net that they have hidden.
16 The Lord makes himself known by the judgment he has carried out.
By the work of his hands the wicked are snared. Interlude for meditation [3]
17 The wicked return to the grave,
all the nations who forget God.
18 But he will never forget the needy.
The hope of the afflicted will never perish.
19 Rise up, O Lord. Do not let man triumph.
Let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with fear, O Lord.
Let the nations know they are only human. Interlude
Psalm 10Break the Arm of the Wicked ManAn Opening Appeal for Action1 Why, Lord, do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide in times of distress?
A Portrait of the Wicked2 Because of the pride of the wicked, the oppressed burn. [4]
They are caught in the schemes that the wicked plan.
3 Yes, the wicked man boasts about his heart’s desires.
He blesses the robber. He despises the Lord. [5]
4 With his nose in the air, the wicked does not seek God.
There is no room at all for God in his thoughts.
5 His ways are prosperous all the time.
He is haughty. Your judgments do not concern him.
He snorts at all of his foes.
6 He says in his heart, “I will not be shaken.
Through age after age I will have no trouble.”
7 Cursing fills his mouth, along with lies and threats.
Trouble and evil lie under his tongue.
8 He waits in ambush by the villages.
In hidden places he murders the innocent.
His eyes are spying on the helpless.
9 He lies in ambush. He hides like a lion in a thicket.
He lies in ambush to catch the oppressed.
He catches the oppressed by dragging them in his net.
10 The helpless are crushed. They sink down.
They fall under his strength.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten.
He hides his face. He never sees.”
An Appeal for Divine Justice12 Rise up, O Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why does the wicked man despise God?
Why does he say in his heart,
“You do not seek justice”?
14 But you do see. You notice trouble and grief.
You take it into your own hands.
The helpless one abandons himself to you.
For the fatherless you are indeed a helper.
15 Break the arm of the wicked.
You pursue the wickedness of the evil man
until you find no more. [6]
Confidence in Divine Justice16 The Lord is King forever and ever.
The nations will perish from his land.
17 Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted.
You strengthen their hearts,
and your ear pays attention,
18 to obtain justice for the fatherless and the crushed,
so that the worldly man [7] may no longer terrify.
Footnotes1. Psalm 9:1 This may be the name of the tune. The translation according to the death of the son is uncertain. 2. Psalm 9:14 This half-line may be taken with the preceding line rather than with the following line. Here Daughter of Zion seems to be a personification of Jerusalem. 3. Psalm 9:16 Higgaion and selah together may mean a musical interlude for meditation. 4. Psalm 10:2 Or in pride the wicked burns for [that is, he hotly pursues] the oppressed 5. Psalm 10:3 With a different punctuation and reading of the Hebrew text the robber reviles the Lord 6. Psalm 10:15 Or which he thought you would not find 7. Psalm 10:18 Or mortal man
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 18Psalm 7 – 8LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 18
Psalm 7 – 8 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0518db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 7The Slandered SaintHeadingA shiggaion [1] by David, which he sang to the Lord
because of the words of Cush, from the tribe of Benjamin.
David’s Innocence1 O Lord my God, in you I take refuge.
Save me from all my pursuers and deliver me.
2 Otherwise, like a lion they will tear me apart.
They will drag me away with no one to rescue me.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done this,
if there is injustice in my hands,
4 if I have done evil to anyone who is at peace with me,
or if I have robbed my foe for no reason,
5 then let an enemy pursue my life and overtake me.
Let him trample my life to the ground
and make my glory dwell in the dust. Interlude
David’s Appeal for Justice6 Stand up, O Lord, in your anger.
Rise up against the fury of my foes.
Awake for me. You have commanded justice. [2]
7 A crowd of peoples surrounds you.
Turn against them from on high.
8 Let the Lord judge the peoples.
Acquit me, O Lord, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity which is in me.
9 The evil of the wicked will come to an end,
but you will establish the righteous.
You search minds and hearts, [3] O righteous God.
God’s Judgment Against the Wicked10 My shield is God, who saves the upright in heart.
11 God, the judge, is righteous,
but he is a God who expresses his wrath every day.
12 If he [4] does not relent,
the Lord [5] will sharpen his sword.
He has bent his bow and will string it.
13 He prepares his deadly weapons.
He will make his arrows flames.
You Reap What You Sow14 Yes, whoever conceives evil and is pregnant with trouble
will give birth to disappointment. [6]
15 He digs a pit and scoops it out,
and he will fall into the hole he has made.
16 The trouble he causes comes back on his own head.
His violence comes down on top of his own skull.
Closing Praise17 I will thank the Lord because of his righteousness,
and I will make music to the name of the Lord Most High.
Psalm 8Your Name Is MajesticHeadingFor the choir director. According to gittith. [7] A psalm by David.
The Glory of God Declared by the HeavensThe Glory of God Declared by Children1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Set this glory of yours above the heavens. [8]
2 From the lips of little children and nursing babies
you have established strength [9] because of your foes,
to put a stop to the enemy and the avenger.
The Glory of the Son of Man3 Whenever I look up at your heavens, the works of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place—
4 what is man that you remember him,
the son of man [10] that you pay attention to him!
5 Nevertheless, you make him suffer need,
apart from God for a while, [11]
but you crown him with glory and honor.
6 You make him the ruler over the works of your hands.
You put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and cattle, and even the wild animals,
8 the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea,
which pass through the currents of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Footnotes1. Psalm 7:1 The Hebrew word shiggaion is a musical term of uncertain meaning. Perhaps it means an emotional song. 2. Psalm 7:6 Or command justice 3. Psalm 7:9 Literally hearts and kidneys 4. Psalm 7:12 It is not clear whether he refers to God or to the wicked. 5. Psalm 7:12 Hebrew he. The subject the Lord is supplied for clarity. 6. Psalm 7:14 Or lies 7. Psalm 8:1 Gittith means in the style of Gath. Gath is a city name. It also means winepress. The term seems to refer to a musical style associated with Gath or perhaps to the name of a melody. 8. Psalm 8:1 The grammar of the line is difficult. 9. Psalm 8:2 The Greek Old Testament and Matthew 21:16 read prepared praise. 10. Psalm 8:4 Or the Son of Man, or the Son of Adam. Hebrews 2:6 makes it clear that Jesus is the Son of Adam who fulfills this prophecy. Jesus’ title, the Son of Man, however, is based on Daniel 7:13 rather than on this verse. Here and in Daniel 7:13 it seems that the term son of man is not yet a formal title. It is the poetic parallel of the term man. 11. Psalm 8:5 This very important verse is difficult and has been the subject of a number of interpretations. A literal rendering of the Hebrew reads: You made him lack—God—a little. This could be paraphrased with Luther: You let him be forsaken by God for a little while. The translation above follows Luther in understanding this as a reference to Jesus’ humiliation. The Greek translation of the Old Testament interprets the Hebrew word elohim, which usually means god, as a reference to godlike beings, namely, the angels: You made him a little lower [or lower for a little while] than the angels. Hebrews 2:7 quotes this translation. In either interpretation the point is the same: Jesus endured humiliation while he was on earth acting as our Savior. The fact that he needed help from the angels is one evidence of this.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 17Psalm 6LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 17
Psalm 6 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0517db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 6Do Not Rebuke Me in Your AngerHeadingFor the choir director. With stringed instruments.
According to sheminith. [1] A psalm by David.
Anxious Prayer1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger.
Do not discipline me in your wrath.
2 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am fading away.
Heal me, Lord, for my bones are trembling,
3 and my soul is terrified.
But you, O Lord—how long?
4 Turn, O Lord, and deliver my soul.
Save me because of your mercy.
5 For in death no one remembers you.
In the grave who praises you?
6 I am worn out from my groaning.
I flood my bed all night long.
With my tears I drench my couch.
7 My eyes are blurred by sorrow.
They are worn out because of all my foes.
Confident Trust8 Turn away from me, all you evildoers,
because the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord accepts my prayer.
10 They will be put to shame.
All my enemies will be terrified.
They will turn back.
They will be put to shame in an instant.
Footnotes1. Psalm 6:1 Sheminith seems to be derived from the Hebrew word for eight. It may refer to an eight-stringed instrument, to the bass voice, to low-pitched stringed instruments, or, most likely, to a method for tuning a stringed instrument (1 Chronicles 15:21).
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 16Psalm 5LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 16
Psalm 5 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0516db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 5With You the Wicked Cannot DwellHeadingFor the choir director. For flutes. A psalm by David.
Access in Prayer1 Turn your ear to my words, O Lord.
Understand me when I sigh.
2 Pay attention to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 Lord, in the morning you hear my voice.
In the morning I lay out my requests in front of you,
and I watch for your answer.
No Access4 For you are not a God who takes pleasure in evil.
With you the wicked cannot dwell.
5 The arrogant cannot stand before your eyes.
You hate all evildoers.
6 You put to death those who speak lies.
The Lord is disgusted with bloodthirsty, deceitful men.
Access in Prayer7 But as for me, by your great mercy
I will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
with reverence for you.
8 Lord, lead me in your righteousness.
Because of those who slander me,
make your way straight before me.
Lying Tongues9 Nothing reliable comes out of their mouth.
From within them comes destruction.
Their throat is an open grave.
With their tongue they flatter.
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
Let them fall because of their own schemes.
For their many treacherous deeds banish them,
because they have rebelled against you.
Praising Tongues11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad.
Let them sing for joy forever.
You cover them with protection,
so those who love your name rejoice in you.
12 Yes, you bless the righteous, Lord.
You surround them with your favor as a shield.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 15Psalm 3 – 4LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 15
Psalm 3 – 4 (EHV)
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Psalm 3How Many Are My Foes, But You Are My ShieldHeadingA psalm by David. When he fled from Absalom, [1] his son.
Many Enemies1 O Lord, how my foes are multiplying!
Many are rising up against me!
2 Many are saying about my life, Interlude [2]
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
One Protector3 But you, O Lord, are a shield for me.
You are my glory and the one who lifts up my head.
4 With a loud voice I cry out to the Lord, Interlude
and he answers me from his holy mountain.
Peaceful Rest5 I lie down, and I sleep.
I awake, because the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not be afraid of the thousands of people
who line up against me on all sides.
Certain Victory7 Rise up, O Lord! Save me, my God!
Yes, you will strike all my enemies on the jaw.
The teeth of the wicked you will break.
8 Salvation belongs to the Lord. Interlude
Your blessing rests on your people.
Psalm 4My Righteous God, Give Me ReliefHeadingFor the choir director. With stringed instruments. A psalm by David.
A Prayer to God1 My righteous God, answer me when I call.
When I was under pressure, you gave me relief.
Be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
A Rebuke to Enemies2 You people, how long will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love empty delusions? Interlude
How long will you pursue lies?
3 Know this: The Lord has set apart
his favored one [3] for himself.
The Lord will hear when I call to him.
Advice to Friends4 You may be upset, but do not sin.
When you are on your beds,
speak to your heart, but remain silent. Interlude
5 Offer righteous sacrifices,
and trust in the Lord.
6 Many are saying, “Who can show us any good?”
Shine the light of your face on us, O Lord.
Closing Prayer7 You have placed joy in my heart greater than the joy
when grain and new wine are plentiful.
8 In complete peace I will lie down, and I will sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Footnotes1. Psalm 3:1 See 2 Samuel 15–18. 2. Psalm 3:2 The Hebrew term selah probably indicates a musical interlude for meditation, so selah is translated interlude throughout Psalms. 3. Psalm 4:3 The Hebrew word hasid refers to someone who receives and/or gives mercy. It is the most common title for a believer in the Psalms. Many translations use generic terms like devout, godly, or faithful. This translation uses favored when hasid refers primarily to a recipient of mercy and merciful when it refers primarily to a dispenser of mercy.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 14Psalm 1 – 2LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 14
Psalm 1 – 2 (EHV)
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Book IPsalms 1–41Psalm 1Two Responses to God’s WordThe Way of the Godly Leads to Blessing1 How blessed is the man
who does not walk in the advice of the wicked,
who does not stand on the path with sinners,
and who does not sit in a meeting with mockers.
2 But his delight is in the teaching [1] of the Lord,
and on his teaching he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted beside streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season,
and its leaves do not wither.
Everything he does prospers.
The Way of the Ungodly Leads to Destruction4 Not so the wicked!
No, they are like the chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
Conclusion6 Yes, the Lord approves [2] of the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 2The Nations Conspire, But God’s King Rules SecurelyThe Futile Rebellion of the Nations1 Why do the nations rage?
Why do the peoples grumble in vain?
2 The kings of the earth take a stand,
and the rulers join together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One. [3]
3 “Let us tear off their chains
and throw off their ropes from us.”
The Reaction of the Lord4 The one who is seated in heaven laughs.
The Lord scoffs at them.
5 Then he speaks to them in his anger,
and in his wrath he terrifies them.
6 “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy mountain.”
The Powerful Rule of God’s King7 I will proclaim the decree of the Lord.
He said to me:
“You are my Son.
Today I have begotten you. [4]
8 Ask me,
and I will give you the nations as your inheritance
and the ends of the earth as your possession.
9 You will smash them with an iron rod.
You will break them to pieces like pottery.”
The Lesson to Be Learned10 So now, you kings, do what is wise.
Accept discipline, [5] you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
or he will be angry,
and you will be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
How blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Footnotes1. Psalm 1:2 The Hebrew torah is traditionally translated law, but the term torah also includes other types of instruction besides legal regulations, so here it is translated with the more general term teaching. 2. Psalm 1:6 Literally knows 3. Psalm 2:2 Or Messiah 4. Psalm 2:7 Or I have become your father 5. Psalm 2:10 Or receive correction
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 08Luke 23:13-25LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 08
Luke 23:13-25 (EHV)
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Luke 2313 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who is misleading the people. Look, I have examined him in your presence. I have found in this man no basis for the charges you are bringing against him. 15 Herod did not either, for he sent him back to us. [1] See, he has done nothing worthy of death. 16 So I will have him flogged and release him.”
Barabbas or Jesus?17 Pilate needed to release one prisoner to them at the Festival. [2] 18 But they all shouted together with one voice: “Take him away! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 Barabbas had been thrown in prison for a rebellion in the city and for murder.
20 Pilate addressed them again, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify! Crucify him!”
22 He said to them the third time, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found no grounds for sentencing him to death. So I will whip him and release him.” 23 But they kept pressuring him with loud voices, demanding that he be crucified. And their voices [3] were overwhelming. 24 So Pilate decided that what they demanded would be done. 25 He released the one they had asked for, who had been thrown in prison for rebellion and murder, but he handed Jesus over to their will.
Footnotes1. Luke 23:15 Some witnesses to the text read For I sent you to him. 2. Luke 23:17 A few witnesses to the text omit verse 17. See Matthew 27:15 and Mark 15:6. 3. Luke 23:23 Some witnesses to the text add and the voices of the high priests.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 07Luke 22:63 – 23:12LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 07
Luke 22:63 – 23:12 (EHV)
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Luke 22The Guards Mock Jesus63 The men who were holding Jesus in custody mocked him while they were beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65 And they went on saying many other blasphemous things against him.
Jewish Court66 As soon as it was day, the council of the elders of the people met together, both the chief priests and experts in the law. They brought him into their Sanhedrin and said, 67 “If you are the Christ, tell us.”
But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer me or release me. [1] 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” [2]
70 They all said, “Are you then the Son of God?”
He said to them, “I am what you are saying.”
71 Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? For we ourselves have heard it from his own mouth!”
Jesus’ Trial in Pilate’s CourtLuke 231 The whole group of them got up and brought him before Pilate. 2 They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this fellow misleading our nation, forbidding the payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
3 Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
“It is as you say,” Jesus replied.
4 Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people, teaching all through Judea, beginning from Galilee all the way here.”
Pilate Sends Jesus to Herod6 When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad. For a long time, he had wanted to see him, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle performed by him. 9 He questioned him with many words, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the experts in the law stood there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Herod, along with his soldiers, treated him with contempt and ridiculed him. Dressing him in bright clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 Herod and Pilate became friends with each other on that day. Before this they had been enemies of each other.
Footnotes1. Luke 22:68 A few witnesses to the text omit or release me. 2. Luke 22:69 Psalm 110:1
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 06Luke 22:47-62LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 06
Luke 22:47-62 (EHV)
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Luke 22Jesus’ Arrest47 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd appeared, and the man called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He came near to Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said to him, “Lord, should we strike with a sword?” 50 Then one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus responded, “Stop! No more of this!” Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him. 52 Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as you would against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour—when darkness rules.”
54 Then they seized him, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house.
Peter Denies JesusPeter followed at a distance. 55 When they had lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 A servant girl saw him sitting near the light. She looked closely at him and said, “This man also was with him.”
57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.”
58 After a little while someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them!”
But Peter answered, “Man, I am not!”
59 After about one hour had passed, someone else was firmly insisting, “Truly this man was with him too, because he is a Galilean!”
60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!” At that very moment, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the Lord’s word, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today you will deny me three times.” 62 He went outside and wept bitterly.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 05Luke 22:31-46LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 05
Luke 22:31-46 (EHV)
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Luke 22Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial31 The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, pay attention: Satan has asked to have you all, so that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have returned to me, strengthen your brothers.”
33 He said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!”
34 But Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know me.”
35 He said to them, “When I sent you out without money bag, traveler’s bag, and sandals, did you lack anything?”
“Nothing,” they said.
36 Then he told them, “But now, let the one who has a money bag take it, and likewise a traveler’s bag. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘He was counted with transgressors.’ [1] Indeed, what is written about me is going to have its fulfillment.”
38 They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.”
He said to them, “That is enough.”
Gethsemane39 Jesus left and went out to the Mount of Olives, as was his custom. His disciples followed him. 40 When he reached the place, he told them, “Keep praying that you may not enter into temptation.”
41 He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.”
43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 As he was in agony, he prayed more fervently. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground. [2]
45 When he rose from prayer, he went to the disciples and found them sleeping as a result of sorrow. 46 He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and keep praying so that you may not enter into temptation.”
Footnotes1. Luke 22:37 Isaiah 53:12 2. Luke 22:44 A few witnesses to the text omit verses 43-44.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 04Luke 22:14-30LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 04
Luke 22:14-30 (EHV)
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Luke 2214 When the hour had come, Jesus reclined at the table with the twelve apostles. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
17 He took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves, 18 for I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
The Lord’s Supper19 He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, he took the cup after the supper, saying, “This cup is the new testament [1] in my blood, which is being poured out for you.
One Will Betray Jesus21 “But look, the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man is going to go as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”
23 They began to discuss with one another which of them it was who was going to do this.
Who Is Greatest?24 A dispute arose among the disciples about which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 But he told them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called Benefactors. 26 But it is not to be that way with you. Instead, let the greatest among you become like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, one who reclines at the table or one who serves? Isn’t it the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 28 You are those who have remained with me in my trials. 29 I am going to grant a kingdom to you, just as my Father granted to me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Footnotes1. Luke 22:20 As in last will and testament. See Galatians 3:15.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 03Luke 22:1-13LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 03
Luke 22:1-13 (EHV)
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Luke 22The Plot to Kill Jesus1 The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. 2 The chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find some way to put Jesus to death, because they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve. 4 He went away and spoke with the chief priests and officers of the temple guard about how he could betray Jesus to them. 5 They were glad and agreed to give him money. 6 He promised to do it and was looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus to them away from the crowd.
Jesus Celebrates the Passover7 The day of Unleavened Bread arrived, when it was necessary to sacrifice the Passover lamb. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.”
9 They said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare it?”
10 He told them, “Just as you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters. 11 Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 12 He will show you a large, furnished upper room. Make preparations there.” 13 They went and found things just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 02Luke 21:25-38LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 02
Luke 21:25-38 (EHV)
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Luke 2125 “There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And on the earth nations will be in anguish, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the surging waves, 26 people fainting from fear and expectation of the things coming on the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. [1] 28 But when these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
29 He told them a parable. “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 As soon as they are sprouting leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is actually near. 31 So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Amen I tell you: This generation [2] will not pass away until all these things happen. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Be Ready!34 “Watch yourselves or else your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, and that day may come on you suddenly. [3] 35 For it will come like a trap on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Stay alert all the time, praying that you may be able to escape all these things that are going to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
37 During the days, Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, and each night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives. 38 And all the people came early in the morning to listen to him in the temple courts.
Footnotes1. Luke 21:27 Daniel 7:13 2. Luke 21:32 Or kind of people 3. Luke 21:34 A few witnesses to the text read suddenly like a trap. Yes, it will come on all those . . .
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – May 01Luke 21:1-24LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – May 01
Luke 21:1-24 (EHV)
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Luke 21The Poor Widow Gave More1 Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the offering box. 2 He saw a poor widow there putting in two small coins. [1] 3 He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than everyone, 4 for all these put in some of their leftovers as gifts to God, [2] but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”
The Destruction of Jerusalem and the End of the World5 As some were talking about the temple, how it was decorated with beautiful stones and offerings, Jesus said, 6 “These things that you see here—the days will come when there will not be one stone left on another—every one will be thrown down.”
7 They asked him, “Teacher, when will these things happen? And what is the sign that these things are about to happen?”
8 He said, “Watch out so that you are not deceived! For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 Whenever you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end will not be right then.”
10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be horrifying sights and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 It will turn out to be your opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand how to defend yourselves, 15 for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, [3] relatives, and friends. They will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all people for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By patient endurance you will gain your lives.
20 “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are inside the city get out. Let those who are in the country not enter the city. 22 For these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that has been written. 23 How terrible it will be for those who are pregnant and nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken captive to all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Footnotes1. Luke 21:2 Literally lepta. One lepton was a coin worth about 1⁄128 of an agricultural worker’s daily wages. 2. Luke 21:4 Or put in gifts to God from their abundance 3. Luke 21:16 Greek adelphoi. Depending on the context, this plural word may refer to brothers or siblings (including any sisters). See Luke 14:26 where the text literally says brothers and sisters.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 30Luke 19:47 – 20:47LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 30
Luke 19:47 – 20:47 (EHV)
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Luke 1947 Every day he was teaching in the temple courts, but the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the leaders of the people continued to look for a way to put him to death. 48 They could not find any way to do it, because all the people were clinging to him and listening.
Jesus’ Authority Is QuestionedLuke 201 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the good news, the chief priests and experts in the law came to him with the elders. 2 They asked him, “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things. Or who is the one who gave you this authority?”
3 He answered them, “I will also ask you one question. Tell me: 4 the baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”
5 They discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from.
8 Jesus said to them, “Neither am I going to tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants9 He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to some tenant farmers, and went away on a journey for a long time. 10 When it was the right time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenant farmers beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed. 11 The man went ahead and sent yet another servant, but they also beat him, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 He then sent yet a third. They also wounded him and threw him out. 13 The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my son, whom I love. Perhaps they will respect him.’
14 “But when the tenant farmers saw him, they talked it over with one another. They said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so that the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 They threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. So what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenant farmers and give the vineyard to others.”
When they heard this, they said, “May it never be!”
17 But he looked at them and said, “Then what about this that is written:
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone? [1]
18 “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush the one on whom it falls.”
19 That very hour the chief priests and the experts in the law began looking for a way to lay hands on him, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
Paying Taxes to Caesar20 They watched him carefully and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, so that they could trap Jesus in something he said, and then deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor. 21 They questioned him, “Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right and show no partiality to anyone, but you teach the way of God on the basis of the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 But he was aware of their deceit and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. [2] Whose image and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they answered.
25 He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
26 They were not able to trap him in what he said in the presence of the people. They were amazed at his answer and became silent.
The God of the Living27 Some of the Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to him. 28 They asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother should take the wife and raise up children for his brother. [3] 29 So there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died childless. 30 The second took her as a wife, [4] 31 and so did the third, and in the same way the seven died and left no children. 32 Finally the woman died too. 33 So in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as a wife.”
34 Jesus said to them, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy to experience that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 In fact, they cannot die any more, for they are like the angels. They are sons of God, because they are sons of the resurrection.
37 “Even Moses showed in the account about the burning bush that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord: ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ [5] 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”
39 Some of the experts in the law answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 Then they no longer dared to ask him anything.
David’s Son and David’s Lord41 Jesus said to them, “How is it that they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 David himself says in the book of Psalms:
The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand, 43 until I make your enemies
a footstool under your feet.” [6]
44 “So David calls him ‘Lord.’ Then how is he his son?”
Beware45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the experts in the law, who like to walk around in long robes and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and offer long prayers to look good. They will receive greater condemnation.”
Footnotes1. Luke 20:17 Psalm 118:22 2. Luke 20:24 A denarius was worth about one day’s wage. 3. Luke 20:28 Deuteronomy 25:5 4. Luke 20:30 Some witnesses to the text add and this one died childless. 5. Luke 20:37 Exodus 3:6 6. Luke 20:43 Psalm 110:1
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 29Luke 19:29-46LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 29
Luke 19:29-46 (EHV)
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Luke 1929 As he came near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples ahead, 30 saying, “Go to the village ahead of you. When you enter it, you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you will say this: ‘The Lord needs it.’”
32 Those who were sent ahead went and found things just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34 They said, “The Lord needs it.”
35 Then they brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their robes on the colt and set Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their robes on the road. 37 As he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully, with a loud voice, for all the miracles they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! [1] Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
40 He replied, “I tell you, if these people would be silent, the stones would cry out.”
41 As he came near, he saw the city and wept over it. 42 He said, “If you, yes you, had only known on this day [2] the things that would bring peace to you. But now, it is hidden from your eyes. 43 In fact, the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. 44 Within your walls, they will dash you and your children to the ground. And within your walls, they will not leave one stone on top of another, because you did not recognize the time when God came to help you.” [3]
Jesus Cleanses His Father’s House45 Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were selling [4] things there. 46 He told them, “It is written, ‘My house will be a house of prayer,’ [5] but you have made it a ‘den of robbers’!” [6]
Footnotes1. Luke 19:38 Psalm 118:26 2. Luke 19:42 Some witnesses to the text read this your day. 3. Luke 19:44 The time when God came to help you is literally the time of your visitation. 4. Luke 19:45 Some witnesses to the text add and buying. 5. Luke 19:46 Isaiah 56:7 6. Luke 19:46 Jeremiah 7:11
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 28Genesis 50LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 28
Genesis 50 (EHV)
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1 Joseph put his face against his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him. 2 Joseph commanded the physicians who served him to embalm his father, so the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were set aside for him, for that is how many days it takes to embalm. The Egyptians mourned for him for seventy days.
4 When the days of mourning for Jacob were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh. He said, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak directly to Pharaoh for me and say 5 that my father made me take an oath. He said to me, ‘Look, I am dying. Bury me in my tomb that I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will return here again.”
6 Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, just as he made you swear to do.”
7 Joseph went up to bury his father, and all the officials of Pharaoh went up with him: the senior officials of Pharaoh’s household, all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 Both chariots and horsemen went up with him. It was a very great entourage.
10 They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is on the other side of the Jordan, and there they mourned with a very loud and bitter lament. Joseph mourned for his father seven days. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, witnessed the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a very solemn mourning by the Egyptians.” That is why they named the place Abel Mizraim. [1] It is beyond the Jordan. 12 His sons did for him just what he commanded them to do: 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field at Machpelah, which Abraham had purchased along with the field. He purchased it from Ephron the Hittite, as a piece of property for a burial site near Mamre. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt—he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
Joseph and His Brothers15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and will pay us back in full for all of the evil that we did to him.”
16 They sent the following message to Joseph: “Before he died your father commanded us, 17 ‘You are to tell Joseph, “Please forgive the offense of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ Now, please forgive the offense of the servants of the God of your father.”
Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 His brothers also came and fell down in front of him, and they said, “See now, we are your servants.”
19 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring this to pass and to keep many people alive, as it is this day. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid. I will nourish you and your little ones.” He comforted them and spoke to them in a kind way.
The Death of Joseph22 Joseph lived in Egypt, he and his father’s household. Joseph lived one hundred ten years. 23 He saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children also of Makir, the son of Manasseh, were placed on Joseph’s knees when they were born. 24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Joseph made the descendants of Israel swear an oath. He said, “God will surely visit you. Then you shall carry my bones up from here.” 26 So Joseph died when he was one hundred ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
Footnotes1. Genesis 50:11 Abel Mizraim means mourning of the Egyptians.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 27Genesis 49LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 27
Genesis 49 (EHV)
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Jacob Blesses His Sons1 Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, so that I can declare to you what will happen to you in the days to come.” [1]
2 Assemble together, and listen to this, you sons of Jacob.
Listen to Israel, your father.
3 Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might,
and the beginning of my vigor,
excelling in dignity and excelling in power.
4 Boiling over like water, you shall not excel,
because you went up to your father’s bed,
and you defiled it.
He went up to my couch!
5 Simeon and Levi are brothers.
Their daggers [2] are weapons of violence.
6 My soul, do not enter their council.
My glory, do not join in their assembly.
Yes, in their anger they killed men.
In their spitefulness they hamstrung oxen.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce.
Cursed be their wrath, for it was cruel.
I will divide them in Jacob.
I will scatter them in Israel.
8 Judah, your brothers will praise you.
Your hand will be on the throat of your enemies.
Your father’s sons will bow down to you.
9 Judah is a lion’s cub.
You have gone up from the prey, my son.
He stooped down. He crouched like a lion.
He is like a lioness. Who will provoke him?
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until the one to whom it belongs comes. [3]
He will receive the obedience of the peoples.
11 He will tie his foal to the vine,
his donkey’s colt to the choice vine.
He has washed his clothing in wine,
his garments in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk. [4]
13 Zebulun will dwell at the seashore.
He will provide a landing place for ships.
His border will extend toward Sidon.
14 Issachar is a strong-boned donkey,
lying down between the saddlebags. [5]
15 He saw a resting place that was good.
He saw land that was pleasant.
He bows his shoulder under the burden
and becomes a slave doing forced labor.
16 Dan will judge his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan will be a snake in the way,
a viper in the path.
It bites the horse’s heels,
so that its rider falls backward.
18 I have waited for your salvation, O Lord.
19 Raiders will attack Gad,
but he will attack their heels.
20 Asher’s food will be rich.
He will produce delicacies fit for a king.
21 Naphtali is a doe set free,
that bears beautiful fawns. [6]
22 Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine by a spring.
His branches run over the wall. [7]
23 The archers have fiercely attacked him.
They shot at him and harassed him,
24 but his bow remained steady.
His arms and hands were made strong
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
by the name of [8] the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,
25 by the God of your father, who will help you,
by the Almighty, who will bless you
with blessings from heaven above,
blessings from the deep that lies below,
blessings from the breasts and from the womb.
26 The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of
my parents, [9]
greater than the treasures of the ancient hills.
They will rest on the head of Joseph,
on the forehead of him who is elevated above his brothers.
27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf.
In the morning he will devour the prey.
At evening he will divide the spoils.
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them when he blessed them. He blessed each one with the appropriate blessing. 29 He instructed them and said to them, “I am going to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, which is near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham purchased along with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave that is in it was purchased from the descendants of Heth.” [10]
The Death and Burial of Jacob33 When Jacob finished instructing his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people.
Footnotes1. Genesis 49:1 This phrase often refers to the distant future. 2. Genesis 49:5 The meaning of the word is uncertain. The suggestions are many. 3. Genesis 49:10 Or until Shiloh comes. Shiloh is simply a transliteration of the Hebrew. Shiloh is not used elsewhere as a name of the Messiah. Ezekiel 21:27 and the ancient versions support the translation of shelo as to whom it belongs or which belongs to him. In either case the reference is to the coming Messiah. 4. Genesis 49:12 Or dark from wine, white from milk 5. Genesis 49:14 The meaning of the word is uncertain, perhaps sheepfolds or campfires. 6. Genesis 49:21 The poetic language is difficult. The line may mean he speaks beautiful words. 7. Genesis 49:22 The poetic language is difficult. Literally it means a son of fruitfulness, a son of fruitfulness beside a spring; his daughters run over a wall. 8. Genesis 49:24 By the name of is an alternate reading of the Hebrew text. The main Hebrew text reads from there. 9. Genesis 49:26 The Hebrew of the verse is difficult, and some translations emend the text to read greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains. 10. Genesis 49:32 There is no known connection between these descendants of Heth, who were apparently a Canaanite group (see Genesis 10:15), and the later Indo-European Hittites of Anatolia (Turkey). The Hittites of Anatolia did not call themselves Hittites but were given that name in the mistaken belief that they were related to the Hittites of the Bible.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 26Genesis 47:13 – 48:22LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 26
Genesis 47:13 – 48:22 (EHV)
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Genesis 47The Famine13 There was no food in all the land because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan grew weak because of the famine. 14 Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment for the grain that they purchased, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace. 15 When all the money in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan had been spent, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die right in front of your eyes? Look, our money is running out.”
16 So Joseph said, “Give me your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock if your money is gone.”
17 They brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the donkeys. He supplied them with food for that year in exchange for all their livestock. 18 When that year was ended, they came to him during the second year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord the fact that our money is all spent, and the herds of livestock belong to my lord. My lord can see that we have nothing left but our bodies and our lands. 19 Why should we die right in front of your eyes, both we and our land? Purchase us and our land in exchange for bread, and we along with our land will serve Pharaoh. Give us seed, so that we may live and not die, so that the land will not be desolate.”
20 So Joseph purchased all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, because every man among the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine had them in its grip, and the land became Pharaoh’s. 21 As for the people, he made them all servants from one end of the territory of Egypt all the way to the other end of it. [1] 22 The land that belonged to the priests was the only land that he did not purchase, because the priests had a regular allotment from Pharaoh and ate from the allotment that Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. 23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Since I have purchased you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you to sow the land. 24 This is what you shall do at the harvests: Give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths will be your own share, which you can use as seed to sow the field and as food for yourselves, for everyone in your household, and for your little ones.”
25 They said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
26 Joseph made it a regulation concerning the farmland in Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should receive a fifth of the produce. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.
27 Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they acquired possessions for themselves there. They were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty-seven years. 29 The time drew near that Israel must die, so he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh and deal kindly and truthfully with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers, you are to carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.”
He said, “I will do as you have said.”
31 He said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Israel bowed himself on the head post of the bed. [2]
Jacob Blesses Ephraim and ManassehGenesis 481 Sometime after these things Joseph was told, “Come right away. Your father is sick.” So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him. 2 Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you,” so Israel gathered his strength and sat up on the bed.
3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4 He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make you into a community of peoples, and I will give this land to your descendants after you as a permanent possession.’ 5 Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, will be counted as mine. Ephraim and Manasseh will count as my sons the same as Reuben and Simeon. 6 Your sons that you father after them will count as your own. For receiving their inheritance they will be registered under the name of their brothers. 7 As for me, when I came back from Paddan, to my loss [3] Rachel died on the journey in the land of Canaan when we were still some distance from Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”
8 Israel saw Joseph’s sons and asked, “Who are these boys?”
9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.”
Israel said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”
10 Now the eyes of Israel were failing because of his age, and he could not see. Joseph brought the boys close to Jacob, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I did not think I would see your face, but now God has let me see your offspring also.” 12 Joseph moved them from Jacob’s lap, and he bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 Joseph led them both. He led Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. 14 But Israel, crossing his hands, stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, though Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph and said,
May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
16 the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
bless these lads,
and let my name be placed on them,
and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.
Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, he was displeased. He held up his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
19 His father refused and said, “I know, my son. I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a multitude of nations.” 20 He blessed them that day with these words: “Israel will pronounce a blessing using your name, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.’” So he placed Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
21 Israel said to Joseph, “You see that I am dying, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 In addition, I have given to you one share more than your brothers: the ridge of Shechem [4] that I took out of the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”
Footnotes1. Genesis 47:21 The translation follows the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Greek Old Testament. The main Hebrew text reads he moved them to the cities. 2. Genesis 47:31 The Hebrew text reads bed. The Greek text reads staff, the reading that is followed by Hebrews 11:21. 3. Genesis 48:7 Or by my side. Literally upon me or against me. 4. Genesis 48:22 The Hebrew word shechem can mean portion or ridge, or it may be a place name Shechem. The sentence seems to involve a wordplay that alludes to all three meanings.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 25Genesis 46:1 – 47:12LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 25
Genesis 46:1 – 47:12 (EHV)
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Jacob Goes to EgyptGenesis 461 Israel traveled with all that he had until he came to Beersheba, where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 God called to Israel in a vision at night, “Jacob, Jacob!”
Jacob said, “I am here.”
3 He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will certainly bring you back again. And Joseph’s hand will close your eyes.”
5 Jacob set out from Beersheba, and the sons of Israel transported Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 They took their livestock and their property that they had acquired in the land of Canaan and came into Egypt—Jacob, and all his offspring with him, 7 his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters. So he brought all his offspring with him into Egypt.
8 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt, that is, Jacob and his sons:
Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. 9 The sons of Reuben were Hanoch,
Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and
Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah, but Er
and Onan had died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were
Hezron and Hamul.
13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Iob, [1] and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahle’el.
15 Those are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan
Aram, along with his daughter Dinah. The total number of souls of
his sons and his daughters was thirty-three.
16 The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi,
and Areli.
17 The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah
their sister. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel.
18 Those are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah, his
daughter, and Zilpah bore these to Jacob, a total of sixteen souls.
19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, were Joseph and Benjamin.
20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt.
Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, gave birth to them.
21 The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Na’aman,
Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of
Rachel, who were born to Jacob. The total was fourteen souls.
23 The son of Dan was Hushim.
24 The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel,
his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob. The total was seven souls.
26 The total number of souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct descendants, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, was sixty-six. 27 The sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls.
The total number of the souls in the house of Jacob who came into Egypt was seventy. [2]
28 Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to lead the way to Goshen. And so they arrived in the land of Goshen. 29 Joseph prepared his chariot and went to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He approached him, hugged him, and wept on his shoulder for a long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen you face-to-face and you are still alive.”
31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s family, “I will go up and speak with Pharaoh. I will tell him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 These men are shepherds. They make their living taking care of livestock, and they have brought with them their flocks and their herds, and all that they have.’ 33 This is what you should say when Pharaoh summons you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 You shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers.’ Ask for the right to live in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is repulsive to the Egyptians.”
Genesis 471 Then Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers have come from the land of Canaan with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, and now they are in the land of Goshen.” 2 He took five of his brothers and presented them to Pharaoh.
3 Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?”
They answered Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.” 4 They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to reside as aliens in the land, for your servants have no pasture for their flocks, because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
5 Pharaoh responded to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is open to you. Arrange for your father and your brothers to dwell in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen. If you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”
7 Joseph brought Jacob his father and presented him to Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days and the years of your life?”
9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days and the years of my wandering are one hundred thirty years. The days and the years of my life have been few and full of trouble, and they have not been as many as the days and the years of the lives of my fathers during the days of their wandering.” 10 Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
11 Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them property in the land of Egypt, in the best part of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all of his father’s household with food, based on the number in their families.
Footnotes1. Genesis 46:13 The variant Jashub has considerable support. 2. Genesis 46:27 The Greek Old Testament has seventy-five and includes some additional names.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 24Genesis 45LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 24
Genesis 45 (EHV)
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1 Joseph was unable to control himself in front of all his attendants, so he called out, “Send everyone out from my presence!” When no one else was left with him, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. 2 He wept out loud. The Egyptians heard him, and the house of Pharaoh heard about it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?”
His brothers could not answer him, because they were terrified by his presence. 4 Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me, please.”
They came closer. He said, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 Now do not be upset or angry with yourselves for selling me to this place, since God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. 6 For two years now the famine has been in the land, and there are still five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 God sent me ahead of you to preserve you as survivors on the earth, and to keep you alive by a great act of deliverance. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord over his entire household, and ruler over the whole land of Egypt. 9 Hurry, go up to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me. Do not delay. 10 You shall live in the land of Goshen, where you will be close to me—you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 I will take care of you here, for there are still five years of famine. Otherwise you will come to ruin, you, and your household, and all that you have.”’ 12 Pay attention. Your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You shall tell my father all about my position of honor in Egypt and about everything that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.”
14 He threw his arms around his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. 15 He kissed all his brothers and wept over them. After that his brothers talked with him.
16 This report was heard in Pharaoh’s house: “Joseph’s brothers have come.” This pleased Pharaoh and his officials.
17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Load your animals. Travel quickly to the land of Canaan. 18 Get your father and your households, and return to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the rich food of the land. 19 Now I command you to do this: Take carts [1] from the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives, and bring your father here. 20 Also, do not worry about your belongings, for the best of the whole land of Egypt is yours.’”
21 So that is what the sons of Israel did. Joseph gave them carts as Pharaoh had commanded, and he gave them supplies for the journey. 22 He gave each one of them a change of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothing. 23 He sent the following to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and supplies for his father on the journey. 24 So he dismissed his brothers, and they departed. He said to them, “See to it that you do not quarrel on the way.”
25 They went up from Egypt and came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan. 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” He was stunned [2] because he did not believe them. 27 They told Jacob every word that Joseph had said to them. When he saw the carts that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.
28 Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Footnotes1. Genesis 45:19 Or wagons. Ancient pictorial evidence suggests the vehicles were two-wheeled ox carts, not four-wheeled wagons. 2. Genesis 45:26 Literally his heart was numb
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 23Genesis 44LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 23
Genesis 44 (EHV)
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1 Joseph commanded the manager of his house, “Fill the men’s bags with food, as much as they can carry. Put each man’s money into the mouth of his bag. 2 Put my cup, the silver cup, into the mouth of the bag of the youngest, along with his money for the grain.” The manager did exactly what Joseph told him to do.
3 As soon as it became light in the morning, the men were sent on their way, with their donkeys. 4 When they had left the city and still were not very far away, Joseph said to his manager, “Get up. Pursue those men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Isn’t this the cup that my lord drinks from and that he uses for divination? By doing this you have done evil.’” 6 The steward caught up to them and spoke those words to them.
7 They replied to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Your servants would never do such a thing! 8 That money, which we found in the mouths of our bags—we brought it back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house? 9 If your cup is found with any of your servants, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”
10 He said, “Fine, it will be just as you have said. If it is found with anyone, he will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless.”
11 Then each man quickly lowered his bag to the ground, and each man opened his bag. 12 The manager searched, beginning with the oldest and finishing with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag. 13 Then they tore their clothing, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What did you think you were doing? Didn’t you know that a man like me can discover things by divination?”
16 Judah said, “What can we tell my lord? What can we say? How can we clear ourselves? God has exposed the guilt of your servants. Here we are. We are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose hand the cup was found.”
17 Joseph said, “I would never do that. The man in whose hand the cup was found will be my slave, but as for the rest of you, go up in peace to your father.”
18 Then Judah approached him and said, “O my lord, please let your servant speak to my lord directly. Do not let your anger burn against your servant, because you are just like Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20 We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child from his old age, a young one. His brother is dead, and he alone is left from his mother, and his father loves him.’ 21 You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, so that I may see him with my own eyes.’ 22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father, for if he were to leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will never see my face again.’ 24 And so it was that when we came to your servant, my father, we told him about the words of my lord. 25 Our father said, ‘Go again. Buy us a little food.’ 26 We said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, we will go down, because we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife gave birth to two sons for me. 28 The one has departed from me and I said, “I am sure he is torn to pieces,” and I have not seen him since. 29 If you take this one away from me as well, and mishap comes upon him, you will bring my gray hairs down to the grave with sorrow.’ 30 So now when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, since my father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life, 31 when he sees that the boy is no more, he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant, our father, to the grave with sorrow. 32 For your servant became a guarantee for the boy to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33 So please let your servant stay as a slave to my lord instead of the boy, and let the boy go up with his brothers. 34 For how can I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? How could I stand to see the evil that will come on my father?”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 22Genesis 43LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 22
Genesis 43 (EHV)
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1 The famine in the land was severe, 2 so when they had eaten all the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy a little more food for us.”
3 Judah said to him, “The man sternly warned us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you, 5 but if you do not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man that you had another brother?”
7 They said, “The man interrogated us about ourselves and about our relatives. He asked, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”
8 Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will get up and go, so that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I will serve as a guarantee for him. You can hold me accountable for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him in front of you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 Look, if we had not delayed, we certainly could have returned for a second time by now.”
11 Their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then this is what you should do: Put some of the best products of the land into your containers and take a gift for the man: a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. 12 Also take double the amount of silver with you. Take back the silver that was returned into the mouths of your bags. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Also take your brother. Get going and return to the man. 14 May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. But if I am deprived of my children, I am deprived.”
15 The men took that present, and they took double the amount of silver with them. They also took Benjamin. They got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the manager [1] of his house, “Bring the men into the house. Butcher an animal and prepare it, for the men will dine with me at noon.”
17 The manager did as Joseph commanded and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 The brothers were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “Because of the money that was returned into our bags the first time, we are being brought in, so that he may find a pretext against us, pounce on us, seize us as slaves, and take our donkeys.”
19 They approached the manager of Joseph’s house and spoke to him at the door of the house. 20 They said, “Please, my lord, we really did come down the first time to buy food. 21 When we came to the lodging place, we opened our bags, and to our surprise each man’s silver was in the mouth of his bag, the full amount of our money. [2] We have brought it back with us. 22 We have also brought down with us additional money to buy food. We do not know who put our money into our bags.”
23 He said, “There is no problem. Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your bags. I received your money.” He brought Simeon out to them. 24 The man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, so they could wash their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder. 25 They prepared the gift for Joseph, who was coming at noon, because they heard that they would be eating bread there.
26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gift that they had brought to the house, and they bowed down to the ground in front of him. 27 He asked them about their welfare: “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
28 They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” [3] They bowed down and prostrated themselves.
29 Joseph looked up and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother’s son, and he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” He said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Joseph hurried out, because he was overcome by his emotions over his brother, and he looked for a place to weep. He went into his room and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out. After he regained control of himself, he said, “Serve the meal.”
32 They served Joseph by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians do not eat with Hebrews, for that is repulsive to the Egyptians. 33 The brothers were seated in front of him. They were lined up in order, starting with the firstborn based on his birthright down to the youngest based on his youth, and the men expressed their amazement to each other. 34 He sent servings to them from his table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They were drinking and they were feeling the effects. [4]
Footnotes1. Genesis 43:16 Or steward 2. Genesis 43:21 There were no coins at this time. Money was silver that was weighed out. 3. Genesis 43:28 The Greek Old Testament adds a sentence: And he said, “Blessed be that man by God.” 4. Genesis 43:34 The word refers to some level of intoxication, not just to drinking a beverage.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 21Genesis 42LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 21
Genesis 42 (EHV)
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Joseph and His Brothers1 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing here looking at each other?” 2 He also said, “Listen, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us there, so that we may live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin along with his other brothers, because he said, “Something bad might happen to him.”
5 The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain because of the famine in the land of Canaan. 6 Joseph was the governor over the land. He was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted like a stranger toward them and spoke harshly to them. He asked them, “Where did you come from?”
They said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”
8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about them and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see where the land is exposed.”
10 They said to him, “No, my lord, your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all one man’s sons. We are honest men. Your servants are not spies.”
12 He said to them, “No, you have come to see where the land is exposed!”
13 They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. Listen, at the present time the youngest remains with our father, and one is no more.”
14 Joseph said to them, “It is just as I said. You are spies! 15 This is how you will be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall never get out of here, unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you to get your brother. The rest of you will be kept under arrest, so that your words may be tested, whether you are telling the truth. Otherwise, by the life of Pharaoh, you are spies.” 17 He kept them all together, confined in the jail for three days.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do what I tell you and you will live, because I fear God. 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in the jail, but the rest of you go and deliver grain to your houses to relieve the famine. 20 Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words may be verified, and you will not die.” So they did as he said.
21 They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the misery of his soul when he begged us, but we would not listen. That is why this misery has come upon us.”
22 Reuben answered them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’? But you would not listen. So now payment for his blood is being required from us.”
23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, because an interpreter was being used between them. 24 Joseph turned away from them and wept. After he returned and spoke to them, he seized Simeon from among them and tied him up before their very eyes. 25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their containers with grain, to return each man’s money into his sack, and to give them food for the journey. So all this was done for them.
26 They loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there. 27 When one of them opened his sack at the lodging place to give his donkey food, he saw his money. It was right there in the mouth of his bag. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been returned! Look, there it is, in my bag!” Their hearts sank, and they turned to one another trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 They came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him everything that had happened to them. They said, 30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and accused us of being spies against the country. 31 We said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One brother is no more, and at the present time the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 That man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘This is how I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers with me. Take grain to relieve the famine at your houses, and go on your way. 34 Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. Then I will release your brother to you, and you will be allowed to conduct business in the land.’”
35 Then as they emptied their sacks, they were surprised to see that each man’s pouch of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their pouch of money, they were afraid.
36 Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have deprived me of my children! Joseph is no more. Simeon is no more. And now you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”
37 Reuben spoke to his father, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back to you again.”
38 Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you, since his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If he has a mishap on the journey that you are taking, you will bring my gray hairs down to the grave with sorrow.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 20Genesis 41:14-57LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 20
Genesis 41:14-57 (EHV)
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Genesis 4114 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon. Joseph shaved, changed his clothing, and went to Pharaoh.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.”
16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in my power. God will give Pharaoh an answer to give him peace of mind.”
17 Pharaoh spoke to Joseph: “In my dream, there I was, standing on the bank of the river. 18 Suddenly seven fat, beautiful cows came up out of the river and were grazing in the marsh grass. 19 Just then seven poor cattle, very ugly and thin, came up after them. They were uglier than any I had ever seen in the whole land of Egypt. 20 The thin, ugly cattle ate up the first seven cattle, the fat ones, 21 and when they had eaten them up, you could not even tell that they had eaten them, because they were still as ugly as they were at the beginning. Then I woke up.
22 “Later I had another dream, in which I saw seven heads of grain grow on one stalk. They were full and good. 23 Then I saw seven heads of grain spring up after them. They were withered, thin, and blasted by the east wind. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. I told the dream to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh is one. God has declared to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cattle are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. It is one dream. 27 The seven thin, ugly cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted by the east wind. They will be seven years of famine. 28 This is the very thing that I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Look, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. 30 Seven years of famine will come up after them, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the abundance will not be remembered in the land because of the famine that follows, for it will be very severe. 32 The double dream was shown to Pharaoh, because this matter is established by God, and God will bring it to pass very soon.”
Joseph Comes to Power33 “Let Pharaoh, therefore, look for a man who is wise and discerning, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 When Pharaoh does this, let him appoint overseers over the land to collect one fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 Let them collect all this food from these good years that are coming. Accumulate grain under the authority of Pharaoh to provide food for the cities, and let them store it. 36 The food will be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that will take place in the land of Egypt so that the land does not perish because of the famine.”
37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 Pharaoh said to his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man, a man who has the spirit of God?”
39 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all of this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people will submit to your word. Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “Look, I have appointed you over the whole land of Egypt.”
42 Pharaoh took his signet ring off of his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand. He dressed Joseph in robes made from the best linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in the second best chariot that he had. Men went ahead of him crying out, “Kneel down!” [1] Pharaoh appointed him over the whole land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but in the whole land of Egypt no one will lift up his hand or his foot without your permission.” 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath Paneah, and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as a wife. Joseph went out and began to rule over the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and traveled throughout the whole land of Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance the earth produced plentiful harvests. 48 He collected all the food during the seven good years in the land of Egypt, and he stored up the food in the cities. In every city he stored the food from the fields that were around the city. 49 Joseph stored up a huge amount of grain, like the sand of the sea. Finally he stopped keeping track, because it was too much to measure.
50 Two sons were born to Joseph before the first year of famine arrived. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, gave birth to them. 51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, because he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” [2] 52 He named the second son Ephraim. He said, “Yes, God has made me fruitful in the land where I was afflicted.” [3]
53 So the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. 54 The seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every land, but in the whole land of Egypt there was bread. 55 When the whole land of Egypt was starving, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. Do whatever he tells you.” 56 The famine spread over the face of the whole earth. Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 The whole world came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe all over the whole world.
Footnotes1. Genesis 41:43 The meaning of the term is uncertain. 2. Genesis 41:51 Manasseh sounds like the Hebrew for forget. 3. Genesis 41:52 Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for twice fruitful.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 19Genesis 40:1 – 41:13LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 19
Genesis 40:1 – 41:13 (EHV)
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Joseph Interprets DreamsGenesis 401 Sometime after this, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt committed an offense against their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. 3 He put them under custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he was responsible for them. They stayed in prison for some time. [1] 5 While they were confined in the prison, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt each had a dream. Each man had his own dream during the same night. Each man’s dream had its own meaning. 6 Joseph came to them in the morning, looked at them, and saw that they were troubled. 7 He asked Pharaoh’s officers who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so troubled today?”
8 They said to him, “We each had a dream, but there is no one who can interpret it.”
Joseph said to them, “Interpretations belong to God, don’t they? Please tell me the dreams.”
9 The chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me, 10 and the vine had three branches. As I watched, it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. 11 I had Pharaoh’s cup in my hand. I took the grapes, pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and handed the cup to Pharaoh.”
12 Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office. You will place Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, the way you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14 But remember me when everything is going well for you. Please show kindness to me, and mention me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this jail, 15 because I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and I also have done nothing here to deserve to be put into the dungeon.”
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream. I saw three baskets of white bread on my head. 17 In the top basket there were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”
18 Joseph answered, “This is its interpretation: The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off of you.”
20 And so it was that on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, Pharaoh had a feast prepared for all his officials, and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his officials. 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position again, and he again placed the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had explained to them. 23 Nevertheless, the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Pharaoh’s DreamsGenesis 411 At the end of two full years Pharaoh also had a dream. In the dream he was standing beside the river. 2 There, right in front of him, seven beautiful, fat cows came up out of the river and were grazing in the marsh grass. 3 Just then seven ugly, thin cows came up out of the river behind them, and they stood beside the other cows on the bank of the river. 4 The ugly, thin cows ate up the seven beautiful, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5 Pharaoh fell asleep again and dreamed a second time. He saw seven healthy, good heads of grain come up on one stalk. 6 Right after that, seven thin heads of grain, blasted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Pharaoh woke up and realized that it was a dream. 8 The next morning he was very troubled, so he sent for all of Egypt’s magicians [2] and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I remember my faults. 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard—me and the chief baker. 11 We each had a dream during the same night—he and I. Each of us dreamed a dream that had its own interpretation. 12 There was a young man with us, a Hebrew, a servant to the captain of the guard, and we told him our dreams, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each man he gave the interpretation of his dream. 13 It turned out exactly as he interpreted them for us. Pharaoh restored me to my office but hanged the chief baker.”
Footnotes1. Genesis 40:4 In Hebrew the expression for many days may cover months or even years. 2. Genesis 41:8 Or omen-readers
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 18Genesis 38 – 39LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 18
Genesis 38 – 39 (EHV)
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Judah and TamarGenesis 381 About that time Judah went down from his brothers and visited a man from Adullam named Hirah. 2 There Judah saw a daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He took her as a wife and went to her. 3 She conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Er. 4 She conceived again and gave birth to another son, and she named him Onan. 5 She gave birth to yet another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to Shelah.
6 Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn. Her name was Tamar. 7 It turned out that Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord killed him.
8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go to your brother’s wife. Perform your duty for her as the brother of her deceased husband and provide offspring [1] for your brother.” 9 Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, so whenever he went to his brother’s wife, he wasted his semen on the ground, so that he would not provide offspring for his brother. 10 But the thing that he did was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord killed him also.
11 Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah is grown up.” Actually he had said to himself, “I do not want him to die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
12 After some time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 Tamar was told, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 She took off the garments that identified her as a widow, covered herself with her veil, disguised herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah, because she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she was not going to be given to him as a wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face. 16 He turned to her by the roadside and said, “Please, let me come to you,” because he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.
She said, “What will you give me, so that you may come to me?”
17 He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.”
She said, “Will you give me something as a security deposit until you send the goat?”
18 He said, “What should I give you as a deposit?”
She said, “Your stamp seal on its cord and your staff that is in your hand.”
He gave them to her and went to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she got up and left. Later she took off her veil and put her widow’s garments back on.
20 Judah sent the young goat with his friend, the Adullamite, to get back the deposit from the woman’s possession, but he could not find her. 21 So he asked the men from that place, “Where is the sacred prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?”
They said, “There hasn’t been any sacred prostitute here.”
22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I could not find her, and the men of the place said, ‘There hasn’t been any sacred prostitute here.’”
23 Judah said, “Let her keep it, so that we are not disgraced. Look, I did send this young goat, but you were unable to find her.”
24 About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has prostituted herself, and even worse, she is pregnant by prostitution.”
Judah said, “Bring her out and burn her.”
25 When she was brought, she sent this message to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong.” She also said, “Please help me identify whose these are—this stamp seal on its cord and the staff.”
26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah, my son.” But he was not intimate with her again.
27 When the time came for her to go into labor, it turned out that there were twins in her womb. 28 When she was in labor, one of the twins put out a hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But then after he had pulled back his hand, his brother came out first, so she said, “What a breakthrough you made for yourself!” That is why he was named Perez. [2] 30 Afterward his brother who had the scarlet thread on his hand came out, so he was named Zerah. [3]
Joseph in EgyptGenesis 391 When Joseph was brought down to Egypt, Potiphar the Egyptian, who was an officer [4] of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down to Egypt. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became successful. He served in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made everything that he touched a success. 4 Joseph found favor in his sight. Joseph served him, and he made Joseph manager of his household. He put Joseph in charge of everything.
5 From the time that Potiphar made him manager of his household, in charge of everything that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake, and the blessing of the Lord rested on everything that he had, both in the house and in the fields. 6 So he left Joseph in charge of everything that he had. He did not concern himself with anything except the food that he ate.
Joseph was well built and handsome. 7 Sometime after all this, his master’s wife had her eye on Joseph, and she said, “Come, lie down with me.”
8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not concern himself with anything that has been entrusted to me in the house. He has put me in charge of everything that he has. 9 He has no one in this house greater than I am, and he has not withheld anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a great evil and sin against God?”
10 She kept speaking to Joseph day after day, but he would not listen to her. He would not lie down beside her or even be with her. 11 But one day when he went into the house to do his work, none of the men of the household were there inside the house. 12 She caught him by his garment and said, “Come, lie down with me!” He left behind his garment in her hand and ran outside.
13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had run outside, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “Look, my husband has brought a Hebrew man in to put us to shame. He came in to lie down with me, but I screamed loudly. 15 When he heard me scream, he left behind his garment with me and ran outside.”
16 She kept his garment beside her until his master came home. 17 This is what she told him: “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came to me to put me to shame and said to me, ‘Let me lie down with you.’ [5] 18 And look, when I screamed and cried out, he left behind his garment with me and ran outside.”
19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me,” he became very angry. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined, so Joseph was kept in prison there.
21 But the Lord was with Joseph. He showed mercy to him and gave him favor in the sight of the warden of the prison. 22 The warden of the prison made Joseph responsible for all the prisoners who were in the prison. Joseph was responsible for whatever they did there. 23 The warden of the prison did not pay attention to anything that was under his authority, because the Lord was with Joseph, and the Lord made everything that he did succeed.
Footnotes1. Genesis 38:8 Literally seed, which alludes both to semen and to the child that is produced from it 2. Genesis 38:29 Perez means breaking out. 3. Genesis 38:30 Zerah means scarlet. 4. Genesis 39:1 In some contexts this word can mean eunuch, but that does not seem to be the case here. 5. Genesis 39:17 The words and said to me, “Let me lie down with you” are not in the Hebrew text but are included in the Greek Old Testament.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 17Genesis 37LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 17
Genesis 37 (EHV)
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Trouble in Jacob’s Family1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided as an alien, that is, in the land of Canaan.
2 This is the account about the development of the family of Jacob:
When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers. He was just a boy compared to the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. Joseph brought a bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he was the son born in his old age, [1] and he made him a special robe. [2] 4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, so they hated him and could not speak to him in a friendly way.
5 Once Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers, so they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Please listen to this dream that I have dreamed: 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright. Then your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
8 His brothers said to him, “So will you really reign over us? Will you really have dominion over us?” They hated him all the more because of his dreams and what he said.
9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. He said, “Listen, I had another dream. This is what I saw: The sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.” 10 He told it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him and said to him, “What kind of dream is this that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers really come and bow down to the ground in front of you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept what he had said in mind.
12 His brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers pasturing the flock in Shechem? Go, I will send you to them.”
Joseph said to him, “Yes, I will do it.”
14 Israel said to him, “Please go and see whether everything is going well with your brothers and with the flock. Then bring me word again.” So he sent him off from the valley at Hebron, and he arrived at Shechem.
15 A man met him as he was wandering in the countryside. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16 He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.”
17 The man said, “They have left here. I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’”
Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. 18 They saw him in the distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to each other, “Look, here comes this master of dreams. 20 Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns, and we will say, ‘A wild animal has devoured him.’ Then we will see what will become of his dreams.”
21 Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands. He said, “Let’s not take his life.” 22 Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this cistern that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” He said this so that he could rescue him out of their hands and restore him to his father.
23 And so when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the special robe he was wearing. 24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
25 They sat down to eat bread, and they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with their camels loaded with spices, balm, and myrrh, which they were going to deliver to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there in killing our brother and concealing his blood? 27 Come on, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him, since he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers listened to him. 28 As the Midianites, who were merchants, were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces [3] of silver. They brought Joseph to Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the cistern, he saw that Joseph was not in the cistern, so he tore his clothing. 30 He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is no longer here, and as for me, where will I go now?”
31 Then they took Joseph’s robe, killed a male goat, and dipped the robe in the goat’s blood. 32 They took the special robe, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Examine it now, and see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”
33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A wild animal has devoured him. Without a doubt Joseph has been torn to pieces.” 34 Jacob tore his clothing, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son for many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “No, I will mourn for my son until I go down to the grave.” So his father wept for him.
36 In Egypt the Midianites sold him to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, who was the captain of the guard.
Footnotes1. Genesis 37:3 Or who would care for him in his old age 2. Genesis 37:3 Traditionally a coat of many colors, but the precise meaning of the term is no longer known. It may have been a robe or tunic with fancy embroidery or a tunic with long sleeves. 3. Genesis 37:28 The unit of weight is not specified in the text. It likely was shekels. Twenty shekels weighs about eight ounces.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 16Genesis 36LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 16
Genesis 36 (EHV)
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Esau’s Descendants1 Now this is the account about the descendants of Esau (that is, Edom): 2 Esau took Canaanite women as his wives. They were Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite. 3 He also married Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth.
4 Adah gave birth to Eliphaz for Esau.
Basemath gave birth to Reuel.
5 Oholibamah gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
These are the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
6 Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, along with his livestock, all his animals, and all the possessions that he had accumulated in the land of Canaan, and he went into another land, away from his brother Jacob. 7 Their herds were too large for them to stay together, and the land where they had settled could not support both of them because of their livestock. 8 So Esau lived in the hill country of Seir. (Esau is another name for Edom.)
9 This is the account about the descendants of Esau, who was the founding father of Edom in the hill country of Seir:
10 The following are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel the son of Esau’s wife Basemath.
11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 Timna was the concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, and she gave birth to Amalek for Eliphaz. These are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.
13 The following are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
14 The following were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the granddaughter of Zibeon. She gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah for Esau.
The Chiefs of the Clans of Edom15 The following are the chiefs of the clans of the descendants of Esau:
From the descendants of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau they were Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz, 16 Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, and Chief Amalek. These are the chiefs who descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom. These are the descendants of Adah.
17 The following are the descendants of Esau’s son Reuel: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, and Chief Mizzah. These are the chiefs who descended from Reuel in the land of Edom. These are the descendants of Esau’s wife Basemath.
18 The following are the descendants of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: Chief Jeush, Chief Jalam, and Chief Korah. These are the chiefs who came from Esau’s wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah. 19 These are the descendants of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.
Other People of Edom20 The following are the sons of Seir the Horite, who lived in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs who descended from the Horites, the descendants of Seir in the land of Edom.
22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Heman. Lotan’s sister was Timna.
23 The following are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24 The following are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs in the wilderness as he was feeding the donkeys of Zibeon his father.
25 The following are the descendants of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.
26 The following are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
27 The following are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Za’avan, and Akan.
28 The following are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
29 The following are the chiefs who descended from the Horites: Chief Lotan, Chief Shobal, Chief Zibeon, Chief Anah, 30 Chief Dishon, Chief Ezer, and Chief Dishan. These are the chiefs who came from the Horites, according to their chiefdoms in the land of Seir.
Kings of Edom31 The following are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the people of Israel:
32 Bela son of Beor reigned in Edom. The name of his city was Dinhabah. 33 Bela died, and Jobab son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place.
34 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
35 Husham died, and Hadad son of Bedad, who struck Midian in the territory of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith.
36 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place.
37 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his place.
38 Shaul died, and Baal Hanan son of Achbor reigned in his place.
39 Baal Hanan son of Achbor died, and Hadad [1] reigned in his place. The name of his city was Pau. His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
40 The following are the names of the chiefs who came from Esau, listed according to their clans, their territory, and their names: Chief Timna, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth, 41 Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, 42 Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, 43 Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom, according to the territory they inhabited in the land they possessed. (Edom is another name for Esau, the father of the Edomites.)
Footnotes1. Genesis 36:39 Hadad is the reading of many Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions. Most Hebrew manuscripts have Hadar.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 15Genesis 35LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 15
Genesis 35 (EHV)
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The Return to Bethel1 God said to Jacob, “Get up and go to Bethel, and live there. Make an altar there for God, who appeared to you when you fled from the presence of Esau your brother.”
2 Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Throw away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothing. 3 Let’s get up and go to Bethel. I will make an altar there for God, who answered me in the day when I was in trouble and who has been with me wherever I have traveled.”
4 They gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession and the rings that were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.
5 They set out, and terror from God fell on the cities that were around them, so they did not pursue Jacob’s sons. 6 So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. 7 He built an altar there and named the place El Beth El, [1] because God had been revealed to him there, when he fled from the presence of his brother.
8 Deborah, who was Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under the oak below Bethel. So the place was named Allon Bacuth. [2]
9 God appeared to Jacob again after he had come from Paddan Aram, and he blessed him. [3] 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but your name will not be Jacob anymore. Your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel. [4] 11 God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a community of nations will descend from you, and kings will come from your body. 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give also to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you.”
13 God left him in the place where he had spoken with him, 14 and Jacob set up a memorial in the place where God had spoken with him. It was a memorial stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 Jacob named the place where God spoke with him Bethel.
Jacob’s Sons16 Then they traveled from Bethel. As they were coming close to Ephrath, Rachel went into labor. She was experiencing hard labor, 17 and when she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for now you will have another son.”
18 Then as her life was slipping away [5] (for she was dying), she named her son Benoni, [6] but his father named him Benjamin. [7] 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Jacob set up a memorial stone on her grave. It is the marker for Rachel’s tomb to this day. 21 Israel traveled on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. [8]
22 While Israel lived in that region, Reuben went and lay down with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard about it.
Jacob had twelve sons.
23 The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
25 The sons of Bilhah (Rachel’s maid) were Dan and Naphtali.
26 The sons of Zilpah (Leah’s maid) were Gad and Asher.
These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
27 Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre near Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had resided as aliens.
The Death of Isaac28 The days of Isaac’s life were one hundred eighty years. 29 Isaac breathed his last and died. He was gathered to his people. He had lived a long, full life. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.
Footnotes1. Genesis 35:7 El Beth El means God of the House of God. 2. Genesis 35:8 Allon Bacuth means Oak of Weeping. 3. Genesis 35:9 It is not certain whether the events in these verses occurred at this time or if they are a flashback to an earlier visit to Bethel. 4. Genesis 35:10 Israel means wrestles with God or prevails with God. 5. Genesis 35:18 Or as her soul was departing 6. Genesis 35:18 Benoni means son of my trouble. 7. Genesis 35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand. 8. Genesis 35:21 Migdal Eder means Tower of the Flock.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 14Genesis 34LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 14
Genesis 34 (EHV)
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Dinah and Shechem1 Dinah, Jacob’s daughter by Leah, went out to see the young women of the land. 2 Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the chief of that part of the land, saw her and took her, lay down with her, and humiliated her. [1] 3 He had a strong desire for Dinah, [2] the daughter of Jacob, and he was in love with the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. [3] 4 Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.”
5 When Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, his sons were out in the field with his livestock, so Jacob kept quiet about it until they came back. 6 Hamor the father of Shechem came to talk with Jacob. 7 The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard about it. The men were shocked by the outrage, and they were very angry, because he had disgraced Israel by lying down with Jacob’s daughter, a thing that should not be done. 8 Hamor spoke with them. He said, “My son Shechem has a deep longing for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. 9 Intermarry with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 You may live among us, and the land will be open to you. Live in it, conduct trade, and acquire property in it.”
11 Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you ask from me I will give. 12 No matter how great a bride price and gift [4] you demand, I will give it. Just give me the young woman as a wife.”
13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah. 14 They said to them, “We cannot do this—giving our sister to a man who is uncircumcised. That would be a disgrace to us. 15 Only on this condition will we consent to your offer: If all your males become circumcised as we are, 16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and we will live with you, and we will become one people. 17 But if you do not accept our terms and undergo circumcision, then we will take our sister, [5] and we will be gone.”
18 Their offer pleased Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem. 19 The young man did not delay acting on it, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter, and he was the most important [6] of all the household of his father. 20 Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and discussed this with the men of their city. They said, 21 “These men want peace with us. So let them live in the land and trade in it. Look, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives for ourselves, and let us give them our daughters. 22 Only on this condition will the men agree to live with us and to become one people with us: if every male among us is circumcised, as they are circumcised. 23 Won’t all their livestock, all their possessions, and all their animals become ours? So let’s accept their offer, so that they will settle among us.”
24 Everyone who assembled at the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to Shechem his son. So all the males who assembled at the gate of the city were circumcised. 25 Then on the third day, when they were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, attacked the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males. 26 They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword. They took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and left.
27 Jacob’s sons then came to the dead bodies and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28 They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, everything that was in the city, everything that was in the countryside, 29 and all their wealth. They took all their little ones and their wives as captives. They looted everything that was in the houses.
30 Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me. You have made me stink to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and attack me, and I will be destroyed, I and my household.”
31 But they said, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”
Footnotes1. Genesis 34:2 The three Hebrew verbs could be rendered by the one English word rape, but the text uses more euphemistic terms here and elsewhere in the chapter. 2. Genesis 34:3 Literally his soul clung to Dinah 3. Genesis 34:3 Literally he spoke to her heart. This may include elements of romance and apology. 4. Genesis 34:12 Bride price is a payment to the family of the bride. The gift may be a payment given to Dinah as a sort of trust fund. A dowry is property the bride brings to the groom’s family. There is no dowry here. 5. Genesis 34:17 Literally daughter 6. Genesis 34:19 Or most honored
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 13Genesis 33LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 13
Genesis 33 (EHV)
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1 Jacob looked up, and there was Esau coming with four hundred men. Jacob divided the children into groups with Leah and Rachel and with the two maids. 2 He put the maids and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the end. 3 He himself crossed over the stream ahead of the others and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged him around the neck, and kissed him. They both wept. 5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children and asked, “Who are these people with you?”
Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maids came forward with their children, and they bowed low. 7 Leah and her children also came forward and bowed low. After them, Joseph came forward with Rachel, and they bowed low.
8 Esau said, “What did you mean by this whole camp that I met?”
Jacob said, “To gain favor in the sight of my lord.”
9 Esau said, “I have enough, my brother. Keep what is yours.”
10 Jacob said, “No, if I have now found favor in your sight, then please accept the gift from my hand, because when I saw your face, it was like seeing the face of God, now that you have accepted me. 11 Please accept the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have everything I need.” He urged him, and he accepted it.
12 Esau said, “Let us get going on our journey, and I will lead the way for you.”
13 Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are still young, and that my flocks and herds are nursing their young, and if the herdsmen drive them too hard for even one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Please let my lord go ahead of his servant, and I will follow slowly, at the right pace for the livestock and the right pace for the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
15 Esau said, “Please let me leave some of my people with you.”
But he said, “Why? Just let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”
16 So Esau set out that day on his way back to Seir. 17 Jacob traveled to Succoth, built a house for himself, and made shelters for his livestock. That is why that place is called Succoth. [1]
18 When he returned from Paddan Aram, Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, and he camped in front of the city. 19 He bought the piece of land where he pitched his tent from the descendants of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of silver. [2] 20 He erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel. [3]
Footnotes1. Genesis 33:17 Succoth means shelters. 2. Genesis 33:19 Literally qesitahs, an ancient monetary unit of unknown weight and value 3. Genesis 33:20 El Elohe Israel means God, the God of Israel or the God of Israel is mighty.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 12Genesis 32:3-32LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 12
Genesis 32:3-32 (EHV)
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Genesis 323 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, the region of Edom. 4 He gave them a command. “Tell my lord, Esau, ‘This is what your servant Jacob says: I have lived as an alien with Laban until very recently. 5 I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent this message to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”
6 The messengers returned to Jacob and reported, “We came to your brother Esau. Now he is coming to meet you, and he has four hundred men with him.”
7 So Jacob was terrified and very distressed. He divided the people who were with him, as well as the flocks, and the herds, and the camels, into two camps. [1] 8 He said, “If Esau comes to one camp and strikes it, then the other camp will escape.” 9 Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord, who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will do good for you,’ 10 I am not worthy of even a bit of all the mercy and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for I crossed over this Jordan with just my staff, and now I have grown into two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid that he will come and strike me and the mothers, as well as the children. 12 You said, ‘I will surely do good for you and make your descendants like the grains of sand of the sea, which cannot be counted because there are so many.’”
13 Jacob spent that night there and selected a gift for Esau his brother from the possessions he had with him: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milk camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys with ten foals. 16 He handed them over to his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Cross over in front of me, and keep some space between each herd and the next one.” 17 He commanded the one in front, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks, ‘Whose people are you? Where are you going? Whose herds are these in front of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. It is a gift sent to you, my lord Esau. Look, he is right behind us.’” 19 He commanded the second group, and the third, and all those who followed the herds, “This is how you shall speak to Esau when you meet him. 20 You shall say, ‘What’s more, look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” Jacob said, “I will win his favor with the gift that I have sent ahead of me, and after that I will see his face, and perhaps he will accept me.”
21 So the gift was sent over ahead of him, but he himself spent that night in the camp.
22 He got up that night and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and he also sent his possessions across. 24 Jacob was left alone, and he wrestled with a man there until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he touched the socket of his thigh, and the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated as he wrestled. 26 The man said, “Let me go. It’s daybreak.”
Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 Then he said to him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Jacob.”
28 Then he said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have fought with God and with men, and you have won.”
29 Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”
He said, “Why do you ask what my name is?” Then he blessed him there.
30 Jacob named the place Peniel, [2] because he said, “I have seen God face-to-face, and my life has been spared.” 31 The sun rose as he crossed over at Peniel, and he was limping because of his thigh. 32 For that reason, to this day the people of Israel do not eat the tendon of the hip that is on the socket of the thigh, because God touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh on the tendon of the hip.
Footnotes1. Genesis 32:7 Or two groups. These are groups on the move, which we generally do not call camps in English, but the translation camps connects to the name Mahanaim, which means two camps. 2. Genesis 32:30 Peniel means face of God.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 11Genesis 31:1 – 32:2LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 11
Genesis 31:1 – 32:2 (EHV)
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Genesis 311 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything from our father. He has acquired all his wealth from things that belonged to our father.” 2 From the look on Laban’s face Jacob realized that his attitude toward him was not what it had been before. 3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”
4 Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah and told them to come to the field where his flock was. 5 He said to them, “I see the look on your father’s face, and it is not favorable toward me as it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all of my strength. 7 Your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me. 8 If he said, ‘The speckled animals will be your wages,’ then all the flock gave birth to speckled young. If he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wages,’ then all the flock gave birth to streaked young. 9 In this way God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me. 10 Once during mating season, in a dream I watched and saw male goats that were streaked, speckled, and spotted [1] mating with the flock. 11 The Angel of God called out to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I answered, ‘I am here.’ 12 He said, ‘Look! All the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled, and spotted, because I have seen everything that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a memorial stone, and where you made a vow to me. Now get going, get out of this land, and return to the land where you were born.’”
14 Rachel and Leah answered him, “Do we still have any share of the inheritance in our father’s house? 15 Isn’t he treating us like foreigners? First he sold us. Now he has used up almost all the money he received for us. 16 All the riches that God has taken away from our father belong to us and our children. Now do whatever God has told you to do.”
17 Then Jacob got ready to go. He placed his sons and his wives on camels. 18 He took with him all his livestock and all his possessions that he had accumulated, including the livestock that he had acquired in Paddan Aram. He set out to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
19 Now when Laban had gone off to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods. [2]
20 Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away. 21 So he fled with all that he had. He set out, crossed over the Euphrates River, and headed toward the hill country [3] of Gilead.
22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 He took his relatives with him and pursued him for seven days. He overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream during the night and said to him, “Be careful that you do not say anything to Jacob either good or bad.”
25 Laban caught up with Jacob. Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban along with his relatives also set up camp in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? Why have you deceived me and carried away my daughters like prisoners of war? 27 Why did you flee secretly and steal from me? Why didn’t you tell me, so that I could have sent you away with a celebration and with songs, with drums and with lyres? 28 Why didn’t you allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? [4] By doing this you have acted foolishly. 29 I have it in my power to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night and said, ‘Be careful that you do not say anything to Jacob either good or bad.’ 30 But even if you were so eager to leave because of your strong desire to return to your father’s house, why have you stolen my gods?”
31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought that you might take your daughters away from me by force. 32 But anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, identify anything I have that belongs to you, and take it.” (Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the household gods.)
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the gods. After he had left Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Rachel had taken the household gods and put them into her camel’s saddle, and she was sitting on them. Laban felt all around the tent, but he did not find them. 35 Rachel said to her father, “Do not be angry, my lord, because I cannot stand up in your presence. I’m having my period.” He searched, but he did not find the gods.
36 Jacob became angry and argued with Laban. Jacob responded to Laban, “What is my crime? What is my sin that set you off in hot pursuit after me? 37 Now that you have rummaged through all my belongings, what have you found there that came from your house? Set it out here in front of my relatives and your relatives, so that they can settle the case between the two of us. 38 These twenty years that I have been with you, your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten rams from your flocks. 39 I did not bring to you those that were torn up by wild animals. I bore the loss myself. You made me pay for all the losses, whether they were stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 I was the one out there, consumed by the scorching heat of the day and by the frost at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I put up with this in your house: I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for a share of your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the God revered [5] by Isaac, had been with me, you certainly would have now sent me away empty-handed. But God saw the oppression I suffered and the labor of my hands, and he rebuked you last night.”
43 Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters. These children are my children. These flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine, but what can I do today about these daughters of mine or about the children to whom they have given birth? 44 Now come, let us make a covenant, [6] you and I, and let it stand as a witness between me and you.” [7]
45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial stone. 46 Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They collected stones and piled them up. They ate there beside the pile of stones. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, [8] but Jacob called it Galeed. [9] 48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness between me and you this day.” So it was named Galeed 49 and Mizpah, [10] for he also said, “May the Lord watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another. 50 If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take any wives in addition to my daughters, even if no one else sees it, understand that God is a witness between me and you.”
51 Laban said to Jacob, “See this pile of stones and see the memorial stone that I have set between me and you. 52 May this pile be a witness, and may the memorial stone be a witness that I will not cross over beyond this pile to you, and that you will not cross over beyond this pile and this memorial stone to harm me. 53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.”
Then Jacob swore by the God revered by his father Isaac. 54 Jacob offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to eat bread with him. They ate bread and stayed all night in the hill country. 55 Early in the morning Laban got up, kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.
Jacob Meets EsauGenesis 321 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. [11] 2 When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s army.” He named that place Mahanaim. [12]
Footnotes1. Genesis 31:10 There is no consensus about the precise distinction of these three terms. 2. Genesis 31:19 Teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the family property. 3. Genesis 31:21 Or highlands. The word traditionally translated hill country is the same Hebrew word that means mountain. But in many cases, as it does here, it refers to highland regions, not to a mountain peak. 4. Genesis 31:28 Sons and daughters seems to include both his daughters and his grandchildren. 5. Genesis 31:42 The Hebrew word used here is a rarer synonym for the word usually translated fear. Though it can mean dread, in this context it refers to reverence or awe. 6. Genesis 31:44 Or agreement 7. Genesis 31:44 The Greek Old Testament has an additional sentence: And he said to him, “Look, there is no one else with us. Look, God is the witness between me and you.” 8. Genesis 31:47 Jegar Sahadutha means Witness Mound in Aramaic. 9. Genesis 31:47 Galeed means Witness Mound in Hebrew. 10. Genesis 31:49 Mizpah means watch or lookout. 11. Genesis 32:1 In the Hebrew text, chapter 32 starts with English verse 31:55. In chapter 32, the Hebrew verse numbers are one number higher than the English verse numbers. 12. Genesis 32:2 Mahanaim means two camps.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 10Genesis 29:31 – 30:43LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 10
Genesis 29:31 – 30:43 (EHV)
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Genesis 29Jacob’s Family31 The Lord saw that Leah was not loved, and he allowed her to conceive, but Rachel had no children. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, [1] because she had said, “The Lord has looked at my misery. So now my husband will love me.”
33 She conceived again and gave birth to a son and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. [2]
34 She conceived again and gave birth to a son. She said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have given birth to three sons for him.” That is why he was named Levi. [3]
35 She conceived again and gave birth to a son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. [4] Then she stopped having children.
Genesis 301 When Rachel saw that she was bearing no children for Jacob, Rachel was jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.”
2 Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you fruit from your womb?”
3 She said, “Here is my maid Bilhah. Go to her, so that she may bear a child for me, and my family will be built up through her.” 4 So she gave her servant girl Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he went to her. 5 Bilhah conceived and gave birth to a son for Jacob. 6 Rachel said, “God has judged in my favor. He has heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan. [5]
7 Bilhah, Rachel’s servant girl, conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel said, “I have had a desperate struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him Naphtali. [6]
9 When Leah saw that she was no longer bearing sons, she took her servant girl Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Zilpah, Leah’s servant girl, bore Jacob a son. 11 Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad. [7]
12 Zilpah, Leah’s servant girl, bore a second son for Jacob. 13 Leah said, “I am blessed, for women will call me blessed.” She named him Asher. [8]
14 At the time of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found mandrakes [9] in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 She said to her, “Isn’t it bad enough that you have taken away my husband? Do you want to take away my son’s mandrakes as well?”
Rachel said, “He will sleep with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come to me, because I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.”
So he slept with her that night. 17 God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, “God has given me the wages I deserve, because I gave my servant girl to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. [10]
19 Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 Leah said, “God has given me a great reward. Now my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne six sons for him.” So she named him Zebulun. [11]
21 Afterward, she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
22 God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23 She conceived, bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” 24 She named him Joseph [12] and said, “May the Lord add another son to me.”
Jacob Versus Laban25 After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go home to my own place in my own country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go, because you know how much I have served you.”
27 Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have learned by divination [13] that the Lord has blessed me because of you.” 28 So he said, “Set your wages for me, and I will pay them.”
29 Jacob said to him, “You know how well I have served you, and how your livestock have fared under my care. 30 For before I came, you had very little, and it has been multiplied many times over. The Lord has blessed you wherever I set foot. Now isn’t it time for me to provide for my own household as well?”
31 Laban asked, “What shall I give you?”
Jacob said, “You do not have to give me anything. But if you will do this thing for me, I will continue to take your flock to pasture and watch over it: 32 I will pass through all your flocks today and take all the speckled and spotted sheep, every dark brown sheep among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled goats. These will be my wages. 33 This is how I will be able to prove my honesty whenever you demand an accounting of my wages: Any goats that are not spotted or speckled, and any lambs that are not dark brown that are found with me will be treated as stolen.”
34 Laban said, “Very well. We will do what you have said.” 35 But that day Laban removed all the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had any white on it, and all the dark brown sheep, and handed them over to his sons. 36 Then he separated himself from Jacob by a three days’ journey, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37 Jacob took fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He peeled stripes on them so that the white inside the branches was visible. 38 He put the branches that he had peeled into the gutters of the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so the flocks would see them. They conceived when they came to drink. 39 The flocks conceived in front of the branches, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted animals. 40 Jacob separated the lambs, and he made the flocks face toward the streaked animals and all the black animals in the flock of Laban, and he kept his own herds separate and did not put them into Laban’s flock. 41 And whenever the stronger animals in the flock were in heat, Jacob laid the branches in the gutters where the flocks could see them, so that they would conceive while looking at the branches. 42 But when the weak animals in the flock were in heat, he did not put the branches in. So the weaker animals were Laban’s, and the stronger were Jacob’s. 43 The man became much wealthier and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
Footnotes1. Genesis 29:32 Reuben means Look, a son. 2. Genesis 29:33 Simeon means he heard. 3. Genesis 29:34 Levi sounds like joined to. 4. Genesis 29:35 Judah means praise. 5. Genesis 30:6 Dan means judged. 6. Genesis 30:8 Naphtali means struggle. 7. Genesis 30:11 Gad means fortune. 8. Genesis 30:13 Asher means happy. 9. Genesis 30:14 Mandrakes were thought to be an aphrodisiac and fertility drug. 10. Genesis 30:18 Issachar means wages or reward. 11. Genesis 30:20 Zebulun means live with or honor. 12. Genesis 30:24 Joseph means may he add. 13. Genesis 30:27 The meaning of this Hebrew word is uncertain.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 09Genesis 29:1-30LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 09
Genesis 29:1-30 (EHV)
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Genesis 29Jacob and Laban1 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. [1]
2 He looked around and noticed a well in the field, and he saw three flocks of sheep lying there beside it. (That well was used to water the flocks. There was a large stone over the mouth of the well. 3 All the flocks would gather there. Then the shepherds would roll the stone away from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.)
4 Jacob said to the men waiting there, “My brothers, where are you from?”
They said, “We are from Haran.”
5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?”
They said, “We know him.”
6 He said to them, “Is he doing well?”
They said, “He is. Look, there is his daughter Rachel, coming with the sheep.”
7 He said, “Look, it is still the middle of the day. It is not time to gather the livestock together. Water the sheep and go pasture them.”
8 They said, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well. Then we water the sheep.”
9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep because she took care of them. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, Jacob went up, rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of Laban, his mother’s brother. 11 Jacob kissed Rachel and wept loudly. 12 Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. She ran and told her father.
13 When Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet Jacob. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob repeated all these things to Laban. 14 Laban said to him, “Certainly you are my own flesh and blood.” [2]
Jacob lived with him for a month. 15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, is that any reason you should serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?”
16 Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had attractive eyes, [3] but Rachel had a beautiful face and figure. 18 Jacob loved Rachel. He said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
19 Laban said, “It is better for me to give her to you than to give her to another man. Stay with me.”
20 Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him like a few days, because of the love he had for her.
21 Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is finished, so that I may go to her.”
22 Laban gathered together all the local people and made a feast. 23 When evening had arrived, he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob went to her. 24 (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maid.) 25 When morning came, Jacob realized it was Leah. So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?”
26 Laban said, “That is not the way we do it here. We do not give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Fulfill the marriage week for this one, and we will give you the other one too—for seven more years of service.”
28 So that is what Jacob did. When he fulfilled the marriage week, Laban gave him Rachel his daughter as his wife. 29 (Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maid.) 30 Jacob also went to Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He served Laban seven more years.
Footnotes1. Genesis 29:1 This expression usually refers to nomadic or semi-nomadic tribes. 2. Genesis 29:14 Literally my bone and my flesh 3. Genesis 29:17 Is this a negative description or a positive one? Were Leah’s eyes weak or lacking sparkle, or were they delicate, tender, or lovely? At best, it seems that this is a weak compliment. Compared to her sister, Leah looked plain.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 08Genesis 27:46 – 28:22LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 08
Genesis 27:46 – 28:22 (EHV)
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Genesis 2746 Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, these daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?”
Jacob’s Flight to LabanGenesis 281 So Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 Get up. Go to Paddan Aram, [1] to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, so that you may become a community of peoples. 4 May he give you and your descendants along with you the blessing he gave to Abraham, so that you may inherit the land where you have been living as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham.”
5 So Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean. Laban was the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.
6 Esau observed that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him, he had commanded him, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.” 7 When he saw that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Paddan Aram, 8 Esau realized that the daughters of Canaan did not please Isaac, his father. 9 So Esau went to Ishmael, and he took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife, in addition to the wives that he already had.
10 Jacob set out from Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place and decided to spend the night there, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from that place, put it under his head, and lay down to sleep in that place. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway set up on the earth with its top reaching to heaven. There were angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13 There at the top stood the Lord, who said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. The land on which you are lying, I give to you and to your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed [2] all the families of the earth will be blessed. 15 Now, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back again into this land. Indeed, I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised to you.”
16 Jacob woke up from his sleep, and he said, “Certainly the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid [3] and he said, “How awe- inspiring is this place! This is nothing other than the house of God, and this is the gate to heaven.”
18 Jacob got up early in the morning. He took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a sacred memorial stone and poured oil on top of it. 19 He named that place Bethel. (Before this, the name of the city had been Luz.) 20 Jacob took a vow, “If God will be with me to keep me safe on this journey I am making, and if he gives me food to eat and clothing to put on, 21 and I come back to my father’s house in safety, the Lord will be my God, 22 and this stone that I have set up as a memorial stone will be God’s house, and I will certainly give you a tenth of everything that you give me.”
Footnotes1. Genesis 28:2 Paddan Aram is located in what today is northern Syria, along the border with Turkey. 2. Genesis 28:14 Retention of the literal term seed, which can be taken as a singular, highlights the continuity of the Messianic promise from Eve, through Abraham and David, to Christ, the Seed of the Woman. 3. Genesis 28:17 Or he was filled with awe
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 07Genesis 27:1-45LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 07
Genesis 27:1-45 (EHV)
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Genesis 271 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could hardly see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son?”
He said to him, “I am here.”
2 Isaac said, “Look, I am very old, and I do not know when I am going to die. 3 So please take your gear, your quiver, and your bow, and go out to the open country, and get some wild game for me. 4 Make me tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me, so that I may eat and I may bless you with all my soul before I die.”
5 Rebekah had been listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. After Esau went to the open country to hunt for game and to bring it back, 6 Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son and said, “Listen, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother and tell him, 7 ‘Bring me some wild game and make tasty food for me, that I may eat and give you a blessing from the Lord before my death.’ 8 Therefore, my son, obey my voice and do what I am commanding you. 9 Go now to the flock, and get me two of the best young goats. I will make them into tasty food for your father, the kind he loves. 10 You will bring it to your father, so that he can eat it and bless you before his death.”
11 Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “But Esau my brother is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. 12 What if my father touches me? I will be exposed to him as a deceiver, and I will bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.”
13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son. Just obey my voice, and go get them for me.”
14 He went and got them and brought them to his mother. His mother made tasty food, the kind his father loved. 15 Rebekah took the good clothing of Esau, her older son, which was with her in the house, and put it on Jacob, her younger son. 16 She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and forearms and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 She put the tasty food and the bread that she had prepared into the hand of her son Jacob.
18 He came to his father and said, “My father?”
He said, “I am here. Who are you, my son?”
19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please get up, and sit here and eat some of my wild game, so that you may bless me with all your soul.”
20 Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”
He said, “Because the Lord your God gave me success.”
21 Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, so that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
22 Jacob went close to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. That was why he blessed him. 24 But he asked again, “Are you really my son Esau?”
He said, “I am.”
25 He said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat some of my son’s wild game, so that I may bless you.”
Jacob brought it to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank. 26 His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.” 27 He came near and kissed him. He smelled his clothing, so he blessed him and said:
Yes, the smell of my son is the smell of the open field
that the Lord has blessed.
28 May God give you the dew from the sky,
the richness of the earth,
and plenty of grain and new wine.
29 Let peoples serve you,
and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers.
Let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you.
Blessed be everyone who blesses you.
30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also prepared tasty food and brought it to his father. He said to his father, “Let my father get up and eat his son’s wild game, so that you may bless me with all your soul.”
32 Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?”
He said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
33 Isaac trembled violently and said, “Then who was it that hunted wild game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him. And, yes, he will be blessed.”
34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he let out a very loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me—me too, my father.”
35 He said, “Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing.”
36 Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has tripped me up these two times. He took away my birthright. And look, now he has taken away my blessing.” He also asked, “Haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?”
37 Isaac answered Esau, “You see, I have made him your lord, and I have given all his brothers to him as servants. I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I do for you, my son?”
38 Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me—me too, my father.” And Esau wept loudly.
39 Isaac his father answered him,
Know this:
Your dwelling will be away from the richness of the earth
and away from the dew from the sky above.
40 By your sword you will live, but you will serve your brother.
Then when you break loose, you will shake his yoke off your neck.
41 Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
42 The words of Esau, her older son, were told to Rebekah. She sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, “Listen, your brother Esau is consoling himself in regard to you by planning to kill you. 43 Now, therefore, my son, obey my voice. Get up. Flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran. 44 Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away, 45 until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send for you and get you from there. Why should I be deprived of both of you in one day?”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 06Luke 19:11-28LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 06
Luke 19:11-28 (EHV)
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Luke 19Parable of the Ten Minas11 As they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 So he said, “A man of noble birth traveled to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself and then to return. 13 He called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. [1] ‘Conduct business until I return,’ he said to them.
14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to be king over us.’
15 “When he returned after receiving the kingdom, he summoned the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what they had gained by conducting business.
16 “The first one came to him and said, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten more minas.’
17 “He said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you were faithful in a very small matter, you will have authority over ten cities.’
18 “The second one came and said, ‘Master, your mina has produced five more minas.’
19 “So he said to him, ‘You will be over five cities.’
20 “And another one came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina that I laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 For I was afraid of you, since you are a demanding man. You take what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’
22 “He said to him, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you with your own words! You knew that I am a demanding man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23 Then why did you not put my money in the bank? Then, when I returned, I could have collected it with interest!’
24 “He said to those standing there, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’
25 “But they said to him, ‘Master, he already has ten minas!’
26 “‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 27 Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them, bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem28 After Jesus had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
Footnotes1. Luke 19:13 A mina was worth one hundred drachmas, or about one hundred days’ wages.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 05Luke 18:35 – 19:10LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 05
Luke 18:35 – 19:10 (EHV)
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Luke 18Blind Bartimaeus35 As he approached Jericho, a blind man sat by the road, begging. 36 When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by. 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who were at the front of the crowd rebuked him, telling him to be quiet. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
He said, “Lord, I want to see again.”
42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.”
43 Immediately he received his sight and began following Jesus, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw this, gave praise to God.
ZacchaeusLuke 191 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man named Zacchaeus was there. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but since he was short, he could not see because of the crowd. 4 He ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Jesus, because he was about to pass by that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 He came down quickly and welcomed Jesus joyfully. 7 When the people saw it, they were all grumbling because he went to be a guest of a sinful man.
8 Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I am going to give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I will pay back four times as much.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 04Luke 18:18-34LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 04
Luke 18:18-34 (EHV)
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Luke 18The Rich Young Ruler18 A certain ruler asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one—God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. Honor your father and mother.’” [1]
21 “I have kept all these since I was a child,” he said.
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23 But when the ruler heard these words, he became very sad, because he was very rich.
24 When Jesus saw that the man became very sad, he said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?”
27 He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible for God.”
28 And Peter said, “Look, we have left our possessions [2] and followed you.”
29 He said to them, “Amen I tell you: Anyone who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will most certainly receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come, eternal life.”
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection Again31 He took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 Indeed, he will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, mistreat him, spit on him, 33 flog him, and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again.”
34 They did not understand any of these things. What he said was hidden from them, and they did not understand what was said.
Footnotes1. Luke 18:20 Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20 2. Luke 18:28 Some witnesses to the text read left everything.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 03Luke 18:1-17LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 03
Luke 18:1-17 (EHV)
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Luke 18The Parable of the Persistent Widow1 Jesus told them a parable about the need to always pray and not lose heart: 2 “There was a judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not care about people. 3 There was a widow in that town, and she kept going to him, saying, ‘Give me justice from my adversary!’ 4 For some time he refused, but after a while he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or care about people, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice so that she will not wear me out with her endless pleading.’”
6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 Will not God give justice to his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night? Will he put off helping them? 8 I tell you that he will give them justice quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector9 Jesus told this parable to certain people who trusted in themselves (that they were righteous) and looked down on others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple courts to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people, robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of all my income.’
13 “However the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even lift his eyes up to heaven, but was beating his chest and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
14 “I tell you, this man went home justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Jesus Loves Little Children15 People were bringing even their babies to Jesus, so that he would touch them. When the disciples saw this, they began to rebuke them. 16 But Jesus invited them, saying, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Amen I tell you: Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 02Luke 17:20-37LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 02
Luke 17:20-37 (EHV)
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Luke 17The Kingdom of God Is Within You20 The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come. Jesus answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in a way you can observe, 21 nor will people say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘Look, there it is!’ because the kingdom of God is within [1] you.”
Jesus Will Return22 He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 They will tell you, ‘Look, there he is!’ or ‘Look, here he is!’ Do not go out or chase after them, 24 for the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning that flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other side. 25 But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: They were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It will be the same on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, the person who is on the roof and has belongings in the house should not go down to get them. Likewise, the person in the field should not turn back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed. One will be taken, and the other will be left. 35 There will be two women grinding grain at the same place. One will be taken, and the other will be left.” [2]
37 “Where, Lord?” they asked him.
He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will be gathered.”
Footnotes1. Luke 17:21 Or among 2. Luke 17:35 Some witnesses to the text include verse 36: Two will be in the field: One will be taken, and the other will be left. (See Matthew 24:40.)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – April 01Luke 17:1-19LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – April 01
Luke 17:1-19 (EHV)
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Luke 17Do Not Cause Little Believers to Fall Into Sin1 Jesus said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for that person if a millstone would be hung around his neck and he would be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Watch yourselves.
“If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
Increase Our Faith5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 The Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you could tell this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 Which one of you who has a servant plowing or taking care of sheep will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at the table’? 8 Won’t the master tell him instead, ‘Prepare my supper, and after you are properly dressed, serve me while I eat and drink. After that you may eat and drink’? 9 He does not thank the servant because he did what he was commanded to do, does he? 10 So also you, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have only done what we were supposed to do.’”
Ten Lepers Healed—One Thanks God11 On another occasion, as Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he was passing along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 When he entered a certain village, ten men with leprosy met him. Standing at a distance, 13 they called out loudly, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” As they went away they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice. 16 He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus responded, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up and go your way. Your faith has saved you.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 31Luke 16:1-31LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 31
Luke 16:1-31 (EHV)
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Luke 16The Shrewd Manager1 Jesus also said to his disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager who was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 The rich man called him in and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you can no longer be manager.’
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, since my master is taking away the management position from me? I am not strong enough to dig. I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from my position as manager, people will receive me into their houses.’
5 “He called each one of his master’s debtors to him. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He said, ‘Six hundred gallons [1] of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write three hundred.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘Six hundred bushels [2] of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and write four hundred and eighty.’
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the children [3] of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation [4] than the children of the light are. 9 I tell you, make friends for yourselves with unrighteous mammon, [5] so that when it runs out, they will welcome you into the eternal dwellings. 10 The person who is faithful with very little is also faithful with much. And the person who is unrighteous with very little is also unrighteous with much. 11 So if you have not been faithful with unrighteous mammon, who will entrust you with what is really valuable? 12 If you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something to be your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters. Indeed, either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, also heard all these things and sneered at him. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of people, but God knows your hearts. In fact, what is highly regarded among people is an abomination in God’s sight. 16 The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since that time the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone is trying to force his way into it. [6]
17 “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for even one part of a letter in the Law to fail. 18 Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another is committing adultery, and the man who marries a woman divorced from her husband is committing adultery.
The Rich Man and Poor Lazarus19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. 20 A beggar named Lazarus had been laid at his gate. Lazarus was covered with sores and 21 longed to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Besides this, the dogs also came and licked his sores. 22 Eventually the beggar died, and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, [7] where he was in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus at his side. 24 He called out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in misery in this flame.’
25 “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, and you are in misery. 26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been set in place between us and you, so that those who want to cross from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s home, 28 because I have five brothers—to warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “Abraham replied to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Footnotes1. Luke 16:6 Or one hundred baths. A bath was about six gallons. 2. Luke 16:7 Or one hundred cors. A cor was about six bushels. 3. Luke 16:8 Or people 4. Luke 16:8 Or kind of people 5. Luke 16:9 Mammon is an Aramaic word that is transliterated in the Greek. It refers to worldly wealth (sometimes personified). It also appears in verses 11 and 13, and Matthew 6:24. It may also be translated money, but a different word for money is used in verse 14. 6. Luke 16:16 Or everyone is urgently invited into it 7. Luke 16:23 Greek hades
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 30Luke 15LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 30
Luke 15 (EHV)
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The Lost Sheep1 All the tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 He told them this parable: 4 “Which one of you, if you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that was lost until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls together his friends and his neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ 7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.
The Lost Coin8 “Or what woman who has ten silver coins, [1] if she loses one coin, would not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Lost Son11 Jesus said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all that he had and traveled to a distant country. There he wasted his wealth with reckless living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 He went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He would have liked to fill his stomach with the carob pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, and I am dying from hunger! 18 I will get up, go to my father, and tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20 “He got up and went to his father. While he was still far away, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, hugged his son, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick, bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us eat and celebrate, 24 because this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.
25 “His older son was in the field. As he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. 27 The servant told him, ‘Your brother is here! Your father killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 The older brother was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him.
29 “He answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I’ve been serving you, and I never disobeyed your command, but you never gave me even a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours arrived after wasting your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’
31 “The father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’”
Footnotes1. Luke 15:8 These silver coins were Greek drachmas, each worth about a day’s wage.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 29Luke 14:25-35LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 29
Luke 14:25-35 (EHV)
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Luke 14The Cost25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, if he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, everyone who sees it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build, but was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, as he goes out to confront another king in war, will not first sit down and consider if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if he is not able, he sends out a delegation and asks for terms of peace while his opponent is still far away. 33 So then, any one of you who does not say farewell to all his own possessions cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how will it become salty again? 35 It is not fit for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 28Luke 14:1-24LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 28
Luke 14:1-24 (EHV)
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Luke 14Jesus in a Pharisee’s Home1 One Sabbath day, when Jesus went into the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat bread, they were watching him closely.
2 Right in front of him was a man who was suffering from swelling of his body. [1] 3 Jesus addressed the legal experts and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
4 But they were silent. So he took hold of the man, healed him, and let him go. 5 He said to them, “Which of you, if your son [2] or an ox would fall into a well on a Sabbath day, would not immediately pull him out?”
6 And they could not reply to these things.
7 When he noticed how they were selecting the places of honor, he told the invited guests a parable. 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline in the place of honor, or perhaps someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him. 9 The one who invited both of you may come and tell you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then you will begin, with shame, to take the lowest place.
10 “But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a higher place.’ Then you will have honor in the presence of all who are reclining at the table with you.
11 “Yes, everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or rich neighbors, so that perhaps they may also return the favor and pay you back.
13 “But when you make a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. Certainly, you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”
The Parable of the Great Banquet15 When one of those at the table with him heard these things, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will feast in the kingdom of God!”
16 Jesus said to him, “A certain man made a great banquet and invited many people. 17 When it was time for the banquet, he sent out his servant to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses.
“The first one told him, ‘I bought a field, and I need to go and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’
19 “Another one said, ‘I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. I ask you to excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, and so I am unable to attend.’
21 “The servant arrived and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house was angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in here the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
22 “The servant said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.’
23 “Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and urge them to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 Yes, I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”
Footnotes1. Luke 14:2 Or dropsy (hydropsy), an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the tissues of the body 2. Luke 14:5 Some witnesses to the text read donkey.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 27Luke 13:18-35LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 27
Luke 13:18-35 (EHV)
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Luke 13Mustard Seed and Yeast18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what will I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
20 Again he said, “To what will I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like yeast, which a woman took and mixed into a bushel [1] of flour until it was all leavened.”
The Narrow Door22 He went on his way from one town and village to another, teaching, and making his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone said to him, “Lord, are only a few going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 25 Once the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open for us!’ He will tell you in reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 And he will say, ‘I don’t know where you come from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown outside. 29 People will come from east and west, from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. 30 And note this: Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Jesus Warns Jerusalem31 In that very hour, some Pharisees came to him and said, “Leave, and go away from here, because Herod wants to kill you.”
32 He said to them, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I am going to drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it cannot be that a prophet would be killed outside Jerusalem!’
34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I have wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you will say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” [2]
Footnotes1. Luke 13:21 Three seahs 2. Luke 13:35 Psalm 118:26
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 26Luke 13:1-17LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 26
Luke 13:1-17 (EHV)
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Luke 13Repent1 At that time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3 I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too. 4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too.”
Parable of the Fig Tree6 He told them this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it, but he did not find any. 7 So he said to the gardener, ‘Look, for three years now I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and I have found none. Cut it down. Why even let it use up the soil?’ 8 But the gardener replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. 9 If it produces fruit next year, fine. But if not, then cut it down.’”
Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And a woman was there who had a spirit that had disabled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 He placed his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and began to glorify God.
14 But the ruler of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. He said to the crowd in response, “There are six days to do work. So come to be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath day!”
15 The Lord answered him, “Hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you untie his ox or his donkey from the manger on the Sabbath and lead it to water? 16 Here is this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years! Shouldn’t she be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”
17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame. But the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things he was doing.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 25Luke 12:35-59LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 25
Luke 12:35-59 (EHV)
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Luke 12Be Ready!35 “Be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning. 36 Be like people waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the master will find watching when he comes. Amen I tell you: He will dress himself and have them recline at the table, and he will come and serve them. 38 Even if he comes in the second or third watch, [1] they will be blessed if he finds them alert. 39 But know this: If the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you are not expecting him.”
41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us or to everybody?”
42 The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, [2] whom the master will put in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find doing so when he comes. 44 Truly I tell you: He will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is staying away for a long time.’ And he begins to beat the male and female servants, to eat and drink and become drunk, 46 then the master of that servant will arrive on a day when he was not expected and at an hour that his servant does not know. The master will cut him in two and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 That servant who knew his master’s will and did not prepare or act according to what his master wanted, will be punished severely. 48 But the one who did not know, and did something worthy of punishment, will be punished lightly. From everyone to whom much was given, much will be expected. From the one who was entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Division49 “I came to throw fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already ignited. 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is finished! 51 Do you think that I came to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 Yes, from now on there will be five divided in one household: three against two, and two against three. 53 They will be divided: father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” [3]
Interpret the Time54 He also said to the crowds, “Whenever you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say that a rainstorm is coming, and so it happens. 55 And whenever a south wind blows, you say that it is going to be hot, and it happens. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to interpret this present time? 57 Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 Indeed, as you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, make an effort on the way to reach a settlement with him. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last cent.” [4]
Footnotes1. Luke 12:38 That is, in the middle of the night 2. Luke 12:42 Or steward 3. Luke 12:53 Micah 7:6 4. Luke 12:59 Literally lepton. One lepton was a coin worth about 1⁄128 of an agricultural worker’s daily wages.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 24Luke 12:13-34LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 24
Luke 12:13-34 (EHV)
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Luke 12The Rich Fool13 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But Jesus said to him, “Man, who appointed me to be a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
15 Then he said to them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because a man’s life is not measured by how many possessions he has.”
16 He told them a parable: “The land of a certain rich man produced very well. 17 He was thinking to himself, ‘What will I do, because I do not have anywhere to store my crops?’ 18 He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and goods. 19 And I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your soul will be demanded from you. Now who will get what you have prepared?’
21 “That is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Do Not Worry22 Jesus said to his disciples, “For that reason I tell you, stop worrying about your life, about what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Certainly life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap; they have no warehouse or barn; and yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds! 25 And who of you by worrying can add a single moment to his lifespan? 26 Since you are not able to do this little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these. 28 If this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith? 29 Do not constantly chase after what you will eat or what you will drink. Do not be worried about it. 30 To be sure, the nations of the world chase after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, continue to seek the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you. 32 Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not become old, a treasure in the heavens that will not fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 23Luke 11:53 – 12:12LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 23
Luke 11:53 – 12:12 (EHV)
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Luke 1153 When he went away from there, the experts in the law and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely and to question him closely about many things. 54 They were plotting against him to trap him in something he said. [1]
Warning Against HypocrisyLuke 121 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands gathered together so that they were trampling on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 So then, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
Fear God, Not People4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that are not able to do any more. 5 But I will show you the one you should fear. Fear him who, after he has killed the body, has authority to throw it into hell. [2] Yes, I tell you, fear him!
6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? [3] And not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. 7 Why, even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So stop being afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.
Confess Christ8 “I tell you, whoever confesses me before other people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God. 9 But whoever denies me in the presence of other people will be denied in the presence of the angels of God. 10 Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 When they bring you before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourself, or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you should say.”
Footnotes1. Luke 11:54 Some witnesses to the text add so they could accuse him. 2. Luke 12:5 Gehenna 3. Luke 12:6 Greek assarion, less than a half hour’s wage
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 22Luke 11:37-52LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 22
Luke 11:37-52 (EHV)
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Luke 11Woes and Warnings37 After Jesus spoke, a Pharisee invited him to have a meal with him. He went in and reclined at the table. 38 When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that he did not first wash [1] before the meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 Fools! Didn’t the one who made the outside also make the inside? 41 But give those things that are inside as a gift to the poor, and see, everything will be clean for you. 42 But woe to you Pharisees, because you give a tenth of mint and rue and every herb, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have done these things without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the best seat in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it.”
45 One of the legal experts answered him, “Teacher, by saying these things you are insulting us too.”
46 But Jesus said, “Woe to you legal experts too, because you load people down with burdens too difficult to carry, and you yourselves do not touch these burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you because you build monuments for the prophets, but your fathers killed them. 48 So you are witnesses and agree with what your fathers did, because they killed them, and you build their monuments. 49 For this reason the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles. Some of them they will kill and persecute, 50 so that this generation may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the foundation of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary.’ Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. 52 Woe to you legal experts, because you took away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were trying to enter.”
Footnotes1. Luke 11:38 Greek baptizo (translated baptize in other contexts)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 21Luke 11:14-36LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 21
Luke 11:14-36 (EHV)
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Luke 11Jesus Drives Out Demons14 Jesus drove out a demon, which was mute. After the demon had gone out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16 Others were testing him by demanding of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed. And a house divided against itself falls. 18 If Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? You say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 But if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So they will be your judges. 20 Yet if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks him and defeats him, he takes away that man’s full armor, in which he had trusted, and divides up his plunder.
23 “The one who is not with me is against me. The one who does not gather with me scatters. 24 When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, but does not find any. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house, the one I left.’ 25 When it returns, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and dwell there. The last condition of that man becomes worse than the first.”
The Sign of Jonah27 While he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you, and the breasts at which you nursed!”
28 But he said, “Even more blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
29 As the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It is seeking a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look, one greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look, one greater than Jonah is here.
A Lamp and a Lampstand33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hidden place or under a basket, but on a stand so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is good, your whole body is full of light. But when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore, see to it that the light that is in you is not darkness. 36 So if your whole body is full of light, without any dark part, it will be completely full of light, as when a lamp shines on you with bright light.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 20Luke 11:1-13LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 20
Luke 11:1-13 (EHV)
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Luke 11The Lord’s Prayer1 On another occasion, Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father in heaven, [1] hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. [2] 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, as we also forgive everyone who sins against us. [3] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’” [4]
Keep Praying5 He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and tell him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine who is on a journey has come to me, and I do not have anything to set before him.’ 7 And the one inside replies, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give it to you.’ 8 I tell you, even if he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his bold persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 “I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives. The one who seeks finds. And to the one who knocks, it will be opened.
11 “What father among you, if your son asks for bread, would give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, would give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, would give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Footnotes1. Luke 11:2 Some witnesses to the text omit Our and in heaven. 2. Luke 11:2 Some witnesses to the text omit Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 3. Luke 11:4 Literally everyone who is indebted to us 4. Luke 11:4 A few witnesses to the text omit but deliver us from evil. See the footnote on Matthew 6:13 for the traditional ending of the Lord’s Prayer.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 19Luke 10:25-42LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 19
Luke 10:25-42 (EHV)
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Luke 10The Good Samaritan25 Just then, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “What do you read there?”
27 He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; [1] and, love your neighbor as yourself.” [2]
28 He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He fell among robbers who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 It just so happened that a priest was going down that way. But when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way, a Levite also happened to go there, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 33 A Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was. When he saw him, he felt sorry for the man. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He put him on his own animal, took him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day, when he left, he took out two denarii, [3] gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. Whatever extra you spend, I will repay you when I return.’ 36 Which of these three do you think acted like a neighbor to the man who fell among robbers?”
37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he replied.
Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Mary and Martha38 As they went on their way, Jesus came into a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who was sitting at the Lord’s feet and was listening to his word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her serving. She came over and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me.”
41 The Lord answered and told her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is needed. In fact, Mary has chosen that better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Footnotes1. Luke 10:27 Deuteronomy 6:5 2. Luke 10:27 Leviticus 19:18 3. Luke 10:35 A denarius was one day’s wage.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 18Luke 10:13-24LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 18
Luke 10:13-24 (EHV)
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Luke 1013 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to hell. [1] 16 Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!”
18 He told them, “I was watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Look, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing will ever harm you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names have been written in heaven.”
21 In that same hour, Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and have revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, because this was pleasing in your sight.
22 [2]“Everything was handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.”
23 Turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 Indeed, I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things that you are seeing, yet did not see them, and to hear the things that you are hearing, yet did not hear them.”
Footnotes1. Luke 10:15 Greek hades 2. Luke 10:22 Some witnesses to the text add Turning to his disciples, Jesus said.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 17Luke 9:57 – 10:12LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 17
Luke 9:57 – 10:12 (EHV)
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Luke 9Follow Jesus57 As they went on the way, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me!”
But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Another man also said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say good-bye to those at my home.”
62 Jesus told him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Jesus Appoints Seventy-TwoLuke 101 After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two [1] others and sent them out two by two ahead of him [2] to every town and place where he was about to go.
2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go your way. Look, I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Do not carry a money bag or traveler’s bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the way. 5 Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6 And if a peaceful person is there, your peace will rest on him, but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, because the worker is worthy of his pay. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they welcome you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are in the town and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you.’
10 “But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust from your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on that day than for that town.
Footnotes1. Luke 10:1 Some witnesses to the text read seventy (also in verse 17). 2. Luke 10:1 Literally before his face
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 16Genesis 26LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 16
Genesis 26 (EHV)
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Isaac and Abimelek1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that had occurred during the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines at Gerar. 2 The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down into Egypt. Live in the land where I tell you to live. 3 Live in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. 4 I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the sky and will give all these lands to your descendants. In your seed [1] all the nations of the earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my requirements, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”
6 Isaac lived in Gerar. 7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “The men of this place might kill me for Rebekah, since she is beautiful.” 8 When he had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines happened to look out a window, and there was Isaac caressing Rebekah, his wife.
9 Abimelek called Isaac and said, “It is obvious that she is your wife. So why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘If I do not, I will die because of her.’”
10 Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!”
11 Abimelek gave this command to all the people: “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”
12 Isaac planted grain in that land, and in the same year he reaped one hundred times as much as he had sown, because the Lord blessed him. 13 The man kept growing wealthier and wealthier until he became very great. 14 He possessed flocks and herds and a large household, so the Philistines were envious of him.
15 Now the Philistines had blocked all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. 16 Abimelek said to Isaac, “Move away from us, for you are much more powerful than we are.” [2]
17 So Isaac departed from there, camped in the valley of Gerar, and lived there.
18 Isaac dug again the wells that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father, because the Philistines had blocked them after the death of Abraham. He gave them the same names that his father had given them. 19 Isaac’s servants dug in the valley along the stream bed and found a well there that provided a steady flow of water. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar started a dispute with Isaac’s herdsmen. They said, “The water belongs to us.” He named the well Esek, [3] because they argued with him. 21 They dug another well, but they started a dispute over that one also. He named it Sitnah. [4] 22 He left that place and dug another well. They did not start a dispute over that one, so he called it Rehoboth. [5] He said, “Now the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
23 He traveled from there to Beersheba. 24 The Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Do not be afraid, for I am with you, and I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”
25 He built an altar there and proclaimed [6] the name of the Lord. He pitched his tent there. Isaac’s servants dug a well there.
26 Then Abimelek came from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his advisor and Phicol the commander of his army. 27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?”
28 They said, “We saw clearly that the Lord was with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, yes, between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing but good for you, and we have sent you away in peace.’ Now you are blessed by the Lord.”
30 He made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. 31 They got up the next morning and exchanged their oaths. Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him peacefully. 32 It so happened that on the same day Isaac’s servants came and told him about a well that they had dug. They said to him, “We have found water.” 33 He called it Shibah. [7] Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba [8] to this day.
Esau and Jacob34 When Esau was forty years old, he took two wives: Judith, the daughter of Be’eri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They were a source of bitterness for Isaac and Rebekah.
Footnotes1. Genesis 26:4 The literal rendering seed is retained here to show the continuity of the Messianic promises from Eve, through Abraham and David, to Christ, who was the promised Seed of the Woman. 2. Genesis 26:16 Or too numerous for us 3. Genesis 26:20 Esek means argument. 4. Genesis 26:21 Sitnah means opposition. 5. Genesis 26:22 Rehoboth means wide enough or enough room. 6. Genesis 26:25 Or called on 7. Genesis 26:33 Shibah means oath or seven. 8. Genesis 26:33 Beersheba means well of the oath or well of the seven.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 15Genesis 24:61 – 25:34LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 15
Genesis 24:61 – 25:34 (EHV)
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Genesis 2461 Rebekah set out with her female attendants. They rode on the camels and followed the man. Abraham’s servant took Rebekah and set out on his journey.
62 Isaac had come from the direction of Be’er Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. 63 In the evening Isaac had gone out into the field to meditate. [1] He looked up and saw that there were camels coming. 64 Rebekah also looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she jumped down from the camel. 65 She said to the servant, “Who is that man who is walking through the field to meet us?”
The servant said, “It is my master.”
She took her veil and covered herself. 66 The servant told Isaac everything that he had done. 67 Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took her as his wife. He loved her, and Isaac stopped mourning his mother’s death.
Abraham’s DeathGenesis 251 Abraham had taken another wife. Her name was Keturah. 2 She bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah for him. 3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Ashshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Elda’ah. All these were the descendants of Keturah.
5 Abraham left all that he had to Isaac. 6 To the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and during his lifetime he sent them away from Isaac his son to the territory that lay to the east.
7 The total days and years of Abraham’s life were one hundred seventy-five years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who lived a full life, and he was gathered to his people. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the Cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is near Mamre. 10 This was the field that Abraham had purchased from the descendants of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife. 11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived near Be’er Lahai Roi.
The Descendants of Ishmael12 Now this is the account about the development of the family line of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maid, had borne to Abraham.
13 The following are the names of the sons of Ishmael and the tribes that came from them, arranged in the order of their birth:
The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth. Then came Kedar, Adbe’el, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, arranged by their settlements and by their camps. They were twelve chiefs, each with his own tribe.
17 The total years of the life of Ishmael were one hundred thirty-seven years. When he breathed his last and died, he was gathered to his people. 18 His people lived between Havilah and Shur, east of Egypt, as you go toward Ashshur. He lived in hostility toward [2] all his relatives.
The Family of Isaac19 This is the account about the development of the family of Isaac, Abraham’s son.
Abraham became the father of Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, who was the daughter of Bethuel, an Aramean from Paddan Aram, and the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children fought with each other inside her. She said, “What is this? Why is this happening to me?” She went to inquire of the Lord.
23 The Lord said to her:
Two nations are in your womb.
Two peoples will be separated from your body.
The one people will be stronger than the other people.
The elder will serve the younger.
24 When it was time for her to give birth, it was true: There were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. [3] 26 After that, his brother came out, with his hand grabbing Esau’s heel. So he was named Jacob. [4] Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.
27 The boys grew up. Esau was a skillful hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob was a quiet man, who stayed home among the tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau more, because he ate Esau’s wild game. Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once Jacob was cooking stew, and Esau came in from the field, and he was starving. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “Come on, let me eat some of that red stew, that red stew there, because I am starving.” (That is why Esau was also called Edom. [5])
31 Jacob said, “First, sell me your right as the firstborn.”
32 Esau said, “Look, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?”
33 Jacob said, “Swear to me first.”
So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Jacob gave Esau bread and a stew made of lentils. Esau ate and drank, got up, and went on his way. So Esau treated his birthright as if it was worthless.
Footnotes1. Genesis 24:63 Or relax. The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. 2. Genesis 25:18 Or far away from 3. Genesis 25:25 Esau sounds like a Hebrew word for hairy. 4. Genesis 25:26 Jacob sounds like the Hebrew word for heel. 5. Genesis 25:30 Edom sounds like the Hebrew word for red.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 14Genesis 24:1-60LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 14
Genesis 24:1-60 (EHV)
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Genesis 24A Wife for Isaac1 Abraham was very old, well into old age. The Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior supervisor of his house, who was in charge of everything that he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh. 3 You must swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 4 Instead, you shall go to my country and to my relatives and acquire a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 The servant said to him, “What if the woman is not willing to follow me to this land? In that case, should I take your son back to the land that you came from?”
6 Abraham said to him, “Let me make it very clear to you that you are not to take my son back there again. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, took me away from my father’s house and from the land of my birth. He spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ [1] The Lord will send his angel ahead of you, so you shall find a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman is not willing to follow you, you will be released from this oath. But under no circumstances shall you take my son back there.”
9 The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter. 10 The servant took ten of his master’s camels and set out. He took a variety of goods from his master with him. He set out and went to Mesopotamia [2] to the city of Nahor. 11 He made the camels kneel down by the well outside the city. It was evening, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 He said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Here I am, standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let this be the test: The young lady to whom I say, ‘Please let down your water jar, so that I may drink,’ will say, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ She will be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. This is how I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”
15 Before he had even finished speaking, out came Rebekah with her water jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 16 The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, who had never been intimate with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her water jar, and came up. 17 The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a drink, a little water from your water jar.”
18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” She quickly let down her water jar into her hands and gave him a drink. 19 When she was done giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have finished drinking.” 20 She hurried and emptied her water jar into the trough, ran to the well again to draw more water, and drew water for all his camels.
21 The man remained silent and watched her carefully to find out whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not. 22 Then, when the camels were finished drinking, the man took a gold nose ring that weighed half a shekel and two gold bracelets that weighed ten shekels [3] for her wrists. 23 Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room for us to stay in your father’s house?”
24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She also said to him, “We have both straw and enough feed and enough room for you to spend the night.”
26 The man bowed his head and worshipped the Lord. 27 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his mercy and faithfulness toward my master. Indeed, the Lord has guided me to the house of my master’s relatives.”
28 The young lady ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out to the spring to meet the man. 30 When he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and after he heard the words from Rebekah his sister, who said, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to find the man. And there he was, standing next to the camels by the spring. 31 Laban said, “Come with me, you who are blessed by the Lord. Why are you standing outside when I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?”
32 The man came to the house and unloaded the camels. Laban gave him straw and feed for the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have delivered my message.”
Laban said, “Tell us.”
34 He said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. The Lord has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son for my master when she was old. My master has given him everything that he owns. 37 My master made me take an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I am living. 38 Instead, you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives and acquire a wife for my son.’ 39 I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’ 40 He said to me, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I walk, will send his angel with you and give your journey success, and you will acquire a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house. 41 But you will be released from my oath, if, when you have come to my relatives, they do not give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’ 42 Today I came to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if you now will bless my journey with success, 43 (here I am, standing by this spring of water) let this be the test: If the virgin who comes out to draw water (the one to whom I say, “Please give me a little water to drink from your water jar”) 44 tells me, “Drink, and I will also draw water for your camels,” she will be the woman whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’ 45 Before I had finished saying this to myself, out came Rebekah with her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 She hurried and lowered her water jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink. 47 I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore for him.’ I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 I bowed my head and worshipped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to find the daughter of my master’s brother as a wife for his son. 49 Now if you will show mercy and faithfulness to my master here, tell me. If not, tell me, so that I may know whether to turn to the right or to the left.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “This matter has been determined by the Lord. We cannot say anything to you either bad or good. 51 Look, Rebekah is right here in front of you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”
52 So, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 53 The servant brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and her mother. 54 He and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. They got up in the morning, and he said, “Send me on my way to my master.”
55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she can go.”
56 He said to them, “Do not hold me back, since the Lord has granted my journey success. Send me on my way so that I can go to my master.”
57 They said, “We will call the young lady and ask her.” 58 They called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want to go with this man?”
She said, “I do.”
59 So they sent all of them on their way—their sister Rebekah with her nurse, Abraham’s servant, and his men. 60 They blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your offspring take possession of the gates of those who hate them.”
Footnotes1. Genesis 24:7 Or offspring 2. Genesis 24:10 Also called Aram Naharaim, Aram of the Two Rivers. This area is in northern Syria, along the border with Turkey. 3. Genesis 24:22 Ten shekels is about four ounces.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 13Genesis 23LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 13
Genesis 23 (EHV)
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The Death of Sarah1 Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. That was the length of Sarah’s life. 2 Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
3 Then Abraham got up from beside his deceased wife. He went and spoke to the descendants of Heth. [1] He said, 4 “I am an alien who has settled among you. Let me have a piece of property for a burial place among you where I may bury my dead in their final resting place.” [2] 5 The descendants of Heth answered Abraham, 6 “Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the best of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb from you. Bury your dead.”
7 Abraham stood up and bowed down to the people of the land, that is, to the descendants of Heth. 8 He said to them, “If you have agreed that I may bury my dead in their final resting place, then listen to me, and speak to Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf, 9 so that he gives me the Cave of Machpelah, which is at the end of the field that he owns. Let him give it to me for the full price so that I may own a burial site among you.”
10 Now Ephron was sitting among the descendants of Heth. Ephron the Hittite responded to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who were gathered at the city gate. He said, 11 “No, my lord, listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”
12 Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land. He said, “No, but if you are willing, please listen to me. I will give the money [3] for the field. Accept it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”
14 Ephron responded to Abraham, 15 “My lord, listen to me. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Go ahead, bury your dead.”
16 Abraham accepted Ephron’s offer, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the price that Ephron had quoted to him in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels [4] of silver, according to the current standard of the merchants at that time.
17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, near Mamre—the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were within the boundaries of the field were deeded 18 to Abraham as his property. This was done in the presence of all the Hittites, who were assembled at the gate of the city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave in the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the descendants of Heth as his property to be used as a burial site.
Footnotes1. Genesis 23:3 There is no known connection between these Canaanites (Genesis 10:15) and the later Indo-European Hittites of Anatolia (Turkey). The well-known Hittites of Anatolia did not actually call themselves Hittites but were given this name because of the mistaken belief that they were related to this people in the Bible. 2. Genesis 23:4 Literally out of my sight, also in verse 8 3. Genesis 23:13 Literally the silver. There were no coins at this time. Silver or gold were weighed out to serve as money. 4. Genesis 23:16 A shekel was about a half ounce or a bit less, but its weight varied with time and place, as the parenthetical comment indicates.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 12Genesis 21:22 – 22:24LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 12
Genesis 21:22 – 22:24 (EHV)
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Genesis 21Abraham and Abimelek22 At that time Abimelek and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham. He said, “God is with you in everything that you do. 23 Now swear to me here by God that you will not deal treacherously with me, or with my son, or with my grandson. But just as I have been kind to you, you shall do the same for me and for the land in which you have lived as an alien.”
24 Abraham said, “I will swear it.”
25 Abraham complained to Abimelek because of a well which Abimelek’s servants had seized violently. 26 Abimelek said, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I did not hear about it until today.”
27 Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek. The two of them made a treaty. [1] 28 Abraham set aside seven ewe lambs from the flock.
29 Abimelek said to Abraham, “Why have you set these seven ewe lambs by themselves?”
30 He said, “You shall accept these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal testimony that I have dug this well.” 31 Therefore, he called that place Beersheba, [2] because they both took an oath there. 32 So they made a treaty at Beersheba. Then Abimelek got up with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he proclaimed [3] the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. 34 Abraham lived as an alien in the land of the Philistines for a long time. [4]
Abraham Offers IsaacGenesis 221 Some time later God tested Abraham. He called to him, “Abraham!”
Abraham answered, “I am here.”
2 God said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains there, the one to which I direct you.”
3 Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, along with Isaac his son. Abraham split the wood for the burnt offering. Then he set out to go to the place that God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
5 Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go on over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and loaded it on Isaac his son. He took the firepot and the knife in his hand. The two of them went on together.
7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father?”
He said, “I am here, my son.”
He said, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them went on together. 9 They came to the place that God had told him about. Abraham built the altar there. He arranged the wood, tied up Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11 The Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!”
Abraham said, “I am here.”
12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
13 Abraham looked around and saw that behind him there was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord Will Provide.” [5] So it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
15 The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “I have sworn by myself, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your descendants greatly, like the stars of the sky and like the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the city gates of their enemies. 18 In your seed [6] all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
19 Then Abraham returned to his young men, and they set out and traveled together to Beersheba. Abraham lived at Beersheba.
20 Some time after these things Abraham was told, “Listen. Milcah also has borne children for your brother Nahor. 21 They are Uz his firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight sons Milcah bore for Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 Nahor’s concubine, whose name was Reumah, also gave birth to Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Ma’akah.
Footnotes1. Genesis 21:27 Or covenant 2. Genesis 21:31 Beersheba can mean well of the oath or well of seven. 3. Genesis 21:33 Or called on 4. Genesis 21:34 Literally for many days. In Hebrew this can cover months or even years. 5. Genesis 22:14 Or Yahweh Jireh or Yahweh Who Sees 6. Genesis 22:18 The literal rendering seed is retained here to indicate the continuity of the Messianic promise from Eve, through Abraham and David, to Christ, who was the promised Seed of the Woman.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 11Genesis 20:1 – 21:21LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 11
Genesis 20:1 – 21:21 (EHV)
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Abraham and AbimelekGenesis 201 Abraham traveled from there toward the Negev, and he lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a resident alien in Gerar. 2 About his wife Sarah Abraham said, “She is my sister.” Abimelek king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelek in a dream during the night and said to him, “Listen to me! You are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, because she has a husband.”
4 Now Abimelek had not come near her. He said, “Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation? 5 Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister’? Even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a sincere heart and innocent hands.”
6 God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a sincere heart, so I also prevented you from sinning against me. That is why I did not allow you to touch her. 7 Now therefore, return the man’s wife. He is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you do not return her, know for sure that you will die, you along with all who are yours.”
8 Abimelek rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told them all these things. The men were terrified. 9 Then Abimelek summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought this great sin on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done!” 10 Abimelek said to Abraham, “What did you see in us that made you do this?”
11 Abraham said, “I did it because I said to myself, ‘Surely they do not fear God in this place. They will kill me to get my wife.’ 12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 When God had me migrate from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness that you shall show to me: Everywhere that we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
14 Abimelek took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and he gave them to Abraham. He also returned Sarah, his wife, to him. 15 Abimelek said, “Look, my land is in front of you. Dwell wherever it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given your brother a thousand pieces [1] of silver. You see, it covers any offense in the eyes of everyone who is with you. In front of all of them you are vindicated.”
17 Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelek and his wife and his female servants, so that they were able to bear children. 18 For the Lord had closed up tight all the wombs of the household of Abimelek over the matter of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
The Birth of IsaacGenesis 211 The Lord visited [2] Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. 2 Sarah conceived and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age, at the set time which God had announced to him. 3 Abraham named the son who was born to him—the son whom Sarah had borne to him— [3] Isaac. [4] 4 Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me.” 7 She said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son for him in his old age.”
8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham, laughing at Isaac. 10 Therefore, she said to Abraham, “Throw out this slave girl [5] and her son! For the son of this slave will not be heir with my son Isaac.”
11 Abraham was very distressed because of his son. 12 God said to Abraham, “Do not be so distressed because of the boy and because of your maid. [6] Listen to everything that Sarah says to you, because the family line of your descendants [7] will be traced through Isaac. 13 I will also make the son of the maid into a nation because he too is your offspring.”
14 Abraham got up early in the morning. He took bread and a waterskin, which he gave to Hagar, putting it over her shoulder. He sent her away with her child. She set out and wandered in the wilderness near Beersheba. 15 The water in the skin was used up, and she dragged the child under one of the bushes. 16 She went and sat down by herself, across from him, at a distance, about a bow shot away, because she said, “Do not let me see the death of the child.” She sat across from him and wept loudly.
17 God heard the boy’s voice, and the Angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy’s voice right where he is. 18 Get up. Help the boy up, and take him by the hand, because I will make him into a great nation.”
19 God opened her eyes, and she saw a well with water in it. She went, filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink. 20 God was with the boy, and as he grew up, he lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Footnotes1. Genesis 20:16 No unit of measurement is specified. It most likely was shekels. 2. Genesis 21:1 In the Bible, visit means to bring blessing or judgment. Here it obviously is the former. 3. Genesis 21:3 Hebrew narrative style is often repetitious. We have tried to preserve that style. 4. Genesis 21:3 Isaac means he laughs. 5. Genesis 21:10 The word which is used in this chapter for female slave or servant (amah) is said to be somewhat higher than the one used in connection with Ishmael’s birth in chapter 16 (shiphchah). See the note to verse 12. 6. Genesis 21:12 The word which is used in this chapter for female slave or servant (amah) is allegedly somewhat higher than the one used in connection with Ishmael’s birth in chapter 16 (shiphchah). In Sarah’s eyes, Hagar is still a slave, but as Sarah’s surrogate, she also has the status of a secondary wife of Abraham. It is not clear, however, whether any distinction is intended by this shift of terms. Critics, of course, see the shift as evidence of two sources. 7. Genesis 21:12 Literally seed
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 10Genesis 19LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 10
Genesis 19 (EHV)
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The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah1 The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot, who was sitting in the gatehouse of Sodom, saw them and got up to meet them. He bowed down with his face to the ground, 2 and he said, “See now, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house and spend the night. Wash your feet, and you can get up early and go on your way.”
They said, “No, we will spend the night in the street.”
3 But he kept urging them, so they came with him and entered his house. He made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from all parts of town. 5 They called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may be intimate with them.” [1]
6 Lot went out to them and shut the door behind him. 7 He said, “Please, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not had relations with a man. Please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them whatever seems good to you. Only do not do anything to these men, because they have come under the protection [2] of my roof.”
9 They said, “Get out of our way!” They also said, “This fellow came to live here as an alien, and now he appoints himself as a judge. Now we will treat you worse than them!” They kept pushing Lot back and were ready to break down the door. 10 But the men inside reached out and grabbed Lot and pulled him into the house with them and shut the door. 11 They struck the men who were pressing against the door of the house, both young and old, with blindness so that they wore themselves out trying to find the door.
12 The men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, whoever you have in the city, get them out of this place, 13 for we are going to destroy this place, because the outcry against it has grown great before the Lord, so the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”
14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to his daughters in marriage. He said, “Get up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is going to destroy the city.” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
15 When the dawn came, the angels urged Lot, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, so that you will not be swept away by the guilt of the city.” 16 But Lot was taking too much time, so the men grabbed his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, because of the Lord’s compassion for him. They led him out and placed him outside of the city. 17 Then when they had taken them out, one of them said, “Run for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, so that you are not swept away!”
18 Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lord. [3] 19 See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great mercy by saving my life. I cannot flee to the mountains, or this disaster will stick with me, and I will die. 20 Look, this city is close enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Please let me flee there—isn’t it just a little one?—so that my life will be saved.”
21 The man said to him, “Very well, I have granted your request concerning this thing, so I will not overthrow the city that you have spoken about. 22 Hurry, flee there, because I cannot do anything until you get there.” So the city was named Zoar. [4]
23 The sun had risen over the land when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire out of the sky from the Lord. 25 He overthrew those cities, as well as all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and whatever grew in the soil.
26 But Lot’s wife, who was behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain. As he looked, he saw that the smoke from the land was going up like the smoke from a kiln.
29 And so when God destroyed the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham and brought Lot out through the middle of the devastation, when he overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
Lot and His Daughters30 Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the mountains, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. His two daughters were with him. He lived in a cave with his two daughters. 31 The firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man in the land to come to us as normally takes place everywhere on earth. 32 Come on, let’s get our father to drink wine, and we will lie down with him, that we may preserve our father’s seed.” [5] 33 They got their father to drink wine that night, and the firstborn went and lay down with her father. He did not know it when she lay down or when she got up.
34 Then the next day the firstborn said to the younger, “Look, last night I lay down with my father. Let us get him to drink wine again tonight. You go and lie down with him, so that we may preserve our father’s seed.” 35 They got their father to drink wine that night also. Then the younger went and lay with him. He did not know it when she lay down or when she got up. 36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father.
37 The firstborn gave birth to a son and named him Moab. [6] He is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 The younger also gave birth to a son and called his name Ben Ammi. [7] He is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.
Footnotes1. Genesis 19:5 Literally that we may know them. Shocking as the crime is, the text places a euphemism into the mouths of the perpetrators. The next verses make their intentions clear. 2. Genesis 19:8 Literally the shadow 3. Genesis 19:18 The Hebrew has this written as Adonai, the divine name Lord or an emphatic plural my lords. The Greek Old Testament has the singular my lord. 4. Genesis 19:22 Zoar means little. 5. Genesis 19:32 Seed here refers to semen and to the offspring that result from it. 6. Genesis 19:37 In Hebrew Moab sounds like from the father. 7. Genesis 19:38 Ben Ammi means son of my people.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 09Genesis 18LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 09
Genesis 18 (EHV)
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Three Men Meet Abraham1 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he was sitting by the door to his tent during the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up, and he saw three men standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and he bowed down to the ground. 3 He said, “My lord, [1] if I have now found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. 4 Now let me get a little water so that all of you can wash your feet and rest under the tree. 5 Let me get some bread so that you can refresh yourselves. After that you may go your way. That is why you have come to your servant.”
They said, “Yes, do as you have said.”
6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly prepare twenty quarts [2] of fine flour, knead it, and make some loaves of bread.” 7 Abraham ran to the herd, brought a good, tender calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to prepare it. 8 He took cheese curds, milk, and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them. He stood beside them under the tree while they ate.
9 They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?”
He said, “She is over there in the tent.”
10 One of the men said, “I will certainly return to you when this season comes around next year. Then Sarah your wife will have a son.”
Sarah was listening to this from the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well into old age. Sarah was past the age for childbearing. [3] 12 Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, will I have pleasure, since my lord is also old?”
13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really give birth to a child though I am old?’ 14 Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the set time next year I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Then Sarah denied it and said, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid.
The Lord said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
16 The men got up from there and looked down toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way. 17 The Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, [4] so that he may command his children and his household who follow after him to keep the way of the Lord by carrying out righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may deliver to Abraham what he has promised him.”
20 So the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very flagrant, 21 I will go down now and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has come to me. If not, I will know.”
22 The two men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Abraham approached him and said, “Will you really sweep away the righteous along with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep them away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 You would never do such a thing, killing the righteous along with the wicked, treating the righteous the same as the wicked. You would never do such a thing. The Judge of all the earth should do right, shouldn’t he?”
26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people within the city of Sodom, then I will spare the entire place for their sake.”
27 Abraham answered, “See now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it on myself to speak to my Lord. 28 What if there are five fewer than fifty righteous? Will you destroy the entire city if the number is five short?”
He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
29 He spoke to him yet again and said, “What if only forty are found there?”
He said, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”
30 He said, “Please, do not be angry, my Lord, but I will speak again. What if thirty are found there?”
He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 He said, “See now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to my Lord. What if there are twenty found there?”
He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
32 He said, “Please, do not be angry, my Lord, but I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?”
He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
33 As soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham, the Lord went on his way, and Abraham returned to his place.
Footnotes1. Genesis 18:3 Or my Lord. The Hebrew writes this word as Adonai. That would make this a divine name, Lord, but did Abraham already recognize that the man was God? 2. Genesis 18:6 Or thirty-six pounds. Hebrew three seahs. This is a huge amount. 3. Genesis 18:11 Literally the way of women had ceased for Sarah 4. Genesis 18:19 Literally have known him
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 08Genesis 16 – 17LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 08
Genesis 16 – 17 (EHV)
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Hagar and IshmaelGenesis 161 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore no children for him. She had a servant girl, [1] an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my servant girl. It may be that I can build up a family through her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
3 After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took her servant girl, Hagar the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4 He went to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, she looked down on her mistress. 5 Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong that I am suffering is on account of you. I gave my servant girl into your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked down on me. May the Lord judge between me and you.”
6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Look, your servant girl is in your hands. Do to her whatever seems good to you.” Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her presence.
7 The Angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a flowing spring in the wilderness, beside the spring on the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar, servant girl of Sarai, where did you come from? Where are you going?”
She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”
9 The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority.” 10 The Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendants, so that they will be too many to count.” 11 The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Listen, you are expecting a child and will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, [2] because the Lord has heard your affliction. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He will dwell in hostility toward [3] all of his brothers.”
13 She called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Here have I really seen him who sees me?” [4] 14 Therefore the well was called Be’er Lahai Roi. [5] It is right there between Kadesh and Bered.
15 Hagar gave birth to a son for Abram. Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael for him.
The Covenant of CircumcisionGenesis 171 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and I will make your descendants very numerous.”
3 Abram fell on his face. God spoke with him. He said, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations. 5 Your name will not be Abram anymore, but your name will be Abraham, [6] for I have made you the father of a large group of nations. 6 I will make you extremely fruitful, and I will produce nations from you. Kings will come out of you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you as an everlasting covenant throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 I will give the land where you are living as an alien, all the land of Canaan, to you and to your descendants after you as a permanent possession. I will be their God.”
9 God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, a covenant between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised by cutting the foreskin off your flesh. It will be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 Every boy among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised, every male throughout your generations, whether he is born in your house or purchased with money [7] from any foreigner who is not descended from you. 13 Every male who is born in your house or one who is purchased with your money must be circumcised. My covenant will be marked on your flesh as an everlasting covenant. 14 The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised by removing the foreskin from his flesh, that person must be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”
15 God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai anymore, but her name will be Sarah. [8] 16 I will bless her and even give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of many peoples will come from her.”
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to someone who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh, let Ishmael live in your presence!”
19 But God said, “No, Sarah, your wife, will bear a son for you. You shall name him Isaac. [9] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
20 “As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Yes, I have blessed him. I will make him fruitful and will multiply him very greatly. He will become the father of twelve chiefs, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear for you at this set time next year.”
22 When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Abraham took his son Ishmael, along with every male in Abraham’s house, all those who were born in his house, and all those who were purchased with his money, and he circumcised them by cutting off the foreskin from their flesh. He did this on that very day, just as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when the foreskin of his flesh was circumcised. 25 Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when the foreskin of his flesh was circumcised. 26 On the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised. 27 All the men of his house, those born in the house as well as those purchased with money from a foreigner, were circumcised along with him.
Footnotes1. Genesis 16:1 Or female slave. Shiphchah is allegedly the lower level word for a female servant who serves as an attendant to the lady of the house. 2. Genesis 16:11 In Hebrew Ishmael sounds like God heard. 3. Genesis 16:12 Or far away from 4. Genesis 16:13 Or Have I been permitted to see even a glimpse of him who sees me? 5. Genesis 16:14 Be’er Lahai Roi means well of the one who lives and sees me. 6. Genesis 17:5 Abram and Abraham are variants of the same name. Both mean exalted father, but Abraham sounds more like the Hebrew for father of a multitude. 7. Genesis 17:12 Literally silver. There were no coins at this time. Silver or gold were weighed out to make payments. 8. Genesis 17:15 Sarai and Sarah are variants of the same name. Both mean princess. 9. Genesis 17:19 Isaac means he laughs.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 07Genesis 15LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 07
Genesis 15 (EHV)
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The Promise of an Heir1 After these events the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. He said, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
2 Abram said, “Lord God [1] what can you give me, since I remain childless, and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Abram also said, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a servant born in my house will be my heir.”
4 Just then, the word of the Lord came to him. God said, “This man will not be your heir, but instead one who will come out of your own body will be your heir.” 5 The Lord then brought him outside and said, “Now look toward the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “This is what your descendants will be like.” 6 Abram believed in [2] the Lord, and the Lord credited it to him as righteousness. 7 He said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as a possession.”
8 He said, “Lord God, how will I know that I will possess it?”
9 The Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Abram gathered all of these, divided them in half, and laid the two halves across from each other, but he did not divide the birds in two. 11 Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12 When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Then terrifying, deep darkness fell on him. 13 The Lord said to Abram, “Know this! Your descendants will live as aliens in a land that is not theirs, and they will serve its people, who will afflict them for four hundred years. 14 But I will surely judge the nation that they will serve. Afterward your descendants will come out with great wealth, 15 but you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come here again, because the guilt of the Amorites is not yet full.” 17 Then when the sun had gone down and it was dark, suddenly a smoking oven and a flaming torch passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made [3] a covenant with Abram. He said, “To your descendants I have given this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. 19 I will give you the territory of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaites, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
Footnotes1. Genesis 15:2 The translation follows the tradition of reading the Hebrew combination Adonai Yahweh (Lord Yahweh) as Lord God. 2. Genesis 15:6 Or trusted in or believed 3. Genesis 15:18 The Hebrew expression for make a covenant is literally cut a covenant. Perhaps this is a reflection of the cutting of the animals.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 06Genesis 13:5 – 14:24LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 06
Genesis 13:5 – 14:24 (EHV)
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Genesis 135 Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents. 6 The land was not able to support them if they lived close together, because their possessions were so great that they could not live together. 7 There was conflict between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. (The Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land at that time.) 8 Abram said to Lot, “Please, because we are close relatives, let there be no conflict between me and you and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen. 9 Doesn’t the whole land lie before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”
10 Lot looked up and saw the whole region around the Jordan River as you come to Zoar. [1] (Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt.) 11 So Lot chose the region around the Jordan for himself. Lot headed out toward the east, and they separated from each other. 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived among the cities of the region around the Jordan and moved his tent close to Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were extremely wicked sinners against the Lord.
14 After Lot was separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look around from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west, 15 because all the land that you see, I will give to you and to your descendants permanently. 16 I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted. 17 Get up, walk through the length and breadth of the land, because I will give it to you.”
18 Abram moved his tent and went to live by the oaks at Mamre, which are at Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.
The Attack on SodomGenesis 141 In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goyim [2] 2 made war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea [3]). 4 For twelve years they served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and struck the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their Mount Seir, all the way to El Paran, which is by the wilderness. 7 They returned and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and struck all the territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon Tamar. 8 The king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and lined up for battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell there. [4]Those who survived fled to the hills. 11 The raiders took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and then they went on their way. 12 Because he had been living in Sodom, they took also Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, and his possessions and went on their way.
13 One person escaped and came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks that belonged to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and Aner. They were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led out all his trained men who were born in his house, three hundred eighteen of them, and pursued them as far as Dan. 15 During the night he divided his servants into groups to attack them. He struck them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He brought back all the possessions. He also brought back his relative Lot, and his possessions, and the women also, and the rest of the people.
17 After Abram’s return from the defeat of Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of God Most High. 19 He blessed Abram and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and take the goods for yourself.”
22 Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to swear to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, so that you cannot say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24 I will take nothing except that which the young men have eaten and the share belonging to the men who went with me, namely, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their share.”
Footnotes1. Genesis 13:10 In the Hebrew text, the words as you come to Zoar are placed at the end of verse 10, but they must refer to the area of Sodom and Gomorrah, not to Egypt. See 14:8. 2. Genesis 14:1 Or nations 3. Genesis 14:3 That is, the Dead Sea 4. Genesis 14:10 Or fell into them
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 05Genesis 11:10 – 13:4LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 05
Genesis 11:10 – 13:4 (EHV)
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Genesis 11The Ancestors of Abraham10 This is the account about the development of the family of Shem.
Shem was 100 years old and became the father of Arphaxad two years after the flood. 11 Shem lived 500 years after he became the father of Arphaxad, and he became the father of sons and daughters.
12 Arphaxad lived 35 years and became the father of Shelah. 13 Arphaxad lived 403 years after he became the father of Shelah, and he became the father of sons and daughters. [1]
14 Shelah lived 30 years and became the father of Eber. 15 Shelah lived 403 years after he became the father of Eber, and he became the father of sons and daughters.
16 Eber lived 34 years and became the father of Peleg. 17 Eber lived 430 years after he became the father of Peleg, and he became the father of sons and daughters.
18 Peleg lived 30 years and became the father of Reu. 19 Peleg lived 209 years after he became the father of Reu, and he became the father of sons and daughters.
20 Reu lived 32 years and became the father of Serug. 21 Reu lived 207 years after he became the father of Serug, and he became the father of sons and daughters.
22 Serug lived 30 years and became the father of Nahor. 23 Serug lived 200 years after he became the father of Nahor, and he became the father of sons and daughters.
24 Nahor lived 29 years and became the father of Terah. 25 Nahor lived 119 years after he became the father of Terah, and he became the father of sons and daughters.
26 Terah lived 70 years and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
The Development of the Family of Terah27 Now this is the account about the development [2] of the family of Terah.
Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. 28 Haran died before his father Terah. He died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
29 Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was also the father of Iscah. 30 Sarai was barren. She had no child.
31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, who was the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, who was the wife of his son Abram, and they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years. Terah died in Haran.
The Call of AbramGenesis 121 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Get out of your country and away from your relatives and from your father’s house and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse anyone who dishonors you. All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to travel to the land of Canaan. Eventually they arrived in the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land until he came to the Oak of Moreh at the place called Shechem. The Canaanites were in the land at that time.
7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” [3] Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8 He moved on from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent there, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and proclaimed [4] the name of the Lord. 9 Abram pulled out from there and kept traveling toward the Negev. [5]
The First Trip to Egypt10 There was a famine in the land. So Abram went down into Egypt to stay there for a while, because the famine was severe in the land. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman. 12 It might happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will keep you alive. 13 Please say that you are my sister, so that it will go well for me because of you, and that my life may be preserved on account of you.”
14 So it happened that when Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians did see that the woman was very beautiful. 15 Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake. Abram received sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with severe diseases [6] because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Here is your wife. Take her and go.”
20 Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning him, so they sent him on his way with his wife and all that he had.
Abram and Lot SeparateGenesis 131 Abram went up out of Egypt into the Negev. He went with his wife and with all that he had, and with Lot too. 2 Abram was very wealthy in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 He went on his journeys from the Negev to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai. 4 He went to the site of the altar that he had made there earlier. There Abram proclaimed [7] the name of the Lord.
Footnotes1. Genesis 11:13 Some manuscripts of the Greek Old Testament have an extra generation between Arphaxad and Shelah: Cainan (also called Kenan) lived 130 years and became the father of Shelah. Cainan lived 330 years after he had become the father of Shelah, and he became the father of sons and daughters. Cainan occurs in the Greek Old Testament of Genesis 10:24; 11:12-13; and some texts of 1 Chronicles 1:24 (or 18) [sic]. It also occurs in most manuscripts of Luke 3:36. Manuscripts without Cainan include all passages of the Hebrew text (Genesis 10:24; 11:12-13; 1 Chronicles 1:18, 24), the Samaritan Pentateuch, 1 Chronicles 1:24 in the Greek Old Testament [sic], the Targums of Jonathan and Onkelos, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Latin Vulgate. It appears that Cainan was not part of the Hebrew text. (It should be noted that there are numerous discrepancies in the textual commentaries about this issue, especially concerning the Greek Old Testament, as is true of many other textual issues.) 2. Genesis 11:27 Or the account of the subsequent history 3. Genesis 12:7 Or offspring, literally seed 4. Genesis 12:8 Or called on 5. Genesis 12:9 The Negev is the arid region in the far south of Israel. Negev sometimes is used as a synonym for south. 6. Genesis 12:17 Or plagues 7. Genesis 13:4 Or called on
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 04Genesis 10:1 – 11:9LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 04
Genesis 10:1 – 11:9 (EHV)
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Genesis 101 Now this is the account about the development of groups of people who descended from Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah. Sons [1] were born to them after the flood.
The Descendants of Japheth2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek, and Tiras. [2]
3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim, and the Dodanim. [3]
5 The islands and coastlands were divided into different lands among these peoples on the basis of their languages, their ethnic groups, and their nations.
The Descendants of Ham6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, [4] Put, and Canaan.
7 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Ra’amah, and Sabteca.
The sons of Ra’amah were Sheba and Dedan.
8 Cush became the father of Nimrod. He was the first to be a mighty warrior on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. That is why the saying is “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Uruk, Akkad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar. [5] 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah, the great city.
13 Mizraim [6] became the father of the Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines descended), and the Caphtorim.
15 Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn) and Heth, 16 as well as the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the families of the Canaanites spread out. 19 Then the borders of the Canaanites extended from Sidon, southward toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; from there it extended eastward toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
20 These were the sons of Ham, according to their ethnic groups, their languages, their lands, and their nations.
The Descendants of Shem21 Sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth, [7] the father of all the descendants of Eber.
22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. [8]
24 Arphaxad became the father of Shelah. [9] Shelah became the father of Eber. 25 To Eber two sons were born. The name of one was Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided. [10]
Eber’s brother’s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 30 Their dwelling was from Mesha all the way to Sephar, in the hill country of the east.
31 These were the descendants of Shem according to their ethnic groups, their languages, their lands, and their nations.
32 These are the families and groups of peoples descended from the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations. From these, nations spread out over the earth after the flood.
The Division of the EarthGenesis 111 The whole earth had one language and a single vocabulary. 2 As people traveled in the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used mud brick instead of stone for building material, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They said, “Come, let’s build a city for ourselves and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, so that we will not be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
5 The Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If this is the first thing they are doing as one people, who all have one language, then nothing that they intend to do will be too difficult for them. 7 Come, let’s go down there and confuse their language, so that they cannot understand one another’s speech.”
8 So the Lord scattered them from there over the face of the whole earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 It was named Babel, [11] because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
Footnotes1. Genesis 10:1 In these tables, sons in some cases includes descendants. Fathers in some cases means ancestors or forefathers. 2. Genesis 10:2 Some of these names are the names both of ancestral individuals and of ethnic groups that were derived from them. Some of the names also serve as names of geographic places. 3. Genesis 10:4 The names ending in –im are peoples rather than individuals. Usually we render these names with the suffix -ites, except for a few primordial groups whose names also occur as names of geographic places, such as the Valley of Rephaim. The name Kittim is retained because it is common in literature about the Bible. 4. Genesis 10:6 Mizraim is the Hebrew name for Egypt. 5. Genesis 10:10 That is, Babylon 6. Genesis 10:13 Mizraim is the Hebrew name for Egypt. 7. Genesis 10:21 Or whose older brother was Japheth, but this translation does not fit the Hebrew construction as well as the translation above does. 8. Genesis 10:23 The Greek text and 1 Chronicles 1:17 read Meshek. 9. Genesis 10:24 Some manuscripts of the Greek Old Testament have an extra generation (Cainan or Kenan) between Arphaxad and Shelah. See the note on Genesis 11:13. 10. Genesis 10:25 Peleg means division. 11. Genesis 11:9 Babel sounds like the Hebrew word for confusion.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 03Genesis 8:20 – 9:29LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 03
Genesis 8:20 – 9:29 (EHV)
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Genesis 820 Noah built an altar to the Lord and took from every clean animal and every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 The Lord smelled the pleasant aroma. The Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the soil anymore because of man, for the thoughts he forms in his heart are evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike every living thing, as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
God’s Covenant With the EarthGenesis 91 God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 Every animal on the earth and every bird in the sky will fear you and dread you. Everything that swarms on the ground and all the fish in the sea are handed over to you. 3 Every living, moving thing will be food for you. I have given everything to you, just as I gave you the green plants. 4 But flesh that has the blood (which is its life) still in it, you shall not eat. 5 In fact, I will hold each animal and each person responsible for your lifeblood. I will hold each man responsible for the life of his brother. 6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for God made man in his own image.
7 “But you, be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly on the earth, and multiply on it.”
8 God said to Noah and to his sons, who were with him, 9 “Listen, I will now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with everything with you that has the breath of life: with the birds, with the livestock, and with every wild animal that is on the earth with you, with everything that went out of the ark, even with every wild animal on the earth. 11 I will establish my covenant with you: Never again will all living creatures [1] be cut off by the waters of a flood. Neither will there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth.”
12 God also said, “This is the sign of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you that I am giving for all generations to come. 13 I have set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be the sign of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring a cloud over the earth and the rainbow is seen in the cloud, 15 I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of every sort, [2] and the waters will never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it so that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of every kind that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
The Repopulation of the Earth18 The sons of Noah who went out from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, people spread out over the whole earth.
20 Noah began to be a man of the soil and planted a vineyard. 21 He drank some of the wine and got drunk. He lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it over their shoulders. They went in backwards and covered the nakedness of their father. They faced backwards, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him. 25 He said:
A curse on Canaan!
He will be the lowest of servants to his brothers.
26 Then he said:
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem!
Let Canaan be his servant.
27 May God enlarge Japheth.
Let him dwell in the tents of Shem.
Let Canaan be his servant.
28 Noah lived 350 years after the flood. 29 All the days of Noah were 950 years. Then he died.
Footnotes1. Genesis 9:11 Literally all flesh 2. Genesis 9:15 Literally all flesh
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 02Genesis 7:1 – 8:19LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 02
Genesis 7:1 – 8:19 (EHV)
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Genesis 71 The Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and your entire household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. 2 From every clean animal take with you seven pairs, [1] a male and his female. From the animals that are not clean, take two, a male and his female. 3 Also from the ⎣clean⎦ birds of the sky take seven and seven, male and female, ⎣and of all the unclean birds, one pair, a male and a female⎦ [2] to keep their offspring alive on the face of the whole earth. 4 In seven days I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. Every living thing that I have made, I will wipe off the face of the earth.”
5 Noah did everything that the Lord commanded him.
The Flood6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood [3] came, and water covered the earth.
7 Noah went into the ark with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, because of the waters of the flood. 8 Clean animals, animals that are not clean, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground 9 went into the ark with Noah two by two (male and female), just as God had commanded Noah.
10 After seven days, the waters of the flood came on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that very day, all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates [4] of the sky were opened. 12 The rain came down on the earth for forty days and forty nights.
13 On that same day Noah, Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons along with them entered the ark. 14 They went in with every animal according to its kind, all the livestock according to their kinds, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth according to its kind, and everything that flies according to its kind, flying birds of every sort. 15 Pairs of all the animals [5] that have the breath of life in them went to Noah in the ark. 16 A male and female of each animal that breathes went in, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut Noah in.
17 The flood kept coming on the earth for forty days. The waters became deeper and lifted up the ark until it floated high above the earth. 18 The water kept increasing and overwhelmed the earth, and the ark was carried along on the surface of the water. 19 The water overwhelmed the earth. All the high mountains that were under the entire sky were covered. 20 The waters rose more than twenty feet above the mountains and covered them. 21 All living creatures [6] that moved on the earth perished, including birds, livestock, wild animals, every creeping thing that crawls on the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything that breathed the breath of life through its nostrils, that is, everything that was on the dry land, died. 23 Every living thing that was on the face of the earth was wiped out, including mankind, livestock, creeping things, and birds of the sky. They all were wiped off the earth. Only Noah was left, as well as those who were with him in the ark. 24 The waters overwhelmed the earth for one hundred fifty days.
Genesis 81 God remembered Noah, as well as all the animals and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. So God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were also closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained. 3 The waters kept receding from the earth. After the end of one hundred fifty days the waters had decreased. 4 In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters receded continuously until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were visible.
6 Then at the end of forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark. 7 He sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth, until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the waters had receded from the surface of the ground, 9 but the dove found no place to rest its foot, and it returned to him in the ark, because there was water on the surface of the whole earth. Noah reached out his hand, took the dove, and brought it back to him in the ark. 10 He waited another seven days. Then he sent the dove out of the ark again. 11 The dove came back to him at evening, and there in its mouth was an olive leaf it had just plucked. So Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 12 He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again. This time it did not return to him anymore.
13 And so in the six hundred first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked out. He saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.
15 God spoke to Noah. He said, 16 “Go out of the ark—you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing of every sort that is with you, all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may swarm over the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”
18 Noah went out with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives along with him. 19 Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever swarms on the earth went out of the ship, species by species. [7]
Footnotes1. Genesis 7:2 Literally by sevens. There is a difference of opinion whether seven pairs of each clean animal were to be taken onboard or seven of each clean animal: three pairs and one extra for sacrifice. 2. Genesis 7:3 The words in the half-brackets are not present in the Hebrew text but are in the Greek Old Testament. It seems the Hebrew copyist’s eye might have jumped from the occurrence of female before the first half-bracket to the occurrence of female before the second half-bracket. The loss of this phrase would lead to the removal of the word clean near the beginning of the verse. 3. Genesis 7:6 Or deluge 4. Genesis 7:11 Or windows 5. Genesis 7:15 Literally all flesh 6. Genesis 7:21 Literally all flesh 7. Genesis 8:19 Literally by their families. Species here is not a narrow technical term as it is in present-day science.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – March 01Genesis 6LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – March 01
Genesis 6 (EHV)
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The World Descends Into Evil1 This is what happened when mankind [1] began to multiply on the face of the earth. [2]
When daughters were born to people, 2 the sons of God [3] saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives for themselves any of them they chose. 3 The Lord said, “My Spirit will not struggle [4] with man forever, because he is only flesh. [5] His days will be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim [6] were on the earth in those days. After that, the sons of God went to the daughters of men, who bore children for them. Those became the powerful, famous men of ancient times.
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that all the thoughts and plans they formed in their hearts were only evil every day. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with sorrow. [7] 7 The Lord said, “I will wipe out mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth, along with the animals, the creeping things, and the birds of the sky, because I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah and the Ark9 This is the account about the development of Noah’s family.
Noah was a righteous man, a man of integrity in that generation. Noah walked with God. 10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 In the sight of God the earth was morally corrupt, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 God looked at the earth and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh was corrupt in all their ways on the earth.
13 So God said to Noah, “I have decreed the end of all flesh, because the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I am going to destroy them along with the earth.
14 “Make an ark [8] of gopher wood. [9] Make rooms in the ark. Seal it inside and outside with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: The length of the ark is to be 450 feet, its width 75 feet, and its height 45 feet. 16 Make a roof for the ark, and leave an eighteen-inch opening just under the roof. Place a door on the side of the ark. Make it with lower, second, and third decks.
17 “I myself am about to bring a flood of waters on the earth, in order to destroy all flesh under the sky that has the breath of life. Everything that is on the earth will die, 18 but I will establish my covenant [10] with you. You shall come into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You shall bring a pair (male and female) of every kind of living flesh into the ark with you to keep them alive. 20 Include the birds according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, every creeping thing on the ground according to their kinds. Two of every sort shall come to you, so you can keep them alive. 21 Take with you every type of food that is eaten, and store it for yourself, so it can be used as food for you and for them.”
22 So that is what Noah did. He did everything that God commanded him, just as he had been told.
Footnotes1. Genesis 6:1 Literally the adam. The rendering of adam may be man, men, or mankind. 2. Genesis 6:1 The adamah, the soil or ground 3. Genesis 6:2 The sons of God were the descendants of Seth. They were marrying the daughters of the ungodly line of Cain and of those who followed in Cain’s way. 4. Genesis 6:3 Or remain 5. Genesis 6:3 Flesh may refer to both sinfulness and mortality. 6. Genesis 6:4 Nephilim is simply a transliteration of the Hebrew word. Its meaning is uncertain, but it is explained by the last sentence of the verse. There can be no direct connection with the Nephilim in Canaan after the flood. 7. Genesis 6:6 The exact force of the two verbs in this verse is difficult to render in English. God’s regret and grief are not simply his sorrow over sin and its consequences, but that he will now change his course of action. 8. Genesis 6:14 An ark is a box. The ark was apparently more like a floating box than like a ship. 9. Genesis 6:14 Gopher is simply a transliteration of the Hebrew word. Many versions translate it as cypress, but we do not know what kind of wood it was. 10. Genesis 6:18 Or agreement
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 28Genesis 4 – 5LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 28
Genesis 4 – 5 (EHV)
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The First Children: Cain and AbelGenesis 41 The man was intimate with Eve, his wife. She conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have gotten a man with the Lord.” [1] 2 She also gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel.
Abel tended sheep, but Cain worked the ground. 3 As time passed, one day Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil. 4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord looked favorably on Abel and his offering, 5 but he did not look favorably on Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and his face showed it.
6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why do you have that angry look on your face? [2] 7 If you do good, will you not be lifted up? If you do not do good, sin is crouching at the door. It has a strong desire for you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” [3] When they were in the field, Cain attacked Abel, his brother, and killed him.
9 The Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?”
He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10 The Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the soil. 11 Now you are cursed and sent away from the soil [4] which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the soil, it will no longer give its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear. 14 Look, today you have driven me away from the soil. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. And whoever finds me will kill me.”
15 The Lord said to him, “No! [5] If anyone kills Cain, he will face sevenfold revenge.” And the Lord appointed a sign for [6] Cain, so that anyone who found him would not strike him down.
The Descendants of Cain16 Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, [7] east of Eden.
17 Cain was intimate with his wife. She conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Cain built a city and named the city after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch, Irad was born. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.
19 Lamech took two wives. The name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the predecessor [8] of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the predecessor of all who play the lyre and flute. 22 Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools and weapons from bronze and iron. Tubal Cain’s sister was Na’amah.
23 Lamech said to his wives:
Adah and Zillah, hear my voice.
You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech.
Look, I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for bruising me.
24 If Cain will be avenged seven times,
then Lamech will be avenged seventy-seven times.
The Family Line of Seth25 Adam was intimate with his wife again. She gave birth to a son and named him Seth, [9] because she said, “God has set another child in place of Abel for me, since Cain killed him.” 26 Later a son was born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. This is when people began to proclaim [10] the name of the Lord.
Genesis 51 This is the account about the development of Adam’s family:
In the day that God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them, and on the day they were created, he named them “mankind.” [11]
3 Adam lived 130 years, and he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his own image, and he named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were 800 years, and he became the father of sons and daughters. 5 All the days that Adam lived were 930 years. Then he died.
6 Seth lived 105 years, and he became the father of Enosh. 7 Seth lived 807 years after he became the father of Enosh, and he became the father of sons and daughters. 8 All the days of Seth were 912 years. Then he died.
9 Enosh lived 90 years, and he became the father of Kenan. 10 Enosh lived 815 years after he became the father of Kenan, and he became the father of sons and daughters. 11 All the days of Enosh were 905 years. Then he died.
12 Kenan lived 70 years, and he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived 840 years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he became the father of sons and daughters. 14 All the days of Kenan were 910 years. Then he died.
15 Mahalalel lived 65 years, and he became the father of Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived 830 years after he became the father of Jared, and he became the father of sons and daughters. 17 All the days of Mahalalel were 895 years. Then he died.
18 Jared lived 162 years, and he became the father of Enoch. 19 Jared lived 800 years after he became the father of Enoch, and he became the father of sons and daughters. 20 All the days of Jared were 962 years. Then he died.
21 Enoch lived 65 years, and he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years, and he became the father of sons and daughters. 23 All the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God. Then, he was not there, for God took him.
25 Methuselah lived 187 years, and he became the father of Lamech. 26 After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years, and he became the father of sons and daughters. 27 All the days of Methuselah were 969 years. Then he died.
28 Lamech lived 182 years and became the father of a son. 29 He named him Noah [12] and said, “This one will bring us comfort during our work and the hard labor that we must perform with our hands because the Lord has cursed the soil.” 30 Lamech lived 595 years after he became father of Noah, and he became the father of sons and daughters. 31 All the days of Lamech were 777 years. Then he died.
32 Noah was 500 years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. [13]
Footnotes1. Genesis 4:1 Or, following Luther’s translation, I have gotten a man, the Lord. The Jerusalem Targum reads I have acquired a man, the Angel of the Lord. Cain means get or acquire. 2. Genesis 4:6 Literally why has your face fallen 3. Genesis 4:8 The words let’s go into the field, which are missing from the Hebrew text, are supplied from the ancient versions. 4. Genesis 4:11 Here and in verse 14 the Hebrew word adamah, which can be translated ground or land, refers to the soil that Cain worked. 5. Genesis 4:15 The translation no is supported by the ancient versions. The Hebrew reads very well then. 6. Genesis 4:15 Or placed a mark on 7. Genesis 4:16 Nod means wandering. 8. Genesis 4:20 Literally father, that is, the founder of this way of life 9. Genesis 4:25 Seth sounds like the Hebrew word for set or place. 10. Genesis 4:26 Or call on 11. Genesis 5:2 Hebrew adam 12. Genesis 5:29 The name Noah sounds similar to the Hebrew words for rest and comfort. 13. Genesis 5:32 It does not seem that all of Noah’s sons were born in the same year. Translations disagree whether the sons were born by the time Noah was 500 years old or after he was 500 years old.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 27Genesis 3LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 27
Genesis 3 (EHV)
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The Fall Into Sin1 Now the serpent was more clever than any wild animal which the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, 3 but not from the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it. You shall not touch it, or else you will die.’”
4 The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die. 5 In fact, God knows that the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was appealing to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She gave some also to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for their waists. [1] 8 They heard the voice of the Lord God, who was walking around in the garden during the cooler part [2] of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
9 The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.”
11 God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man said, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 The Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 The Lord God said to the serpent:
Because you have done this,
you are cursed more than all the livestock,
and more than every wild animal.
You shall crawl on your belly,
and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.
15 I will put hostility between you and the woman,
and between your seed and her seed. [3]
He will crush your head,
and you will crush his heel.
16 To the woman he said:
I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing.
With painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
but [4] he will rule over you.
17 To Adam he said:
Because you listened to your wife’s voice
and ate from the tree about which I commanded you,
“You shall not eat from it,”
the soil is cursed on account of you.
You will eat from it with painful labor all the days of your life.
18 Thorns and thistles will spring up from the ground for you,
but you will eat the crops of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face you will eat bread
until you return to the soil,
for out of it you were taken.
For you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.
20 The man named his wife Eve [5] because she would be the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made clothing of animal skins for Adam and for his wife and clothed them.
22 The Lord God said, “Look, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, so that he does not reach out his hand and also take from the Tree of Life and eat and live forever—” 23 the Lord God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to work the soil from which he had been taken. 24 So he drove the man out, and in front of [6] the Garden of Eden he stationed cherubim [7] and a flaming sword, which turned in every direction to guard the way to the Tree of Life.
Footnotes1. Genesis 3:7 The Hebrew word often means belt, but here it apparently is an apron or a loincloth. 2. Genesis 3:8 Literally the wind or breeze of the day, that is, late afternoon or evening 3. Genesis 3:15 In the promises of Genesis and their fulfillment, the translation retains the literal expression seed rather than offspring or descendants to keep the imagery of the Messiah as the Seed of the Woman. 4. Genesis 3:16 Or and 5. Genesis 3:20 Eve means life. 6. Genesis 3:24 Or east of 7. Genesis 3:24 Cherubim are angels who are part of God’s honor guard. The translation retains the Hebrew form of the plural because cherubs has a different connotation in English.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 26Genesis 1 – 2LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 26
Genesis 1 – 2 (EHV)
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The Creation of the WorldGenesis 11 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was undeveloped [1] and empty. Darkness covered the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
3 God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good. He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” There was evening and there was morning—the first day.
6 God said, “Let there be an expanse [2] between the waters, and let it separate the water from the water.” 7 God made the expanse, and he separated the water that was below the expanse from the water that was above the expanse, and it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky.” [3]There was evening and there was morning—the second day.
9 God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear,” and it was so. ⎣The waters under the sky gathered to their own places, and the dry land appeared.⎦ [4] 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathering places of the waters he called “seas.” God saw that it was good. 11 God said, “Let the earth produce plants—vegetation that produces seed, and trees that bear fruit with its seed in it—each according to its own kind on the earth,” and it was so. 12 The earth brought forth plants, vegetation that produces seed according to its own kind, and trees that bear fruit with its seed in it, each according to its own kind, and God saw that it was good. 13 There was evening and there was morning—the third day.
14 God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night, and let them serve as markers to indicate seasons, days, and years. 15 Let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth,” and it was so. 16 God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set these lights in place in the expanse of the sky to provide light for the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning—the fourth day.
20 God said, “Let the waters swarm with living creatures, and let birds and other winged creatures [5] fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.” 21 God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their own kind, and every winged bird according to its own kind. God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them when he said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 There was evening and there was morning—the fifth day.
24 God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their own kind, livestock, [6] creeping things, and wild animals according to their own kind,” and it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their own kind, and the livestock according to their own kind, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its own kind. God saw that it was good.
26 God said, “Let us make man [7] in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that crawls on the earth.”
27 God created the man in his own image.
In the image of God he created him.
Male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 God said, “Look, I have given you every plant that produces seed on the face of the whole earth, and every tree that bears fruit that produces seed. It will be your food. 30 To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning—the sixth day.
Genesis 21 The heavens and the earth were finished, along with everything in them. [8] 2 On the seventh day God had finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had been doing. 3 God blessed the seventh day and set it apart as holy, because on it he rested from all his work of creation that he had done.
The Creation of Man and Woman4 This is the account about the development [9] of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens:
5 No bushes that grow in the field were yet on the earth, [10] and no plants of the field had yet sprung up, since the Lord God had not yet caused it to rain on the earth. There was not yet a man to till the soil, 6 but water [11] came up from the earth and watered the entire surface of the ground.
7 The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground [12] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 The Lord God planted a garden [13] in Eden in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made every kind of tree grow—trees that are pleasant to look at and good for food, including the Tree of Life in the middle of the garden and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
10 A river went out from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became the headwaters of four rivers. 11 The name of the first river is Pishon. It flows through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold, 12 and the gold of that land is good. Incense [14] and onyx stone are also found there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon. It is the same river that winds through the whole land of Cush. [15] 14 The name of the third river is Tigris. This is the one which flows along the east side of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it. 16 The Lord God gave a command to the man. He said, “You may freely eat from every tree in the garden, 17 but you shall not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for on the day that you eat from it, you will certainly die.”
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is a suitable partner for him.” 19 Out of the soil the Lord God had formed every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature, that became its name. 20 The man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal, but for Adam [16] no helper was found who was a suitable partner for him. 21 The Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. As the man slept, the Lord God took a rib [17] and closed up the flesh where it had been. 22 The Lord God built a woman from the rib that he had taken from the man and brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
Now this one is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh.
She will be called “woman,”
because she was taken out of man. [18]
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother
and will remain united with his wife,
and they will become one flesh. [19]
25 They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.
Footnotes1. Genesis 1:2 Or without form 2. Genesis 1:6 Traditionally a firmament 3. Genesis 1:8 Or the heavens 4. Genesis 1:9 The Greek Old Testament includes the sentence in half-brackets. It is not in the Hebrew text. 5. Genesis 1:20 The Hebrew word oph usually refers to birds, but it means “flyers” and can include other flying creatures such as insects and bats. 6. Genesis 1:24 Or domestic animals 7. Genesis 1:26 The rendering of the Hebrew word adam is a key issue in this section. Adam may refer to man, mankind, or Adam. This translation retains the article where it occurs with adam (the man) and retains singular or plural forms of verbs and pronouns according to the Hebrew text. 8. Genesis 2:1 Literally all their armies 9. Genesis 2:4 The Hebrew word toledoth, which is used in the headings of the ten sections of Genesis, is related to the Hebrew root for give birth, but as used in the section headings of Genesis (such as 2:4; 5:1; 6:9, etc.), toledoth seems to refer to the development more than to the origin of the group being discussed. For this reason, in the section headings of Genesis, toledoth is regularly translated account about the development. 10. Genesis 2:5 Literally every bush of the field was not yet on the earth. This wording seems to refer to the time before the creation of plants on day 3, but the context of chapter 2 seems to be the preparation of the Garden of Eden as a special home for man and woman. Some commentators suggest that this verse refers only to the area of the Garden of Eden, which had been left unfinished, but the wide term on the earth does not seem to be a natural way to say this, so this may be a reference back to day 3. 11. Genesis 2:6 A rare word (ed) is used. It may refer to springs or, less likely, to mist. Genesis 2:10 refers to the presence of rivers. 12. Genesis 2:7 Literally as dust from the ground. This means man is still dust and will return to dust. 13. Genesis 2:8 In Hebrew, the term garden includes groves of trees. 14. Genesis 2:12 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. It probably refers to a fragrant resin or a precious stone. 15. Genesis 2:13 In the Old Testament, Cush often refers to the land south of Egypt. Here the names of the third and fourth rivers suggest an area in Mesopotamia, today’s Iraq. 16. Genesis 2:20 Here the Hebrew word adam without the article becomes a personal name. 17. Genesis 2:21 Part of his side is a more literal translation than the traditional translation rib. 18. Genesis 2:23 Here the Hebrew word for man is ish not adam. Like the English word pair man/woman, the Hebrew words ish/ishah correspond to one another. 19. Genesis 2:24 Verse 24 may be a continuation of the words of Adam or a comment of the inspired writer. In either case, Jesus recognizes them as part of the divine institution of marriage (Matthew 19:4-5).
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 25Luke 9:37-56LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 25
Luke 9:37-56 (EHV)
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Luke 9Jesus Heals a Boy With a Demon37 The next day, after they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 Just then a man from the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, because he is my only child. 39 See, a spirit takes hold of him, and suddenly he screams. Then it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It hardly ever leaves him and constantly tortures him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
41 Jesus answered, “O unbelieving and perverse generation, [1] how long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42 As the boy was approaching, the demon threw him down and shook him with convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 They were all astonished at the majesty of God.
Jesus Predicts His Death and ResurrectionWhile everyone was amazed at all the things Jesus was doing, he said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears [2] and remember this: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand what he was saying. It was hidden from them so they did not grasp it. And they were afraid to ask him about this statement.
Who Is the Greatest?46 An argument started among them about which of them would be the greatest. 47 Since Jesus knew the thoughts of their hearts, he took a little child and had him stand next to him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. And whoever receives me receives him who sent me. In fact, the one who is least among all of you is the one who is great.”
Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us49 John said in reply, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he is not following you along with us.”
50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not try to stop him, because whoever is not against you is for you.”
Jesus Is Determined to Go to Jerusalem51 When the days were approaching for him to be taken up, Jesus was determined [3] to go to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead of him. They went and entered a Samaritan village to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not welcome him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” [4]
55 But he turned and rebuked them. “You don’t know what kind of spirit is influencing you. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s souls, but to save them.” [5] Then they went to another village.
Footnotes1. Luke 9:41 Or kind of people 2. Luke 9:44 Or put these words in your ears 3. Luke 9:51 Literally set his face 4. Luke 9:54 Some witnesses to the text add just as Elijah did. 5. Luke 9:56 Some witnesses to the text omit this quotation.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 24Luke 9:18-36LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 24
Luke 9:18-36 (EHV)
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Luke 9Jesus Is the Christ18 One time when Jesus was praying alone and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
19 They answered, “‘John the Baptist,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others say, ‘one of the ancient prophets come back to life.’”
20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
21 He gave them a strict command not to tell this to anyone. 22 He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law. He must be killed and be raised on the third day.”
Take Up the Cross23 Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 After all, what will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world, but destroys himself or is lost? 26 In fact, whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels. 27 I am telling you the truth: There are some standing here who will certainly not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration28 About eight days after he said these words, Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 Just then, two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with him! 31 They appeared in glory and were talking about his departure, [1] which he was going to bring to fulfillment in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and those with him were weighed down with sleep, but when they were completely awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He did not realize what he was saying.
34 While he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them. They were afraid as they went into the cloud. 35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love. [2] Listen to him!” 36 After the voice had spoken, they found Jesus alone. They kept this secret and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.
Footnotes1. Luke 9:31 Or exodus 2. Luke 9:35 A few witnesses to the text read my chosen one instead of whom I love.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 23Luke 9:1-17LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 23
Luke 9:1-17 (EHV)
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Luke 9Jesus Sends Out the Twelve1 Jesus called the Twelve [1] together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money; and do not take two coats. [2] 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave. 5 If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
6 They set out and went throughout the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.
Recalling the Death of John the Baptist7 Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening, and he was quite puzzled because some said that John had risen from the dead. 8 Others said that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the ancient prophets had risen. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this, about whom I hear such great things?” So he wanted to see him.
Jesus Feeds More Than Five Thousand10 The apostles returned and told Jesus what they had done. He took them and withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida. 11 But when the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God. He also healed those who needed healing. 12 As the day began to draw to a close, the Twelve came and said to him, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms to find lodging and food, because we are in a deserted place here.”
13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
“We have no more than five loaves and two fish,” they replied, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 (There were about five thousand men.)
He said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so and got them all to sit down. 16 Then Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke them. Then he kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve basketfuls of the broken pieces that were left over.
Footnotes1. Luke 9:1 Some witnesses to the text read twelve apostles. 2. Luke 9:3 Or tunics
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 22Luke 8:40-56LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 22
Luke 8:40-56 (EHV)
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Luke 8The Daughter of Jairus40 When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, because they were all waiting for him. 41 Just then a man named Jairus arrived. He was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, 42 because he had an only daughter who was about twelve years old and she was dying.
As he went, the crowds pressed tightly against him. 43 There was a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, yet although she had paid physicians all she had to live on, she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She approached Jesus from behind and touched the fringe of his garment. Immediately her flow of blood stopped. 45 And Jesus said, “Who touched me?”
As everyone was denying it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the crowds are pressing in and crowding you, yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, because I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 When the woman saw that she did not escape his notice, she came trembling and fell down before Jesus. In the presence of all the people she told him why she had touched him and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
49 While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue ruler’s house, saying, “Your daughter has died. Don’t trouble the Teacher anymore.”
50 But when Jesus heard it, he told Jairus, “Do not be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved.”
51 When he came to the house, he did not let anyone enter, except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 All the people were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Stop weeping, because she is not dead, but sleeping.”
53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he [1] took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and she immediately got up. He ordered that something be given to her to eat. 56 Her parents were amazed, but he instructed them not to tell anyone what had happened.
Footnotes1. Luke 8:54 Some witnesses to the text add sent all of them out.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 21Luke 8:22-39LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 21
Luke 8:22-39 (EHV)
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Luke 8Jesus Calms the Storm22 One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and told them, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they set out. 23 As they were sailing, he fell asleep. A powerful windstorm came down on the lake, the boat was filling up with water, and they were in danger.
24 They went to him and woke him, saying, “Master, master, we’re going to die!”
He woke up, rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they stopped. Then it was calm.
25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?”
They were afraid and amazed and said to one another, “Who, then, is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”
A Demon-Possessed Man and a Herd of Pigs26 They sailed down to the region of the Gerasenes, [1] which is across from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, a man from the town met him. He was possessed by demons and for a long time had not worn any clothes. He did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. In fact, the unclean spirit had seized him many times. He was kept under guard, and although he was bound with chains and shackles, he would break the restraints and was driven by the demon into deserted places.
30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Legion,” because many demons had gone into him. 31 They were begging Jesus that he would not order them to go into the abyss. 32 A herd of many pigs was feeding there on the mountain. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 The demons went out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
34 When those who were feeding the pigs saw what happened, they ran away and reported it in the town and in the countryside. 35 People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet. He was clothed and in his right mind, and the people were afraid. 36 Those who saw it told them how the demon-possessed man was saved. 37 The whole crowd of people from the surrounding country of the Gerasenes [2] asked Jesus to leave them, because they were gripped with great fear.
As Jesus got into the boat and started back, 38 the man from whom the demons had gone out begged to be with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home and tell how much God has done for you.” Then he went through the whole town proclaiming what Jesus had done for him.
Footnotes1. Luke 8:26 Some witnesses to the text read Gadarenes; others read Gergesenes. 2. Luke 8:37 Some witnesses to the text read Gadarenes; others read Gergesenes.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 20Luke 8:4-21LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 20
Luke 8:4-21 (EHV)
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Luke 8The Parable of the Sower4 As a large crowd was gathering and people from one town after another were making their way to him, he spoke using a parable. 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the path. It was trampled, and the birds of the sky devoured it. 6 Other seed fell on rocky ground. As soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 Other seed fell into good soil. It grew and produced fruit—one hundred times as much as was sown.” As he said these things, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!”
9 His disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?”
10 He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest I speak in parables so that ‘even though they see, they may not see, and even though they hear, they may not understand.’ [1] 11 This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear it, but then the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts to keep them from believing and being saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root. So they believe for a while, but then fall away in a time of testing. 14 The seeds that fell into the thorns are the ones who hear the word, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of life, so they do not mature. 15 And the seeds in the good ground are the ones who hear the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it tightly, and produce fruit as they patiently endure.
16 “No one lights a lamp and then hides it under a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing is secret that will not be made known and come to light. 18 So listen carefully, because whoever has will be given more, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers19 Jesus’ mother and brothers came to him, but they could not get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”
21 But he answered them, “My mother and brothers are those who are hearing and doing the word of God.”
Footnotes1. Luke 8:10 Isaiah 6:9
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 19Luke 7:36 – 8:3LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 19
Luke 7:36 – 8:3 (EHV)
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Luke 7Jesus Is Anointed by a Sinful Woman36 A certain one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. Jesus entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 Just then a sinful woman from that town learned that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 stood behind him near his feet weeping, and began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she began to wipe them with her hair while also kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would realize who is touching him and what kind of woman she is, because she is a sinner.”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
He said, “Teacher, say it.”
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, [1] and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one who had the larger debt forgiven.”
Then he told him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 Turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house, but you did not give me water for my feet. Yet she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but she, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume. 47 Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that is why she loved so much. But the one who is forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”
49 Those reclining at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Preaching the GospelLuke 81 Soon afterward Jesus was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; 3 Joanna, the wife of Cuza, Herod’s household manager; Susanna; and many others who provided support for them [2] out of their own possessions.
Footnotes1. Luke 7:41 A denarius was worth about one day’s wage. 2. Luke 8:3 Some witnesses to the text read him.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 18Luke 7:18-35LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 18
Luke 7:18-35 (EHV)
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Luke 7John the Baptist and Christ18 John’s disciples told him about all these things. 19 Calling two of his disciples to him, he sent them to Jesus [1] to ask, “Are you the one who was to come or should we look for someone else?” 20 When the men had arrived, they said to Jesus, “John the Baptist sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the one who was to come or should we look for someone else?’”
21 At that time Jesus healed many people of their diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits. And he gave many blind people the ability to see. 22 Jesus answered them, “Go, tell John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 23 Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of me.”
24 After John’s messengers had left, Jesus began to talk to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 No. Then what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Yet those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ [2]
28 “Yes, I tell you, [3] among those born of women there is no prophet [4] greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
29 When all the people (including the tax collectors) heard this, they declared that God was just, since they were baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and the legal experts rejected God’s purpose for themselves by not being baptized by him.
31 “To what then will I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance. We sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ 33 For John the Baptist has come without eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a man who is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 Yet wisdom is declared right by all her children.”
Footnotes1. Luke 7:19 Some witnesses to the text read the Lord. 2. Luke 7:27 Malachi 3:1 3. Luke 7:28 Some witnesses to the text read I tell you the truth. 4. Luke 7:28 Some witnesses to the text read no one.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 17Luke 7:1-17LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 17
Luke 7:1-17 (EHV)
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Luke 7A Believing Centurion1 After Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people who were listening, he went into Capernaum. 2 A centurion’s servant, who was valuable to him, was sick and about to die. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, 5 because he loves our nation, and he built our synagogue for us.”
6 Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell Jesus, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, because I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I am also a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another one, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9 When Jesus heard these things, he was amazed at him. He turned to the crowd that was following him and said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.” 10 And when the men who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son11 Soon afterward [1] Jesus went on his way to a town called Nain, and [2] his disciples and a large crowd were traveling with him. 12 As he was approaching the town gate, there was a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother. She was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not cry.” 14 He went up to the open coffin, touched it, and the pallbearers stopped. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
16 Fear gripped all of them, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us” and “God has visited his people!” 17 This was reported about him in all of Judea and in all the surrounding countryside.
Footnotes1. Luke 7:11 Some witnesses to the text read On the next day. 2. Luke 7:11 Some witnesses to the text add many of.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 16Luke 6:37-49LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 16
Luke 6:37-49 (EHV)
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Luke 6Consider the Beam in Your Own Eye37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. In fact, the measure with which you measure will be measured back to you.”
39 He also told them a parable: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Won’t they both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? 42 Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck in your eye,’ when you do not see the beam in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck in your brother’s eye.
Listen and Do43 “Certainly a good tree does not produce bad fruit, and a bad tree does not produce good fruit. 44 In fact, each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorn bushes, and they do not gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 The good person brings what is good out of the good stored in his heart, and the evil person brings what is evil out of the evil within. [1] To be sure, what his mouth speaks flows from the heart.
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and does them—I will show you what he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house who dug down deep and laid a foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the river beat against that house but could not shake it, because it was founded on bedrock. [2] 49 But the one who listened to my words and did not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river broke against it, it fell immediately, and that house was completely destroyed.”
Footnotes1. Luke 6:45 Some witnesses to the text read out of the evil treasure of his heart. 2. Luke 6:48 A few witnesses to the text read because it was well built.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 15Luke 6:12-36LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 15
Luke 6:12-36 (EHV)
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Luke 6Jesus Sends Out the Twelve12 It happened in those days that Jesus went up on the mountain to pray, and he spent all night in prayer to God. 13 When it was day, he summoned his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also called apostles: 14 Simon, whom he also named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15 Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, also Simon, who was called the Zealot; 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Jesus Heals Many17 He went down with them and stood on a level place with a large crowd of his disciples and a large number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, as well as from the coastal area of Tyre and Sidon. These people came to listen to him and to be healed of their diseases. 18 Those who were troubled by unclean spirits were also cured. 19 The whole crowd kept trying to touch him, because power was going out from him and healing them all.
Blessings and Woes20 He lifted up his eyes to his disciples and said:
Blessed are you who are poor,
because yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
because you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
because you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you whenever people hate you,
and whenever they exclude and insult you
and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy because of this: Your reward is great in heaven! The fact is, their fathers constantly did the same things to the prophets.”
24 But woe to you who are rich,
because you are receiving your comfort now.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
because you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
because you will be mourning and weeping.
26 Woe to you when all people speak well of you,
because that is how their fathers constantly treated the
false prophets.
Love Your Enemies27 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, offer the other too. If someone takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes away your things, do not demand them back.
31 “Treat others just as you would want them to treat you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? To be sure, even the sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even the sinners do the same thing. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to be repaid, what credit is that to you? Even the sinners lend to sinners in order to be paid back in full. 35 Instead, love your enemies, do good and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the unthankful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 14Luke 5:27 – 6:11LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 14
Luke 5:27 – 6:11 (EHV)
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Luke 5The Calling of Levi (Matthew)27 After these things, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at the tax collector’s booth. He said to him, “Follow me.”
28 Levi left everything, got up, and followed Jesus. 29 Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house. There was a large crowd of tax collectors and others dining with them. 30 The Pharisees and experts in the law grumbled against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 Jesus answered them, “The healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
A Question About Fasting33 They said to him, “Why do John’s disciples fast and pray often, and so do the Pharisees’ disciples, but yours go on eating and drinking?”
34 Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then, in those days, they will fast.”
36 He told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new garment, and the patch from the new garment will not match the old one. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. 38 Instead, new wine must be put into fresh wineskins so both are preserved. 39 And no one wants new wine while drinking old wine, because he says, ‘The old is fine.’”
Lord of the SabbathLuke 61 When Jesus was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath day, his disciples were picking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
3 Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry (he and his companions)? 4 He went into the house of God, took and ate the Bread of the Presence, which is lawful only for the priests to eat. He also gave some to his companions.” 5 Jesus also said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Jesus Heals a Man With a Withered Hand6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and taught. A man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 The experts in the law and the Pharisees were watching him closely, to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. They wanted to find a reason to accuse him. 8 But he always knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up and step forward.” [1] He got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you something. Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 He looked around at all of them and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored. 11 They were filled with rage and began discussing with one another what they could do to Jesus.
Footnotes1. Luke 6:8 Or Get up and stand in the center
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 13Luke 5:12-26LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 13
Luke 5:12-26 (EHV)
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Luke 5Jesus Heals a Leper12 On another occasion, Jesus was in one of the towns, and there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
13 Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be made clean.”
Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 Jesus ordered him to tell no one, “But go, show yourself to the priest, and offer what Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony for them.” 15 The news about him spread even more, and large crowds gathered to listen and be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
Jesus Forgives Sins17 On one of the days while Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 Just then, men who were carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher tried to bring him in and lay him in front of Jesus. 19 Since they did not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him down through the tiles on his stretcher into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20 When he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins have been forgiven.”
21 The experts in the law and the Pharisees began to think to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins except God alone?”
22 But Jesus knew their thoughts and answered them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . .” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”
25 Immediately, he stood up in front of them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 They were all astonished and glorified God. They were also filled with reverence and said, “We have seen wonderful things today.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 12Luke 5:1-11LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 12
Luke 5:1-11 (EHV)
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Luke 5The Calling of the First Disciples1 One time, while the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. [1] 2 He saw two boats there along the lakeshore. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Jesus got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. He sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered him, “Master, we worked hard all through the night and caught nothing. But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were about to tear apart. 7 They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, because I am a sinful man, Lord.” 9 For Peter and all those with him were amazed at the number of fish they had caught, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Have no fear. From now on you will be catching people.”
11 After they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.
Footnotes1. Luke 5:1 This is the Sea of Galilee.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 11Luke 4:31-44LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 11
Luke 4:31-44 (EHV)
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Luke 4Jesus Drives Out a Demon31 He went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath. 32 They were amazed by his teaching, because his message had authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man who was possessed by the unclean spirit of a demon. He cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Leave us alone! What do you have to do with us, Jesus the Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God!”
35 Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” The demon threw him down in front of them and came out of him without harming him.
36 They were all filled with awe and began to say to one another, “What is this message? With authority and power he commands unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 News about him spread to every place in the surrounding area.
Jesus Heals Many38 Jesus got up, left the synagogue, and went into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. They asked him to help her. 39 He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them. 40 As the sun was setting, they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases. He laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 Demons also came out of many people, crying out, “You are the Son of God!” He rebuked them and did not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
42 When it was day, he went out to a deserted place. The crowds were looking for him. They went up to him and were trying to prevent him from leaving them. 43 But he told them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he continued to preach in the synagogues in the land of the Jews. [1]
Footnotes1. Luke 4:44 Literally Judea. Luke uses Judea here for all of Palestine, including Galilee. Some witnesses to the text read Galilee.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 10Luke 4:14-30LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 10
Luke 4:14-30 (EHV)
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Luke 4A Prophet in His Hometown14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues and being honored by everyone.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. As was his custom, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,
19 and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. [1]
20 He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 They all spoke well of him and were impressed by the words of grace that came from his mouth. And they kept saying, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
23 He told them, “Certainly you will quote this proverb to me, ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ Do here in your hometown everything we heard you did in Capernaum.” 24 And he said, “Amen [2] I tell you: No prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 But truly I tell you: There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three years and six months, while a great famine came over all the land. 26 Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in Sidon. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was healed except Naaman the Syrian.”
28 All those who were in the synagogue were filled with rage when they heard these things. 29 They got up and drove him out of the town. They led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the middle of them and went on his way.
Footnotes1. Luke 4:19 Isaiah 61:1-2 2. Luke 4:24 Usually people say Amen at the end of a prayer, but Jesus used this Hebrew word at the beginning of a statement, which was unique. The inspired writer simply transliterated the Hebrew word that Jesus spoke, instead of using a Greek term. This translation does the same in English. The basic meaning is I solemnly tell you the truth.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 09Luke 3:23 – 4:13LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 09
Luke 3:23 – 4:13 (EHV)
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Luke 323 Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.
The Genealogy of Jesus ChristJesus was the son (so it was thought) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, [1] the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, [2] the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Malaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
The Devil Tempts JesusLuke 41 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where he was tempted by the Devil for forty days. He did not eat anything during those days. When they came to an end, he was hungry. 3 The Devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered him, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” [3]
5 The Devil led him up to a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 The Devil told him, “I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms, because it has been entrusted to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. 7 So, if you worship me, it will all be yours.”
8 Jesus answered him, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” [4]
9 The Devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here, 10 because it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you.
11 And,
they will lift you up with their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” [5]
12 Jesus answered him, “It says: ‘You shall not test the Lord your God.’” [6]
13 When the Devil had finished every temptation, he left him until an opportune time.
Footnotes1. Luke 3:33 Some witnesses to the text read Admin; a few also add Arni. 2. Luke 3:36 This name is not found in the Hebrew Old Testament, but it is in the Septuagint (Genesis 10:24; 11:12). 3. Luke 4:4 Deuteronomy 8:3. A few older witnesses omit but by every word of God. 4. Luke 4:8 Deuteronomy 6:13 5. Luke 4:11 Psalm 91:11-12 6. Luke 4:12 Deuteronomy 6:16
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 08Luke 3:1-22LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 08
Luke 3:1-22 (EHV)
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Luke 3John the Baptist Prepares the Way1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. 3 He went into the whole region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 Just as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight.
5 Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be
made low.
The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth.
6 And everyone [1] will see the salvation of God.” [2]
7 So John kept saying to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce fruits in keeping with repentance! Do not even think of saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ because I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 9 Even now the ax is ready to strike [3] the root of the trees. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 The crowds began to ask him, “What should we do then?”
11 He answered them, “Whoever has two shirts should share with the person who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”
12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. They said, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 To them he said, “Collect no more than what you were authorized to.”
14 Soldiers were also asking him, “And what should we do?”
He told them, “Do not extort money from anyone by force or false accusation. Be satisfied with your wages.”
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might be the Christ. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But someone mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
18 Then with many other words, he appealed to them and was preaching good news to the people. 19 But after John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things he had done— 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John in prison.
John Baptizes Jesus21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. While he was praying, heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love. I am well pleased with you.”
Footnotes1. Luke 3:6 Or all flesh 2. Luke 3:6 Isaiah 40:3-5 3. Luke 3:9 Literally is placed against
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 07Luke 2:41-52LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 07
Luke 2:41-52 (EHV)
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Luke 2The Boy Jesus in the Temple Courts41 Every year his parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the Festival. 43 When the days had ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it. 44 Since they thought he was in their group, they went a day’s journey. Then they began to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.
46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? See, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.”
49 He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be taking care of my Father’s business?” 50 They did not understand what he was telling them.
51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth. He was always obedient to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 06Luke 2:21-40LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 06
Luke 2:21-40 (EHV)
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Luke 2The Presentation in the Temple21 After eight days passed, when the child was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn [1] male will be called holy to the Lord.”) [2] 24 And they came to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” [3]
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, waiting for the comfort of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, 28 Simeon took him into his arms and praised God. He said,
29 Lord, you now dismiss your servant in peace, according to
your word,
30 because my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared before the face of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your
people Israel.
33 Joseph [4] and the child’s [5] mother were amazed at the things that were spoken about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Listen carefully, this child is appointed for the falling and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 Anna, a prophetess, was there. She was a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old. She had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, [6] 37 and then she was a widow of eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple complex, since she was worshipping with fasting and prayers night and day. 38 Standing nearby at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord. She kept speaking about the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. [7]
39 When they had accomplished everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town, Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong. [8] He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
Footnotes1. Luke 2:23 Literally who opens the womb 2. Luke 2:23 Exodus 13:2,12,15 3. Luke 2:24 Leviticus 12:8 4. Luke 2:33 Some witnesses to the text read His father. 5. Luke 2:33 Literally his 6. Luke 2:36 Literally after her virginity 7. Luke 2:38 Some witnesses to the text read in Jerusalem. 8. Luke 2:40 Some witnesses to the text add spiritually or in spirit.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 05Luke 2:1-20LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 05
Luke 2:1-20 (EHV)
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Luke 2Jesus Is Born1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 And everyone went to register, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family line of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, his wife, [1] who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child.
6 And so it was that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 There were in the same country shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified! 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: 11 Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ [2] the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the heavenly army, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.” [3]
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Now let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they told others the message they had been told about this child. 18 And all who heard it were amazed by what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Footnotes1. Luke 2:5 Some witnesses to the text omit his wife. 2. Luke 2:11 Christ is the Greek word for Anointed One. The Hebrew/Aramaic word is Messiah. 3. Luke 2:14 A few witnesses to the text read among people of his goodwill.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 04Luke 1:57-80LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 04
Luke 1:57-80 (EHV)
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Luke 1John the Baptist Is Born57 When the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they were rejoicing with her. 59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. They wanted to call him Zechariah after the name of the father. 60 But his mother answered, “No. He will be called John.”
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 They made signs to his father, to see what he wanted to name him.
63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed.
64 Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened, his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came on all who lived around them. In the entire hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 And everyone who heard this took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” Clearly, the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah’s Song67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has visited us and prepared redemption for his people.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
70 just as he said long ago through the mouth of his holy prophets.
71 He raised up salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
72 in order to show mercy to our fathers by remembering his holy covenant,
73 the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
74 to grant deliverance to us from the hand of our enemies,
so that we are able to serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,
because you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of God’s tender mercies,
by which the Rising Sun from on high will visit us,
79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 The child continued to grow and became strong in spirit. He lived in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 03Luke 1:39-56LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 03
Luke 1:39-56 (EHV)
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Luke 1Mary Visits Elizabeth39 In those days Mary got up and hurried to the hill country, to a town of Judah. 40 She entered the home of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 Just as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 In fact, just now, as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! 45 Blessed is she who believed, because the promises spoken to her from the Lord will be fulfilled!”
Mary’s Song46 Then Mary said,
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
48 because he has looked with favor on the humble state of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is
his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm.
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones.
He has lifted up the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent
away empty.
54 He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring [1] forever.
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.
Footnotes1. Luke 1:55 Or seed
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 02Luke 1:26-38LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 02
Luke 1:26-38 (EHV)
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Luke 1The Angel Gabriel Appears to the Virgin Mary26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” [1]
29 But she was greatly troubled by the statement and was wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. 31 Listen, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Listen, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age even though she was called barren, and this is her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be impossible for God.”
38 Then Mary said, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Footnotes1. Luke 1:28 A few witnesses to the text omit this sentence. (“Witnesses to the text” mentioned in footnotes may include Greek manuscripts, lectionaries, translations, and quotations in the church fathers.)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 01Luke 1:1-25LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – February 01
Luke 1:1-25 (EHV)
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Luke 1Introduction1 Many have undertaken to compile an account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 an account like those handed down to us by those who were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word from the beginning. 3 For this reason, it seemed good to me also, since I followed everything closely from the beginning, to write an orderly account to you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you were taught.
The Angel Gabriel Appears to Zechariah5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and righteous decrees of the Lord. 7 They did not have a child because Elizabeth was unable to bear children, and they were both well along in years. 8 On one occasion, while Zechariah was serving as priest before God and his division was on duty, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 The whole crowd of people were praying outside the temple during the hour of the incense offering.
11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome by fear. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son for you, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 because he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 He will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare a people who are ready for the Lord.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this, because I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years?”
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God and was sent to speak to you in order to tell you this good news. 20 Now listen, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at the proper time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering what was taking him so long in the temple. 22 When he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them and remained unable to speak.
23 When the days of his priestly service were completed, he went back to his home.
24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived. She kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 “The Lord has done this for me in the days when he looked with favor on me and took away my disgrace among the people.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 31Revelation 22:6-21LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 31
Revelation 22:6-21 (EHV)
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Revelation 22Jesus Is Coming Soon6 The angel said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, [1] sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
7 “And look: I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who holds on to the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I bowed down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and also with those who hold on to the words of this book. Worship God!”
10 The angel also said to me:
Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.
11 Let the one who is unjust continue to be unjust.
Let the one who is filthy continue to be filthy.
Let the one who is just continue to do what is just.
Let the one who is holy continue to be holy.
Jesus Speaks12 Look, I am coming soon and my reward is with me, to repay each one according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, [2] so that they may have the right to the Tree of Life and so that they may enter through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, that is, the sorcerers, the adulterers, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears this say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who wants the water of life take it as a gift.
18 I give this warning to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. 19 And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the Tree [3] of Life and in the Holy City, which are written in this book.
20 The one who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ [4] be with all the saints. [5] Amen.
Footnotes1. Revelation 22:6 A few witnesses to the text read the God of the holy prophets. 2. Revelation 22:14 Some witnesses to the text read who do his commandments. 3. Revelation 22:19 Some witnesses to the text read Book. 4. Revelation 22:21 A few witnesses to the text omit Christ. 5. Revelation 22:21 A few witnesses to the text read be with all of you or with everyone.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 30Revelation 21:22 – 22:5LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 30
Revelation 21:22 – 22:5 (EHV)
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Revelation 2122 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God has given it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations [1] will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory [2] into it. 25 There is no day when its gates will be shut, for there will be no night in that place. 26 They will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 Nothing that is unclean and no one who does what is detestable or who tells lies will ever enter it, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Paradise RestoredRevelation 221 The angel showed me the [3] river of the water of life, which was as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. 2 In the middle of the city’s street and on each side of the river was a tree of life that yielded twelve kinds of fruit. The tree yields its fruit every month, and its leaves are for the healing of the nations.
3 There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city. His servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face. His name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will no longer be any night or any need for lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.
Footnotes1. Revelation 21:24 A few witnesses to the text add of those who are saved. 2. Revelation 21:24 Some witnesses to the text add and the honor of the nations. 3. Revelation 22:1 Some witnesses to the text add pure.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 29Revelation 21:9-21LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 29
Revelation 21:9-21 (EHV)
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Revelation 21The New Jerusalem9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls that were filled with the seven last plagues came and spoke with me. He said, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
10 He carried me away in spirit to a great and high mountain, and he showed me the [1] Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It has the glory of God. Its radiance is similar to a very precious stone, like crystal-clear jasper.
12 It has a large, high wall. It has twelve gates. Twelve angels are at the gates, and twelve names are engraved on the gates, the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 Three gates are on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. 14 The city’s wall also has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the Lamb’s twelve apostles.
15 The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod so that he could measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square. Its length and width are equal. He measured the city with the measuring rod: 12,000 stadia. [2] Its length, width, and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall by human measurement, which was what the angel used: 144 cubits.
18 The wall is made of jasper, and the city is pure gold, like pure glass. 19 The foundations of the city’s wall had been adorned with every kind of precious stone.
The first foundation is jasper,
the second sapphire,
the third agate,
the fourth emerald,
20 the fifth onyx,
the sixth ruby, [3]
the seventh diamond, [4]
the eighth beryl,
the ninth topaz,
the tenth turquoise, [5]
the eleventh jacinth,
the twelfth amethyst.
21 The twelve gates are twelve pearls. Each of the gates is made out of one pearl. And the street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.
Footnotes1. Revelation 21:10 A few witnesses to the text add great and. 2. Revelation 21:16 The measurements are not converted to modern equivalents because that would make it more difficult to recognize the symbolical significance of the original numbers. 3. Revelation 21:20 Or carnelian. The specific identification of these gems is uncertain. This translation uses names of recognizable modern gemstones, even if they might not have the same mineral makeup as the ancient stones. 4. Revelation 21:20 Or chrysolite 5. Revelation 21:20 Or chrysoprase
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 28Revelation 21:1-8LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 28
Revelation 21:1-8 (EHV)
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Revelation 21The New Heaven and the New Earth1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And the sea no longer existed. 2 And I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And from the throne [1] I heard a loud voice that said, “Look! God’s dwelling is with people. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away.”
5 The one who was seated on the throne said to me, “Look, I am making everything new!” He also said, “Write, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me:
It is done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
To anyone who is thirsty,
I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.
7 The one who overcomes
will inherit these things.
I will be his God,
and he will be my son.
8 But those who are cowardly, unbelieving, detestable,
murderers, adulterers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all the liars
will have their share in the lake burning with fire and sulfur,
which is the second death.
Footnotes1. Revelation 21:3 Some witnesses to the text read from heaven.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 27Revelation 20:11-15LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 27
Revelation 20:11-15 (EHV)
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Revelation 20The Final Judgment11 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it. The earth and the sky fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, great and small, standing in front of the throne, and books were opened. Another book was also opened, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged by the things written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and the Grave [1] gave up the dead that were in them, and they were judged, each one according to what he had done.
14 Death and the Grave [2] were thrown into the Lake of Fire. The Lake of Fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.
Footnotes1. Revelation 20:13 Or Hell, Greek Hades 2. Revelation 20:14 Or Hell, Greek Hades
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 26Revelation 20:1-10LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 26
Revelation 20:1-10 (EHV)
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Revelation 20Christ and Satan1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven. He had the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, bound him for a thousand years, 3 threw him into the abyss, locked it, and set a seal on it, so that he could no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years come to an end. After this he must be released for a short time.
They Lived and Reigned With Christ4 Then I saw thrones, and those who were sitting on them were given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast and his image, and they did not receive his mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years came to an end.) This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. Instead they will be priests of God and of Christ. And they will reign with him for a thousand years.
Satan Defeated7 When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be released from his prison. 8 He will go out to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. They are as numerous as the sand of the sea.
9 They came up over the broad expanse of the earth, and they surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of [1] heaven and devoured them. 10 And the Devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are. There they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever.
Footnotes1. Revelation 20:9 A few witnesses to the text omit God out of.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 25Revelation 19:11-21LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 25
Revelation 19:11-21 (EHV)
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Revelation 19The Rider on the White Horse11 I saw heaven standing open, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war in righteousness. 12 His eyes are like blazing flames, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him, which no one knows except he himself. 13 He is also clothed in a garment that had been dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies in heaven, which were clothed with white, clean, fine linen, were following him on white horses. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will shepherd them with an iron staff. He himself is going to trample the winepress of the fierce anger of the Almighty God. 16 On his garment and on his thigh this name is written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
17 I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called out with a loud voice to all the birds that were flying in the middle of the sky. He said:
Come, gather together for God’s great supper,
18 so that you can eat the flesh of kings,
and the flesh of military leaders,
and the flesh of mighty men,
and the flesh of horses and of their riders,
and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, and small and great.
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 The beast was captured along with the false prophet who performed miracles on his behalf, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and had worshipped its image. These two were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire, which burns with sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword that comes out of the mouth of the rider on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 24Revelation 18:21 – 19:10LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 24
Revelation 18:21 – 19:10 (EHV)
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Revelation 1821 A mighty angel picked up a stone like a large millstone and, as he threw it into the sea, he said:
This is the way Babylon, the great city,
will be overthrown with violence and
will never again be found.
22 The sound of harpists and musicians, flutists and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.
No craftsman of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again,
because your merchants were the great ones of the earth,
because your witchcraft led all the nations astray,
24 and the blood of prophets and saints was found in this city, [1]
along with the blood of all those who were slain on the earth.
The Church’s VictoryRevelation 191 After these things I heard what seemed to be the loud sound of an immense crowd in heaven, saying:
Alleluia!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for his judgments are true and just,
because he has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and he has avenged his servants’ blood that was shed by her hand.
3 A second time they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke goes up forever and ever.”
4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures bowed down and worshipped God, who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!”
5 And from the throne came a voice that said, “Praise our God, all you his servants and you who fear him, small and great.”
The Wedding Supper of the Lamb6 And I heard what seemed to be the roar of a large crowd or the roar of many waters or the sound of loud rumblings of thunder, saying:
Alleluia!
For the Lord our [2] God, the Almighty, reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory,
because the wedding of the Lamb has come.
His bride has made herself ready,
8 and she was given bright, clean, fine linen to wear.
(In fact, the fine linen is the “not guilty” verdicts pronounced on the saints.)
9 The angel said to me, “Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 And I bowed down at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers, who have the testimony about Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Footnotes1. Revelation 18:24 Literally in her 2. Revelation 19:6 A few witnesses to the text omit our.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 23Revelation 18:1-20LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 23
Revelation 18:1-20 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0123db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Revelation 18Babylon Has Fallen1 After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was given light by his glory. 2 He called out with a loud voice, saying:
Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the Great.
She has become a dwelling place for demons,
and a prison for every unclean spirit,
and a prison for every unclean bird, [1]
and a prison for every unclean and hated beast.
3 For all the nations have drunk from [2] the wine of her adulterous desire,
and the kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth became rich from the abundance of her luxury.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven say:
Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
and so that you will not receive any of her plagues,
5 because her sins have reached heaven
and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Pay her back even as she has paid.
Pay her back double for what she has done.
In the cup that she mixed, mix her a double portion.
7 As much glory and luxury as she gave herself,
give that much torture and grief to her,
because in her heart she says:
I sit as a queen,
I am not a widow, and
I will never mourn.
8 For this reason her plagues will come on a single day:
death, mourning, and famine,
and she will be burned in fire,
because the Lord God, who judges her, is powerful.
Some Mourn Babylon’s Destruction9 “The kings of the earth who committed adultery and lived in luxury with her will weep and mourn for her when they see the smoke from her burning. 10 They will stand far away because of terror at her torment and say:
Woe, woe, the great city,
Babylon, the strong city!
For your judgment came in a single hour.
11 “The merchants of the earth also weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 a cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet fabric, every kind of aromatic wood and ivory article, and every article made of precious wood, brass, iron, and marble; 13 also cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, high quality flour, grain, cattle, sheep, horses, and carriages, as well as bodies and souls of people.
14 “The fruit your soul desired has left you. All your costly and splendid things have passed away from you. No one will ever find them again.
15 “The merchants who sold those things and were made rich by Babylon will stand far away out of terror at her torment. They are going to weep and mourn, 16 saying:
Woe, woe to the great city that was clothed in fine linen
and purple and scarlet,
adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls,
17 because such great wealth was made a wasteland in a single hour.
“Every ship captain and all the ocean travelers and the sailors and those who make their living on the sea stood far away 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke rise from her burning. They said, ‘Who is like the great city?’ 19 They threw dust on their heads and cried out as they wept and mourned, saying:
Woe, woe to the great city
by whom all who have ships on the sea were made rich from her treasures,
because she was made a wasteland in a single hour.
20 Rejoice over her, heaven,
also you saints, apostles, and prophets,
because God has judged her for the judgment you received from her.”
Footnotes1. Revelation 18:2 Some witnesses to the text read unclean and hated bird and omit and a prison for every unclean and hated beast. 2. Revelation 18:3 Some witnesses to the text read For all the nations have fallen as a result of.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 22Revelation 17LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 22
Revelation 17 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0122db.mp3
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The Vision of the Great Prostitute1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. He said, “Come, I will show you the judgment on the great prostitute who is sitting on many waters. 2 The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and those who make their home on the earth have become drunk on the wine of her immorality.”
3 The angel carried me in spirit into a wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was clothed with purple and scarlet and was adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. In her hand was a gold cup full of abominations and the filth of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her forehead this name was written:
Mystery
Babylon the Great,
the mother of the prostitutes
and of the abominations of the earth.
6 And I saw that this woman was drunk from the blood of the saints and the blood of Jesus’ martyrs.
Explanation of the Woman and the BeastWhen I saw her, I was greatly amazed. 7 And the angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the one that has seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw: He existed, is no more, and he is about to come out of the abyss and go to destruction. Those who make their home on the earth, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the creation of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast, because he existed, is no more, and will exist again.
9 “A mind that has wisdom is needed here: The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is sitting. They are also seven kings. 10 Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, but when he comes, he must remain for a little while.
11 “The beast that existed and is no more is the eighth king (who is one of the seven) and is going to go to destruction. 12 The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but along with the beast they will receive authority like kings for one hour. 13 They share one purpose and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, because he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Those who are with him are the called, the elect, and the believing.”
15 The angel also said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is sitting, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. 16 The ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute and will cause her to be abandoned and naked. They will also eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose, namely, to agree to give their royal authority to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 The woman whom you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 21Revelation 16LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 21
Revelation 16 (EHV)
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The First Five Bowls1 I heard a loud voice from the temple say to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”
2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible and painful sores came on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshipped his image.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man, and every living creature in the sea died.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they [1] turned into blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters say:
You are righteous, the one who is and who was, the Holy One, [2]
because you have made these judgments.
6 Because they poured out the blood of saints and prophets,
you have given them blood to drink.
They deserve it.
7 And I heard the incense altar, saying, [3] “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to burn people with fire. 9 People were scorched by the fierce heat. Then they blasphemed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues, but they did not repent and give him praise.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. The beast’s kingdom was darkened. People gnawed their tongues in their torment. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their torments and their sores. But they did not repent of their deeds.
The Sixth Bowl: The Battle of Armageddon12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings coming from the east. 13 I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, which came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are, in fact, miracle-working, demonic spirits, which go out to the kings of the whole earth [4] to bring them together for the battle on the great day of the Almighty God.
15 “Look: I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes on, so that he does not walk around naked and his shame is not seen.”
16 Then they brought them together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
The Seventh Bowl: The End of the World17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl on the air. And a loud voice came out of the temple [5] from the throne, saying, “It is done.” 18 There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and crashes of thunder. There was also a great earthquake of a kind that has not occurred since mankind has been [6] on the earth.
19 And the great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. Babylon the Great was remembered by God, and he gave her the wine cup filled with his fierce wrath. 20 Every island vanished, and the mountains could no longer be found. 21 Massive hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell on people from the sky. And the people blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, because the plague was so severe.
Footnotes1. Revelation 16:4 Some witnesses to the text read it. 2. Revelation 16:5 A few witnesses to the text read and who will be instead of the Holy One. 3. Revelation 16:7 A few witnesses to the text read And I heard another, saying from the altar. 4. Revelation 16:14 A few witnesses to the text read the kings of the earth and of the whole world. 5. Revelation 16:17 A few witnesses to the text add of heaven. 6. Revelation 16:18 Some witnesses to the text read man has been.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 20Revelation 15LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 20
Revelation 15 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0120db.mp3
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The Angels With the Seven Last Plagues1 Then I saw another great and remarkable sign in heaven: seven angels with seven plagues—the last plagues, because in them God’s wrath is completed.
2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. I also saw those who had won the victory over the beast and his image [1] and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass. They held the harps of God, 3 and they were singing the song of Moses, God’s servant, and the song of the Lamb. They said:
Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways, King of the Nations. [2]
4 Who will not fear you, [3] Lord,
and who will not praise your name?
You alone are holy!
All the nations will come and will bow down before you,
because your righteous verdicts have been revealed.
5 After these things I looked, and the sanctuary of the Tent of the Testimony was opened in heaven. 6 The seven angels who hold the seven plagues came out of the sanctuary. They were clothed with clean bright linen, and they wore gold sashes around their chests.
7 One of the four living creatures gave the seven angels the seven gold bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8 And the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. No one was able to enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
Footnotes1. Revelation 15:2 A few witnesses to the text add and his mark. 2. Revelation 15:3 Some witnesses to the text read ages. A few witnesses read saints. 3. Revelation 15:4 A few witnesses to the text omit you.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 19Revelation 14:14-20LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 19
Revelation 14:14-20 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0119db.mp3
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Revelation 14The Harvest14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Another angel came out of the temple and cried with a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud, “Swing your sickle and begin reaping, for the time to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is very ripe.” 16 And the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
17 Another angel, who also had a sharp sickle, came out of the temple, which is in heaven. 18 And another angel, who was in charge of the fire, came from the altar and cried with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Swing your sharp sickle and harvest the grape clusters from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19 Then the angel swung his sickle over the earth, and he harvested the earth’s vine and threw it into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 The winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia. [1]
Footnotes1. Revelation 14:20 Stadia is plural for the Greek stadion. Each stadion was about 606 feet. The distance here would be more than 180 miles.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 18Revelation 14:6-13LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 18
Revelation 14:6-13 (EHV)
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Revelation 14The Three Angels6 Then I saw another angel flying in the middle of the sky. He had the everlasting gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth, to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 He said with a loud voice:
Fear God and give him glory,
because the hour of his judgment has come.
Worship him who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water.
8 Another angel, a second, [1] followed. He said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great, [2] who made every nation drink from the wine of her adulterous desire.”
9 Another angel, a third one, followed them. He said with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he will also drink from the wine of God’s wrath, which has been poured undiluted [3] into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment is going to rise forever and ever. Those who worship the beast and his image, and anyone who receives the mark of his name, are going to have no rest day and night.”
12 Here patient endurance is needed by the saints, who hold on to the commands of God and their faith in Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven say, [4] “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “because they will rest from their labors, for their works follow them.”
Footnotes1. Revelation 14:8 A few witnesses to the text omit a second. 2. Revelation 14:8 A few witnesses to the text add city. 3. Revelation 14:10 Wine was often mixed with water in the ancient world in order to dilute it. 4. Revelation 14:13 A few witnesses to the text add to me.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 17Revelation 14:1-5LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 17
Revelation 14:1-5 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0117db.mp3
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Revelation 14The Lamb and the 144,0001 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of a loud thunderclap. The sound that I heard was also like the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They were singing [1] a new song in front of the throne and the four living creatures and the elders. No one was able to learn that song except the 144,000, who had been purchased from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, because they are virgins. They continually follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb. 5 And no lie was found in their mouths. They are blameless. [2]
Footnotes1. Revelation 14:3 A few witnesses to the text add as it were. 2. Revelation 14:5 A few witnesses to the text add before the throne of God.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 16Revelation 13:11-18LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 16
Revelation 13:11-18 (EHV)
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Revelation 13The Beast From the Earth11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like the Lamb, and he spoke like the dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast on his behalf. He causes the earth and those who make their home on it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 He performs great miracles, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of people. 14 He also deceives those who make their home on the earth because of the miracles that he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who make their home on the earth to make an image for the beast who had been wounded by the sword but lived.
15 This beast was also given the ability to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast spoke and caused whoever did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He also makes all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 in order that no one may buy or sell unless he has the mark—the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom: Let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man. His number is 666.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 15Revelation 13:2-10LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 15
Revelation 13:2-10 (EHV)
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Revelation 132 The beast that I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth was like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 One of his heads seemed to have been fatally wounded, [1] but his fatal wound was healed.
And the whole world that followed the beast was amazed. 4 They worshipped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast. They worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can go to war against him?” 5 The beast was also given a mouth that spoke arrogant and blasphemous things. He was given authority to do these things for forty-two months.
6 The beast opened his mouth to speak blasphemies against God: to blaspheme his name, his dwelling, and [2] those who dwell in heaven. 7 He was also given permission to wage war against the saints and to overcome them, as well as authority over every tribe and people and language and nation. 8 All those who make their home on the earth will worship the beast—those whose names have [3] not been written from the beginning of the world in the Book of Life, which belongs to the Lamb that was slain. [4]
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:
10 If anyone is to be imprisoned, [5] he is going to be imprisoned.
If anyone is to be killed [6] with a sword, he is going to be killed with a sword.
Here patient endurance and confidence are needed by the saints.
Footnotes1. Revelation 13:3 Literally slaughtered to death 2. Revelation 13:6 Or namely or that is. 3. Revelation 13:8 Some witnesses to the text read the one whose name has. 4. Revelation 13:8 Or written in the Book of Life, which belongs to the Lamb that was slain from the beginning of the world. 5. Revelation 13:10 A few witnesses to the text read The person who leads someone into prison. 6. Revelation 13:10 A few witnesses to the text read If anyone kills.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 14Revelation 12:10 – 13:1LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 14
Revelation 12:10 – 13:1 (EHV)
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Revelation 1210 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying:
Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Christ, [1]
because the accuser of our brothers [2] has been thrown down,
the one who accuses them before our God day and night.
11 They conquered him
because of the blood of the Lamb and
because of the word of their testimony.
They did not love their lives in the face of death.
12 For this reason, rejoice, you heavens and those who dwell in them.
Woe to the earth and the sea,
for the Devil has gone down to you.
He is full of rage, because he knows that his time is short.
The Dragon Persecutes the Woman13 When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman, who had given birth to the male child. 14 Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman so that she might fly to her place in the wilderness, where she is to be fed for a time, and times, and half a time, away from the presence of the serpent. 15 And the serpent spewed water out of his mouth, like a river, after the woman, in order to carry her away in the flowing water. 16 But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river, which the dragon had spewed out of its mouth.
17 The dragon was angry about what had happened to the woman, and he went away to make war against the rest of her children—those who keep the commandments of God and who hold on to the testimony about Jesus.
18 And he [3] stood on the shore of the sea.
The Beast From the SeaRevelation 131 I saw a beast rising out of the sea. He had ten horns with ten crowns on his horns, and seven heads with blasphemous names [4] on his heads.
Footnotes1. Revelation 12:10 Or Anointed One 2. Revelation 12:10 When context indicates it, the Greek word for brothers may refer to all fellow believers, male and female. 3. Revelation 12:18 Some witnesses to the text read I. 4. Revelation 13:1 Some witnesses to the text read a blasphemous name.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 13Revelation 12:1-9LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 13
Revelation 12:1-9 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0113db.mp3
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Revelation 12The Dragon and the Child1 A great sign appeared in the sky: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out in pain and agony as she gave birth.
3 Another sign also appeared in the sky: There was a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman, who was about to give birth, so that he could devour the child as soon as it was born.
5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will shepherd all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God in order that she might be fed there for 1,260 days.
War in Heaven7 There was also a war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon. The dragon fought back along with his angels, 8 but he was not strong enough. There was no longer a place for them [1] in heaven. 9 The great dragon was thrown down—the ancient serpent, the one called the Devil and Satan, the one who leads the whole inhabited earth astray—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Footnotes1. Revelation 12:8 Some witnesses to the text read him.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 12Revelation 11:15-19LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 12
Revelation 11:15-19 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0112db.mp3
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Revelation 11The Seventh Trumpet: The End of the World15 Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying:
The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and
of his Christ, [1]
and he will reign forever and ever.
16 The twenty-four elders, who were sitting on their thrones before God, also fell on their faces and worshipped God, 17 saying:
We thank you, Lord God Almighty, who is, and who was, [2]
because you have taken your great power and reigned.
18 The nations were angry, and your anger has come.
And the time has come
when the dead are to be judged, and
when you will give the reward to your servants the prophets
and to your saints,
namely, to those who fear your name, the small
and the great, and
when you will destroy those who destroy the earth.
19 And God’s temple in heaven was opened and the Ark of his Covenant was seen in his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
Footnotes1. Revelation 11:15 Or Anointed One 2. Revelation 11:17 A few witnesses to the text add and who is coming.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 11Revelation 11:1-14LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 11
Revelation 11:1-14 (EHV)
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Revelation 11The Two Witnesses1 Then a measuring rod like a staff was given to me. He said, [1] “Stand up and measure the incense altar and the temple of God and those who worship in it. 2 Exclude the outer court of the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the heathen. They will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 I will commission my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that are standing before the Lord of the earth. 5 If anyone wants to harm them, fire is going to come out of their mouths and consume their enemies. If anyone should want to harm them, it is necessary that he be killed in this way.
6 These two have the authority to shut the sky so that no rain falls during the days when they are prophesying. They also have authority over the waters, to turn them into blood, and the authority to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
The Beast That Kills the Two Witnesses7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will fight against them, conquer them, and kill them. 8 Their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city, which spiritually [2] is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
9 Some from the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days and will not permit them to be placed in a tomb. 10 Those who dwell on the earth will also rejoice over them and celebrate by sending gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
11 After three and a half days the breath of life from God came into them. They stood on their feet, and a great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And I [3] heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” They went up into heaven in a cloud, as their enemies watched them. 13 At that moment there was also a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed by the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave praise to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past. See, the third woe is coming soon.
Footnotes1. Revelation 11:1 Some witnesses to the text read The angel stood there and said. 2. Revelation 11:8 Or because of its spiritual condition 3. Revelation 11:12 Some witnesses to the text read they.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 10Revelation 10LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 10
Revelation 10 (EHV)
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The Angel With a Little Scroll1 Then I saw another powerful angel coming down out of heaven. He was clothed with a cloud, a rainbow was over his head, his face was like the sun, his feet were like pillars of fire, 2 and he had in his hand a little scroll, which had been opened. He put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land, 3 and he cried out with a loud voice, just as a lion roars. And when he cried out, the seven thunders spoke using their own voices.
4 When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Seal up the things that the seven thunders said, and do not write them down.”
5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven, 6 and he swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created the sky and the things in it, the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it. He said, “There will be no more delay. 7 Instead, in the days of the sound made by the seventh angel, that is, when he is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will also be completed, exactly as he made this good news known to his servants the prophets.”
John’s Commission to Prophesy8 The voice that I heard from heaven also spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that has been opened in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little scroll.”
He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” 10 I took the little scroll out of the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. 11 And they said to me, “It is necessary that you prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 09Revelation 9LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 09
Revelation 9 (EHV)
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The Fifth Trumpet—The Locusts From Hell1 Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen out of heaven to the earth, and the key to the pit of the abyss was given to him. 2 He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke came up out of the pit like the smoke from a huge furnace. The sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit. 3 And out of the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given the kind of power that scorpions of the earth have. 4 They were told not to harm the earth’s grass, any green plant, or any tree, but only those people who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads.
5 Indeed, they were not given permission to kill these people but only to torture them for five months. And the pain they cause is like the pain caused by a scorpion when it stings a person. 6 In those days people will seek death but will certainly not find it. They will long to die, but death will escape them.
7 The locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads were what appeared to be crowns that were like gold. Their faces looked like human faces. 8 They had hair that looked like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates that appeared to be made of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots and horses charging into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers like those of scorpions, and in their tails they had power to hurt people for five months.
11 They have the angel of the abyss over them as their king. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon. [1]
12 One woe is past. Look! After these things two more woes are coming.
The Sixth Trumpet13 Then the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice speak from the four [2] horns of the gold incense altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel, the one with the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels who had been prepared for this hour, day, month, and year were let loose so that they could kill a third of the people.
16 The number of soldiers on horseback was two hundred million. I heard their number. 17 And this is what I saw in the vision of the horses and their riders: They had breastplates that were fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire and smoke and sulfur. 18 As a result of these three plagues, the fire and the smoke and the sulfur that came out of their mouths, a third of mankind was killed. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like snakes that have heads, which they use to cause injuries.
20 The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands by giving up their worship of demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, or wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immoralities, or their thefts.
Footnotes1. Revelation 9:11 Both Abaddon and Apollyon mean Destroyer. 2. Revelation 9:13 Some witnesses to the text omit four.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 08Revelation 8LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 08
Revelation 8 (EHV)
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The Seventh Seal: Seven Angels With Seven Trumpets1 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 Another angel, holding a gold censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given a large amount of incense to offer together with the prayers of all the saints on the gold altar that was in front of the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense went up from the hand of the angel before God, together with the prayers of the saints.
5 The angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth. Then there came crashes of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
The First Four Trumpets6 The seven angels, who had the seven trumpets, prepared to sound them. 7 The first sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, and [1] a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8 Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, 9 a third of the creatures that live in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 Then the third angel sounded his trumpet, and a huge star, blazing like a lamp, fell from the sky. It fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star was Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood. [2] Many of the people died from these waters because they had been made bitter.
12 Then the fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, as well as a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them became dark. And there was no light for a third of the day and likewise for the night.
13 Then I looked and I heard a single eagle [3] flying in the middle of the sky, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those whose home is on the earth because of the remaining trumpet blasts of the three angels who are about to sound their trumpets.”
Footnotes1. Revelation 8:7 A few witnesses to the text omit A third of the earth was burned up, and. 2. Revelation 8:11 Wormwood refers to a bitter herb that was used as medicine to kill intestinal worms. 3. Revelation 8:13 A few witnesses to the text read angel.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 07Revelation 7LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 07
Revelation 7 (EHV)
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The Church on Earth1 After this I saw four angels, who stood at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth so that the wind could not blow on the earth, the sea, or any tree.
2 And I saw another angel coming up from the east, who had the seal of the living God. He called out with a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to harm the earth and the sea. He said, 3 “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees until we have placed a seal on the foreheads of God’s servants.”
4 And I heard the number of those sealed:
144,000 sealed from all the tribes of the people of Israel:
| 5 from the tribe of Judah, | 12,000, who were sealed, | | from the tribe of Reuben, | 12,000, | | from the tribe of Gad, | 12,000, | | 6 from the tribe of Asher, | 12,000, | | from the tribe of Naphtali, | 12,000, | | from the tribe of Manasseh, | 12,000, | | 7 from the tribe of Simeon, | 12,000, | | from the tribe of Levi, | 12,000, | | from the tribe of Issachar, | 12,000, | | 8 from the tribe of Zebulun, | 12,000, | | from the tribe of Joseph, | 12,000, | | from the tribe of Benjamin, | 12,000, who were sealed. |
The Church in Heaven9 After these things I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 10 They called out with a loud voice and said:
Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from
the Lamb.
11 All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying:
Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and
power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.
13 One of the elders spoke to me and said, “These people dressed in white robes, who are they and where did they come from?”
And I answered him, “Sir, you know.”
14 And he said to me:
These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation.
They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb.
15 Because of this they are in front of the throne of God,
and they serve him day and night in his temple.
He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16 They will never be hungry or thirsty ever again.
The sun will never beat upon them, nor will any scorching heat,
17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 06Revelation 6LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 06
Revelation 6 (EHV)
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The Vision of the Seven Seals: The First Four Seals1 And I watched when the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. And I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come.” [1]
2 And I looked, and there was a white horse, and its rider held a bow. A crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come.” [2] 4 And another horse, a fiery red one, went out. Its rider was given power to take peace away from the earth so that people would slaughter one another. And a great sword was given to him.
5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come.” [3] And I looked, and there was a black horse. Its rider had a scale in his hand. 6 And I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures say, “A quart [4] of wheat for a denarius, [5] and three quarts [6] of barley for a denarius. And do not dilute [7] the oil and the wine.”
7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come.” [8] 8 And I looked, and there was a pale green horse. And its rider was named Death, and the Grave [9] followed closely behind him. They were given power over a quarter of the earth, to kill people with the sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild animals of the earth.
The Fifth Seal: The Souls Under the Altar9 When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, under the incense altar I saw the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had maintained. 10 And they called out with a loud voice, saying, “O Lord, holy and true, how long until you judge and exact justice for our blood from those who live on the earth?” 11 A white robe was given to each one of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until their number would be complete, when their fellow servants and their brothers [10] would be put to death as they were.
The Sixth Seal: The Last Judgment12 And I watched when the Lamb opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair. The entire moon became like blood. 13 The stars of the sky fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when it is shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky was removed like a scroll being rolled up. Every mountain and island was moved from its place.
15 The kings of the earth, the nobles, the military leaders, the rich, the powerful, and everyone—slave or free—hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they kept saying to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their [11] wrath has come. Who is able to stand?”
Footnotes1. Revelation 6:1 Some witnesses to the text add and see. 2. Revelation 6:3 Some witnesses to the text add and see. 3. Revelation 6:5 Some witnesses to the text add and see. 4. Revelation 6:6 Or liter 5. Revelation 6:6 A denarius was about one day’s wage. 6. Revelation 6:6 Or liters 7. Revelation 6:6 Or adulterate 8. Revelation 6:7 Some witnesses to the text add and see. 9. Revelation 6:8 Or Hell, Greek Hades 10. Revelation 6:11 When context indicates it, the Greek word for brothers may refer to all fellow believers, male and female. 11. Revelation 6:17 Some witnesses to the text read his.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 05Revelation 5LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 05
Revelation 5 (EHV)
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The Scroll With Seven Seals1 And I saw a scroll in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, with writing on the front [1] and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll by breaking its seals?” 3 No one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. 4 And I began to weep bitterly because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed and is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Worthy Is the Lamb6 And I saw a Lamb standing in the center, near the throne, surrounded by the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders. The Lamb seemed to have been slain, and he had seven horns and seven eyes (these are the seven spirits of God that have been sent into all the world). 7 The Lamb came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when the Lamb took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders bowed down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls full of incense (these are the prayers of the saints). 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and you bought us [2] for God with your blood
out of every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You made them [3] to be a kingdom and priests for our God,
and they will reign on the earth.
11 And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels who were around the throne and around the living creatures and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands upon thousands. 12 With a loud voice they were saying:
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive
power and riches and
wisdom and strength and
honor and glory and blessing.
13 I also heard every creature that is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders bowed down and worshipped.
Footnotes1. Revelation 5:1 Some witnesses to the text read inside. 2. Revelation 5:9 Most of the witnesses to the text read us in verse 9 and them in verse 10. 3. Revelation 5:10 A few witnesses to the text read us.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 04Revelation 4LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 04
Revelation 4 (EHV)
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John’s Vision of God1 After these things I looked, and there was a door opened in heaven! And the first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in spirit. And look! A throne was standing in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne. 3 The one who was sitting there looked like a jasper stone and a ruby. [1] Around the throne there was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.
4 Also around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and sitting on those thrones were twenty-four elders dressed in white garments, with gold crowns on their heads. 5 Out of the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and crashes of thunder. In front of the throne seven flaming lamps were burning, which are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of the throne was something resembling a glassy sea, which was like crystal.
In the middle, near the throne and around the throne, there were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature was like an ox, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 Each one of the four living creatures had six wings, and the wings were full of eyes all around and underneath. [2] Day and night, without pause, they keep saying:
Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
who was and who is and who is coming.
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders bow down before him who sits on the throne. They worship the one who lives forever and ever and lay down their crowns in front of his throne as they say:
11 Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive the glory and the honor and the power,
for you have created all things,
and because of your will they existed and were created.
Footnotes1. Revelation 4:3 Or carnelian 2. Revelation 4:8 Literally inside. The English idiom for the inside of a wing is underneath, that is, the hidden side.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 03Revelation 3:14-22LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 03
Revelation 3:14-22 (EHV)
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Revelation 3Letter to the Church in Laodicea14 To the messenger of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation, says this:
15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. If only you were cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm and not hot or cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, “I am rich. I have become very wealthy and need nothing.” But you do not know that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments, so that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness may not become public, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
19 I rebuke and discipline those whom I love. So take this seriously and repent.
20 Look, I stand at the door and I am knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will go in with him and dine with him, and he with me. 21 To the one who is victorious I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.
22 Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 02Revelation 3:7-13LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 02
Revelation 3:7-13 (EHV)
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Revelation 3Letter to the Church in Philadelphia7 To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia write:
The Holy One, the one who is true, the one who has the key of David, the one who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one can open, says this:
8 I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Look, I will make those who are from the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not but are lying—look, I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them realize that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will also keep you from the hour of testing, which is about to come over the whole inhabited world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one takes your crown.
12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it again. I will also write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God—the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God—and my new name.
13 Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 03 – January 01Revelation 3:1-6LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – January 01
Revelation 3:1-6 (EHV)
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Revelation 3Letter to the Church in Sardis1 To the messenger of the church in Sardis write:
The one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says this:
I know your works. You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what is left, which is about to die, for I have found that your works are not complete in the sight of my God. 3 Therefore remember what you received and heard. Hold on to it and repent! If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come upon you.
4 Yet you have a few names in Sardis, people who have not defiled their clothes. They will walk with me in white clothing, for they are worthy.
5 The one who is victorious in this way [1] will be clothed in white clothing. I certainly will not erase his name from the Book of Life, and I will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
6 Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Footnotes1. Revelation 3:5 Some witnesses to the text read he or this one instead of in this way.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 31Revelation 2:18-29LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 31
Revelation 2:18-29 (EHV)
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Revelation 2Letter to the Church in Thyatira18 To the messenger of the church in Thyatira write:
The Son of God, whose eyes are like fiery flames and whose feet are like polished bronze, says this:
19 I know your works and love and faith and service, as well as your patient endurance, and that you are doing more now than you did at first.
20 But I have this against you: You allow that woman Jezebel, the one who calls herself a prophetess, to deceive my servants and to teach them to commit sexual immorality and eat things offered to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Look, I am going to throw her onto a bed and throw those who commit adultery with her into great suffering, if they do not repent of her [1] works. 23 And I will put her children to death. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches hearts and minds, and that I will give to each of you according to your works.
24 To the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to this teaching, who do not know Satan’s “deep things,” as they call them, I say that I will not lay any other burden on you. 25 Only hold fast to what you have until I come.
26 To the one who is victorious and continues to do my works until the end, I will give him authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with an iron staff and shatter them like clay pots, 28 just as I myself have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.
29 Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Footnotes1. Revelation 2:22 Some witnesses to the text read their.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 30Revelation 2:8-17LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 30
Revelation 2:8-17 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1230db.mp3
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Revelation 2Letter to the Church in Smyrna8 To the messenger of the church in Smyrna write:
The First and the Last, who was dead and came to life again, says this:
9 I know [1] your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich. And I know the blasphemy that comes from those who say they are Jews but are not; rather, they are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear anything that [2] you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you will be tested, and you will suffer for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Letter to the Church in Pergamum12 To the messenger of the church in Pergamum write:
The one who has the sharp, two-edged sword says this:
13 I know [3] where you live—where the throne of Satan is. And I know that you hold fast to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me even in the days when Antipas, my faithful witness, [4] was put to death near you, the place where Satan lives.
14 But I have a few things against you: You have some people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block in front of the children of Israel so that they would eat things offered to idols and commit sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have some people who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore, [5] repent! If not, I will come to you soon, and I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious I will give some of the hidden manna. [6] I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, which no one will know except the one who receives it.
Footnotes1. Revelation 2:9 A few witnesses to the text add your works. 2. Revelation 2:10 Some witnesses to the text read Do not fear what. 3. Revelation 2:13 A few witnesses to the text add your works and. 4. Revelation 2:13 Or martyr 5. Revelation 2:16 Some witnesses to the text omit Therefore. 6. Revelation 2:17 A few witnesses to the text add to eat.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 29Revelation 2:1-7LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 29
Revelation 2:1-7 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1229db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Revelation 2Letter to the Church in Ephesus1 To the messenger of the church in Ephesus write:
The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven gold lampstands, says this:
2 I know your works, your [1] labor, and your patient endurance, and that you are not able to tolerate evil people. You have tested those who say they are apostles, but are not, and have found them to be liars. 3 Indeed, you do have patient endurance. You have endured hardships on account of my name and have not become weary.
4 But I have this against you: You have forsaken your first love. [2] 5 Remember, therefore, the state from which you have fallen! Repent and do the works you did at first. Otherwise I will come to you [3] and remove your lampstand from its place, if you do not repent.
6 But you do have this: You hate the actions of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious I will give the privilege to eat from the tree of life, which is in [4] the paradise of God.
Footnotes1. Revelation 2:2 Some witnesses to the text omit your. 2. Revelation 2:4 Or You have lost the love you had at first 3. Revelation 2:5 A few witnesses to the text add quickly. 4. Revelation 2:7 A few witnesses to the text add the middle of.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 28Revelation 1:9-20LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 28
Revelation 1:9-20 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1228db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Revelation 1God Tells John to Write Down What He Sees9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingship and patient endurance in Jesus, [1] was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus. [2]
10 I was in spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard a loud voice behind me, like a trumpet, 11 saying, “Write what you see on a scroll and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
Jesus Appears12 I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. When I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was one like a son of man. He was clothed with a robe that reached to his feet, and around his chest he wore a gold sash. 14 His head and his hair were white, like white wool or like snow. His eyes were like blazing flames. 15 His feet were like polished bronze being refined in a furnace. His voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand. A sharp two-edged sword was coming out of his mouth. His face was shining as the sun shines in all its brightness.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He placed his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last— 18 the Living One. I was dead and, see, I am alive forever and ever! I also hold the keys of death and hell. [3]
19 “So write what you have seen, both those things that are and those that will take place after this.
20 “The mystery of the seven stars, which you saw in my right hand, and the seven gold lampstands is this: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”
Footnotes1. Revelation 1:9 Some witnesses to the text read Christ. 2. Revelation 1:9 A few witnesses to the text add Christ. 3. Revelation 1:18 Greek hades
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 27Revelation 1:1-8LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 27
Revelation 1:1-8 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1227db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Revelation 1Introduction1 The revelation from Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon take place. Christ expressed this revelation by means of symbols sent [1] through his angel to his servant John. 2 John spoke as a witness to the word of God and to the testimony about [2] Jesus Christ, that is, to everything he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and hold on to the things written in it, because the time is near.
Greeting4 John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia: [3]
Grace to you and peace from him who is, who was, and who is coming, and from the seven spirits that are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed [4] us from our sins by his own blood 6 and made us a kingdom and priests to God his Father—to him be the glory and the power forever. Amen.
7 Look, he is coming with clouds,
and every eye will see him,
including those who pierced him.
And all the nations of the earth will mourn because of him.
Yes. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” [5] says the Lord God, the one who is, and who was, and who is coming, the Almighty.
Footnotes1. Revelation 1:1 Or Christ communicated these things by sending them 2. Revelation 1:2 Or of 3. Revelation 1:4 Here Asia refers to the Roman province of Asia (located in what is now Turkey), not the continent of Asia. 4. Revelation 1:5 Some witnesses to the text read washed. (“Witnesses to the text” mentioned in footnotes may include Greek manuscripts, lectionaries, translations, and quotations in the church fathers.) 5. Revelation 1:8 Some witnesses to the text add the Beginning and the End.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 26Psalm 148 – 150LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 26
Psalm 148 – 150 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1226db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 148Praise Him, All Creation1 Praise the Lord. [1]
Praise From the HeavensPraise the Lord from the heavens.
Praise him in the heights.
2 Praise him, all his angels.
Praise him, all his armies.
3 Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all you bright stars.
4 Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters which are above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
because he commanded, and they were created.
6 He caused them to stand forever and ever.
He gave a decree, and it will not pass away.
Praise From the Earth7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
great sea creatures and all the depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and fog,
storm winds that obey his word,
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all cattle,
crawling creatures and flying birds,
11 kings of the earth and all peoples,
officials and all judges on earth,
12 young men and also young women,
old people with young people.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.
His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
14 He has raised up a horn [2] for his people—
the praise of all his favored ones—
for the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Praise the Lord.
Psalm 149Praise Him, All His People1 Praise the Lord. [3]
The Church TriumphantSing to the Lord a new song.
Sing his praise in the congregation of his favored ones.
2 Let Israel rejoice in its Maker.
Let the people of Zion celebrate for their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing.
With hand drum and lyre let them make music to him.
4 For the Lord is pleased with his people.
He adorns the humble with salvation.
5 Let those he favors rejoice in honor.
Let them shout for joy on their beds.
The Church Militant6 May high praise of God be in their throats,
and a two-edged sword in their hands,
7 to inflict vengeance on the nations
and punishments on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with chains
and their nobles with iron shackles,
9 to carry out the judgment written against them.
This is the glory of all his favored people.
Praise the Lord.
Psalm 150Praise the Lord!1 Praise the Lord. [4]
Where?Praise God in his sanctuary.
Praise him in the expanse that shows his might.
Why?2 Praise him for his acts of power.
Praise him according to his abundant greatness.
How?3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn.
Praise him with the harp and the lyre.
4 Praise him with hand drums and dancing.
Praise him with the strings and the flute.
5 Praise him with the sounding cymbals.
Praise him with loud cymbals.
Who?6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
Footnotes1. Psalm 148:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah 2. Psalm 148:14 The word horn is a reference to power. Here it refers to the Messiah. 3. Psalm 149:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah 4. Psalm 150:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 25Psalm 147LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 25
Psalm 147 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1225db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 147Praise Him for Providing for His PeopleThe Creator Restores His People1 Praise the Lord. [1]
How good it is to make music to our God.
Yes, praise is pleasant and fitting!
2 The one who builds Jerusalem is the Lord.
He assembles the outcasts of Israel.
3 He is the one who heals the brokenhearted
and who bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars.
He calls them all by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power.
To his understanding there is no limit.
6 The one who sustains the humble is the Lord.
He pushes the wicked down to the ground.
The Creator Loves His People7 Respond to the Lord with thanksgiving.
Make music to our God on the lyre.
8 He is the one who covers the sky with clouds.
He determines rain for the earth.
He makes grass sprout on the mountains.
9 He gives their food to the cattle
and to the young ravens when they call.
10 He is not impressed by the strength of the horse.
He is not pleased with the legs of a man.
11 The Lord is pleased with those who fear him,
those who wait for his mercy.
The Creator Reveals His Word12 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem.
Praise your God, O Zion,
13 because he strengthens the bars on your gates.
He blesses your children within you.
14 He brings peace to your borders.
He satisfies you with the best wheat.
15 He sends his message to the earth.
His word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool.
He scatters frost like ashes.
17 He sends his hail like pieces of bread.
Who can stand in the face of his cold winds?
18 He sends his word, and the ice melts.
He breathes on the snow. [2] The waters flow. [3]
19 He reveals his words to Jacob,
his statutes and his judgments to Israel.
20 He has not done this for any other nation.
They do not know his judgments.
Praise the Lord.
Footnotes1. Psalm 147:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah 2. Psalm 147:18 Or he sends his wind on them 3. Psalm 147:18 The words ice and snow are added to clarify the antecedents.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 24Psalm 146LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 24
Psalm 146 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1224db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 146Praise Him for ProtectionPraise for Protection1 Praise the Lord. [1]
A Lifetime of PraisePraise the Lord, O my soul.
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
I will make music to my God as long as I exist.
No Help in Humans3 Do not trust in human helpers, [2]
in a mortal man who cannot save you.
4 His spirit departs.
He returns to the ground he came from.
On that day, his plans have perished.
Help in the Lord5 Blessed is everyone who has the God of Jacob as his help.
His hope is in the Lord his God,
6 the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything which is in them.
He is the one who stays faithful forever.
7 He obtains justice for the oppressed.
He gives food to the hungry.
The Lord releases prisoners.
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down.
The Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the aliens.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but he turns aside the way of the wicked.
An Eternity for Praise10 The Lord reigns forever.
Your God, O Zion, rules for all generations.
Praise the Lord.
Footnotes1. Psalm 146:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah 2. Psalm 146:3 The Hebrew word refers to rich people who have the willingness and the means to help the needy.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 23Psalm 145LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 23
Psalm 145 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1223db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 145The Lord Is Worthy of PraiseHeadingA song of praise. By David.Praise1 I will exalt you, my God, the King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Proclamation of His Greatness3 Great is the Lord and worthy of great praise,
and there are no limits to the extent of his greatness.
Praise4 One generation will praise your deeds to another,
and they will declare your mighty acts.
5 I will contemplate the glorious splendor of your majesty
and the accounts of your wonderful works.
6 Then they will speak about the power of your awesome works,
and I will tell about your great deeds.
7 They will pour forth the memory of your abundant goodness
and sing loudly about your righteousness.
Proclamation of His Grace8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and great in mercy.
9 The Lord is good to all.
His compassion extends over all he has made.
Praise10 Everyone you have made will thank you, O Lord,
and the ones you favor will bless you.
11 They will tell about the glory of your kingdom,
and they will speak about your might,
12 to make known his might to the children of Adam,
to make known the glorious splendor of his kingdom.
Proclamation of His Kingdom13 Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is faithful to all his words
and merciful toward all he has made. [1]
14 The Lord lifts up all who fall,
and he supports all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look eagerly to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 He opens his hand,
and he satisfies the desire of every living thing. [2]
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and merciful toward all that he has made.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He grants the desire of those who fear him.
He hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him,
but he will destroy all the wicked.
Praise21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord.
Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Footnotes1. Psalm 145:13 The second half of verse 13 does not appear in the Hebrew text, but it is in the Greek version of the Old Testament and a Dead Sea Scroll. 2. Psalm 145:16 Switching back and forth between second and third person verbs and pronouns is common in psalms.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 22Psalm 144LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 22
Psalm 144 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1222db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 144A Prayer for the NationHeadingBy David.Praise1 Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
who trains my hands for battle,
my fingers for war.
2 He shows me mercy.
He is my stronghold, my high fortress.
He is my deliverer and my shield,
so I take refuge in him.
He subdues peoples [1] under me.
Need3 Lord, what is man that you notice him,
the son of man that you consider him?
4 Man is like a breath. [2]
His days are like a passing shadow.
Petition5 Lord, rip open your heavens and come down.
Touch the mountains so that they smoke.
6 Send out lightning and scatter them.
Shoot your arrows and rout them.
7 Reach down your hand from on high.
Rescue me and snatch me from the mighty waters,
from the hand of foreigners 8 whose mouths speak lies,
who raise their right hands to a false oath. [3]
Praise9 God, I will sing a new song to you.
On the ten-stringed harp I will make music to you,
10 to you who gives victory to kings,
to you who delivers David his servant from the evil sword.
Petition11 Rescue me and snatch me from the hand of foreigners
whose mouths speak lies,
who raise their right hands to a false oath.
The Results of Victory12 Then our sons in their youth will be like full-grown plants.
Our daughters will be like corner pillars carved to decorate a palace.
13 Our storehouses will be filled with produce of every kind.
Our flocks will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our countryside.
14 Our oxen will pull heavy loads.
There will be no breaking through our walls,
no exile into captivity,
no cry of distress in our city squares.
15 How blessed are the people for whom this is so.
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.
Footnotes1. Psalm 144:2 Hebrew variant. The main Hebrew reading is my people. 2. Psalm 144:4 Or vapor 3. Psalm 144:8 Literally their right hand a right hand of falseness
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 21Psalm 142 – 143LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 21
Psalm 142 – 143 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1221db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 142When My Spirit Grows FaintHeadingA maskil [1] by David. When he was in the cave. [2] A prayer.
A Prayer for the Weary1 With my voice I cry out to the Lord.
With my voice I call to the Lord for mercy.
2 I pour out my complaint before him.
I tell my distress before him.
3 When my spirit grows faint within me,
you are the one who knows my course.
On the path where I walk they have hidden a snare for me.
4 Look to my right and see.
There is no one who recognizes me.
There is no escape for me.
No one cares about my life.
5 I cry out to you, Lord.
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Pay attention to my loud cry,
because I am very weak.
Rescue me from those who pursue me,
because they are too strong for me.
7 Set me free from my prison,
so I can give thanks to your name.
Then the righteous will gather around me,
because you have accomplished your purpose for me.
Psalm 143Do Not Bring Your Servant Into JudgmentHeadingA psalm by David.Prayer for Forgiveness1 Lord, hear my prayer.
Give ear to my cry for mercy.
In your faithfulness, answer me in your righteousness.
2 Do not bring charges against your servant,
because no one living can be righteous before you.
The Problem3 For the enemy pursues my soul.
He crushes my life to the ground.
He makes me dwell in dark places like those long dead,
4 so my spirit grows faint inside me.
Within me my heart is devastated.
The Reason for Hope5 I remember the days of long ago.
I meditate on all your works,
and I consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands to you. Interlude
My soul thirsts for you like a weary land.
The Prayer7 Hurry! Answer me, Lord.
My spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me,
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear about your mercy in the morning,
for I trust in you.
Teach me the way that I should go,
for I lift up my soul to you.
9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
May your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11 For the sake of your name, O Lord, preserve my life.
In your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
12 In your mercy, wipe out my enemies,
and destroy all who threaten my life,
for I am your servant.
Footnotes1. Psalm 142:1 A maskil is a type of hymn. It means a song that makes one wise or a skillful song. 2. Psalm 142:1 The cave at Adullam in 1 Samuel 22 or the cave at En Gedi in 1 Samuel 24
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 20Psalm 140 – 141LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 20
Psalm 140 – 141 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1220db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 140Rescue Me From Evil MenHeadingFor the choir director. A psalm by David.Plea for Deliverance1 Keep me safe, Lord, from the evil man.
Protect me from the violent man,
2 who plans evil in his heart.
Every day they gather for battle.
3 They sharpen their tongues like a snake. Interlude
The poison of vipers is under their lips.
4 Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked.
Protect me from the violent man, who plans to trip my feet.
5 The proud have hidden a snare for me, and ropes. [1]
They have spread out a net along my route. Interlude
They have set traps for me.
Confidence6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Hear, O Lord, the sound of my cry for mercy.
7 O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
you cover my head on the day for weapons.
8 Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked.
Do not let their scheme succeed when they rise up. [2] Interlude
Plea for Justice9 May the trouble caused by their lips
fall on the heads of those who surround me.
10 Let burning coals fall on them.
Cause them to fall into the fire,
or into pits from which they will never rise.
11 Do not let the slanderer [3] be established in the land.
As for the man of violence—
may evil hunt him and beat him down.
Confidence12 I know that the Lord will provide justice for the oppressed,
judgment for the poor.
13 Surely the righteous will give thanks to your name.
The upright will live in your presence.
Psalm 141Guard My Lips and HeartHeadingA psalm by David.Accept My Prayer1 Lord, I call to you. Hurry to me.
Turn your ear toward my voice when I call to you.
2 May my prayer linger before you like incense,
the lifting up of my hands like an evening offering.
Guard My Heart and Mouth3 Set a guard over my mouth, Lord.
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not let my heart turn toward anything evil,
to take part in wicked deeds with men who do evil.
Let me not taste their delicacies.
Correct Me5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is mercy.
Let him rebuke me—it is lotion [4] on my head.
My head will not refuse it.
Reject the WickedBut my prayer is still against their evil deeds.
6 Their rulers will be thrown down by the sides of the cliff,
and they will hear that my words were pleasant.
7 They will say, [5] “As one splits and breaks up the earth,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.”
Closing Plea8 But my eyes look to you, Lord God. [6]
In you I take refuge. Do not take away my life.
9 Keep me from the snares they have set for me,
from the traps of the evildoers.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely.
Footnotes1. Psalm 140:5 This word seems to dangle and is omitted by many translators. 2. Psalm 140:8 Or so that they are not exalted 3. Psalm 140:11 Or boaster 4. Psalm 141:5 Literally oil 5. Psalm 141:7 The words they will say are added to clarify who is speaking. 6. Psalm 141:8 Yahweh Adonai, which the Jews read as if it was God the Lord
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 19Psalm 139LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 19
Psalm 139 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1219db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Psalm 139God’s Attributes—Too Wonderful for Me!HeadingFor the choir director. By David. A psalm.God Is All-Knowing1 Lord, you have investigated me,
and you know.
2 You know when I sit down and when I get up.
You understand my thoughts from far off.
3 You keep track of when I travel and when I stay, [1]
and you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before there is a word on my tongue,
you, Lord, already know it completely.
5 You put a fence behind me and in front of me,
and you have placed your hand on me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
It is too high—I cannot grasp it.
God Is Present Everywhere7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your Presence? [2]
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there.
If I make my bed in hell—there you are!
9 I rise on the wings of dawn.
I settle on the far side of the sea.
10 Even there your hand guides me,
and your right hand holds on to me.
11 And if I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light will become night around me,”
12 then even the darkness will not be too dark for you.
The night will be as light as the day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
God Is Powerful and Good13 For you created my inner organs. [3]
You wove me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful,
and my soul knows that very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unfinished body.
In your book all of them were written.
Days were determined, before any of them existed.
17 Your thoughts to me are so precious, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
God Is Holy19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God,
so that bloody men would depart from me,
20 men who speak against you maliciously.
Your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord,
and detest those who rise up against you?
22 I absolutely hate them. To me they are enemies.
23 Investigate me, God, and know my heart.
Test me and know my troubled thoughts.
24 See if there is any way in me that causes pain,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Footnotes1. Psalm 139:3 Literally you winnow my path and my crouching down 2. Psalm 139:7 Or presence. Presence can be a name for God or for the second person of the Trinity. 3. Psalm 139:13 Literally kidneys. The kidneys were thought of as a center of emotion.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 18Daniel 11:21 – 12:13LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 18
Daniel 11:21 – 12:13 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1218db.mp3
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Daniel 11Antiochus IV21 A despicable person will arise in his place, but they will not confer the royal majesty upon him. He will come when the kingdom is at ease and seize it through smooth, slippery talk. 22 A powerful force will be overpowered by him and broken, together with a leader of the covenant. 23 After an alliance is made with the leader of the covenant, the despicable person will act deceitfully. He will rise up and become powerful with a small nation. 24 He will come to the richest parts of the province when it is at ease, and he will do what his fathers and his fathers’ fathers did not do. He will distribute plunder and property to them. He will come up with plans against strongholds, but only for a time.
25 He will awaken his power and his courage against the King of the South with a great army. The King of the South will stir himself up for battle with a very great and powerful army, but he will not succeed because schemes will be plotted against him. 26 Those who eat his special royal food will try to break him, and his army will be swept away. Many will fall, struck down in battle.
27 The two kings, whose hearts are bent to evil, will sit at one table and lie to each other, but this scheming will not succeed, because the end is still set for an appointed time. 28 The King of the North will return to his land with a lot of captured possessions and with his heart set against the holy covenant. He will take action and then return to his own land.
29 At the appointed time he will return and come into the South again, but this later invasion will not turn out like the first invasion. 30 Ships from Kittim will come against him, and he will be humbled. [1]
Then he will turn and become furious against the holy covenant and take action. He will return and show favor to those who abandon the holy covenant. 31 His forces will arise, profane the temple fortress, abolish the continual daily sacrifice, and set up the abominable thing that causes desolation. 32 So he will corrupt wicked men of the covenant with smooth talk, but a people who know their God will be strong and take action.
33 Those of the people who have insight will make many understand, but they will fall by the sword, and to flames, captivity, and plunder for some time. 34 However, when they stumble, they will be aided by a little help, and many will join them insincerely. 35 Some of those who have insight will stumble so that they may be refined, purified, and made white until the time of the end, for it is still set for an appointed time.
The Antichrist and the Time of the End [2]36 The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt himself and magnify himself over every god, and he will speak amazing things against the God of Gods. He will prosper until furious anger is completed, because what has been determined shall be done. 37 He will not favor the God of his fathers. He also will not favor the desire of women or any god, because he will exalt himself above all of them. 38 He will honor a god of fortresses in their place. He will honor a god whom his fathers did not know with gold, silver, precious stones, and very valuable things. 39 He will deal with strong fortresses with the help of a foreign god. To all who acknowledge him, he will give great honor and make them rulers over many people. What is more, he will parcel out land for a price.
40 Then, at the time of the end, the King of the South will wage war against him, and the King of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships. He will enter countries like a flood and overflow them. 41 He will enter the beautiful land, and many will stumble. However, these nations will be delivered from his power: Edom, Moab, and the best of the Ammonites. 42 He will seek to harm countries, and the land of Egypt will not be one that escapes. 43 He will rule over the treasures of gold and silver and over all of the very valuable things of Egypt. Libyans and Cushites will be within his grasp. 44 However, reports from the east and from the north will terrify him. He will go out in great anger to destroy and to completely wipe out many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas toward the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and there will be no one to help him.
The Resurrection to Eternal LifeDaniel 121 Then at that time, Michael, the great prince who stands over your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress that has not happened from the first time that there was a nation until that time.
At that time your people will be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2 Many who are sleeping in the dusty ground will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame, to everlasting contempt. 3 Those who have insight will shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who bring many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever. 4 Now you, Daniel, close up the words and seal the scroll until the time of the end. Many will continue running back and forth, and knowledge will increase.
The Messenger Concludes His Revelation5 I, Daniel, looked, and there were two others standing there, one on the near bank of the river and the other on the far bank of the river. 6 Someone said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long until the end of these amazing things?” 7 Then I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river. He raised his right hand and his left hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and then, when the rejection of the holy people is finished, all these things will be finished. [3]
8 I myself heard, but I did not understand. So I said, “Lord, what will be the end result of these things?”
9 He said:
Go, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.
11 From the time when the regular daily offering is removed and an abominable thing that causes desolation is set up, there will be one thousand two hundred ninety days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits and reaches one thousand three hundred thirty-five days.
13 But you, go on your way to the end. You will rest and rise to your assigned inheritance at the end of the days.
Footnotes1. Daniel 11:30 Antiochus IV would have successfully conquered Egypt, but he was thwarted by Roman intervention. In his rage he turned against the Jews and instigated a great persecution which led to the Maccabean revolt. 2. Daniel 11:36 When we reach the end of this section, we will be at the Last Day. Without notice, the topic morphs gradually from Antiochus, who is the Old Testament type of the Antichrist, to the Antichrist himself. 3. Daniel 12:7 Or when the power of the holy people has been completely broken, all these things will be completed
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 17Daniel 11:2-20LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 17
Daniel 11:2-20 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1217db.mp3
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Daniel 11The Messenger Reveals Future Battles [1]Xerxes of Persia [2]2 Now I will tell you the truth: Look, three more kings will arise for Persia. Then the fourth one will gain great riches, more than anyone else. As he becomes strong through his riches, he will stir everyone up against the kingdom of Greece.
Alexander the Great [3]3 A warrior king will arise. He will rule a great dominion and will do as he pleases. 4 But as he rises, his kingdom will be broken and be divided to the four winds of heaven, but it will not be passed on to his descendants. It will not be ruled with the same ruling power with which he ruled, because his kingdom will be uprooted and given to others besides these.
The Ptolemies Versus the Seleucids [4]5 The King of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become stronger than he and rule a dominion greater than his. [5]
6 After some years, they will make an alliance. The daughter of the King of the South will come to the King of the North and make a fair agreement. However, she will not keep the strength of her arm, and he and his arm [6] will not endure. She will be given up—she and those who brought her, the one who fathered her, [7] and the one who strengthened her during these times. [8]
7 But one who is a branch from her root will arise in his place. [9] He will come against the army and come into the fortress of the King of the North. He will make war with them and win. 8 He will also take their gods captive to Egypt with their cast images and with their valuable silver and gold vessels. For some years he will leave the King of the North alone. 9 But the King of the North will come into the kingdom of the King of the South. Then he will return to his own land.
10 His sons [10] will stir themselves up and will gather a huge force of many armies, which will keep coming like an overflowing flood. They will stir themselves up again as far as his fortress. [11]
11 The King of the South will be enraged. He will go out and fight with the King of the North. The King of the North will raise up a great army, but the army will be handed over to the King of the South. 12 When the King of the North’s army is swept away, and the King of the South becomes arrogant, though he will cause tens of thousands to fall, he will not win. [12]
Antiochus the Great13 The King of the North will again raise an army, which will be greater than the first army, and after some years he will keep coming with a great army and many supplies. 14 In those times, many will rise up against the King of the South. Violent men from your own people will lift themselves up in fulfillment of this vision, but they will fail. 15 The King of the North will come and build siege works and capture a fortified city. The forces of the south will not stand, not even its best troops, because they will have no strength to stand. 16 The one who comes against him [13] will do as he pleases, and no one will stand in his way. He will stand in the beautiful land, [14] and it will be completely in his power. 17 He will be determined to come with the power of his entire kingdom and to bring a treaty with him, which he will enforce. He will give his daughter to the King of the South in marriage in order to destroy the southern kingdom. But his plan will not succeed or turn out to his advantage. 18 He will focus his attack on the coastlands and capture many. However, a commander will put an end to his insolence. Moreover, he will make him pay for his insolence. 19 Then the King of the North will turn his face toward the fortresses of his land. He will stumble and fall and not be found. [15]
20 Then one will arise in his place who will send an oppressive tax collector for the glory of his kingdom. However, in a few days he will be broken, but not in anger or battle.
Footnotes1. Daniel 11:2 This prophecy, which continues into chapter 12, extends from Daniel’s time till the end of the world. Understanding this chapter requires considerable knowledge of history, so the EHV includes more footnotes here than it usually does. For more information, consult commentaries and study Bibles. 2. Daniel 11:2 Esther’s husband Xerxes led a huge expedition against Greece that ended in failure in 480 bc. 3. Daniel 11:3 Alexander of Macedon very quickly built up a great empire that stretched from Greece to India, about 330 years before Christ. 4. Daniel 11:5 This is both one of the most amazing prophecies and one of the most difficult. Daniel, who lived in the 6th century bc, foretells in great detail events that happen from about 330 bc to 150 bc. The Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucids of Syria were two of the dynasties that succeeded Alexander. The Jews got caught in the middle of the conflict between them, and this led to a great persecution of the Jews. Consult commentaries and study Bibles for more details on this very complicated history. 5. Daniel 11:5 The King of the South is Ptolemy of Egypt and his successors. The King of the North is Seleucus, a subordinate of Ptolemy who gained power in Syria, and his successors. 6. Daniel 11:6 Variant seed, that is, descendant. The words for arm and seed look very much alike in Hebrew. 7. Daniel 11:6 Variant her child 8. Daniel 11:6 The kings are Ptolemy II and Antiochus II. The daughter of Ptolemy is Bernice, who was married to Antiochus. Antiochus eventually divorced Bernice and remarried his former wife Laodice, who then poisoned Antiochus, killed Bernice, and installed her own son as Seleucus II. 9. Daniel 11:7 Bernice’s brother, Ptolemy III, warred against Seleucus II. 10. Daniel 11:10 The sons of Seleucus II were Seleucus III and Antiochus III the Great. They fought against the Ptolemies. 11. Daniel 11:10 The line of thought in this verse is difficult to follow. 12. Daniel 11:12 This King of the South is Ptolemy IV. 13. Daniel 11:16 That is, the King of the North, who comes against the King of the South 14. Daniel 11:16 That is, Israel 15. Daniel 11:19 Antiochus the Great had success against both Egypt and Greece, but his plans were frustrated by the intervention of the Romans. It was at this time that Israel, which was between Syria and Egypt, got caught up in the conflict.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 16Daniel 10:1 – 11:1LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 16
Daniel 10:1 – 11:1 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1216db.mp3
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Daniel’s Vision of a MessengerDaniel 101 In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, [1] a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar. Now the message was true. It was about a great war. He understood the message, and understanding came to him through the vision.
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three whole weeks. 3 I ate no expensive food, and no meat or wine entered my mouth. I did not anoint myself at all until the completion of three whole weeks.
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, I was beside the Great River, that is, the Tigris. 5 I looked up, and there, right in front of me, I saw a man dressed in linen. Around his waist he was wearing a belt made from gold of Uphaz. 6 His body was like topaz, and his face looked like lightning. His eyes were like burning torches, and his arms and feet were like polished bronze. The sound of his words was like the sound of an army.
7 Only I, Daniel, saw the vision. The men who were with me did not see the vision, but they were overwhelmed by fear and trembling, so they ran away to hide. 8 I was left alone, and I saw this great vision. No strength was left in me. My appearance changed for the worse. I became very pale, [2] and I had no strength. 9 I heard the sound of his words, but as I heard the sound of his words, I was in a deep sleep, facedown, with my face to the ground.
10 Then a hand touched me and pulled me up, trembling, to my hands and knees. 11 He said to me, “Daniel, you are a highly valued man. Understand the words that I am speaking to you. Stand up where you are, because now I have been sent to you.” When he spoke this word to me, I stood up, shaking.
12 He said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, because from the first day that you began to commit your heart to gaining understanding and to humbling yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come in response to your words. 13 However, an officer of the kingdom of Persia was standing against me for twenty-one days. Yet Michael, one of the chief officers, came to help me, for I had been left there against the kings of Persia. 14 I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the latter days, because the vision concerns days still to come.”
15 As he spoke these words to me, I pressed my face to the ground and was silent. 16 Then someone whose form was like a son of man was touching my lips. So I opened my mouth and spoke and said to the one standing in front of me, “My lord, pain has come upon me in the vision, and I have no strength left in me. 17 How can this servant of my lord speak with my lord? And I, from now on—no strength remains in me, and no breath is left in me.”
18 The one whose appearance was like a man touched me again and strengthened me. 19 He said to me, “Do not be afraid, you highly valued man. Peace to you. Be strong! Be strong!”
As he spoke with me I was strengthened, and I said, “Keep speaking, my lord, because you strengthen me.”
20 He said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Now I will return to fight against the official of Persia. But after I leave that battle, the prince of Greece will come. 21 Nevertheless, I will tell you what is inscribed in the Book of Truth. No one is supporting me against these enemies except Michael, your prince. 11 1 In the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to strengthen and protect him.” [3]
Footnotes1. Daniel 10:1 About 536 bc 2. Daniel 10:8 Literally my splendor was changed upon me to destruction 3. Daniel 11:1 A debated issue is whether the last angel is Christ. This angel both helps Michael, the archangel, and is helped by Michael.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 15Daniel 9:20-27LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 15
Daniel 9:20-27 (EHV)
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Daniel 9Gabriel Explains Jerusalem’s Future20 While I was still speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, I was casting my prayer for grace, concerning the holy mountain of my God, before the Lord my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the first vision, touched me. I was completely exhausted. [1] It was about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me, “Daniel, now I have come to give you insight with understanding. 23 At the beginning of your plea for grace, a word went out, and I came to declare it to you, because you are very treasured. So pay attention to the word and understand the vision.”
The Vision of Seventy Sevens24 Seventy sevens [2] are determined concerning your people and your holy city:
to end rebellion,
to finish sin,
and to atone for guilt,
to bring everlasting righteousness,
to seal up prophetic vision,
and to anoint a most holy one. [3]
25 You should know and have insight. From the going out of a word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, [4] a ruler, comes, there will be seven sevens and sixty-two sevens. [5] Jerusalem will be rebuilt with public squares and a moat, but during troubled times.
26 Then after the sixty-two sevens, the anointed one will be cut off and have nothing. Both the city and the holy place will be destroyed by the people of a ruler who is coming, [6] and its end will be with a flood. There will be war until the end, and desolations have been decreed.
27 He [7] will confirm a covenant for the many during one seven. In the middle of the seven, he will cause sacrifice and offering to cease.
On the wing of abominations is one who causes desolation, until the decreed end is poured out on the one who causes desolation.
Footnotes1. Daniel 9:21 Or he came to me in swift flight 2. Daniel 9:24 A form of the word seven is used, but it is not the term Daniel uses for an ordinary week of seven days. The “weeks” in this prophecy probably represent periods of seven years. 3. Daniel 9:24 The Hebrew phrase is not the usual expression for the Holy of Holies. Here it may refer to a holy person, the Messiah. 4. Daniel 9:25 The Hebrew word used here is the source of the English term Messiah and the Greek term Christ. 5. Daniel 9:25 The seven sevens extend from Daniel to Nehemiah and the sixty-two sevens from Nehemiah to Christ. 6. Daniel 9:26 Titus, the Roman general who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 ad 7. Daniel 9:27 The Messiah
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 14Daniel 9:1-19LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 14
Daniel 9:1-19 (EHV)
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Daniel 9Daniel’s Prayer1 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes, [1] who was a Mede by descent and who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, [2] I, Daniel, understood from the scrolls that, according to the word of the Lord given to the prophet Jeremiah, the number of years it would take to complete the devastation of Jerusalem was seventy years.
3 With fasting, sackcloth, and ashes I turned my face to the Lord God to seek him in prayer and to plead for grace. 4 I prayed to the Lord, my God, and I made confession.
Please, Lord, you are the great God, who is to be feared, [3] who keeps the covenant, and who shows mercy to those who love him and keep his commands. 5 We have sinned. We have been guilty. We have acted wickedly. We have rebelled and turned aside from your commands and standards. 6 We did not listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, officials, and fathers and to all the people of the land.
7 Righteousness is yours, Lord, but we are filled with shame this day—we the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, both near and far, in all the lands where you have banished them because of the treachery with which they betrayed you. 8 Lord, we are filled with shame—our kings, our officials, and our fathers, who sinned against you. 9 Acts of compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, even though we have rebelled against him. 10 We did not listen to the voice of the Lord our God by walking according to his laws that he set before us through the hand of his servants, the prophets. 11 All Israel violated your law and turned away by not listening to your voice. So you poured out the curse on us and fulfilled the oath that is written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, because we sinned against him.
12 God has fulfilled the words that he spoke against us and against our judges by bringing such a great disaster upon us. What was done in Jerusalem has never been done under all of heaven. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster came upon us, but we did not seek the favor of the Lord our God to turn from our guilt and to gain insight into your truth. 14 Therefore, the Lord watched over the disaster and brought it upon us, because the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does, but we did not listen to his voice.
15 And now, Lord our God, you who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made a name for yourself to this very day, we have sinned, we have acted wickedly. 16 Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain, although, because of our sins and the guilt of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people are viewed with contempt by everyone around us.
17 Now listen, our God, to the prayer of your servant and to his plea for grace, and let your face shine upon your desolate sanctuary for your sake, my Lord. 18 My God, turn your ear toward us and listen. Open your eyes and see the desolation that is upon us and the city that is called by your name. No, it is not because of our righteous acts that we are casting our plea for grace before you, but because of your great acts of compassion. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, pay attention! Act, and do not delay—for your sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.
Footnotes1. Daniel 9:1 Hebrew Ahasuerus. The later Persian king who had this name is called Xerxes in Esther. Xerxes is the Greek form of this name. The Darius referred to here is either Cyrus the Persian or one of his deputies. 2. Daniel 9:2 In 539 bc 3. Daniel 9:4 Or revered
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 13Daniel 8LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 13
Daniel 8 (EHV)
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Daniel’s Vision of the Ram and the Goat1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, [1] a vision appeared to me—I, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me previously.
2 I saw the vision, and as I watched, I was in the citadel [2] of Susa, which is in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up and right there in front of me I saw a ram standing beside the canal. He had two horns. The two horns were large. One, however, was larger than the other, but the larger one had grown up later. 4 I saw the ram pushing toward the west, north, and south, and no beast was able to stand in his way. Nothing could rescue anyone from his power. So he did as he pleased and made himself great.
5 As I was thinking about this, I saw a male goat coming from the west, moving across the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground. The goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 6 He came up to the ram with the two horns that I saw standing beside the canal, and he ran at him with fierce anger. 7 I saw him coming up to the ram, and he was enraged against him. He struck the ram and broke his two horns. The ram had no power to stand up against him, so the goat threw the ram to the ground and trampled him. There was no one who could rescue the ram from his power.
8 The male goat made himself very great. But as he became strong, his large horn was broken, and four conspicuous horns grew up in its place toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Then from one of these horns a single horn came up. It began small, but it became very large toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land. 10 It exalted itself against the army of heaven. It made some of that army and some of the stars fall to earth, and it trampled them. 11 It exalted itself against the Prince of the Army. It deprived him of the continual sacrifice, and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down. 12 The army and the continual sacrifice will be handed over to the horn during the rebellion, and it will throw truth to the ground. It will succeed in doing this.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one speaking, “How long is the vision about the continual sacrifice and the rebellion that causes desolation going to last—this handing over of both the Holy Place and the army to be trampled?”
14 He said to him, “Until two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings, and then the Holy Place will be consecrated.”
Gabriel Explains the Vision of the Ram and the Goat15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I tried to understand it. Then suddenly there was someone standing in front of me who had the appearance of a man. 16 I heard a human voice coming from between the banks of the Ulai. It called out and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”
17 So he came beside the spot where I stood, and when he came, I was terrified and fell facedown. He said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision concerns the time of the end.” 18 When he had spoken with me, I fell into a deep sleep, facedown on the ground. He touched me and made me stand up.
19 He said, “Listen, I am about to make known to you what will happen during the last part of the furious anger, because this concerns the appointed time of the end.
20 “The ram that you saw had two horns, the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The male goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. [3] 22 He is the one who was broken, and four others arose in his place. Four kingdoms will arise from his nation, but not with the same power he had.
23 “In the latter part of their kingdom, when the rebels have reached their full measure, a merciless king who understands intrigue will arise. [4] 24 His power will be very great, but not from his own power. He will destroy wonderful things, and he will succeed in doing this. He will destroy mighty men [5] and the people of the saints. 25 Through his cunning, he will deceive in order to succeed by his power and will also exalt himself in his heart. He will destroy many who are at ease, [6] and he will rise up against the Prince of Princes. However, he will be broken, but not by human power. 26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that was spoken is true. But you—seal the vision, because it concerns a time many days in the future.”
27 I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up and carried out the king’s business. I was stunned by the vision, but I did not understand it.
Footnotes1. Daniel 8:1 About 551 bc, after Daniel had been in exile more than 50 years 2. Daniel 8:2 The term citadel or fortress-city identifies a city as one of the capital cities of the Persian Empire. Persia and Elam are located in present-day Iran. 3. Daniel 8:21 Alexander the Great of Macedon, around 330 bc 4. Daniel 8:23 This section predicts the persecution of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes in about 168 bc. See chapter 11. 5. Daniel 8:24 Or many people 6. Daniel 8:25 Or unsuspecting
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 12Daniel 7LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 12
Daniel 7 (EHV)
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Daniel’s Vision of Four Beasts1 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, [1] Daniel had a dream. When he was on his bed, he saw visions in his head. Then he wrote down the dream by recording the main points.
2 Daniel said:
During my visions at night, I was watching and saw the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four large beasts were coming out of the sea, each one different from the others.
4 The first was like a lion. It had wings like an eagle. I kept watching until its wings were plucked off. Then it was lifted up from the earth so that it stood on its feet like a man, and a man’s mind was given to it.
5 Then another appeared, a second beast that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side. Three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. This is what was being said to it: “Arise, devour much flesh.”
6 After this, I kept watching and another beast appeared which was like a leopard. It had four bird wings on its back. The beast had four heads, and dominion [2] was given to it.
7 After this, I kept watching the night visions, and another beast appeared. The fourth beast was frightening and terrifying and very strong. It had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed. With its feet it trampled whatever was left. Now it was different from all the beasts that came before it. It had ten horns.
8 I was thinking about the horns when suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them. Three of the horns that had already been there were uprooted to make room for it. I noticed eyes like human eyes on that horn, and it had a mouth which was speaking boastfully.
The Coming of the Son of Man9 I continued to watch until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair on his head was like pure wool. His throne was flames of fire. Its wheels were blazing fire. 10 A river of fire flowed out from his presence. Thousands upon thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and books were opened.
11 I kept paying attention to the sound of the boastful words that the horn was speaking. I kept watching until the beast was killed, and its body was destroyed and thrown into the burning fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion had been taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a set period of time.
13 I kept watching the night visions, and there, in the clouds of heaven, I saw one like a son of man [3] coming. He came to the Ancient of Days, and he was brought before him. 14 To him was given dominion, honor, and a kingdom. All peoples, nations, and languages will worship him. His dominion is an eternal dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.
An Angel Explains the Four Beasts15 I, Daniel—my spirit was distressed within my body, and the visions in my head disturbed me. 16 I approached one of those standing there, and I asked him for the truth about all this. So he spoke to me and made the meaning of these visions clear to me. 17 “These great beasts are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 But the saints [4] of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and they will possess the kingdom forever—yes, forever and ever.”
19 Then I wanted to be certain about that fourth beast that was different from all the others. It was very frightening. Its teeth were iron, and its claws were bronze. It devoured and crushed, and whatever was left it trampled with its feet. 20 I also wanted to be certain about the ten horns on its head, about the other horn that came up, and about the three horns that fell to make room for it. What is more, that horn had eyes and a mouth that was speaking boastful things. Its appearance was greater than that of the other horns that were with it. 21 I kept watching, and that horn made war against the saints and prevailed over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was rendered in favor of the saints of the Most High. Then the time came, and the saints took possession of the kingdom.
23 So this is what he said to me:
The fourth beast is the fourth kingdom that will come on the earth. It will be different from all the kingdoms. It will devour the entire earth, trample it, and smash it. 24 As for the ten horns—ten kings will arise from that kingdom, and another king will arise after them. He will be different from the previous ones, and he will humble three kings. 25 He will speak words against the Most High so that he will wear down the saints of the Most High. Moreover, he has plans to change times and the law. So the saints will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.
The Establishment of the Kingdom of God26 Then the court will be seated, and the horn’s dominion will be taken away in order to destroy it and wipe it out forever. 27 But the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under all the heavens will be given to the people, to the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and all dominions will worship and obey him.
28 This was the end of the matter. I, Daniel—my thoughts troubled me greatly. My appearance changed and my face became pale, but I kept the matter to myself.
Footnotes1. Daniel 7:1 About 553 bc, after Daniel had been in exile more than 50 years 2. Daniel 7:6 Or authority to rule 3. Daniel 7:13 This prophecy forms the basis of Jesus’ use of the title Son of Man. At this point the words son of man are not yet a title but a description. Later, Son of Man is a title that indicates not only Jesus’ humanity but also his deity, since it reminds us that he ruled with God the Father from eternity. 4. Daniel 7:18 Or holy people
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 11Daniel 6LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 11
Daniel 6 (EHV)
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Daniel Is Rescued From the Lions’ Den1 It seemed like a good plan to Darius to appoint one hundred twenty satraps over the kingdom. They were to rule throughout the kingdom. 2 Above them there would be three supervisors (Daniel was one of them) to whom these satraps would report, so that the king would not suffer any loss. 3 It came about that this Daniel distinguished himself above the supervisors and satraps, because there was an outstanding spirit in him. So the king intended to promote him so that he would be in charge of the entire kingdom.
4 Then the supervisors and satraps kept trying to find a basis for an accusation against Daniel in regard to his administration of the kingdom. However, they were unable to come up with an accusation or any evidence of corruption, because he was trustworthy and no neglect of duty or evidence of corruption could be found against him. 5 Then these men said, “We will not find any accusation to bring against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”
6 So these supervisors and satraps came as a group to the king and said this to him, “Darius, Your Majesty, may you live forever! 7 All the supervisors of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the advisors and the governors advise the king to establish and enforce a decree that prohibits anyone to pray a prayer to any god or person for thirty days except to you, Your Majesty. Anyone who does so will be thrown into the den [1] of lions. 8 Now Your Majesty, please establish the decree and sign a document that cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians that cannot be revoked.”
9 That is why King Darius signed the written decree.
10 Now, when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house. It had windows on its upper story that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times each day he would get on his knees and pray and offer praise before his God. He continued to do that, just as he had been doing before this. 11 Then these men came as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking favor from his God.
12 They then went and asked the king about the decree. “Your Majesty, did you not sign a decree that anyone who prays to any god or person for thirty days except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the den of lions?”
The king answered, “Indeed I did. The order is established as a law of the Medes and the Persians that cannot be revoked.”
13 Then they responded to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, does not pay attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree that you signed. Instead, three times each day he is praying his prayers.”
14 When the king heard this report, he was very upset about it, but he was determined to save Daniel. So until sunset he worked hard to rescue him. 15 Then these men came as a group to the king and kept saying to the king, “You know, Your Majesty, that it is the law of the Medes and the Persians that every decree or statute that the king establishes cannot be changed.”
16 Then the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.” 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the pit. The king sealed it with his signet ring and the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel’s situation. 18 Then the king went to his palace. He spent the night without food, and no entertainment was brought before him. But he could not sleep.
19 At dawn the king arose as soon as it was light and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 As he came near the pit, he cried out in a fearful voice. The king said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God, whom you serve continually, able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Then Daniel spoke with the king. “Your Majesty, may you live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions. They have not hurt me because he found me innocent in his presence. Also before you, Your Majesty, I have committed no crime.”
23 Then the king was very glad and said that Daniel should be brought up from the pit. So Daniel was brought up from the pit, and he was unharmed because he trusted in his God.
24 The king gave the order, and those men who maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives. They had not reached the bottom of the pit when the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in the entire earth:
May your peace and prosperity increase.
26 I give this command throughout my royal dominion:
People should continually tremble and be afraid before the God of Daniel,
because he is the living God, who endures forever.
His kingdom will not be destroyed,
and his dominion is eternal.
27 He rescues and he saves.
He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth.
So he saved Daniel from the power of the lions.
28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius, that is, [2] during the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Footnotes1. Daniel 6:7 Or pit. The term den is retained here because of familiarity. 2. Daniel 6:28 Literally and. It is likely that Darius is another name of Cyrus, but some historians think he was a subordinate of Cyrus.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 10Daniel 5LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 10
Daniel 5 (EHV)
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The Handwriting on the Wall at Belshazzar’s Banquet1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and in front of the thousand he drank wine. 2 When he had tasted the wine, Belshazzar said to bring the gold and silver vessels that his father [1] Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines could drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that they had taken from the temple, that is, the House of God in Jerusalem. So the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5 At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand, and the king saw the back of the hand that was writing. 6 Then the king’s cheerful appearance changed, his face grew pale, [2] and his thoughts troubled him. His legs went limp, and his knees knocked together.
7 The king called out loudly to bring the spell casters, the astrologers, and the diviners. The king said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever is able to read this writing and explain its meaning will be clothed in purple, with a gold chain around his neck, and he will rule as third highest in the kingdom.”
8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they were not able to read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 Then King Belshazzar was really terrified. He grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed.
10 The queen [3] came to the drinking party [4] because of the words of the king and his nobles. The queen said, “Your Majesty, may you live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, and do not look so frightened. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, enlightenment, insight, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. So King Nebuchadnezzar your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, spell casters, astrologers, and diviners, 12 because an outstanding spirit and knowledge and insight in interpreting dreams and explaining riddles and solving knotty problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be summoned, and he will explain the meaning of the writing.”
Daniel Interprets the Writing13 Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to Daniel, “Are you Daniel, one of the Judean exiles whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and enlightenment and insight and outstanding wisdom are found in you. 15 Now, those wise men who are the spell casters were brought before me to read this writing and to make its meaning known to me, but they were not able to explain the meaning of the message. 16 Yet I have heard about you that you are able to explain meanings clearly and to solve knotty problems. Therefore, if you are able to read the writing and make its meaning known to me, you will be clothed in purple, with a gold chain around your neck, and you will rule as the third in the kingdom.”
17 Then Daniel answered the king:
Keep your gifts for yourself, or give your rewards to someone else! Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king, and I will make its meaning known to him. 18 As for you, Your Majesty—the Most High God gave the kingdom, greatness, splendor, and glory to Nebuchadnezzar, your father. 19 So because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and were afraid in his presence. He killed whomever he wanted, and he let live whomever he wanted. Also, he promoted anyone he wanted, and he demoted anyone he wanted. 20 But when he thought too much of himself, and his spirit became hardened in pride so that he acted arrogantly, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom, and his splendor was taken away from him. 21 He was driven away from humans, and his mind was changed to that of an animal. So his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass as bulls are fed, and his body was wet with dew from the sky, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdoms of men, and he raises up over them anyone he desires.
22 But you, his son, Belshazzar, did not humble your heart although you knew all this. 23 Instead, you lifted yourself against the Lord of Heaven. The vessels from his house were brought before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. Then you praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, who do not see and do not hear and do not know. But you did not honor the God who holds your breath in his hand and who controls all your ways. 24 So the back of the hand was sent by him, and this writing was inscribed.
25 Now this is the writing that was inscribed:
mene mene tekel and parsin
26 This is the meaning of the message:
Mene [5] means that God has counted up your kingdom and paid it out or spent it.
27 Tekel [6] means that you have been weighed in the scales, and you are too light.
28 Parsin [7] means that your kingdom has been broken in two and given to the Medes and the Persians.
29 Then Belshazzar spoke, and they dressed Daniel in purple, with a gold chain around his neck, and they made him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
Darius Receives the Kingdom30 That very night, King Belshazzar the Chaldean was killed.
31 Then Darius the Mede received the kingdom, when he was about sixty-two years old. [8]
Footnotes1. Daniel 5:2 That is, his royal predecessor, not his physical father 2. Daniel 5:6 Literally his brightness changed 3. Daniel 5:10 Perhaps the king’s mother or grandmother, a daughter or granddaughter of Nebuchadnezzar 4. Daniel 5:10 Literally house of drinking 5. Daniel 5:26 Mene means “measured” or “counted” and suggests mina, a unit for weighing money. 6. Daniel 5:27 Tekel means “weighed” and suggests shekel, a unit for weighing money. 7. Daniel 5:28 Parsin means “divided” and suggests half shekel. It also sounds like the word “Persians.” 8. Daniel 5:31 English verse 5:31 is 6:1 in Hebrew. Throughout the rest of chapter 6, the English verse numbers are one number lower than the Hebrew numbers.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 09Daniel 4LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 09
Daniel 4 (EHV)
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Nebuchadnezzar’s Letter1 From King Nebuchadnezzar: [1]
To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell on the entire earth:
May your peace and prosperity increase.
2 It seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God did for me.
3 How great are his signs!
How mighty are his wonders!
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom,
and his dominion extends from generation to generation.
Nebuchadnezzar Seeks the Meaning of His Dream4 When I, Nebuchadnezzar, was carefree in my house and prospering in my palace, 5 I saw a dream that frightened me. The images I saw while I was on my bed and the visions in my head alarmed me. 6 So I issued a decree to bring before me all of the wise men of Babylon so that they could give the interpretation of the dream and make it known to me. 7 Then the magicians, the spell casters, the astrologers, and the diviners came, and I told them the dream. However, they could not make its meaning known to me. 8 Afterward, Daniel came before me (whose name is Belteshazzar, like the name of my god, and a spirit of the holy gods dwells in him), and I told him the dream.
9 Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that a spirit of the holy gods dwells in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you, take a look at the dream I saw and interpret it for me. 10 I was seeing visions in my head while I was on my bed:
There was a tree standing in the middle of the earth, [2] and its height was great. 11 The tree grew and became strong. Its height reached to heaven, and it was visible to the ends of the whole earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, and its fruit was plentiful. On it there was enough food for all. Under the tree the wild animals had shade, and the birds of the air lived in its branches. All living creatures fed themselves from it.
13 I was on my bed, watching the visions in my head, and I saw a watcher, [3] who was a holy one, come down from heaven. 14 He called out loudly, and this is what he said:
Chop down the tree and cut off its branches. Strip its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it, and the birds from its branches. 15 However, leave the stump with its root in the ground, with an iron and bronze band around it. Leave it with the grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew from the sky. Let its place be with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let its mind be changed from that of a human, let the mind of an animal be given to it, and let seven times pass over it.
17 The proclamation is a decree of the watchers, and the matter is a command of the holy ones, so that all the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdoms of men. He gives them to whomever he wishes, and he appoints the lowliest men over them.
18 This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now, you, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, because none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to make the meaning known to me. But you are able, because a spirit of the holy gods is in you.
Daniel Explains Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was horrified for a moment, and his thoughts troubled him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream and its meaning trouble you.”
Belteshazzar answered, “My Lord, if only the dream were about your enemies and its meaning about your foes!”
20 The tree which you saw grew and became strong. Its height reached to heaven, and it was visible to the whole earth. 21 Its leaves were beautiful, and its fruit was abundant. On it there was food for all. The wild animals lived under it, and the birds of the air lived in its branches.
22 You are the tree, Your Majesty. For you have grown, and you have become great. Your greatness has increased and reached to heaven. Your dominion reaches to the ends of the earth. 23 And you, Your Majesty, saw a watcher, who was a holy one, coming down from heaven, and he said, “Chop down the tree and destroy it. However, leave the stump with its roots in the ground, with an iron and bronze band around it. Let it be with the grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew from the sky. Its place will be with the wild animals, until seven times pass over it.”
24 This is the interpretation, Your Majesty:
It is a decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord, the king. 25 You will be driven away from humans, and your dwelling will be with the wild animals. You will have to eat plants as bulls do, and you will be wet with the dew from the sky. Seven times will pass over you until you know that the Most High rules the kingdoms of men, and he gives them to whomever he wishes. 26 Because they said to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will remain yours when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.
27 Therefore, Your Majesty, let my advice be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins with righteousness and from your guilty deeds by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your prosperity will be extended.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Is Fulfilled28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on top of the palace of his kingdom in Babylon. 30 The king said, “Isn’t this the great Babylon that I built for a royal residence by my mighty power and my majestic glory?”
31 While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice came down from heaven. It said, “It is announced to you, King Nebuchadnezzar: The kingdom has been taken away from you. 32 You will be driven away from humans, and your dwelling will be with the wild animals. Grass will be fed to you as grass is fed to bulls, and seven times will pass over you until you know that the Most High rules the kingdoms of men, and he gives them to whomever he wishes.”
33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven away from humans. So he ate grass as bulls do, and his body was wet with the dew from the sky until his hair grew long like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
34 At the end of the set time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me. So I blessed the Most High, and I praised and glorified the one who lives forever, because his dominion is an eternal dominion, and his kingdom lasts forever and ever. 35 All of the inhabitants of the earth are considered to be nothing, and he does as he wishes with the army of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. So there is no one who can hold back the hand of the Most High and say to him, “What have you done?” 36 At that time my reason [4] returned to me, and my splendor and glory returned to me for the honor of my kingdom. So my advisors and nobles looked for me. I was reinstated over my kingdom, and I became even more majestic than I was before. 37 Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the King of Heaven, because all his works are true, and his ways are just. All those who walk in arrogance he is able to humble.
Footnotes1. Daniel 4:1 English 4:1-3 corresponds to 3:31-33 in Hebrew. English 4:4-18 corresponds to 4:1-15 in Hebrew. 2. Daniel 4:10 Or land 3. Daniel 4:13 That is, an angel 4. Daniel 4:36 Or sanity
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 08Daniel 3LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 08
Daniel 3 (EHV)
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Nebuchadnezzar’s Command to Worship His Idol1 King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue. It was ninety feet tall and nine feet wide. [1] He set it up in the plain of Dura [2] in the province of Babylon. 2 King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all of the rulers of the provinces [3] to come to the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all of the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. They stood in front of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 The herald called out loudly, “To you peoples, nations, and languages, this command is given: 5 When you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the triangular harp, the drum, [4] and all kinds of musical instruments, [5] you will fall down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”
7 Therefore, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the triangular harp, and all kinds of musical instruments, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshipped the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
The Young Men Remain Faithful8 At that time, some Chaldeans approached the king and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your Majesty, [6] may you live forever! 10 You, Your Majesty, gave an order that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the triangular harp, the drum, and all kinds of musical instruments must fall down and worship the golden statue, 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace. 12 There are Jews whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely, Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego. These men do not pay attention to you, Your Majesty. They do not serve your gods, and they do not worship the gold statue that you set up.”
13 Then in a furious rage Nebuchadnezzar said to bring Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and that you do not worship the golden statue that I set up? 15 Now, if you are ready, at the time when you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the triangular harp, the drum, and all kinds of musical instruments, you must fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace. What god will be able to save you from my hands?”
16 Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need to answer you about this matter. 17 Since our God, whom we serve, does exist, he is able to save us from the blazing fiery furnace. So, he may save us from your hand, Your Majesty. [7] 18 But if he does not, you should know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods, and we will not worship the golden statue that you set up.”
The Young Men Are Miraculously Saved by God19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed against Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego. He said to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was usually heated. 20 He ordered some men, who were soldiers from his army, to bind Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego in order to throw them into the blazing fiery furnace. 21 So these men were bound in their coats, their pants, their turbans, and their other clothing, and they were thrown into the middle of the blazing fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace was extremely hot, those men who carried Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego were killed by the intense heat of the fire. 23 But these three men, Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego, who had been tied up, fell into the blazing fiery furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and immediately stood up. He said to his advisors, “Didn’t we throw three men, who had been tied up, into the middle of the fire?”
They answered the king, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
25 He said, “Look! I see four men, who are untied and walking around in the middle of the fire, unharmed. What is more, the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing fiery furnace. He said, “Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!” Then Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego came out from the middle of the furnace. 27 The satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the royal advisors gathered together and looked at these men. The fire had no power over their bodies. Not a hair on their head was singed, their robes were not damaged, and the smell of fire had not stuck to them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego, who sent his angel and saved his servants, who trusted in God and ignored the king’s command. They gave up their bodies and did not pay homage or worship any god except their God. 29 So I have issued an order that every people, nation, and language that speaks any blasphemy against the God of Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego shall be cut to pieces, and his house shall be turned into a pile of rubble, because there is no other god who is able to save like this.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Footnotes1. Daniel 3:1 Literally sixty cubits and six cubits 2. Daniel 3:1 Or in the niche in the city wall 3. Daniel 3:2 The precise distinctions between these Aramaic and Persian titles for government officials are uncertain. 4. Daniel 3:5 Or a type of pipe or bagpipes 5. Daniel 3:5 The identification of some of these instruments is uncertain. 6. Daniel 3:9 Literally O King 7. Daniel 3:17 The translation of this verse is difficult.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 07Daniel 2:31-49LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 07
Daniel 2:31-49 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1207db.mp3
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Daniel 231 You, Your Majesty, were looking, and there was a very great statue. That statue, which was large and extremely bright, was standing in front of you. Its appearance was frightening. 32 The statue looked like this: Its head was fine gold, its chest and its arms were silver, its abdomen and its thighs were bronze, 33 its shins were iron, and its feet were partly iron and partly fired clay. 34 You continued to watch until a stone was cut, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet that were iron and clay, and it smashed them. 35 Then all at once the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed and became like the chaff on the threshing floors of summer. The wind carried them away, and no trace of them could be found. However, the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the entire earth. 36 This is the dream.
So now we will interpret its meaning for Your Majesty. 37 You, Your Majesty, are the king of kings to whom the God of Heaven has given a kingdom, power, strength, and glory. 38 Wherever there are people, wild animals, and birds of the air, God has given them into your hand, and he has made you ruler over all of them. You are the head of gold.
39 After you another kingdom will arise that will be inferior to yours. Then another kingdom, a third kingdom of bronze will arise. This kingdom will rule the entire earth. 40 A fourth kingdom will be as strong as iron, since iron crushes and shatters everything. So, like iron that smashes, it will crush and smash all of these other kingdoms. 41 Because you saw feet and toes partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, this will be a divided kingdom. It will have some of the hardness of iron, because you saw iron mixed with common clay. [1] 42 What is more, the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay. This means that part of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. 43 You saw iron mixed with common clay. This means that the different parts of the kingdom will be a mixture of different races of people, [2] and they will not remain united to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.
44 In the days of those kings, the God of Heaven will establish a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another race of people. It will crush and put an end to all of these kingdoms, but it will stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from the mountain, but not by human hands, and it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to Your Majesty what will happen after this. The dream is sure, and its interpretation is certain.
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell facedown and paid homage to [3] Daniel. He commanded that a sacrificial gift and incense be offered to him. 47 The king said, “Truly your God is the God of Gods, the Lord of Kings, and the Revealer of Mysteries, because you were able to reveal this mystery.”
48 Then the king promoted Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 When Daniel requested it, the king appointed Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego over the administration of the province of Babylon. Daniel remained in the royal court.
Footnotes1. Daniel 2:41 Common clay is literally clay of clay, with two different Aramaic words for clay. 2. Daniel 2:43 Literally will be mixed among the seed of man 3. Daniel 2:46 Or worshipped
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 06Daniel 2:1-30LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 06
Daniel 2:1-30 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1206db.mp3
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Daniel 2Nebuchadnezzar Challenges the Wise Men to Explain His Dream1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. His spirit was troubled, but he fell back to sleep again. 2 The king gave orders to summon the magicians, the spell casters, the sorcerers, and the astrologers [1] to relate the king’s dream to him. So they came and stood before the king. 3 The king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit was troubled because I did not understand the dream.”
4 The astrologers said to the king in Aramaic, [2] “Your Majesty, [3] may you live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will explain its meaning.”
5 The king answered the astrologers, “My decision is final. If you do not tell me the dream and what it means, your body shall be cut to pieces, and your houses will be made into a pile of rubble. 6 However, if you explain the dream and its meaning, you will receive gifts, a reward, and great honor from me. So, explain to me the dream and its meaning!”
7 They responded a second time and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will explain its meaning.”
8 The king answered, “Now I know for sure that you are buying time because you see that my decision is final. 9 If you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you. You have conspired to give me a lying and cheating response until the situation changes. So, tell me the dream, and I will know that you are also able to explain its meaning to me.”
10 The astrologers responded to the king, “There is no person on earth who is able to reveal what the king wants. No great and powerful king has ever asked for a thing like this from any magician, spell caster, or astrologer. 11 The thing that the king is asking is difficult. There is no one who can reveal it to the king except the gods, who do not dwell with mortal flesh.”
12 Because of this the king became very angry. He was enraged and gave orders to put the wise men of Babylon to death. 13 The decree was issued that all the wise men were to be executed. So executioners looked for Daniel and his companions to execute them.
God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream to Daniel14 Then Daniel responded with good judgment and tact to Ariok, the chief of the king’s executioners, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. 15 He said to Ariok, the king’s officer, “Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” So Ariok explained the situation to Daniel. 16 Daniel then entered the court and asked the king to give him time so that he could reveal the interpretation to the king.
17 Next, Daniel went to his house and explained the situation to Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, his companions. 18 They were to seek mercy from the God of Heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions would not be put to death with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision at night, and Daniel blessed the God of Heaven. [4] 20 Daniel said,
May the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
because wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and eras.
He removes kings,
and he brings kings to power.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have good judgment.
22 He reveals deep things and hidden things.
He knows what is in the dark,
and the light dwells with him.
23 To you, God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because you have given me wisdom and power. Now you have made known to me what we requested from you, because you have made known to us the thing the king asked about.
Daniel Explains Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream24 As a result of this, Daniel went to Ariok, whom the king had assigned to put the wise men of Babylon to death. Daniel went and said this to him: “Do not put the wise men of Babylon to death. Bring me before the king, and I will explain the meaning to the king.”
25 Then Ariok immediately brought Daniel before the king. This is what Ariok said to the king: “I have found a man from among the Judean exiles who will make the interpretation known to the king.”
26 The king said to Daniel (whose name was Belteshazzar), “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I saw and its meaning?”
27 Daniel answered the king, “The mystery that the king is asking about, no wise men, spell casters, magicians, or diviners are able to explain it to the king. 28 However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. This is your dream; the visions in your head while you were on your bed were this:
29 For you, Your Majesty, while you were on your bed, thoughts arose about things that will come after this, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen. 30 But the reason that this mystery was revealed to me was not because I have more wisdom in me than any other living being. Rather, it was revealed to me so that the meaning could be made known to Your Majesty and so that you may know the thoughts of your heart.
Footnotes1. Daniel 2:2 In the book of Daniel there are two homonyms, both pronounced kasdim. One word refers to a type of astronomer/astrologer. The other word refers to the Chaldeans, the ethnic group that ruled Babylon. In most cases the context indicates the correct meaning. 2. Daniel 2:4 The text of Daniel is written in Aramaic from this point through the end of chapter 7. 3. Daniel 2:4 Literally O King 4. Daniel 2:19 The God of Heaven is the common title for the Lord in Daniel.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 05Daniel 1LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 05
Daniel 1 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1205db.mp3
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Daniel Is Taken to Babylon1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into Nebuchadnezzar’s hand, along with some of the vessels of the House of God, and he brought them to the land of Shinar, [1] into the house of his god. He brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.
3 The king told Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, [2] to bring some young Israelite men from the royal family or from the nobility. 4 He was to choose young men who had no blemish, who were good looking, who had insight into all kinds of wisdom, who possessed knowledge, understanding, and learning, and who were capable of serving in the king’s palace, in order to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. [3] 5 The king assigned them daily rations from the special royal food and from the king’s own wine. He ordered that they should be trained for three years. At the end of training they were to serve the king. 6 In this group of young men were the Judeans Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief of the officials gave them new names. He gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar, Hananiah the name Shadrak, Mishael the name Meshak, and Azariah the name Abednego.
The Young Men Are Steadfast in Their Faith8 Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the special food of the king or with the wine that he drank. So he sought permission from the chief official, so that he would not have to defile himself. 9 God made the chief of the officials favorable and sympathetic toward Daniel. 10 Then the chief of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink. Why should he see your faces looking less healthy than those of the other young men who are your age? You put my life at risk before the king.”
11 Daniel said to the superintendent whom the chief of the officials had placed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days. Tell them to give us only vegetables, and we will eat them and drink water. 13 Observe our appearance and the appearance of the young men who eat the special royal food. Then deal with your servants based on what you see.” 14 So he listened to what they said about this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of ten days, their appearance was noticeably better than that of the others. They were healthier than any of the young men who had been eating the special royal food. 16 So the superintendent permanently took away the special royal food and the wine they were to drink and gave them only vegetables. 17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and insight into all kinds of literature, as well as wisdom. In addition, Daniel also understood every kind of vision and dream.
18 At the end of the time which the king had set for them to be brought to him, the chief of the officials brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king spoke with them, and none of the others were found to be comparable to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they served the king. 20 In every matter concerning wisdom and understanding that the king sought from them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians [4] and spell casters in his entire kingdom. 21 So Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.
Footnotes1. Daniel 1:2 That is, Babylon 2. Daniel 1:3 The term may refer to eunuchs, but it is not limited to this meaning. 3. Daniel 1:4 The Chaldeans were the ethnic group ruling Babylon. 4. Daniel 1:20 The distinctions between the various kinds of occult practitioners are unclear.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 04Jude 1:17-25LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 04
Jude 1:17-25 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1204db.mp3
See series: Through My Bible
Jude 1Keep Yourselves in God’s Love17 But you, dear friends, remember the words that were spoken earlier by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers who follow their own ungodly lusts.” [1] 19 These are the people who cause divisions. They are worldly because they do not have the Spirit.
20 But you, dear friends, continue to build yourselves up in your most holy faith as you keep praying in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you continue to wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, which results in eternal life. 22 Show mercy to those who are wavering. [2] 23 Save others by snatching them out of the fire. Show mercy to still others with fear, [3] hating even the clothing that is stained by the flesh.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless in the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only [4] God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, now, and to all eternity. Amen.
Footnotes1. Jude 1:18 See 2 Peter 3:3; also 2 Peter 2:1; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:1-5. 2. Jude 1:22 Or disputing, or doubting 3. Jude 1:23 A few witnesses to the text omit Show mercy to still others with fear. 4. Jude 1:25 A few witnesses to the text add wise.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 03Jude 1:1-16LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 03
Jude 1:1-16 (EHV)
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Jude 1GreetingJude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,
To those who are called, who are loved [1] in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.
Ungodly Teachers Who Slipped In Secretly3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you concerning the salvation we share, I felt it was necessary for me to write, to urge you to continue to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once and for all. 4 For certain individuals slipped in secretly, about whom it was written some time ago that they are condemned. They are ungodly people who turn the grace of our God into a license for sin and deny our only Master [2] and Lord, Jesus Christ.
5 I want to remind you, though you already know all these things, that after the Lord [3] rescued his people out of the land of Egypt, he later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their position of authority but left their own dwelling place behind—God has kept them in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. 7 Like Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who in a similar way indulged in extreme sexual immorality and pursued homosexual perversion, [4] they serve as an example of those who are going to suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
8 Yet, in the very same way, these dreamers are defiling the flesh, despising authority, and blaspheming glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael was disputing with the Devil and arguing about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a blasphemous condemnation against him. Instead he said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
10 But these people do not understand what they are blaspheming. They are being destroyed by the very things that they know by instinct (like unreasoning animals). 11 Woe to them! They have gone the way of Cain. They have abandoned themselves for hire to the error of Balaam. They perished in Korah’s rebellion.
12 These people are filthy stains on [5] your love feasts when they eat with you without fear, shepherding themselves. They are clouds without rain, being driven along by the winds. They are autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots. 13 They are wild waves of the sea piling up the foam of their own shame. They are wandering stars for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved for eternity.
14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about these people, saying, “Look, the Lord is going to come with tens of thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment against all of them and to convict every soul concerning all their ungodly deeds, which they did in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh words that ungodly sinners spoke against him.” 16 These are discontented grumblers, who walk according to their lusts, and their mouths speak boastful things as they flatter others to take advantage of them.
Footnotes1. Jude 1:1 A few witnesses to the text read sanctified. (“Witnesses to the text” mentioned in footnotes may include Greek manuscripts, lectionaries, translations, and quotations in the church fathers.) 2. Jude 1:4 A few witnesses to the text add God. 3. Jude 1:5 A few witnesses to the text read Jesus. 4. Jude 1:7 Or went after unnatural flesh. See Genesis 19:4-9. 5. Jude 1:12 Or hidden hazards at
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 022 Peter 3:11-18LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 02
2 Peter 3:11-18 (EHV)
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2 Peter 311 Therefore, [1] since all these things will be destroyed, what kind of people ought you to be, living in holiness and godliness, 12 as you look forward to and hasten the coming of the day of God? That day will cause the heavens to be set on fire and destroyed, and the elements to melt as they burn with great heat. 13 But according to his promise we look forward to new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, dear friends, as you look forward to these things, make every effort to be found in peace, spotless and blameless in his sight. 15 Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our dear brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom that was given to him. 16 He spoke about these things the same way in all of his letters. There are some matters that are hard to understand in his letters, which the ignorant and unstable distort, as they also do with the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Conclusion17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you do not fall from your own firm position by being led astray through the error of the wicked. 18 Instead grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and forever. Amen.
Footnotes1. 2 Peter 3:11 Some witnesses to the text omit Therefore and read in this way after destroyed.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 012 Peter 3:1-10LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – December 01
2 Peter 3:1-10 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1201db.mp3
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2 Peter 3The Destruction of the World Is Coming1 Dear friends, this is now the second letter that I have written to you. I wrote both of them to stir up your sincere mind with a reminder 2 for you to remember the words spoken earlier by the holy prophets and the command of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.
3 First, know this: In the last days scoffers will come with their mocking, following their own lusts. 4 They will say, “Where is this promised coming of his? For from the time that our fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have from the beginning of the creation.” 5 You see, what they are intentionally forgetting is that the heavens came into existence long ago by the word of God and that the earth came together out of the water and between the waters. [1] 6 Through these waters the former world perished, when it was flooded with water. 7 And now, by that same word, the heavens and earth have been stored up for fire, since they are being kept until the day of judgment and the destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: For the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to do what he promised, as some consider slowness. Instead, he is patient for your sakes, [2] not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance.
Live a Holy Life10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. [3] On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, the elements will be dissolved as they burn with great heat, and the earth and what was done on it will be burned up. [4]
Footnotes1. 2 Peter 3:5 See Genesis 1:7; 7:11. 2. 2 Peter 3:9 Some witnesses to the text read with you; other witnesses read with us. 3. 2 Peter 3:10 A few witnesses to the text add in the night. 4. 2 Peter 3:10 Some witnesses to the text read will be exposed.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – November 302 Peter 2LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – November 30
2 Peter 2 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1130db.mp3
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A Warning About False Teachers1 There were false prophets also among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved ways, and because of them the way of the truth will be blasphemed. 3 In their greed they will exploit you with fabricated messages. Their condemnation announced long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
God Will Punish These False Teachers4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned but handed them over to chains [1] of darkness by casting them into hell, to be kept under guard for judgment; 5 and if God did not spare the ancient world but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, along with seven others when he brought a flood on the world of ungodly people; 6 and if God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, [2] by turning them into ashes when he made them an example of things to come for the ungodly; [3] 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the unrestrained immorality of the wicked people 8 (while that righteous man was living among them, he was tormented in his righteous soul day after day by the lawless deeds he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under guard until the day of judgment, in order to punish them.
10 This is especially true of those who follow the defiling lust of the flesh and who despise authority. Daring and arrogant, they do not tremble when they blaspheme glorious beings, 11 whereas angels, even though they are greater in strength and power, do not bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these people blaspheme in matters about which they are ignorant, just like unreasoning creatures that live by instinct and are born to be captured and destroyed. So they too will be destroyed as a consequence of their destructive activity. 13 They will be paid back [4] for the harm they cause.
They consider it a pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, who take delight in their deceitful pleasures [5] while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of longing for adulterous women and sins that never stop. They seduce unstable souls. They have trained their hearts for greed. They are children who are cursed.
15 They left the right way and went astray, following the path of Balaam, son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. 16 (He was rebuked for his disobedience. A donkey, which does not talk, spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.) 17 These men are wells without water, clouds driven away by a windstorm, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved. [6] 18 For by uttering arrogant, empty words, they use the depraved lusts of the flesh to seduce those who are barely [7] escaping from those who live in error. 19 While they promise these people freedom, they themselves are slaves to corruption, for a person is a slave to what has control of him.
The Tragedy of Being Led Back Into a Sinful Life20 Indeed, if, after escaping the defiling things of the world through the knowledge of our [8] Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and controlled by them again, they are worse off than they were at first. 21 In fact, it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command passed on to them. 22 They demonstrate the truth of the proverb: “A dog returns to its own vomit,” [9] and a washed sow returns to wallowing in the mud.
Footnotes1. 2 Peter 2:4 Some witnesses to the text read dungeons. 2. 2 Peter 2:6 A few witnesses omit to destruction. 3. 2 Peter 2:6 Some witnesses to the text read an example of the people who are going to be ungodly. 4. 2 Peter 2:13 A few witnesses to the text read They will suffer harm as the wages. 5. 2 Peter 2:13 A few witnesses to the text read their love feasts. 6. 2 Peter 2:17 Some witnesses to the text add forever. 7. 2 Peter 2:18 Some witnesses to the text read actually. 8. 2 Peter 2:20 Some witnesses to the text omit our. It would be replaced by the. 9. 2 Peter 2:22 Proverbs 26:11
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – November 292 Peter 1:12-21LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – November 29
2 Peter 1:12-21 (EHV)
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1129db.mp3
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2 Peter 112 That is why I intend [1] always to keep reminding you of these things, even though you already know them and are established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to keep you wide awake by reminding you, 14 because I know that the putting off of my tent is going to happen soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 I will also make every effort so that after my departure you always have a reminder of these things.
We Have God’s Inspired Word16 To be sure, we were not following cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the powerful appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father, when the voice came to him from within the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” [2] 18 We heard this voice, which came out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 We also have the completely reliable prophetic word. You do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts, 20 since we know this above all else: No prophecy of Scripture comes about from someone’s own interpretation. 21 In fact, no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but men spoke from God [3] as they were being carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Footnotes1. 2 Peter 1:12 A few witnesses to the text read I will not neglect. 2. 2 Peter 1:17 Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35 3. 2 Peter 1:21 Some witnesses to the text read holy men of God spoke.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – November 282 Peter 1:1-11LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – November 28
2 Peter 1:1-11 (EHV)
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2 Peter 1Greeting1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained the same kind of faith as ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus [1] our Lord.
Keep on Growing3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own [2] glory and excellence. 4 Through these he has given us his precious and great promises so that through them you may share in the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that sinful lust causes in the world.
5 And, for this very reason, after applying every effort, add moral excellence to your faith. To moral excellence, add knowledge. 6 To knowledge, add self-control. To self-control, add patient endurance. To patient endurance, add godliness. 7 To godliness, add brotherly affection. And to brotherly affection, add love. 8 For if you have these qualities and they are increasing, they are going to keep you from being idle or unfruitful in regard to your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 Indeed, the person who lacks these qualities is shortsighted and, in fact, blind, because he has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Make Your Calling and Election Sure10 Therefore, brothers, [3] be more eager to make your calling and election sure for yourselves. [4] For if you do these things, you will never stumble. 11 In fact, in this way you will be richly supplied with an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Footnotes1. 2 Peter 1:2 Some witnesses to the text add Christ. (“Witnesses to the text” mentioned in footnotes may include Greek manuscripts, lectionaries, translations, and quotations in the church fathers.) 2. 2 Peter 1:3 Some witnesses to the text omit his own. 3. 2 Peter 1:10 When context indicates it, the Greek word for brothers may refer to all fellow believers, male and female. 4. 2 Peter 1:10 Some witnesses to the text add by good works.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – November 27Song of Songs 8:5-14LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – November 27
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Song of Songs 8The Friends5 5a Who is this woman coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on her lover?
The Wealth of Our HouseThe Woman5b Under the apple tree I roused you.
There your mother conceived you.
There she who gave birth to you was in labor.
6 Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm,
because love is as strong as death.
Its passion is as relentless as the grave.
Its flames are flames of fire, a mighty blaze. [1]
7 Many waters cannot quench such love.
Rivers cannot wash it away.
If a man were to offer all the wealth
of his house for love,
he would be utterly scorned.
The Brothers. . .Decorated With SilverThe Brothers8 We have a little sister.
She has no breasts.
What shall we make for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
we will build towers of silver on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with panels of cedar.
My Own VineyardThe Woman10 I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers.
Thus I have become in his eyes
like one who delivers contentment.
11 Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon.
He leased his vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for its fruit
a thousand shekels of silver.
12 But my own vineyard is before me.
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.
The Last Call to LoveThe Man13 You who dwell in the gardens
with friends in attendance,
let me hear your voice!
Run Away With MeThe Woman14 Run away, my love,
and be like a gazelle,
or like a young buck
on the mountains of spices.
Footnotes1. Song of Songs 8:6 With alternate word division the text may be read the blaze of Yah. Yah is a short form of the divine name often written Yahweh.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – November 26Song of Songs 6:4 – 8:4LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – November 26
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Song of Songs 6You Are BeautifulThe Man4 You are as beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah, [1]
lovely as Jerusalem,
majestic as troops with banners.
5 Turn your eyes away from me,
because they arouse me.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
flowing down from Gilead.
6 Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin. Not one of them is alone.
7 Your cheeks behind your veil
are like the halves of a pomegranate.
8 There may be sixty queens,
and eighty concubines,
and virgins beyond number,
9 but my dove, my perfect one, is one of a kind.
She is the only daughter of her mother,
pure to the one who bore her.
The girls saw her and called her blessed.
The queens and concubines also praised her.
The Friends10 Who is this woman that appears like the dawn,
beautiful as the moon, clear as the sun,
majestic as the stars in procession?
A Puzzling InterludeThe Woman or The Man [2]11 I went down to the grove of nut trees,
to look at the new growth in the valley,
to see whether the vines had budded,
whether the pomegranates had blossomed.
12 Before I realized it, my desire set me
among the chariots of my willing people. [3]
Beautiful From Bottom to TopThe Friends13 Turn back, turn back, O Shulammite.
Turn back, turn back, so that we may look at you! [4]
The Woman [5]Song of Songs 71 Why would you look at the Shulammite.
as at the dance of Mahanaim? [6]
The Friends or The Man2 How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
O prince’s daughter!
Your hips are curved like a necklace,
the work of the hands of a craftsman.
3 Your navel is a round mixing bowl.
It never lacks blended wine.
Your belly is a mound of wheat, encircled by lilies.
4 Your two breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.
5 Your neck is like an ivory tower.
Your eyes are the pools in Heshbon,
by the gate of Bat Rabbim. [7]
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon,
overlooking Damascus.
6 Your head rises above you like Mount Carmel.
The flowing hair of your head is like purple.
The king is captivated by its curls.
The Man7 How beautiful you are and how pleasing,
O loved one, daughter of delights! [8]
8 Your height is like that of the date palm,
and your breasts like clusters of fruit.
9 I said, “I will climb the date palm.
I will take hold of its bunches of fruit.”
May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine,
the fragrance of your breath like apples,
10a and your mouth like the best wine—
The Woman10b —flowing to my lover,
gliding smoothly over lips and teeth. [9]
11 I belong to my lover,
and his desire is for me.
12 Come, my lover,
let us go to the fields.
Let us spend the night in the villages.
13 Let us go early to the vineyards.
We will see if the vines have budded,
if their blossoms have opened,
if the pomegranates are in bloom.
There I will give my love to you.
The mandrakes send out their fragrance.
At our door is every delicacy,
new as well as old,
that I have stored up for you, my lover.
He Embraces MeThe WomanSong of Songs 81 I wish that you were like a brother to me,
who was nursed at my mother’s breasts.
Then if I would meet you in public,
I could kiss you,
and no one would despise me.
2 I would lead you.
I would bring you to my mother’s house
where she used to teach me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
the juice of my pomegranates.
3 His left arm is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.
4 Daughters of Jerusalem, you must swear
that you will not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.
Footnotes1. Song of Songs 6:4 Tirzah is a city in Israel. Its name means delightful. 2. Song of Songs 6:11 The identity of the speaker of these verses is uncertain. 3. Song of Songs 6:12 This is a difficult verse of uncertain meaning. 4. Song of Songs 6:13 English verse 6:13 is 7:1 in Hebrew. In the rest of chapter 7, the English verse numbers are one lower than the Hebrew verse numbers. 5. Song of Songs 7:1 The identity of the speaker of this verse is uncertain. 6. Song of Songs 7:1 Mahanaim is the name of a city. It means two camps. Here the term may refer to two lines of dancers. 7. Song of Songs 7:5 Bat Rabbim means Daughter of Nobles. 8. Song of Songs 7:7 The translation follows a textual variant supported by the ancient versions. The Hebrew text reads O love, with delights. 9. Song of Songs 7:10 The reading lips and teeth is well attested by the ancient versions. The Hebrew reads lips of sleepers.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – November 25Song of Songs 5:2 – 6:3LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – November 25
Song of Songs 5:2 – 6:3 (EHV)
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Song of Songs 5At Night. . .the WatchmenThe Woman2 I was sleeping but my heart was awake.
A sound! My lover is knocking:
“Open to me, my sister,
my darling, my dove, my perfect one,
because my head is soaked with dew,
my locks with the dampness of the night.”
3 “I have taken off my robe.
Why should I get dressed again?
I have washed my feet.
Why should I get them dirty again?”
4 My lover thrust his hand
through the opening in the door.
My feelings were aroused for him.
5 I arose to open for my lover.
My hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
on the handles of the lock.
6 I opened for my lover,
but my lover had left.
He was gone.
My spirits sank when he left. [1]
I looked for him but did not find him.
I called him, but he did not answer.
7 The watchmen who patrol the city found me.
They beat me. They bruised me.
They took my shawl away from me,
those watchmen of the walls!
8 Daughters of Jerusalem, you must swear to me—
if you find my lover—
what will you tell him?
—that I am sick with love.
The Friends9 What makes your lover better than any other lover,
most beautiful of women?
What makes your lover better than any other lover,
that you make us swear in this way?
My Lover Is RadiantThe Woman10 My lover is radiant and ruddy,
outstanding among ten thousand.
11 His head is the best gold, the purest gold.
His locks are wavy, black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves by streams of water.
They are washed in milk.
They are set in sockets.
13 His cheeks are like a bed of spice,
like towers of perfumes.
His lips are lilies, dripping with liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are rods of gold, set with topaz. [2]
His stomach is like polished ivory,
decorated with sapphires. [3]
15 His thighs are pillars of marble, [4]
set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
choice as cedars.
16 His mouth is so sweet.
He is completely desirable.
This is my lover.
This is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
The FriendsSong of Songs 61 Where has your lover gone,
most beautiful of women?
Where did your lover turn?
We will look for him with you.
I Am His. He Is Mine.The Woman2 My lover has gone down to his garden,
to the beds of spices,
to browse in the gardens,
and to gather lilies.
3 I am my lover’s, and my lover is mine.
He browses among the lilies.
Footnotes1. Song of Songs 5:6 Or when he spoke 2. Song of Songs 5:14 The identification of this gem is uncertain. 3. Song of Songs 5:14 Perhaps lapis lazuli 4. Song of Songs 5:15 Or alabaster
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – November 24Song of Songs 3:6 – 5:1LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – November 24
Song of Songs 3:6 – 5:1 (EHV)
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Song of Songs 3Who Is This?The Friends and Other Bystanders6 Who is this woman coming up from the wilderness
like columns of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and with incense,
made from all the fragrant powders of the merchant?
7 Look! It’s Solomon’s own carriage. [1]
Sixty warriors surround it,
the most heroic of Israel,
8 all of them wearing a sword,
all trained for battle,
each man with his sword at his side,
ready for the terrors of the night.
9 This palanquin [2] King Solomon made for himself
out of wood from Lebanon.
10 Its posts he made of silver.
Its base he made of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple.
Its interior was inlaid with love [3]
by the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Come out, you daughters of Zion,
and look at King Solomon wearing the crown,
the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
on the day his heart rejoiced.
Beautiful From Top to BottomThe ManSong of Songs 41 Look at you. You are beautiful, my darling!
Look at you. You are beautiful!
Your eyes are doves behind your veil.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
which flows down from Mount Gilead.
2 Your teeth are like a flock,
ready to be sheared,
which comes up from the washing.
Each is a twin. Not one of them is left by itself.
3 Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon.
Your mouth is lovely.
Your cheeks behind your veil
are like the halves of a pomegranate.
4 Like the tower of David,
your neck is adorned with rows of stones. [4]
A thousand shields hang on it,
all of them the equipment of warriors.
5 Your two breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle, that browse among the lilies.
6 Until the day breathes and the shadows flee,
I will go to the mountain of myrrh,
and to the hill of incense.
7 You are altogether beautiful, my darling.
There is no flaw in you.
Spices and Wine, Milk and HoneyThe Man8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride.
With me from Lebanon, come.
Descend from the top of Amana,
from the top of Senir and Hermon,
from the lions’ dens,
and from the mountains of the leopards.
9 You have stirred my heart, my sister, my bride.
You have stirred my heart
with one, just one of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
10 How delightful it is to experience your love,
my sister, my bride!
How much better is your love than wine,
and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!
11 Your lips drip like a honeycomb, my bride.
Honey and milk are under your tongue.
The fragrance of your garments
is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
12 You are an enclosed garden, my sister, my bride.
You are an enclosed spring, [5] a sealed fountain.
13 Your plants are an orchard,
pomegranates with other choice fruits,
henna with nard,
14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
with every kind of incense tree,
myrrh and aloes, with all the finest spices.
15 You are a garden fountain,
a well of water flowing and streaming down from Lebanon.
Come Into Your GardenThe Woman16 Arise, north wind! Come, south wind!
Blow on my garden, so that its spices spread abroad.
Let my lover come into his garden,
and eat its choice fruits.
I Have Come Into My GardenThe ManSong of Songs 51 I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride.
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey.
I have drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat and DrinkThe Friends Address the Couple [6]Eat, friends! Drink!
Be intoxicated with love!
Footnotes1. Song of Songs 3:7 Carriage here does not refer to a wheeled vehicle but to a portable chair or couch carried by porters. 2. Song of Songs 3:9 A palanquin is a fancy chair or couch on which a dignitary is carried. The Hebrew word is as exotic as palanquin is. 3. Song of Songs 3:10 Or perhaps the term refers to a type of leather. 4. Song of Songs 4:4 Or adorned with elegance. The meaning is uncertain. 5. Song of Songs 4:12 The meaning of the word gal translated spring is uncertain. The parallelism with fountain supports the translation spring. 6. Song of Songs 5:1 The identity of the speaker and addressees is uncertain. Perhaps the man is speaking to some bystanders.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – November 23Song of Songs 2:8 – 3:5LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – November 23
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Song of Songs 2Let Us Go to the CountryThe Woman8 Listen! It’s my lover!
Look! Here he comes,
leaping on the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My lover is like a gazelle,
or like a young buck.
Look! There he is, standing behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peeking through the lattice.
10 My lover responded and said to me,
“Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
and come.”
The Man11 Look! Winter is over.
The rainy season has come to an end.
12 Flowers appear in the land.
The season of singing has arrived.
The cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land.
13 The fruit of the fig tree is beginning to ripen.
The grapevines are in blossom.
They spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling.
My beautiful one, come.
Let Me See You!The Man14 My dove is in the clefts of the rock,
in the hiding places on the mountainside.
Let me see how you look.
Let me hear your voice,
because your voice is pleasant,
and you are lovely to look at.
Foxes in Our VineyardTo the Workers15 Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes that ruin the vineyards,
our vineyards that are in blossom.
My Lover Is MineThe Woman16 My lover is mine and I am his.
He browses among the lilies.
17 Until the day breathes and the shadows flee,
turn, my lover, and be like a gazelle,
or like a young buck on the divided mountains. [1]
At NightThe WomanSong of Songs 31 All night long on my bed
I sought the one my soul loves.
I sought him, but I did not find him.
2 I will get up now and go around the city.
I will go through its markets and squares.
I will seek the one my soul loves.
I sought him, but I did not find him.
3 The watchmen who patrol the city found me.
“Have you seen the one my soul loves?”
4 I had hardly passed them,
when I found the one my soul loves.
I held him and would not let him go,
until I had brought him to my mother’s house,
to the room of the one who conceived me.
5 Daughters of Jerusalem,
you must swear to me by the gazelles,
and by the does of the field,
that you will not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.
Footnotes1. Song of Songs 2:17 The term divided mountains may refer to a part of the woman’s body. Some translations avoid the issue by transliterating as mountains of Bether.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – November 22Song of Songs 1:1 – 2:7LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – November 22
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TitleSong of Songs 11 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.
Anticipation—Take Me AwayThe Woman2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.
Experiencing your love is better than wine.
3 Your perfumes are fragrant.
Your name is perfume poured out. [1]
That is why the virgins love you!
4 Carry me away with you—let us run.
Let the king bring me into his chambers.
Best Wishes to the ManThe FriendsWe rejoice and are happy because of you.
We celebrate your expressions of love
more than we celebrate wine.
How right the virgins [2] are to love you!
My Own VineyardThe Woman5 Dark am I, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem,
dark like the tents of Kedar,
like the tent curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark
because the sun gazed at me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me.
They made me take care of the vineyards.
I could not take care of my own vineyard.
Escape to the CountryThe Woman7 You whom my soul loves, tell me
where you pasture your flock,
where you rest your sheep at noon.
Why should I be like a veiled woman
beside the flocks of your companions?
A Reply to the Woman8 If you do not know, most beautiful of women,
go out and follow the tracks of the flock
and graze your young goats
by the dwellings of the shepherds.
Most Beautiful of WomenThe Man9 My darling, I compare you
to a mare among the chariots of Pharaoh.
10 Your cheeks are adorned with earrings,
your neck with strings of jewels.
11 We will make for you gold earrings decorated with silver.
The Woman12 While the king was at his couch,
my nard [3] gave off its fragrance.
13 My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh,
spending the night between my breasts.
14 My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi.
Our HouseThe Man15 How beautiful you are, my darling!
How beautiful! Your eyes are doves.
The Woman16 How beautiful you are, my lover.
How delightful!
Yes, our bed is fresh.
17 The beams of our house are cedar.
Our rafters are fir.
The WomanSong of Songs 21 I am a wildflower [4] of Sharon, [5]
a lily of the valleys.
The Man2 Like a lily among thorns,
so is my darling among the girls.
He Embraces MeThe Woman3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my lover among the boys.
I desire to sit in his shade.
His fruit is sweet to my taste.
4 He has brought me to the reception hall, [6]
and his banner over me is love. [7]
5 Strengthen me with raisin cakes.
Refresh me with apples,
for I am weak from love.
6 His left arm is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.
7 Daughters of Jerusalem,
you must swear to me by the gazelles,
or by the does of the field,
that you will not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.
Footnotes1. Song of Songs 1:3 The meaning of the Hebrew term oil of Turuq is uncertain. The ancient versions support the meaning oil which is poured out. 2. Song of Songs 1:4 The noun virgins is supplied from verse 3 to make it clear that the man is being addressed. 3. Song of Songs 1:12 Nard, myrrh, and henna are expensive fragrances and cosmetics. 4. Song of Songs 2:1 Traditionally translated rose, but more likely a crocus, daffodil, or lotus. 5. Song of Songs 2:1 Sharon is a region on the coast of Israel. 6. Song of Songs 2:4 Literally house of wine, an expression that speaks of drink more than food 7. Song of Songs 2:4 The meaning of the line is uncertain.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Through My Bible Yr 02 – November 21Ecclesiastes 11:9 – 12:14LISTEN HERE###### Through My Bible – November 21
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Ecclesiastes 11Advice to the Young9 Young man, be happy while you are a child, and let your heart make you glad during the days of your youth. Walk down the roads on which your heart leads you and on the way your eyes see—but know that for all these, God will bring you into judgment.
10 Put frustration out of your mind, and ignore the troubles of your body, because youth and the dawn of life are vapor. [1]
Ecclesiastes 121 So remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the bad days come and the years arrive when you will say,
“I have no delight in them,”
2 before the sun and the light of the moon and the stars are darkened,
before the clouds return after the rain,
3 before the day when the watchmen of the house tremble,
and the strong men are bent over,
and the women who grind grain cease because they are few,
and those watching through the windows can barely see.
4 Then the double doors to the street are shut,
as the grinding of the mill grows quiet.
A person wakes up at the sound of a bird,
but all the sounds of music are muffled.
5 Then they fear heights and terrors along the road.
The almond blossoms become white.
The grasshopper drags himself along,
and the caperberry has no effect. [2]
Why? Because the man is heading to his eternal home.
Then the wailing mourners will go around in the street.
6 Remember your Creator
before the silver cord is snapped,
and the golden bowl is broken,
before the jar is shattered by the spring,
and the waterwheel is broken by the well,
7 and the dust goes back into the ground—just as it was before,
and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.
8 “Nothing but vapor,” said Ecclesiastes, the speaker. [3] “It is all vapor.”
9 Besides being wise, Ecclesiastes taught the people knowledge, and he weighed, collected, and arranged many proverbs. 10 Ecclesiastes searched to find just the right words. What was written was honest—they were true words. 11 Sayings of wise men are like cattle prods, and those sayings collected by experts are like firmly fixed nails, given by one Shepherd.
12 My son, beware of anything in addition to these. There is no end of making many books, and much study wears out the body.
13 This is the conclusion of the matter. Everything has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments. For mankind, this is everything. [4]
14 Yes, God will bring everything that is done into judgment, including everything that is hidden, whether good or evil.
Footnotes1. Ecclesiastes 11:10 Or because both youth and the coming darkness are vapor 2. Ecclesiastes 12:5 Or the caperberry shrivels up. The caperberry was associated with sexual vitality. 3. Ecclesiastes 12:8 Ecclesiastes is not a personal name, but a title for a person who gathers a group of people to speak to them. The Hebrew word qoheleth here has the definite article, showing that it is a title. 4. Ecclesiastes 12:13 Or this applies to everyone
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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