Daily Bible Reading from BibleStudyTools.com

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Today's Bible Reading

December 17

Colossians 1:1-23; Ezekiel 25-26; Isaiah 53 CJB

Colossians 1:1-23

1 From: Sha'ul, by God's will an emissary of the Messiah Yeshua, and brother Timothy

2 To: God's people in Colosse, faithful brothers in the Messiah: Grace to you and shalom from God our Father.

3 Whenever we pray, we always give thanks for you to God, the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

4 For we have heard of your trust in the Messiah Yeshua and of the love you have for all God's people.

5 Both spring from the confident hope that you will receive what is stored up for you in heaven. You heard of this earlier in the message about the truth. This Good News

6 has made its presence felt among you, just as it is also being fruitful and multiplyinga throughout the world in the same way as it has among you since the day you heard and understood the grace of God as it really is.

7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow-slave and a faithful worker for the Messiah on your behalf;

8 and he has told us about the love which the Spirit has given you.

9 Therefore, from the day we heard of it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all the wisdom and understanding which the Spirit gives;

10 so that you may live lives worthy of the Lord and entirely pleasing to him, being fruitful in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God.

11 We pray that you will be continually strengthened with all the power that comes from his glorious might; so that you will be able to persevere and be patient in any situation, joyfully

12 giving thanks to the Father for having made you fit to share in the inheritance of his people in the light.

13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.

14 It is through his Son that we have redemption - that is, our sins have been forgiven.

15 He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is supreme over all creation,

16 because in connection with him were created all things - in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, lordships, rulers or authorities - they have all been created through him and for him.

17 He existed before all things, and he holds everything together.

18 Also he is head of the Body, the Messianic Community - he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might hold first place in everything.

19 For it pleased God to have his full being live in his Son

20 and through his Son to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace through him, through having his Son shed his blood by being executed on a stake.

21 In other words, you, who at one time were separated from God and had a hostile attitude towards him because of your wicked deeds,

22 he has now reconciled in the Son's physical body through his death; in order to present you holy and without defect or reproach before himself -

23 provided, of course, that you continue in your trusting, grounded and steady, and don't let yourselves be moved away from the hope offered in the Good News you heard. This is the Good News that has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven; and I, Sha'ul, have become a servant of it.

Ezekiel 25

1 The word of ADONAI came to me:

2 "Human being, turn your face toward the people of 'Amon and prophesy against them;

3 say to the people of 'Amon, 'Hear the word of Adonai ELOHIM. Adonai ELOHIM says, "Because you gloated when my sanctuary was profaned, when the land of Isra'el was laid waste, and when the house of Y'hudah went into exile;

4 I will let the people from the east take possession of you. They will set up camps and build their homes among you; they will eat your fruit and drink your milk.

5 I will turn Rabbah into a camel pasture and 'Amon into a sheep-yard. Then you will know that I am ADONAI."

6 For here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: "Because you clapped your hands and stamped your feet, full of malicious joy over the land of Isra'el;

7 I am going to stretch out my hand over you and deliver you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from being a people and cause you to cease from being a nation; I will destroy you. Then you will know that I am ADONAI.'"

8 "Adonai ELOHIM says: 'Because Mo'av and Se'ir say, "The house of Y'hudah is like all the other nations,"

9 I will expose the flank of Mo'av, with all its cities - that is, all the cities on its frontier, the glory of the land, Beit-Yeshimot, Ba'al-M'on and Kiryatayim -

10 together with the people of 'Amon, to the people from the east, whom I will let take possession of them. Thus the people of 'Amon will not be remembered as being one of the nations;

11 and I will execute judgments on Mo'av. Then they will know that I am ADONAI.'

12 "Adonai ELOHIM says: 'Because Edom has taken severe vengeance against the house of Y'hudah, incurring much guilt by its acts of vengeance against them,

13 therefore,' Adonai ELOHIM says, 'I will stretch my hand out over Edom and eliminate both its humans and its animals. I will make it a ruin; from Teman to D'dan they will die by the sword.

14 Moreover, I will lay my vengeance on Edom through my people Isra'el; they will treat Edom in accordance with my anger and my fury; and they will know my vengeance' says Adonai ELOHIM.

15 "Adonai ELOHIM says, 'Because the P'lishtim have acted out of vengeance, taking revenge and destroying with malice of heart, due to their long-standing hatred;

16 therefore,' Adonai ELOHIM says, 'I will stretch out my hand over the P'lishtim, eliminate the K'reti and destroy the rest of the seacoast peoples.

17 I will execute great vengeance on them with furious punishments; and they will know that I am ADONAI when I lay my vengeance on them.'"

Ezekiel 26

1 On the first day of the month in the eleventh year, the word of ADONAI came to me:

2 "Human being, since Tzor has said against Yerushalayim, 'Ha! She is shattered, the gateway of the peoples. Now that she is ruined, her riches will be mine';

3 therefore, Adonai ELOHIM says, 'Look, Tzor! I am against you. Just as the sea churns up its waves, I will churn up many nations against you.

4 They will destroy the walls of Tzor, they will demolish her towers. I will scrape its soil from her and reduce her to bare rock.

5 With the sea all around her, she will be a place for drying fish nets and a plunder for the nations. I have spoken,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

6 'Her daughters on the mainland will be put to death with the sword; then they will know that I am ADONAI.'

7 "For here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I will bring upon Tzor, from the north, N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a great and powerful army.

8 "'Your daughters on the mainland he will put to death with the sword. He will build siege-towers against you, he will build a ramp against you and raise a screen of shields against you.

9 He will pound your walls with his battering-rams and break down your towers with his axes.

10 His horses are so many that their dust will cover you. The thunder of cavalry, wagons and chariots will shake your walls, as he enters your gates, like men storming a city through a breach.

11 With the hoofs of his horses he will trample your streets. He will put your people to the sword and pull to the ground your massive standing-stones.

12 They will seize your wealth, loot your wares, break down your walls, destroy your fine houses; then they will throw your stones and timber and even your dust into the sea.

13 I will put an end to your singing, the sound of your lyres will be heard no more.

14 I will reduce you to bare rock, you will be a place for drying fish nets, you will never be built again, for I, ADONAI, have spoken,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

15 To Tzor Adonai ELOHIM says: "How the coastlands will shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, when the slaughter takes place in you!

16 Then all the princes of the sea will step down from their thrones; they will put aside their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, trembling all the time, appalled at your condition.

17 Then they will raise this lament for you: "'How you have been destroyed, you who were peopled from the seas, city so renowned, once so strong at sea, you and your inhabitants, who used to spread terror over all [the mainland's] inhabitants!

18 Now the coastlands tremble on the day of your downfall, and the islands in the sea are in shock at your end.'

19 "For here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'When I make you a ruined city, like other uninhabited cities; when I bring the deep sea over you, and its mighty waters cover you;

20 then I will bring you down with those who descend to the pit, to the people of long ago, and make you live in underworld places like those who were ruined long ago, with those who descend to the pit, so that you will be uninhabited when I give glory to the land of the living.

21 I will make you horrible; you will cease to exist. People will seek you but never more find you,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

Isaiah 53

1 Who believes our report? To whom is the arm of ADONAI revealed?

2 For before him he grew up like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground. He was not well-formed or especially handsome; we saw him, but his appearance did not attract us.

3 People despised and avoided him, a man of pains, well acquainted with illness. Like someone from whom people turn their faces, he was despised; we did not value him.

4 In fact, it was our diseases he bore, our pains from which he suffered; yet we regarded him as punished, stricken and afflicted by God.

5 But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his bruises we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, went astray; we turned, each one, to his own way; yet ADONAI laid on him the guilt of all of us. Or: and in fellowship with him

7 Though mistreated, he was submissive - he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to be slaughtered, like a sheep silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth.

8 After forcible arrest and sentencing, he was taken away; and none of his generation protested his being cut off from the land of the living for the crimes of my people, who deserved the punishment themselves.

9 He was given a grave among the wicked; in his death he was with a rich man. Although he had done no violence and had said nothing deceptive,

10 yet it pleased ADONAI to crush him with illness, to see if he would present himself as a guilt offering. If he does, he will see his offspring; and he will prolong his days; and at his hand ADONAI's desire will be accomplished.

11 After this ordeal, he will see satisfaction. "By his knowing [pain and sacrifice], my righteous servant makes many righteous; it is for their sins that he suffers.

12 Therefore I will assign him a share with the great, he will divide the spoil with the mighty, for having exposed himself to death and being counted among the sinners, while actually bearing the sin of many and interceding for the offenders."

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Today's Bible Reading

December 18

Colossians 1:24-2:19; Ezekiel 27-28; Isaiah 54 CJB

Colossians 1:24-29

24 I rejoice in my present sufferings on your behalf! Yes, I am completing in my own flesh what has been lacking of the Messiah's afflictions, on behalf of his Body, the Messianic Community.

25 I became a servant of the Good News because God gave me this work to do for your benefit. The work is to make fully known the message from God,

26 the secret hidden for generations, for ages, but now made clear to the people he has set apart for himself.

27 To them God wanted to make known how great among the Gentiles is the glorious richness of this secret. And the secret is this: the Messiah is united with you people! In that rests your hope of glory!

28 We, for our part, proclaim him; we warn, confront and teach everyone in all wisdom; so that we may present everyone as having reached the goal, united with the Messiah.

29 It is for this that I toil, striving with all the energy that he stirs up in me so mightily.

Colossians 2:1-19

1 For I want you to know how hard I work for you, for those in Laodicea, and for the rest of those who have not met me personally.

2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged, that they may be joined together in love, and that they may have all the riches derived from being assured of understanding and fully knowing God's secret truth, which is - the Messiah!

3 It is in him that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.

4 I say this so that no one will fool you with plausible but specious arguments.

5 For although I am away from you physically, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing as I see the disciplined and resolute firmness of your trust in the Messiah.

6 Therefore, just as you received the Messiah Yeshua as Lord, keep living your life united with him.

7 Remain deeply rooted in him; continue being built up in him and confirmed in your trust, the way you were taught, so that you overflow in thanksgiving.

8 Watch out, so that no one will take you captive by means of philosophy and empty deceit, following human tradition which accords with the elemental spirits of the world but does not accord with the Messiah.

9 For in him, bodily, lives the fullness of all that God is.

10 And it is in union with him that you have been made full - he is the head of every rule and authority.

11 Also it was in union with him that you were circumcised with a circumcision not done by human hands, but accomplished by stripping away the old nature's control over the body. In this circumcision done by the Messiah,

12 you were buried along with him by being immersed; and in union with him, you were also raised up along with him by God's faithfulness that worked when he raised Yeshua from the dead.

13 You were dead because of your sins, that is, because of your "foreskin," your old nature. But God made you alive along with the Messiah by forgiving you all your sins.

14 He wiped away the bill of charges against us. Because of the regulations, it stood as a testimony against us; but he removed it by nailing it to the execution-stake.

15 Stripping the rulers and authorities of their power, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by means of the stake.

16 So don't let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh-Hodesh or Shabbat.

17 These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah.

18 Don't let anyone deny you the prize by insisting that you engage in self-mortification or angel-worship. Such people are always going on about some vision they have had, and they vainly puff themselves up by their worldly outlook.

19 They fail to hold to the Head, from whom the whole Body, receiving supply and being held together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God makes it grow.

Ezekiel 27

1 The word of ADONAI came to me:

2 "You, human being, raise this lament for Tzor;

3 say to Tzor, located at the gateways to the sea, merchant for peoples to many coastlands, that Adonai ELOHIM says: 'Tzor, you have said, "My beauty is perfect."

4 Your borders are in the heart of the sea, your builders perfected your beauty.

5 They used cypress logs from S'nir to fashion all your planking. They took cedars from the L'vanon to make masts for you.

6 Out of oaks from Bashan they made your oars. Your deck they made of ivory inlaid in larch from the coasts of Kittim.

7 Richly woven linen from Egypt was used for your sail, which was also your banner. Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was used to cover your deck-tent.

8 The people of Tzidon and Arvad served as your oarsmen. Your own skilled men, Tzor, were there as your pilots.

9 The leaders and craftsmen of G'val sealed the cracks between your boards. "'Every seagoing ship and its crew came to you to trade in your wares.

10 Men from Paras, Lud and Put were [mercenaries] in your army; hanging shield and helmet on you, they showed off your splendor.

11 Men from Arvad and your own army were posted around on your walls. The Gamadim were in your towers; they hung their shields all around your walls, making your beauty perfect.

12 "'Tarshish did business with you because of the quantity and variety of your resources; they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your goods.

13 Greece, Tuval and Meshekh traded with you, exchanging slaves and articles of bronze for your wares.

14 The people of Togarmah traded for your merchandise with horses, horsemen and mules.

15 The men of D'dan traded with you. Many coastlands were your customers, giving you ivory tusks and ebony in payment.

16 Aram traded with you, because you were so wealthy; for your goods they exchanged green feldspar, purple stuff, embroidery, fine linen, coral and rubies.

17 Y'hudah and the land of Isra'el also traded with you, exchanging for your goods wheat from Minnit, millet, honey, olive oil and resin for healing.

18 Because you were so wealthy, with such a variety of valuable merchandise, Dammesek traded wine from Helbon and white wool with you.

19 V'dan and Yavan from Uzal traded ironwork, cassia and aromatic cane for your goods.

20 D'dan traded with you for riding gear.

21 Arabia and all the princes of K'dar were your customers; for your goods they traded lambs, rams and goats.

22 The traders of Sh'va and Ra'mah exchanged the best quality spices, all kinds of precious stones and gold for your goods.

23 The merchants of Haran, Kaneh and 'Eden, who traded also with Sh'va, Ashur and Kilmad,

24 brought you in exchange for your goods rich clothes, cloaks made of blue material and embroidery, and cedar-lined chests filled with multicolored clothing and bound with cords.

25 "Tarshish" ships transported your imports and exports. "'So you were full, loaded down, surrounded by the sea.

26 Your oarsmen brought you through heavy seas. But the east wind will break you surrounded by the sea.

27 Your riches, your goods, your merchandise, your crew, your pilots, your ship-sealers, your traders, all your warriors aboard, and all the others in the ship with you will sink surrounded by the sea on the day of your shipwreck.

28 When they hear the cries of your pilots, the mainland coasts will tremble.

29 The oarsmen, crew and pilots will disembark and stand on shore,

30 mourning aloud at your fate, crying bitterly, throwing dust on their heads, rolling in the ashes,

31 shaving their heads bald for you, wrapping themselves in sackcloth, with heartfelt bitterness weeping for you in bitter lamentation.

32 Wailing, they will raise a lament for you; this will be their lament for you: "'"Who anywhere in the sea has ever been silenced like Tzor?

33 When your wares came forth from the seas, you satisfied many peoples; with your vast wealth and variety of goods you enriched the kings of the earth.

34 But now you have been wrecked by the waves, sunk in the watery depths; your merchandise and all your people have gone down with you.

35 All who live along the coasts are aghast at you; their kings are horribly afraid, their faces are convulsed;

36 the merchants among the peoples are gasping at your fate; you are an object of terror, and you will cease to exist."'"

Ezekiel 28

1 The word of ADONAI came to me:

2 "Human being, tell the prince of Tzor that Adonai ELOHIM says: 'Because you are so proud and have said, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of God, surrounded by the sea"; yet you are a man, not God, even though you think that you think like God.

3 Sure, you are wiser than Dani'el! No secret can be hidden from you!

4 By your wisdom and discernment you have acquired wealth, you have gathered gold and silver into your treasuries.

5 By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and it is because of your wealth that you have become so proud.

6 "Therefore Adonai ELOHIM says, 'Because you think that you think like God,

7 I will bring foreigners against you, the most barbarous of the nations, to draw their swords against your fine wisdom and defile your splendor.

8 They will lower you into the pit to die a violent death surrounded by the sea.

9 Will you still say, "I am God," to them who are about to kill you? You are a man, you are not God, in the hands of those who defile you.

10 You will die the deaths of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. For I have spoken,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

11 The word of ADONAI came to me:

12 "Human being, raise a lament for the king of Tzor, and tell him that Adonai ELOHIM says: 'You put the seal on perfection; you were full of wisdom and perfect in beauty;

13 you were in 'Eden, the garden of God; covered with all kinds of precious stones - carnelians, topaz, diamonds, beryl, onyx, jasper, sapphires, green feldspar, emeralds; your pendants and jewels were made of gold, prepared the day you were created.

14 You were a keruv, protecting a large region; I placed you on God's holy mountain. You walked back and forth among stones of fire.

15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.

16 "'When your commerce grew, you became filled with violence; and in this way you sinned. Therefore I have thrown you out, defiled, from the mountain of God; I have destroyed you, protecting keruv, from among the stones of fire.

17 Your heart grew proud because of your beauty, you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. But I have thrown you on the ground; before kings I have made you a spectacle.

18 By your many crimes in dishonest trading, you have profaned your sanctuaries; therefore I brought forth fire from within you, and it has devoured you; I reduced you into ashes on the ground in the sight of all who can see you.

19 All who know you among the peoples will be aghast at you. You are an object of terror, and you will cease to exist.'"

20 The word of ADONAI came to me:

21 "Human being, turn your face toward Tzidon, and prophesy against it.

22 Say that Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I am against you, Tzidon; but I will be glorified in you. They will know that I am ADONAI, once I execute judgments in her and show my holiness in her.

23 For I will send plagues into her, and blood will flow in her streets; attacked from all sides by the sword, the wounded will fall within her. Then they will know that I am ADONAI.

24 "'The house of Isra'el will no longer have a briar pricking away at them, no longer will any of its contemptuous neighbors be a thorn to stab them. Then they will know that I am Adonai ELOHIM.'

25 "Adonai ELOHIM says, 'Once I have gathered the house of Isra'el from the peoples among whom they are scattered, once I have shown my holiness in them as the Goyim watch, then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Ya'akov.

26 They will have security when they live there, building houses and planting vineyards; yes, they will live in safety, once I have executed judgments against all their contemptuous neighbors. Then they will know that I am ADONAI their God.'"

Isaiah 54

1 "Sing, barren woman who has never had a child! Burst into song, shout for joy, you who have never been in labor! For the deserted wife will have more children than the woman who is living with her husband," says ADONAI.

2 Enlarge the space for your tent, extend the curtains of your dwelling; do not hold back, lengthen your cords, make your tent pegs firm.

3 For you will spread out to the right and the left, your descendants will possess the nations and inhabit the desolated cities.

4 Don't be afraid, for you won't be ashamed; don't be discouraged, for you won't be disgraced. You will forget the shame of your youth, no longer remember the dishonor of being widowed.

5 For your husband is your Maker, ADONAI-Tzva'ot is his name. The Holy One of Isra'el is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of all the earth.

6 For ADONAI has called you back like a wife abandoned and grief-stricken; "A wife married in her youth cannot be rejected," says your God.

7 "Briefly I abandoned you, but with great compassion I am taking you back.

8 I was angry for a moment and hid my face from you; but with everlasting grace I will have compassion on you," says ADONAI your Redeemer.

9 "For me this is like Noach's flood. Just as I swore that no flood like Noach's would ever again cover the earth, so now I swear that never again will I be angry with you or rebuke you.

10 For the mountains may leave and the hills be removed, but my grace will never leave you, and my covenant of peace will not be removed," says ADONAI, who has compassion on you.

11 "Storm-ravaged [city], unconsoled, I will set your stones in the finest way, lay your foundations with sapphires,

12 make your windows shine with rubies, your gates with garnet, your walls with gemstones.

13 All your children will be taught by ADONAI; your children will have great peace.

14 In righteousness you will be established, far from oppression, with nothing to fear; far from ruin, for it will not come near you.

15 Any alliance that forms against you will not be my doing; whoever tries to form such an alliance will fall because of you.

16 It is I who created the craftsman who blows on the coals and forges weapons suited to their purpose; I also created the destroyer to work havoc.

17 No weapon made will prevail against you. In court you will refute every accusation. The servants of ADONAI inherit all this; the reward for their righteousness is from me," says ADONAI.

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Today's Bible Reading

December 19

Colossians 2:20-3:17; Ezekiel 29-30; Isaiah 55 CJB

Colossians 2:20-23

20 If, along with the Messiah, you died to the elemental spirits of the world, then why, as if you still belonged to the world, are you letting yourselves be bothered by its rules? -

21 "Don't touch this!" "Don't eat that!" "Don't handle the other!"

22 Such prohibitions are concerned with things meant to perish by being used [not by being avoided!], and they are based on man-made rules and teachings.b

23 They do indeed have the outward appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed religious observances, false humility and asceticism; but they have no value at all in restraining people from indulging their old nature.

Colossians 3:1-17

1 So if you were raised along with the Messiah, then seek the things above, where the Messiah is sitting at the right hand of God. c

2 Focus your minds on the things above, not on things here on earth.

3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God.

4 When the Messiah, who is our life, appears, then you too will appear with him in glory!

5 Therefore, put to death the earthly parts of your nature - sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed (which is a form of idolatry);

6 for it is because of these things that God's anger is coming on those who disobey him.

7 True enough, you used to practice these things in the life you once lived;

8 but now, put them all away - anger, exasperation, meanness, slander and obscene talk.

9 Never lie to one another; because you have stripped away the old self, with its ways,

10 and have put on the new self, which is continually being renewed in fuller and fuller knowledge, closer and closer to the image of its Creator.

11 The new self allows no room for discriminating between Gentile and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, foreigner, savage, slave, free man; on the contrary, in all, the Messiah is everything.

12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

13 Bear with one another; if anyone has a complaint against someone else, forgive him. Indeed, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive.

14 Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together perfectly;

15 and let the shalom which comes from the Messiah be your heart's decision-maker, for this is why you were called to be part of a single Body. And be thankful -

16 let the Word of the Messiah, in all its richness, live in you, as you teach and counsel each other in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude to God in your hearts.

17 That is, everything you do or say, do in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Ezekiel 29

1 On the twelfth day of the tenth month of the twelfth year, the word of ADONAI came to me:

2 "Human being, turn your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt; prophesy against him and against all Egypt;

3 speak out; and say that Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you big crocodile lying in the streams of the Nile! You say, "My Nile is mine; I made it for myself."

4 But I will put hooks in your jaws and make your Nile fish stick to your scales. Yes, I will bring you up from your Nile, with all your Nile fish sticking to your scales,

5 and leave you in the desert, you and all your Nile fish. You will fall in the open field and not be gathered or buried; but I will give you as food to wild animals and birds.

6 Then all who live in Egypt will know that I am ADONAI, because they have been a support made of straw for the house of Isra'el.

7 When they grasped you in hand, you splintered and threw all their shoulders out of joint; when they leaned on you, you broke and made them all wrench their backs.'

8 "Therefore Adonai ELOHIM says, 'I will bring the sword against you and eliminate both your people and your animals.

9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate waste, and they will know that I am ADONAI; because he said, "The Nile is mine; I made it."

10 So I am against you and your Nile; and I will make the land of Egypt a totally desolate waste from Migdol to S'venah, all the way to the border of Ethiopia.

11 No human foot will pass through it, and no animal foot will pass through it; it will be uninhabited for forty years.

12 Yes, I will make the land of Egypt desolate, even when compared with other desolate countries, likewise her cities in comparison with other ruined cities; they will be desolate forty years. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them through the countries.'

13 "For this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered -

14 I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of their origin, Patros. But there they will be a humble kingdom,

15 the humblest of kingdoms. It will never again dominate other nations; I will reduce them, so that they never again rule other nations.

16 Moreover, they will no longer be a source of confidence for Isra'el to turn to; rather, it will only bring to mind their guilt in having turned to them before. Then they will know that I am Adonai ELOHIM.'"

17 On the first day of the first month of the twenty-seventh year, the word of ADONAI came to me:

18 "Human being, N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel had his army mount a massive expedition against Tzor; [the loads of dirt they carried] made every head bald and every shoulder raw; yet neither he nor his army derived any benefit from Tzor out of this expedition against it.

19 Therefore Adonai ELOHIM says, 'I will give the land of Egypt to N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel. He will carry off its riches, take its spoil and its prey; and these will be the wages for his army.

20 I am giving him the land of Egypt as his wages for which he worked, because they were working for me,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

21 'When that day comes I will cause power to return to the house of Isra'el, and I will enable you [Yechezk'el] to open your mouth among them. Then they will know that I am ADONAI.'"

Ezekiel 30

1 The word of ADONAI came to me:

2 "Human being, prophesy; say that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'Wail, "Oh no! It's today!"

3 For the day is near, the Day of ADONAI, a day of clouds, the time of the Goyim.

4 The sword will come against Egypt, and Ethiopia will be in anguish, when the slain fall in Egypt, when they take away her wealth, and her foundations are torn down.

5 Ethiopia, Put and Lud, all the mixed population and Kuv, and the people of allied lands will die by the sword with them.'

6 "ADONAI says this: 'Those supporting Egypt will fall; its arrogant power will be brought down; from Migdol to S'venah they will die by the sword,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

7 "They will be desolate even when compared with other desolate countries, likewise her cities in comparison with other ruined cities.

8 They will know that I am ADONAI when I set fire to Egypt, and those supporting it are destroyed.

9 When that day comes, I will send out messengers in ships to terrify the unsuspecting Ethiopians; and anguish will overcome them on the day of Egypt. Yes, here it comes!

10 "Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I will destroy the hordes of Egypt through N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel.

11 He and his people, the most barbarous of the nations, will be brought in to ravage the land. They will unsheathe their swords against Egypt and fill the land with corpses.

12 I will dry up the streams of the Nile and sell the land to the wicked. Through the power of foreigners I will make the land and all that is in it desolate. I, ADONAI, have spoken.'

13 "Here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I will destroy the idols, make the false gods in Nof cease to exist. No longer will there be a prince from the land of Egypt; I will put fear in the land of Egypt,

14 desolate Patros, set fire to Tzo'an, execute judgements in No,

15 pour my fury on Seen the stronghold of Egypt, and destroy the hordes of No.

16 Yes, I will set fire to Egypt; Seen will writhe in anguish; No will be torn apart; enemies will attack Nof in broad daylight.

17 The young men of On and Pi-Veset will die by the sword, while the cities themselves will go into captivity.

18 At T'chafn'ches the day will grow dark when I break the yokes of Egypt there, and the pride she takes in her power ceases. A cloud will cover her, and her daughters will go into captivity.

19 Thus will I execute judgments on Egypt. Then they will know that I am ADONAI.'"

20 On the seventh day of the first month of the eleventh year, the word of ADONAI came to me:

21 "Human being, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; it has not been bound up with dressings and bandages, so that it can heal and become strong enough again to wield the sword.

22 Therefore Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the sound one and the broken one, and I will make the sword fall from his hand.

23 I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.

24 I will strengthen the arms of the king of Bavel and put my sword in his hand; but I will break the arms of Pharaoh; he will groan like a man mortally wounded.

25 Yes, I will hold up the arms of the king of Bavel; but the arms of Pharaoh will droop. They will know that I am ADONAI when I put my sword in the hand of the king of Bavel, and he stretches it out over the land of Egypt.

26 Yes, I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries; and they will know that I am ADONAI.'"

Isaiah 55

1 "All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You without money, come, buy, and eat! Yes, come! Buy wine and milk without money - it's free!

2 Why spend money for what isn't food, your wages for what doesn't satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and you will eat well, you will enjoy the fat of the land.

3 Open your ears, and come to me; listen well, and you will live - I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the grace I assured David.

4 I have given him as a witness to the peoples, a leader and lawgiver for the peoples.

5 You will summon a nation you do not know, and a nation that doesn't know you will run to you, for the sake of ADONAI your God, the Holy One of Isra'el, who will glorify you."

6 Seek ADONAI while he is available, call on him while he is still nearby.

7 Let the wicked person abandon his way and the evil person his thoughts; let him return to ADONAI, and he will have mercy on him; let him return to our God, for he will freely forgive.

8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways," says ADONAI.

9 "As high as the sky is above the earth are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For just as rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return there, but water the earth, causing it to bud and produce, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth - it will not return to me unfulfilled; but it will accomplish what I intend, and cause to succeed what I sent it to do."

12 Yes, you will go out with joy, you will be led forth in peace. As you come, the mountains and hills will burst out into song, and all the trees in the countryside will clap their hands.

13 Cypresses will grow in place of thorns, myrtles will grow instead of briars. This will bring fame to ADONAI as an eternal, imperishable sign.

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Today's Bible Reading

December 20

Colossians 3:18-4:18; Ezekiel 31-32; Isaiah 56 CJB

Colossians 3:18-25

18 Wives, subject yourselves to your husbands, as is appropriate in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives and don't treat them harshly.

20 Children, obey your parents in everything; for this pleases the Lord.

21 Fathers, don't irritate your children and make them resentful, or they will become discouraged.

22 Slaves, obey your human masters in everything, not serving only when they are watching you, to win their favor, but single-heartedly, fearing the Lord.

23 Whatever work you do, put yourself into it, as those who are serving not merely other people, but the Lord.

24 Remember that as your reward, you will receive the inheritance from the Lord. You are slaving for the Lord, for the Messiah.

25 Don't worry - whoever is doing wrong will be paid in kind for his wrong, and there is no favoritism shown.

Colossians 4

1 Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly. Remember that you too have a Master in heaven.

2 Keep persisting in prayer, staying alert in it and being thankful.

3 Include prayer for us, too, that God may open a door for us to proclaim the message about the secret of the Messiah - for that is why I am in prison.

4 And pray that I may speak, as I should, in a way that makes the message clear.

5 Behave wisely toward outsiders, making full use of every opportunity -

6 let your conversation always be gracious and interesting, so that you will know how to respond to any particular individual.

7 Our dear brother Tychicus, who is a faithful worker and fellow-slave in the Lord, will give you all the news about me.

8 I have sent him to you for this very reason - so that you might know how we are, and so that he might encourage you.

9 I have sent him with Onesimus, the dear and faithful brother, who is one of you; they will tell you everything that has happened here.

10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends greetings, as does Mark, Bar-Nabba's cousin, concerning whom you have received instructions - if he comes to you, welcome him.

11 Yeshua, the one called Justus, also sends greetings. These three are among the Circumcised; and among my fellow workers for the Kingdom of God, only they have turned out to be a comfort to me.

12 Epaphras sends greetings; he is one of you, a slave of the Messiah Yeshua who always agonizes in his prayer on your behalf, praying that you may stand firm, mature and fully confident, as you devote yourselves completely to God's will.

13 For I can testify to him that he works hard for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

14 Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send you greetings.

15 Give my greetings to the brothers in Laodicea, also to Nympha and the congregation that meets in her home.

16 After this letter has been read to you, have it read also in the congregation of the Laodiceans; and you, in turn, are to read the letter that will come from Laodicea.

17 And tell Archippus, "See that you complete the task you were given in the Lord."

18 This greeting I, Sha'ul, write with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment! Grace be with you!

Ezekiel 31

1 On the first day of the third month of the eleventh year, the word of ADONAI came to me:

2 "Human being, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: 'Whom are you like in your greatness?

3 Like Ashur, a cedar in the L'vanon. It had beautiful branches, dense foliage, its tall crown surrounded by leafy boughs.

4 The water nourished it; the deep made it grow, sending its rivers round the place where it was planted, sending its streams to all the trees in the fields.

5 So it grew taller than any other tree, its branches grew in number and spread far and wide, for it had plenty of water to make them grow.

6 In its boughs all the birds of the air had their nests, beneath its branches all the wild animals gave birth to their young, and all great nations lived in its shade.

7 It was beautiful in its greatness and the length of its branches, because its roots went down to plenty of water.

8 No cedar in God's garden was like it, no cypress tree could compare with its boughs, no chestnut tree could rival its branches, no tree in God's garden could match its beauty.

9 I made it so beautiful, with its many branches; all trees in 'Eden, God's garden, envied it.'

10 "Therefore here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'Because you are so tall, because he has lifted his crown above the leafy boughs, because he has grown so arrogant about his height,

11 I am handing him over to the mightiest of the nations, who will certainly deal with him as his wickedness deserves; I reject him.

12 Foreigners, the most barbarous of the nations, will destroy him and leave him lying where he is. His branches will lie fallen on the mountains and in the valleys, his boughs will lie broken in all the rivers of the land, and all the peoples of the earth will withdraw from his shade and leave him.

13 All the birds will settle on his fallen trunk, and all the wild animals will be on his branches.

14 This is to warn all the trees growing near water not to grow so tall, not to lift their crowns above the leafy boughs, and all that take up water not to reach up in their height. For they are all given over to death, to the depths of the underworld, along with human beings, with those who descend to the pit.'

15 "Here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'On the day he descended to Sh'ol, I caused the abyss to mourn and cover itself for him; I held back its rivers, so that its deep waters were stopped. I made the L'vanon mourn for him, and all the field trees withered because of him.

16 At the sound of his fall I made the nations shake, when I hurled him down to Sh'ol with those who descend to the pit. All the trees of 'Eden, the pick of the best in the L'vanon, all that take up water, were consoled in the underworld.

17 They descended with him to Sh'ol to those who were killed by the sword, to those who were his fighting arm, those among the nations who lived in his shade.

18 Which of the trees of 'Eden was your equal in glory or size? Yet you will be brought down to the underworld along with the trees of 'Eden. You will lie there among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword. This is Pharaoh and his hordes,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

Ezekiel 32

1 On the first day of the twelfth month of the twelfth year, the word of ADONAI came to me:

2 "Human being, raise a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt; say to him, 'You compared yourself to a lion among the nations; In fact, you are more like a crocodile in the lakes. You burst out of your streams, churn the water with your feet and foul their streams.'

3 "So here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'With many nations assembled, I will spread my net over you, and they will haul you up in my dragnet.

4 Then I will throw you on the shore, hurl you into an open field, make all the birds in the air settle on you and let the animals of the whole earth eat their fill of you.

5 I will leave your flesh on the mountains and fill the valleys with your rotting carcass.

6 I will drench the land in which you swim with your blood, as far as the mountains; the waterways will be full of you.

7 When I extinguish you, I will cover the sky and make its stars black; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.

8 All the shining lights in the sky I will darken above you; I will spread darkness over your land,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

9 "'I will anger many peoples when I bring your destroyed ones in among the nations, into countries you have not known.

10 I will make many peoples aghast at you; their kings will shudder in horror over you when I brandish my sword before them. On the day of your downfall they will tremble continuously, each man in fear of his life.'

11 "For Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'The sword of the king of Bavel will come against you.

12 With the swords of the warriors I will cause your hordes to fall. They are all the most barbarous of the nations, and they will shatter the glory of Egypt - all its hordes will be destroyed.

13 I will destroy all her cattle beside her plentiful waters. No human foot will trouble them again, nor the hoof of any animal.

14 Then I will make their water clear and cause their streams to flow like oil,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

15 'When I make the land of Egypt a ruined waste, a land stripped of all that filled it; when I strike all those who live there; they will know that I am ADONAI.

16 This is the lament that they will raise; the daughters of the nations will use it to mourn; they will chant it for Egypt and all its hordes,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

17 On the fifteenth day of the month in the twelfth year, the word of ADONAI came to me:

18 "Human being, wail for the hordes of Egypt; send them with the daughters of mighty nations down to the underworld, with those who descend to the pit.

19 Are you more beautiful than the others? Go down, lie with the uncircumcised dead!

20 They will fall among those killed by the sword; she is given to the sword; pull her down with her hordes.

21 From the depths of Sh'ol the mightiest warriors will speak of him with those who helped him. They went down; they lie still, the uncircumcised, killed by the sword.

22 "Ashur is there with her hordes; their graves are all around them, all of them slain, killed by the sword.

23 Their graves are in the deepest parts of the pit, her hordes are all around her grave, all of them slain, killed by the sword, those who terrorized the land of the living.

24 "'Eilam is there, with her hordes around her grave, all of them slain, killed by the sword, descended uncircumcised to the underworld, those who terrorized the land of the living; they bear their shame together with those who descended to the pit.

25 They have given her a bed among the slain with her hordes; her graves are all around them, all of them uncircumcised, killed by the sword, because they terrorized the land of the living; they bear their shame with those who descended to the pit; they are put among those who were slain.

26 "Meshekh and Tuval with her horde is there, her graves are all around them, all of them uncircumcised, killed by the sword, because they terrorized the land of the living.

27 They do not lie with the fallen warriors of the uncircumcised who descended to Sh'ol with their weapons of war, their swords laid under their heads, and their crimes upon their bones; because these warriors terrorized the land of the living.

28 But you will lie broken among the uncircumcised, with those who were killed by the sword.

29 "There is Edom, her kings and all her princes, who, despite all their power, are laid with those who were killed by the sword, with the uncircumcised, with those who descended to the pit.

30 "There are all the princes of the north, all of them, and the Tzidoni, who descended with the slain, ashamed of all the terror they caused by their power; they lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword, bearing their shame with those who descended to the pit.

31 "All of these Pharaoh will see, and he will be consoled about his hordes, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword," says Adonai ELOHIM.

32 "For I have put my terror in the land of the living, and he will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his hordes," says Adonai ELOHIM.

Isaiah 56

1 Here is what ADONAI says: "Observe justice, do what is right, for my salvation is close to coming, my righteousness to being revealed."

2 Happy is the person who does this, anyone who grasps it firmly, who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it, and keeps himself from doing any evil.

3 A foreigner joining ADONAI should not say, "ADONAI will separate me from his people"; likewise the eunuch should not say, "I am only a dried-up tree."

4 For here is what ADONAI says: "As for the eunuchs who keep my Shabbats, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant:

5 in my house, within my walls, I will give them power and a name greater than sons and daughters; I will give him an everlasting name that will not be cut off.

6 "And the foreigners who join themselves to ADONAI to serve him, to love the name of ADONAI, and to be his workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant,

7 I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples."

8 Adonai ELOHIM says, he who gathers Isra'el's exiles: "There are yet others I will gather, besides those gathered already."

9 All you wild animals, come and devour, yes, all you animals in the forest!

10 [Isra'el's] watchmen are, all of them, blind; they don't know anything. They are all dumb dogs, unable to bark, lying there dreaming, loving to sleep.

11 Greedy dogs, never satisfied - such are the shepherds, unable to understand; they all turn to their own way, each one intent on his own gain:

12 "Come, I'll get some wine, we'll fill up on good, strong liquor! Tomorrow will be like today; in fact, it will be even better!"

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Today's Bible Reading

December 21

Luke 1:1-25; Ezekiel 33; Isaiah 57 CJB

Luke 1:1-25

1 Dear Theophilos: Concerning the matters that have taken place among us, many people have undertaken to draw up accounts

2 based on what was handed down to us by those who from the start were eyewitnesses and proclaimers of the message.

3 Therefore, Your Excellency, since I have carefully investigated all these things from the beginning, it seemed good to me that I too should write you an accurate and ordered narrative,

4 so that you might know how well-founded are the things about which you have been taught.

5 In the days of Herod, King of Y'hudah, there was a cohen named Z'kharyah who belonged to the Aviyah division. His wife was a descendant of Aharon, and her name was Elisheva.

6 Both of them were righteous before God, observing all the mitzvot and ordinances of ADONAI blamelessly.

7 But they had no children, because Elisheva was barren; and they were both well along in years.

8 One time, when Z'kharyah was fulfilling his duties as cohen during his division's period of service before God,

9 he was chosen by lot (according to the custom among the cohanim) to enter the Temple and burn incense.

10 All the people were outside, praying, at the time of the incense burning,

11 when there appeared to him an angel of ADONAI standing to the right of the incense altar.

12 Z'kharyah was startled and terrified at the sight.

13 But the angel said to him, "Don't be afraid, Z'kharyah; because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elisheva will bear you a son, and you are to name him Yochanan.

14 He will be a joy and a delight to you, and many people will rejoice when he is born,

15 for he will be great in the sight of ADONAI. He is never to drink wine or other liquor, and he will be filled with the Ruach HaKodesh even from his mother's womb.

16 He will turn many of the people of Isra'el to ADONAI their God.

17 He will go out ahead of ADONAI in the spirit and power of Eliyahu to turn the hearts of fathers to their childrena and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for ADONAI a people prepared."

18 Z'kharyah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man; my wife too is well on in years."

19 "I am Gavri'el," the angel answered him, "and I stand in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, to give you this good news.

20 Now, because you didn't believe what I said, which will be fulfilled when the time comes, you will be silent, unable to speak until the day these things take place."

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Z'kharyah; they were surprised at his taking so long in the Temple.

22 But when he came out unable to talk to them, they realized that he had seen a vision in the Temple; speechless, he communicated to them with signs.

23 When his period of his Temple service was over, he returned home.

24 Following this, Elisheva his wife conceived, and she remained five months in seclusion, saying,

25 "ADONAI has done this for me; he has shown me favor at this time, so as to remove my public disgrace."

Ezekiel 33

1 The word of ADONAI came to me:

2 "Human being, speak to your people; say to them, 'Suppose I bring the sword on a country, and the people of that country take one of their men and appoint him their watchman.

3 Now if, upon seeing the sword coming against that country, he blows the shofar and warns the people;

4 then, if the sword comes and takes away someone who heard the sound of the shofar but paid no attention to it, the responsibility for that person's death will be his own -

5 he heard the shofar but paid no attention, so the responsibility for his death is his own; whereas if he had paid attention, he would have saved his life.

6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the shofar, so that the people are not warned; and then the sword comes and takes any one of them, that one is indeed taken away in his guilt, but I will hold the watchman responsible for his death.'

7 "Likewise you, human being - I have appointed you as watchman for the house of Isra'el. Therefore, when you hear the word from my mouth, warn them for me.

8 When I tell the wicked person, 'Wicked person, you will certainly die'; and you fail to speak and warn the wicked person to leave his way; then that wicked person will die guilty; and I will hold you responsible for his death.

9 On the other hand, if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he doesn't turn from his way; then he will still die guilty, but you will have saved your own life.

10 "Therefore, you, human being, say to the house of Isra'el: 'You say, "Our crimes and sins are weighing us down, we're pining away because of them, how can we even stay alive?"'

11 Say to them, 'As I live,' swears Adonai ELOHIM, 'I take no pleasure in having the wicked person die, but in having the wicked person turn from his way and live. So repent! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, house of Isra'el?'

12 "Next, you, human being, say to your people: 'The righteousness of the righteous person will not save him, once he starts committing crimes; and likewise, the wickedness of the wicked person will not cause him to fall, once he turns from his wickedness. No, the righteous person cannot live by virtue of [his former righteousness], once he starts sinning.

13 So if, after I tell the righteous person that he will surely live, he begins trusting in his own [former] righteousness and starts committing crimes; then none of his [former] righteous actions will be remembered; on the contrary, he will die for the evil deeds he has committed.

14 Likewise, if, after I tell the wicked person, "You must die," he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right -

15 if the wicked person restores pledged property and returns what he stole, so that he lives by the laws that give life and does not commit evil deeds; then he will live, he will not die.

16 None of the sins he committed will be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he will surely live.'

17 "Now your people say, 'Adonai's way isn't fair!' But it is their way, theirs, that isn't fair!

18 When the righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits wickedness, he will die because of it.

19 And when the wicked person turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he will live because of it.

20 Yet you say, 'Adonai's way isn't fair!' House of Isra'el, I will judge each of you according to his ways."

21 In the twelfth year of our exile, on the fifth day of the tenth month, a fugitive from Yerushalayim came to me with the news, "The city has been struck."

22 Now the hand of ADONAI had been on me that evening, before the fugitive arrived - he had opened my mouth prior to his coming to me in the morning, so my mouth was open, and I was no longer mute.

23 Then the word of ADONAI came to me:

24 "Human being, those living in the desolate parts of the land of Isra'el are saying, 'Avraham was only one, and he inherited the land. But we are many, so [how much more] is the land given to us to inherit!'

25 Therefore, tell them that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'You eat [flesh] with the blood, you raise your eyes to your idols, and you shed blood - and you still expect to possess the land?

26 You depend on your swords, you commit disgusting practices, and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife - and you still expect to possess the land?'

27 Tell them that Adonai ELOHIM swears, 'As I live, those living in the ruins will fall by the sword, those in the countryside I will give to the wild animals to eat, and those in the fortresses and caves will die of the plague.

28 Moreover, I will utterly desolate the land; it will cease taking pride in its power; and the mountains of Isra'el will be so desolate that no one will pass through.'

29 Then they will know that I am ADONAI, when I have made the land utterly desolate, because of all the disgusting practices they have committed.

30 "Now you, human being, your people are gathering and talking about you by the walls and in the doorways of houses. They're saying to each other, each one telling his brother, 'Come, let's go and hear the latest word coming from ADONAI.'

31 So then they come to you, as people do, sit in front of you as my people, and hear your words; but they don't act on them. For with their mouths they flatter you, but their hearts are set on their own self-interest;

32 so for them you are like a love-song sung by someone with a nice voice who can play an instrument well - they hear your words, but they don't act on them.

33 So when all this comes true, then, at last, they will realize that a prophet has been there with them."

Isaiah 57

1 The righteous person perishes, and nobody gives it a thought. Godly men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous person is taken away from the evil yet to come.

2 Yes, those who live uprightly will have peace as they rest on their couches.

3 "But you, you witches' children, come here, you spawn of adulterers and whores!

4 Whom are you making fun of? At whom are you laughing and sticking out your tongue? Aren't you rebellious children, just a brood of liars?

5 You go into heat among the oak trees, under every spreading tree. You kill the children in the valleys under the cracks in the rocks.

6 Your place is among the smooth stones in the vadi; these, these are what you deserve; you pour out drink offerings to them, you offer grain offerings to them. Should I calmly ignore these things?

7 You set up your bed on a high, lofty mountain; you also went up there to offer sacrifices.

8 Behind door and doorpost you set up your [lewd] memorial; then, far from me, you uncovered your bed, climbed up on it and opened it wide, made an agreement with some of them, whose bed you loved when you saw their hand beckoning.

9 You went to the king with scented oil; you added to your perfumes; you sent your envoys far away, even down to Sh'ol.

10 Though worn out by so much travel, you did not say, 'All hope is gone'; rather, finding your strength renewed, you did not grow weak.

11 Of whom have you been so afraid, so fearful that you lied? But me you don't remember, you don't give me a thought! I have held my peace so long that you no longer fear me.

12 I will expose your [so-called] 'righteousness'; and what you have done won't help you.

13 When you cry, will those [idols] you gathered rescue you? The wind will carry them all away, a puff of air will take them off. But whoever takes refuge in me will possess the land and inherit my holy mountain."

14 Then he will say, "Keep building! Keep building! Clear the way! Remove everything blocking my people's path!"

15 For thus says the High, Exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy: "I live in the high and holy place but also with the broken and humble, in order to revive the spirit of the humble and revive the hearts of the broken ones.

16 For I will not fight them forever or always nurse my anger; otherwise their spirits would faint before me, the creatures I myself have made.

17 It was because of their flagrant greed that I was angry and struck them; I hid myself and was angry, but they continued on their own rebellious way.

18 I have seen their ways, and I will heal them; I will lead them and give comfort to them and to those who mourn for them

19 I will create the right words: 'Shalom shalom to those far off and to those nearby!' says ADONAI; 'I will heal them!'"

20 But the wicked are like the restless sea - unable to be still, its waters toss up mud and dirt.

21 There is no shalom, says my God, for the wicked.

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Today's Bible Reading

December 22

Luke 1:26-56; Ezekiel 34; Isaiah 58 CJB

Luke 1:26-56

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gavri'el was sent by God to a city in the Galil called Natzeret,

27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Yosef, of the house of David; the virgin's name was Miryam.

28 Approaching her, the angel said, "Shalom, favored lady! ADONAI is with you!"

29 She was deeply troubled by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

30 The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Miryam, for you have found favor with God.

31 Look! You will become pregnant, you will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua.

32 He will be great, he will be called Son of Ha`Elyon. ADONAI, God, will give him the throne of his forefather David;

33 and he will rule the House of Ya`akov forever -- there will be no end to his Kingdom."

34 "How can this be," asked Miryam of the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

35 The angel answered her, "The Ruach HaKodesh will come over you, the power of Ha`Elyon will cover you. Therefore the holy child born to you will be called the Son of God.

36 "You have a relative, Elisheva, who is an old woman; and everyone says she is barren. But she has conceived a son and is six months pregnant!

37 For with God, nothing is impossible."

38 Miryam said, "I am the servant of ADONAI; may it happen to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

39 Without delay, Miryam set out and hurried to the town in the hill country of Y'hudah

40 where Z'kharyah lived, entered his house and greeted Elisheva.

41 When Elisheva heard Miryam's greeting, the baby in her womb stirred. Elisheva was filled with the Ruach HaKodesh

42 and spoke up in a loud voice, "How blessed are you among women! And how blessed is the child in your womb!

43 "But who am I, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy!

45 Indeed you are blessed, because you have trusted that the promise ADONAI has made to you will be fulfilled."

46 Then Miryam said, "My soul magnifies ADONAI;

47 and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior,

48 who has taken notice of his servant-girl in her humble position.b For -- imagine it! -- from now on, all generations will call me blessed!

49 "The Mighty One has done great things for me! Indeed, his name is holy;

50 and in every generation he has mercy on those who fear him.c

51 "He has performed mighty deeds with his arm, routed the secretly proud,

52 brought down rulers from their thrones, raised up the humble,

53 filled the hungry with good things, but sent the rich away empty.

54 "He has taken the part of his servant Isra'el, mindful of the mercy

55 which he promised to our fathers, to Avraham and his seed forever."

56 Miryam stayed with Elisheva for about three months and then returned home.

Ezekiel 34

1 The word of ADONAI came to me:

2 "Human being, prophesy against the shepherds of Isra'el. Prophesy! Tell them, the shepherds, that Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'Woe to the shepherds of Isra'el who feed themselves! Shouldn't the shepherds feed the sheep?

3 You eat the choice meat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, and you slaughter the best of the herd; but you don't feed the sheep!

4 You don't strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bandage the broken, bring back the outcasts or seek the lost; on the contrary, you tyrannize them with crushing force.

5 So they were scattered, without a shepherd, and became food for every wild animal - they were scattered.

6 My sheep wandered around aimlessly on every mountain and hill; yes, my sheep were scattered all over the land, with no one to search for them or look after them.

7 "'Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of ADONAI:

8 "As I live," Adonai ELOHIM swears, "because my sheep have become prey, my sheep have become food for every wild animal, since there was no shepherd, since my shepherds didn't look for my sheep, and instead my shepherds fed themselves but not my sheep,"

9 therefore, shepherds, hear the word of ADONAI!

10 Adonai ELOHIM says, "I am against the shepherds. I demand that they hand my sheep back to me. I will not allow them to feed the sheep, and they won't feed themselves either. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will be food for them no longer."

11 "'For here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: "I am taking over! I will search for my sheep and look after them, myself.

12 Just as a shepherd looks after his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so I will look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark.

13 I will bring them back from those peoples, gather them from those countries and return them to their own land. Then I will let them feed on the mountains of Isra'el, by the streams and in all the livable places of the land.

14 I will have them feed in good pastures; their grazing ground will be on the high mountains of Isra'el. They will rest in good grazing grounds and feed in rich pastures on Isra'el's mountains.

15 Yes, I will pasture my sheep; and I will let them rest" says Adonai ELOHIM.

16 "I will seek the lost, bring back the outcasts, bandage the broken, and strengthen the sick. But the fat and the strong I will destroy - I will feed them with judgment."

17 "'As for you, my flock,' Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'I will judge between sheep and other sheep, between rams and billy-goats.

18 Wasn't it enough for you to feed on the best pasture and drink from the clearest water? Did you have to trample the rest of the pasture and foul the remaining water with your feet?

19 So now my sheep eat what you have trampled with your feet and drink water fouled by your feet.'

20 Therefore here is what Adonai ELOHIM says to them: 'I will judge between the fat sheep and the thin sheep.

21 Because you push them with your flanks and shoulders and butt all the weak ones with your horns, till you scatter them in every direction;

22 therefore I will save my flock; they will no longer be prey; and I will judge between sheep and other sheep.

23 "'I will raise up one shepherd to be in charge of them, and he will let them feed - my servant David. He will pasture them and be their shepherd.

24 I, ADONAI, will be their God; and my servant David will be prince among them. I, ADONAI, have spoken.

25 I will make a covenant of peace with them; I will rid the land of wild animals; and they will live securely in the desert and sleep in the forests.

26 I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing, and I will cause the rain to fall when it should - there will be showers of blessing.

27 The trees in the field will bear their fruit and the soil its produce, and they will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am ADONAI, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the power of those who turned them into slaves.

28 No longer will they be prey for the Goyim, nor will the wild animals devour them; but they will live securely, with no one to make them afraid.

29 I will make the productivity of their crops famous, and they will no longer be consumed by hunger in the land or bear the shame of the Goyim any more.

30 They will know that I, ADONAI their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Isra'el, are my people,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

31 'You, my sheep, the sheep in my pasture, are human beings; and I am your God,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

Isaiah 58

1 Shout out loud! Don't hold back! Raise your voice like a shofar! Proclaim to my people what rebels they are, to the house of Ya'akov their sins.

2 "Oh yes, they seek me day after day and [claim to] delight in knowing my ways. As if they were an upright nation that had not abandoned the rulings of their God, they ask me for just rulings and [claim] to take pleasure in closeness to God,

3 [asking,] 'Why should we fast, if you don't see? Why mortify ourselves, if you don't notice?' "Here is my answer: when you fast, you go about doing whatever you like, while keeping your laborers hard at work.

4 Your fasts lead to quarreling and fighting, to lashing out with violent blows. On a day like today, fasting like yours will not make your voice heard on high.

5 "Is this the sort of fast I want, a day when a person mortifies himself? Is the object to hang your head like a reed and spread sackcloth and ashes under yourself? Is this what you call a fast, a day that pleases ADONAI?

6 "Here is the sort of fast I want - releasing those unjustly bound, untying the thongs of the yoke, letting the oppressed go free, breaking every yoke,

7 sharing your food with the hungry, taking the homeless poor into your house, clothing the naked when you see them, fulfilling your duty to your kinsmen!"

8 Then your light will burst forth like the morning, your new skin will quickly grow over your wound; your righteousness will precede you, and ADONAI's glory will follow you.

9 Then you will call, and ADONAI will answer; you will cry, and he will say, "Here I am." If you will remove the yoke from among you, stop false accusation and slander,

10 generously offer food to the hungry and meet the needs of the person in trouble; then your light will rise in the darkness, and your gloom become like noon.

11 ADONAI will always guide you; he will satisfy your needs in the desert, he will renew the strength in your limbs; so that you will be like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails.

12 You will rebuild the ancient ruins, raise foundations from ages past, and be called "Repairer of broken walls, Restorer of streets to live in."

13 "If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, ADONAI's holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them.

14 If you do, you will find delight in ADONAI - I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya'akov, for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken."

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

December 23

Luke 1:57-80; Ezekiel 35-36; Isaiah 59 CJB

Luke 1:57-80

57 The time arrived for Elisheva to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son.

58 Her neighbors and relatives heard how good ADONAI had been to her, and they rejoiced with her.

59 On the eighth day, they came to do the child's b'rit-milah. They were about to name him Z'kharyah, after his father,

60 when his mother spoke up and said, "No, he is to be called Yochanan."

61 They said to her, "None of your relatives has that name,"

62 and they made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called.

63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone's surprise he wrote, "His name is Yochanan."

64 At that moment, his power of speech returned, and his first words were a b'rakhah to God.

65 All their neighbors were awestruck; and throughout the hill country of Y'hudah, people talked about all these things.

66 Everyone who heard of them said to himself, "What is this child going to be?" For clearly the hand of ADONAI was with him.

67 His father Z'kharyah was filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and spoke this prophecy:

68 "Praised be ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, because he has visited and made a ransom to liberate his people

69 by raising up for us a mighty Deliverer who is a descendant of his servant David.

70 It is just as he has spoken through the mouth of the prophets from the very beginning --

71 that we should be delivered from our enemies and from the power of all who hate us.

72 "This has happened so that he might show the mercy promised to our fathers -- that he would remember his holy covenant,

73 the oath he swore before Avraham avinu

74 to grant us that we, freed from our enemies, would serve him without fear,

75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

76 You, child, will be called a prophet of Ha`Elyon; you will go before the Lord to prepare his way

77 by spreading the knowledge among his people that deliverance comes by having sins forgiven

78 through our God's most tender mercy, which causes the Sunrise to visit us from Heaven,

79 to shine on those in darkness, living in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the paths of peace."

80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the wilderness until the time came for him to appear in public to Isra'el.

Ezekiel 35

1 The word of ADONAI came to me:

2 "Human being, turn your face against Mount Se'ir; prophesy against it,

3 and say that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'I am against you, Mount Se'ir. I will stretch out my hand against you and make you utterly desolate.

4 I will make your cities ruins and make you an utter waste, and you will know that I am ADONAI.

5 Because of your long-standing hatred, you put the people of Isra'el to the sword at their time of calamity, at the time of final iniquity.

6 Therefore, as I live,' Adonai ELOHIM swears, 'I will prepare you for blood. Blood will pursue you. You intensely hate your own blood [relatives]; therefore blood will pursue you.

7 Yes, I will make Mount Se'ir utterly desolate, cutting off from it anyone passing through or returning.

8 I will fill his mountains with his slain; in your hills and valleys and in all your ravines will fall those slain by the sword.

9 I will turn you into perpetual ruins; your cities will not return; and you will know that I am ADONAI.

10 "'Because you say, "These two nations, these two countries, will be mine; we will take possession of them," even though ADONAI is there;

11 therefore, as I live,' swears Adonai ELOHIM, 'I will deal with you as your anger and envy arising from your hatred deserve; and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.

12 You will know that I, ADONAI, have heard all your blasphemous talk against the mountains of Isra'el, such as, "They are desolated, they are given to us to devour."

13 Moreover, you have boasted against me with your mouths, speaking more and more against me - I have heard it.'

14 Here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'To the joy of all the land, I will desolate you.

15 Since you rejoiced over possessing the house of Isra'el, because it was desolate, that is what I will do to you - you will be desolate, Mount Se'ir and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am ADONAI.'

Ezekiel 36

1 "Now you, human being, prophesy to the mountains of Isra'el. Say: 'Mountains of Isra'el, hear the message from ADONAI.

2 Adonai ELOHIM says: "The enemy is boasting over you, 'Ha! Even the ancient high places are ours now!' " '

3 Therefore prophesy, and say that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'Because they desolated you and swallowed you up from every side, so that the other nations could take possession of you; and now people are gossiping about you and slandering you;

4 therefore, mountains of Isra'el, hear the message of Adonai ELOHIM - this is what Adonai ELOHIM says to the mountains and hills, the streams and valleys, the desolate wastes and the abandoned cities, now preyed on and derided by the other surrounding nations -

5 therefore this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: "In the heat of my jealousy I speak against the other nations and all of Edom, since, rejoicing with all their heart, they have arrogated my land to themselves as a possession and, with utter contempt, seized it as prey."'

6 "Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Isra'el, and say to the mountains, the hills, the streams and the valleys that Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'I speak in my jealousy and fury, because you have endured being shamed by the nations.

7 Therefore thus says Adonai ELOHIM: "I have raised my hand and sworn that the nations surrounding you will bear their shame.

8 But you, mountains of Isra'el, you will sprout your branches and bear your fruit for my people Isra'el, who will soon return.

9 I am here for you, and I will turn toward you; then you will be tilled and sown;

10 and I will multiply your population, all the house of Isra'el, all of it. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt.

11 I will multiply both the human and animal populations, they will increase and be productive; and I will cause you to be inhabited as you were before - indeed, I will do you more good than before; and you will know that I am ADONAI.

12 I will cause people to walk on you, my people Isra'el; they will possess you, and you will be their inheritance; never again will you make them childless."

13 Adonai ELOHIM says, "Because they say to you, 'Land, you devour people and make your nations childless,'

14 therefore you will no longer devour people, and you will not make your nations childless any more," says Adonai ELOHIM.

15 "I will not permit the nations to shame you, or the peoples to reproach you any longer; and you will no more cause your nations to stumble," says Adonai ELOHIM.'"

16 The word of ADONAI came to me:

17 "Human being, when the house of Isra'el lived in their own land, they defiled it by their manner of life and their actions; their way before me was like the uncleanness of niddah.

18 Therefore I poured out my fury on them, because of the blood they had shed in the land and because they defiled it with their idols.

19 I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them throughout the countries; I judged them in keeping with their manner of life and actions.

20 When they came to the nations they were going to, they profaned my holy name; so that people said of them, 'These are ADONAI's people, who have been exiled from his land.'

21 But I am concerned about my holy name, which the house of Isra'el is profaning among the nations where they have gone.

22 "Therefore tell the house of Isra'el that Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'I am not going to do this for your sake, house of Isra'el, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have been profaning among the nations where you went.

23 I will set apart my great name to be regarded as holy, since it has been profaned in the nations - you profaned it among them. The nations will know that I am ADONAI,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'when, before their eyes, I am set apart through you to be regarded as holy.

24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you from all the countries, and return you to your own soil.

25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your idols.

26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit inside you; I will take the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

27 I will put my Spirit inside you and cause you to live by my laws, respect my rulings and obey them.

28 You will live in the land I gave to your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God.

29 I will save you from all your uncleanliness. I will summon the grain and increase it, and not send famine against you.

30 I will multiply the yield of fruit from the trees and increase production in the fields, so that you never again suffer the reproach of famine among the nations.

31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your actions that were not good; as you look at yourselves, you will loathe yourselves for your guilt and disgusting practices.

32 Understand,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'that I am not doing this for your sake. Instead, be ashamed and dismayed for your ways, house of Isra'el.'

33 "Adonai ELOHIM says, 'When the day comes for me to cleanse you from all your guilt, I will cause the cities to be inhabited and the ruins to be rebuilt.

34 The land that was desolate will be tilled, whereas formerly it lay desolate for all passing by to see.

35 Then they will say, "The land that used to be desolate has become like Gan-'Eden, and the cities formerly ruined, abandoned and wasted have been fortified and are inhabited!"

36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I, ADONAI, have rebuilt the ruins and replanted what was abandoned. I, ADONAI, have spoken; and I will do it.'

37 "Adonai ELOHIM says, 'In addition, I will let the house of Isra'el pray to me to do this for them: to increase their numbers like sheep -

38 like flocks of sheep for sacrifices, like the flocks of sheep in Yerushalayim at its designated times, in this degree will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am ADONAI.'"

Isaiah 59

1 ADONAI's arm is not too short to save, nor is his ear too dull to hear.

2 Rather, it is your own crimes that separate you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he doesn't hear.

3 For your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with crime; your lips speak lies, your tongues utter wicked things.

4 No one sues with just cause, no one pleads honestly in court, they trust in empty words and say worthless things; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

5 They hatch viper eggs and spin spiderwebs; whoever eats their eggs dies, and the crushed egg hatches a snake.

6 Their webs are useless as clothing, their deeds are useless for wearing; their deeds are deeds of wickedness, their hands produce violence.

7 Their feet run to evil, they rush to shed innocent blood, their thoughts are thoughts of wickedness, their paths lead to havoc and ruin.

8 The way of shalom they do not know, their goings-about obey no law, they make devious paths for themselves; no one treading them will ever know shalom.

9 This is why justice is far from us, and righteousness doesn't catch up with us; we look for light, but see only darkness, for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

10 We grope for the wall like the blind; like people without eyes we feel our way; we stumble at noonday as if it were dusk, we are in dark places like the dead.

11 We growl, all of us, like bears and moan pitifully like doves; we look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us.

12 For our crimes multiply before you, our sins testify against us; for our crimes are present with us; and our sins, we know them well:

13 rebelling and denying ADONAI, turning away from following our God, talking about oppression and revolt, uttering lies which our hearts have conceived.

14 Thus justice is repelled, righteousness stands apart, at a distance; for truth stumbles in the public court, and uprightness cannot enter.

15 Honesty is lacking, he who leaves evil becomes a target. ADONAI saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

16 He saw that there was no one, was amazed that no one interceded. Therefore his own arm brought him salvation, and his own righteousness sustained him.

17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, salvation as a helmet on his head; he clothed himself with garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in a mantle of zeal.

18 He repays according to their deeds - fury to his foes, reprisal to his enemies; to the coastlands he will repay their due;

19 in the west they will fear the name of ADONAI, and likewise, in the east, his glory. For he will come like a pent-up stream, impelled by the Spirit of ADONAI.

20 "Then a Redeemer will come to Tziyon, to those in Ya'akov who turn from rebellion." So says ADONAI.

21 "And as for me," says ADONAI, "this is my covenant with them: my Spirit, who rests on you, and my words which I put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth or from the mouth of your children, or from the mouth of your children's children, now or ever," says ADONAI.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

December 24

Luke 2:1-20; Ezekiel 37; Isaiah 60 CJB

Luke 2:1-20

1 Around this time, Emperor Augustus issued an order for a census to be taken throughout the Empire.

2 This registration, the first of its kind, took place when Quirinius was governing in Syria.

3 Everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

4 So Yosef, because he was a descendant of David, went up from the town of Natzeret in the Galil to the town of David, called Beit-Lechem, in Y'hudah,

5 to be registered, with Miryam, to whom he was engaged, and who was pregnant.

6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth;

7 and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in cloth and laid him down in a feeding trough, because there was no space for them in the living-quarters.

8 In the countryside nearby were some shepherds spending the night in the fields, guarding their flocks,

9 when an angel of ADONAI appeared to them, and the Sh'khinah of ADONAI shone around them. They were terrified;

10 but the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, because I am here announcing to you Good News that will bring great joy to all the people.

11 This very day, in the town of David, there was born for you a Deliverer who is the Messiah, the Lord.

12 Here is how you will know: you will find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a feeding trough."

13 Suddenly, along with the angel was a vast army from heaven praising God:

14 "In the highest heaven, glory to God! And on earth, peace among people of good will!"

15 No sooner had the angels left them and gone back into heaven than the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go over to Beit-Lechem and see this thing that has happened, that ADONAI has told us about."

16 Hurrying off, they came and found Miryam and Yosef, and the baby lying in the feeding trough.

17 Upon seeing this, they made known what they had been told about this child;

18 and al who heard were amazed by what the shepherds said to them.

19 Miryam treasured all these things and kept mulling them over in her heart.

20 Meanwhile, the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen; it had been just as they had been told.

Ezekiel 37

1 With the hand of ADONAI upon me, ADONAI carried me out by his Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones.

2 He had me pass by all around them - there were so many bones lying in the valley, and they were so dry!

3 He asked me, "Human being, can these bones live?" I answered, "Adonai ELOHIM! Only you know that!"

4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones! Say to them, 'Dry bones! Hear what ADONAI has to say!

5 To these bones Adonai ELOHIM says, "I will make breath enter you, and you will live.

6 I will attach ligaments to you, make flesh grow on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you. You will live, and you will know that I am ADONAI."'"

7 So I prophesied as ordered; and while I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound; it was the bones coming together, each bone in its proper place.

8 As I watched, ligaments grew on them, flesh appeared and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.

9 Next he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, human being! Say to the breath that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'Come from the four winds, breath; and breathe on these slain, so that they can live.'"

10 So I prophesied as ordered, and the breath came into them, and they were alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army!

11 Then he said to me, "Human being! These bones are the whole house of Isra'el; and they are saying, 'Our bones have dried up, our hope is gone, and we are completely cut off.'

12 Therefore prophesy; say to them that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'My people! I will open your graves and make you get up out of your graves, and I will bring you into the land of Isra'el.

13 Then you will know that I am ADONAI - when I have opened your graves and made you get up out of your graves, my people!

14 I will put my Spirit in you; and you will be alive. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, ADONAI, have spoken, and that I have done it,' says ADONAI."

15 The word of ADONAI came to me:

16 "You, human being, take one stick and write on it, 'For Y'hudah and those joined with him [among] the people of Isra'el.' Next, take another stick and write on it, 'For Yosef, the stick of Efrayim, and all the house of Isra'el who are joined with him.'

17 Finally, bring them together into a single stick, so that they become one in your hand.

18 When your people ask you what all this means,

19 tell them that Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'I will take the stick of Yosef, which is in the hand of Efrayim, together with the tribes of Isra'el who are joined with him, and put them together with the stick of Y'hudah and make them a single stick, so that they become one in my hand.'

20 The sticks on which you write are to be in your hand as they watch.

21 Then say to them that Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I will take the people of Isra'el from among the nations where they have gone and gather them from every side and bring them back to their own land.

22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Isra'el; and one king will be king for all of them. They will no longer be two nations, and they will never again be divided into two kingdoms.

23 "'They will never again defile themselves with their idols, their detestable things, or any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all the places where they have been living and sinning; and I will cleanse them, so that they will be my people, and I will be their God.

24 My servant David will be king over them, and all of them will have one shepherd; they will live by my rulings and keep and observe my regulations.

25 They will live in the land I gave to Ya'akov my servant, where your ancestors lived; they will live there - they, their children, and their grandchildren, forever; and David my servant will be their leader forever.

26 I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give to them, increase their numbers, and set my sanctuary among them forever.

27 My home will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.

28 The nations will know that I am ADONAI, who sets Isra'el apart as holy, when my sanctuary is with them forever.'"

Isaiah 60

1 "Arise, shine [Yerushalayim], for your light has come, the glory of ADONAI has risen over you.

2 For although darkness covers the earth and thick darkness the peoples; on you ADONAI will rise; over you will be seen his glory.

3 Nations will go toward your light and kings toward your shining splendor.

4 Raise your eyes and look around: they are all assembling and coming to you; your sons are coming from far off, your daughters being carried on their nurses' hips.

5 Then you will see and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with delight; for the riches of the seas will be brought to you, the wealth of nations will come to you.

6 Caravans of camels will cover your land, young camels from Midyan and 'Eifah, all of them coming from Sh'va, bringing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of ADONAI.

7 All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered for you, the rams of N'vayot will be at your service; they will come up and be received on my altar, as I glorify my glorious house.

8 "Who are these, flying along like clouds, like doves to their dovecotes?

9 The coastlands are putting their hope in me, with the 'Tarshish' ships in the lead, to bring your children from far away, and with them their silver and gold, for the sake of ADONAI your God, the Holy One of Isra'el, who glorifies you.

10 Foreigners will rebuild your walls, their kings will be at your service; for in my anger I struck you, but in my mercy I pity you.

11 Your gates will always be open, they will not be shut by day or by night, so that people can bring you the wealth of nations, with their kings led in procession.

12 For the nation or kingdom that won't serve you will perish; yes, those nations will be utterly destroyed.

13 "The glory of the L'vanon will come to you, cypresses together with elm trees and larches, to beautify the site of my sanctuary - I will glorify the place where I stand.

14 The children of your oppressors will come and bow low before you, all who despised you will fall at your feet, calling you the city of ADONAI, Tziyon of the Holy One of Isra'el.

15 "In the past you were abandoned and hated, so that no one would even pass through you; but now I will make you the pride of the ages, a joy for many generations.

16 You will drink the milk of nations, you will nurse at royal breasts and know that I, ADONAI, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Ya'akov.

17 "For bronze I will bring you gold, for iron I will bring you silver, bronze in place of wood, and iron in place of stones. I will make shalom your governor and righteousness your taskmaster.

18 Violence will no longer be heard in your land, desolation or destruction within your borders; instead, you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.

19 "No more will the sun be your light by day, nor will moonlight shine on you; instead ADONAI will be your light forever and your God your glory.

20 No longer will your sun go down; your moon will no longer wane; for ADONAI will be your light forever; your days of mourning will end.

21 All your people will be tzaddikim; they will inherit the land forever; they will be the branch I planted, my handiwork, in which I take pride.

22 The smallest will grow to a thousand, the weakest will become a mighty nation. I, ADONAI, when the right time comes, will quickly bring it about."

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

December 25

Luke 2:21-52; Ezekiel 38-39; Isaiah 61 CJB

Luke 2:21-52

21 On the eighth day, when it was time for his b'rit-milah, he was given the name Yeshua, which is what the angel had called him before his conception.

22 When the time came for their purification according to the Torah of Moshe, they took him up to Yerushalayim to present him to ADONAI

23 (as it is written in the Torah of ADONAI, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to ADONAI")

24 and also to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons,h as required by the Torah of ADONAI.

25 There was in Yerushalayim a man named Shim`on. This man was a tzaddik, he was devout, he waited eagerly for God to comfort Isra'el, and the Ruach HaKodesh was upon him.

26 It had been revealed to him by the Ruach HaKodesh that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah of ADONAI.

27 Prompted by the Spirit, he went into the Temple courts; and when the parents brought in the child Yeshua to do for him what the Torah required,

28 Shim`on took him in his arms, made a b'rakhah to God, and said,

29 "Now, ADONAI, according to your word, your servant is at peace as you let him go;

30 for I have seen with my own eyes your yeshu`ah,

31 which you prepared in the presence of all peoples --

32 a light that will bring revelation to the Goyim and glory to your people Isra'el."

33 Yeshua's father and mother were marvelling at the things Shim`on was saying about him.

34 Shim`on blessed them and said to the child's mother, Miryam, "This child will cause many in Isra'el to fall and to rise, he will become a sign whom people will speak against;

35 moreover, a sword will pierce your own heart too. All this will happen in order to reveal many people's inmost thoughts."

36 There was also a prophet named Hannah Bat-P'nu'el, of the tribe of Asher. She was a very old woman -- she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage

37 and had remained a widow ever since; now she was eighty-four. She never left the Temple grounds but worshipped there night and day, fasting and praying.

38 She came by at that moment and began thanking God and speaking about the child to everyone who was waiting for Yerushalayim to be liberated.

39 When Yosef and Miryam had finished doing everything required by the Torah of ADONAI, they returned to the Galil, to their town Natzeret.

40 The child grew and became strong and filled with wisdom -- God's favor was upon him.

41 Every year Yeshua's parents went to Yerushalayim for the festival of Pesach.

42 When he was twelve years old, they went up for the festival, as custom required.

43 But after the festival was over, when his parents returned, Yeshua remained in Yerushalayim. They didn't realize this;

44 supposing that he was somewhere in the caravan, they spent a whole day on the road before they began searching for him among their relatives and friends.

45 Failing to find him, they returned to Yerushalayim to look for him.

46 On the third day they found him -- he was sitting in the Temple court among the rabbis, not only listening to them but questioning what they said;

47 and everyone who heard him was astonished at his insight and his responses.

48 When his parents saw him, they were shocked; and his mother said to him, "Son! Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried looking for you!"

49 He said to them, "Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I had to be concerning myself with my Father's affairs?"

50 But they didn't understand what he meant.

51 So he went with them to Natzeret and was obedient to them. But his mother stored up all these things in her heart.

52 And Yeshua grew both in wisdom and in stature, gaining favor both with other people and with God.

Ezekiel 38

1 The word of ADONAI came to me:

2 "Human being, turn your face toward Gog (of the land of Magog), chief prince of Meshekh and Tuval; and prophesy against him.

3 Say that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshekh and Tuval.

4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with all your army, horses and horsemen, all completely equipped, a great horde with breastplates and shields, all wielding swords.

5 Paras, Ethiopia and Put are with them, all with breastplates and helmets;

6 Gomer with all its troops; the house of Togarmah in the far reaches of the north, with all its troops - many peoples are with you.

7 Prepare yourself, get ready, you and all your crowd gathered around you; and take charge of them.

8 After many days have passed, you will be mustered for service; in later years you will invade the land which has been brought back from the sword, gathered out of many peoples, the mountains of Isra'el. They had been lying in ruins for a long time, but now Isra'el has been extracted from the peoples and all of them are living there securely.

9 You will come up like a storm, you will be like a cloud covering the land - you and all your troops, and many other peoples with you.'

10 "Adonai ELOHIM says: 'When that day comes, thoughts will well up in your mind, and you will devise a sinister scheme.

11 You will say, "I am going to invade this land of unwalled villages; I will take by surprise these people who are at peace, living securely, all in places without walls, bars or gates.

12 I will seize the spoil and take the plunder." You will attack the former ruins that are now inhabited and come against the people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and other wealth and are living in the central parts of the land.

13 Sh'va, D'dan and all the leading merchants of Tarshish will ask you, "Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hordes to loot; to carry off silver, gold, livestock and other wealth; to take much plunder?"'

14 "Therefore, human being, prophesy! Tell Gog that Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'Won't you be aware of it when my people Isra'el are living in security?

15 You will choose just that time to come from your place in the far reaches of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them on horseback, a huge horde, a mighty army;

16 and you will invade my people Isra'el like a cloud covering the land. This will be in the acharit-hayamim; and I will bring you against my land, so that the Goyim will know me when, before their eyes, I am set apart as holy through you, Gog.'

17 "Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I spoke of you long ago through my servants the prophets of Isra'el. Back then, they prophesied for many years that I would have you invade them.

18 When that day comes, when Gog invades the land of Isra'el,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'my furious anger will boil up.

19 In my jealousy, in my heated fury I speak: when that day comes there will be a great earthquake in the land of Isra'el;

20 so that the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the wild beasts, all the reptiles creeping on the ground and every human being there in the land will tremble before me. Mountains will fall, cliffs crumble and every wall crash to the ground.

21 I will summon a sword against him throughout all my mountains,' says Adonai ELOHIM; 'every man will wield his sword against his brother.

22 I will judge him with plague and with blood. I will cause torrential rain to fall on him, his troops and the many peoples with him, along with huge hailstones, fire and sulfur.

23 I will show my greatness and holiness, making myself known in the sight of many nations; then they will know that I am ADONAI.'

Ezekiel 39

1 "So you, human being, prophesy against Gog; say that Adonai ELOHIM says: 'I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshekh and Tuval.

2 I will turn you around, lead you on and bring you from the far reaches of the north against the mountains of Isra'el.

3 But then I will knock your bow out of your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand.

4 You will fall on the mountains of Isra'el, you, your troops and all the peoples with you; I will give you to be eaten up by all kinds of birds of prey and by wild animals.

5 You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

6 "'I will also send fire against Magog and against those living securely in the coastlands; then they will know that I am ADONAI.

7 I will make my holy name known among my people Isra'el; I will not allow my holy name to be profaned any longer. Then the Goyim will know that I am ADONAI, the Holy One in Isra'el.

8 Yes, this is coming, and it will be done,' says Adonai ELOHIM; 'this is the day about which I have spoken.

9 "'Those living in Isra'el's cities will go out and set fire to the weapons, to use as fuel - the shields, breastplates, bows, arrows, clubs and spears; they will use them for fire seven years;

10 so that they will not need to gather wood from the fields or cut down any from the forests; because they will use the weapons for fire. Thus they will plunder those who plundered them and rob those who robbed them,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

11 "'When that day comes, I will give Gog a place there in Isra'el for graves, the Travelers' Valley, east of the sea; and it will block the travelers' passage. There they will bury Gog and all his horde, and they will rename it the Valley of Hamon-Gog [horde of Gog].

12 It will take the house of Isra'el seven months to bury them, in order to cleanse the land.

13 Yes, all the people of the land will be burying them; they will become famous for it. It will be a day for me to be glorified,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

14 'They will then pick men for the continual duty of going through the land and burying with the travelers the corpses still lying out on the ground, in order to cleanse it; they will begin their search after the seven months.

15 As they go through the land, if anyone sees a human bone, he will put a marker next to it until the gravediggers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon-Gog.

16 Moreover, "Hamonah" [its horde] will be the name of a city. Thus will they cleanse the land.'

17 "As for you, human, Adonai ELOHIM says that you are to speak to all kinds of birds and to every wild animal as follows: 'Assemble yourselves and come, gather yourselves from all around for the sacrifice I am preparing for you, a great sacrifice on the mountains of Isra'el, where you can eat flesh and drink blood!

18 You will eat the flesh of heroes and drink the blood of the earth's princes - rams, lambs, goats and bulls, fattened in Bashan, all of them.

19 You will eat fat till you are gorged and drink blood till you are drunk at the sacrifice I have prepared for you.

20 At my table you will be satiated with horses, horsemen, heroes and every kind of warrior,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

21 "'Thus will I display my glory among the nations, so that all the nations will see my judgment when I execute it and my hand when I lay it on them.

22 From that day on, the house of Isra'el will know that I am ADONAI their God;

23 while the Goyim will know that the house of Isra'el went into exile because of their guilt, because they broke faith with me; so that I hid my face from them and handed them over to their adversaries; and they fell by the sword, all of them.

24 Yes, I treated them as their uncleanness and crimes deserved; and I hid my face from them.'

25 "Therefore Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'Now I will restore the fortunes of Ya'akov and have compassion on the entire house of Isra'el, and I will be jealous for my holy name.

26 They will bear their shame and all their [guilt from] breaking faith with me, once they are living securely in their land, with no one to make them afraid.

27 This will be after I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, thereby being consecrated through them in the sight of many nations.

28 Then they will know that I am ADONAI their God, since it was I who caused them to go into exile among the nations, and it was I who regathered them to their own land. I will leave none of them there any more,

29 and I will no longer hide my face from them, for I have poured out my Spirit on the house of Isra'el,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

Isaiah 61

1 The Spirit of Adonai ELOHIM is upon me, because ADONAI has anointed me to announce good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted; to proclaim freedom to the captives, to let out into light those bound in the dark;

2 to proclaim the year of the favor of ADONAI and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn,

3 yes, provide for those in Tziyon who mourn, giving them garlands instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a cloak of praise instead of a heavy spirit, so that they will be called oaks of righteousness planted by ADONAI, in which he takes pride.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins, restore sites long destroyed; they will renew the ruined cities, destroyed many generations ago.

5 Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, foreigners plow your land and tend your vines;

6 but you will be called cohanim of ADONAI, spoken of as ministers to our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and revel in their riches.

7 Because of your shame, which was doubled, and because they cried, "They deserve disgrace," therefore in their land what they own will be doubled, and joy forever will be theirs.

8 "For I, ADONAI, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offerings. So I will be faithful to reward them and make an eternal covenant with them."

9 Their descendants will be known among the nations, their offspring among the peoples; all who see them will acknowledge that they are the seed ADONAI has blessed.

10 I am so joyful in ADONAI! My soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in salvation, dressed me with a robe of triumph, like a bridegroom wearing a festive turban, like a bride adorned with her jewels.

11 For just as the earth brings forth its plants, or a garden makes its plants spring up, so ADONAI, God, will cause victory and glory to spring up before all nations.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

December 26

Luke 3:1-20; Ezekiel 40-41; Isaiah 62 CJB

Luke 3:1-20

1 In the fifteenth year of Emperor Tiberius' rule; when Pontius Pilate was governor of Y'hudah, Herod ruler of the Galil, his brother Philip ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene,

2 with `Anan and Kayafa being the cohanim g'dolim; the word of God came to Yochanan Ben-Z'kharyah in the desert.

3 He went all through the Yarden region proclaiming an immersion involving turning to God from sin in order to be forgiven.

4 It was just as had been written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Yesha`yahu, "The voice of someone crying out: `In the desert prepare the way for ADONAI! Make straight paths for him!

5 Every valley must be filled in, every mountain and hill leveled off; the winding roads must be straightened and the rough ways made smooth.

6 Then all humanity will see God's deliverance.'"

7 Therefore, Yochanan said to the crowds who came out to be immersed by him, "You snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming punishment?

8 If you have really turned from your sins, produce fruit that will prove it! And don't start saying to yourselves, `Avraham is our father'! For I tell you that God can raise up for Avraham sons from these stones!

9 Already the axe is at the root of the trees, ready to strike; every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown in the fire!"

10 The crowds asked Yochanan, "So then, what should we do?"

11 He answered, "Whoever has two coats should share with somebody who has none, and whoever has food should do the same."

12 Tax-collectors also came to be immersed; and they asked him, "Rabbi, what should we do?"

13 "Collect no more than the government assesses," he told them.

14 Some soldiers asked him, "What about us? What should we do?" To them he said, "Don't intimidate anyone, don't accuse people falsely, and be satisfied with your pay."

15 The people were in a state of great expectancy, and everyone was wondering whether perhaps Yochanan himself might be the Messiah;

16 so Yochanan answered them all, "I am immersing you in water, but he who is coming is more powerful than I -- I'm not worthy to untie his sandals! He will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire.

17 He has with him his winnowing fork to clear out his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the straw with unquenchable fire!"

18 And with many other warnings besides these he announced the Good News to the people.

19 But Yochanan also denounced Herod the regional governor for taking as his own wife Herodias, the wife of his brother, and for all the other wicked things Herod had done;

20 whereupon Herod added this to the rest: he locked up Yochanan in prison.

Ezekiel 40

1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month - this was the fourteenth year after the city [of Yerushalayim] was struck - it was on that very day that the hand of ADONAI was on me, and he took me there.

2 In visions God brought me into the land of Isra'el and put me down on a very high mountain; on it, toward the south, it seemed that a city was being built.

3 That is where he took me, and there in front of me was a man whose appearance was like bronze. He had a flax cord and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway.

4 The man said to me, "Human being, look with your eyes, hear with your ears, and pay attention to all the things I am showing you; because the reason you were brought here is so that I could show them to you. Tell everything you see to the house of Isra'el."

5 There was a wall surrounding the house. The man had in his hand a measuring rod six cubits long [ten-and-a-half feet], each cubit [twenty-one inches] being a normal cubit [eighteen inches] plus a handbreadth [three inches]. He measured the wall's width at ten-and-a-half feet and its height ten-and-a-half feet.

6 He went to the east gate, climbed its steps and measured one of the gate's doorposts at ten-and-a-half feet wide and the other one the same.

7 There were guardrooms, each ten-and-a-half feet square; the distance between the guardrooms was eight-and-three-quarters feet. The threshold of the gate adjoining the gate's entranceway facing the house measured ten-and-a-half feet.

8 He measured the gate's entranceway facing the house at ten-and-a-half feet.

9 Then he measured the gate's entranceway itself, fourteen feet, and its supports, three-and-a-half feet; the gate's entranceway was on the side facing the house.

10 There were three guardrooms on each side of the east gate, all the same size; and on each side the supports [between the guardrooms] were also all the same size.

11 He measured the width of the opening to the gateway at seventeen-and-a-half feet and the width of the passage through the gateway at twenty-two-and-three-quarters feet.

12 There was a partition in front of the guardrooms [on one side] twenty-one inches [wide] and a partition on the other side twenty-one inches [wide], with the guardrooms themselves being ten-and-a-half feet square.

13 He measured [inside] the gate from the back wall of one guardroom to the back wall of the other a distance of forty-three-and-three-quarters feet, the openings [to the guardrooms] being opposite each other.

14 He made the posts 105 feet, likewise the posts of the other gates around the courtyard.

15 The distance along the passage from the outer opening of the gateway to the far side of the entranceway at the inner end of the gateway was eighty-seven-and-a-half feet.

16 There were narrow windows to the guardrooms and to their supports facing inward all along the gate; also the vestibules had windows all around facing inward. On each side support were [carvings of] palm trees.

17 Then he brought me into the outer courtyard. There I saw rooms and paved mosaic flooring made for the courtyard all around its perimeter, and thirty rooms facing the flooring.

18 The flooring was alongside the gates and corresponded to the length of the gates [from outside to inside], this lower flooring.

19 He measured at 175 feet the distance from inside this lower gate that faced east to the outside of the inner courtyard, and he did the same for the gate that faced north.

20 Next he measured the length and width of the outer courtyard gate that faced north.

21 It had three guardrooms on each side, and its supports and vestibule were the same size as those at the first gate; its length was eighty-seven-and-a-half feet and its width forty-three-and-three-quarters feet.

22 Its windows, vestibule and palm trees were the same size as those at the east gate. Seven steps led up to it [from the outside], while its vestibule was toward the inside.

23 There were gates to the inner courtyard across from the gates to the north and east; he measured 175 feet from each outer gate to its corresponding inner gate.

24 He led me toward the south, and there I saw a gate that faced south. He measured its supports and vestibule; they were the same size as the others.

25 There were windows in it and all around its vestibule like the other windows; the length was eighty-seven-and-a-half feet and the width forty-three-and-three-quarters feet.

26 Seven steps led up to it [from the outside], while its vestibule was toward the inside. It had palm trees, one on each side, on its supports.

27 The inner courtyard had a gate on the south; he measured from gate to gate toward the south 175 feet.

28 He brought me to the inner courtyard through its south gate. He measured this south gate as being the same size;

29 its guardrooms, supports and vestibule were the same size; it had windows and a vestibule surrounding it; it was eighty-seven-and-a-half feet long and forty-three-and-three-quarters feet wide.

30 There was a vestibule around it forty-three-and-three-quarters feet long and eight-and-three-quarters feet wide;

31 this vestibule faced the outer courtyard, palm trees were on its supports, and it had eight steps leading up to it.

32 He brought me into the inner courtyard, went toward the east and measured that gate as being the same size;

33 its guardrooms, supports and vestibule were the same size; it had windows and a vestibule surrounding it; it was eighty-seven-and-a-half feet long and forty-three-and-three-quarters feet wide.

34 Its vestibule faced the outer courtyard, palm trees were on its supports, both on the one side and on the other; and it had eight steps leading up to it.

35 He brought me over to the north gate and measured it as being the same size;

36 it had guardrooms, supports and a vestibule with windows all around; the length was eighty-seven-and-a-half feet and the width forty-three-and-three-quarters feet.

37 Its supports faced the outer courtyard; palm trees were on its supports, both on the one side and on the other; and it had eight steps leading up to it.

38 There was a room with its entry by the supports at the gates where the burnt offerings were washed.

39 In the entranceway to the gate were two tables on the one side and two on the other, on which to slaughter the burnt offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings.

40 On the outside, as one goes up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side of the entranceway to the gate were two tables.

41 So there were four tables on the one side and four on the other side, by the gate - eight tables on which to slaughter sacrifices.

42 There were four tables of cut stone for the burnt offering, thirty-one-and-a-half inches square and twenty-one inches high, on which to lay the instruments for slaughtering the burnt offerings and other sacrifices.

43 Hooks a handbreadth long were fastened all around the inside of the room; the flesh of the offerings was to be placed on the tables.

44 Outside the inner gate, in the inner courtyard, were rooms for the singers, one facing south alongside the north gate, and one facing north alongside the east gate.

45 He said to me, "This room facing south is for the cohanim in charge of the house;

46 while the room facing north is for the cohanim in charge of the altar; these are the descendants of Tzadok, who are the descendants of Levi designated to approach ADONAI and serve him."

47 Then he measured the courtyard at 175 feet long and 175 feet wide - it was square. The altar was in front of the house.

48 He brought me to the vestibule of the house and measured at eight-and-three-quarters feet the thickness of the walls on either side of its entrance. On each side, these walls extended five-and-a-quarter feet from the side-walls of the vestibule.

49 The length of the vestibule was thirty-five feet and the width nineteen-and-a-quarter feet; steps led up to it. There were columns on each side of the entrance.

Ezekiel 41

1 He brought me to the sanctuary and measured at ten-and-a-half feet the thickness of the walls on either side of its entrance, which was [also] the thickness of [the walls surrounding] the "tent" [that is, the sanctuary together with the Especially Holy Place].

2 The width of the entrance was seventeen-and-a-half feet. The sides of the entrance were eight-and-three-quarters feet on the one side and the same on the other. He measured its length at seventy feet and its width at thirty-five feet.

3 Next, he went farther in [to the entranceway leading to the Especially Holy Place] and measured at three-and-a-half feet [the thickness of] each entrance support. He measured at ten-and-a-half feet the total thickness of the walls on either side of the entrance; and he measured at twelve-and-a-quarter feet the width of the entrance.

4 [Continuing into the inner room,] he said to me, "This is the Especially Holy Place." He measured its length at thirty-five feet and its width at thirty-five feet along the wall nearest the sanctuary.

5 [On his way out,] he measured the thickness of the wall of the house at ten-and-a-half feet [at ground level], and the width of all the side-rooms surrounding the house, seven feet [at ground level].

6 There were three floors of side-rooms, thirty on each floor; and the wall around the house was terraced, so that the side-rooms rested on the terraces and were not supported on [the vertical parts of] the wall.

7 The higher side-rooms surrounding the house were wider than the lower ones, as were the passageways next to the side-rooms on each floor; thus the width of the side-rooms plus that of the passageways increased as one went up from floor to floor. The ascent from the lowest floor to the highest was [by a ramp] through the middle floor.

8 I saw that the house had a raised pavement all around it which extended outward a full rod of ten-and-a-half feet from where the foundations of the side-rooms joined it.

9 The outer wall of the side-rooms was eight-and-three-quarters feet thick [at ground level], likewise the empty space left [between] the structure containing the side-rooms [and the house itself also measured eight-and-three quarters feet wide].

10 On all sides around the house itself was a space thirty-five feet wide between it and the [block of] rooms [for the cohanim].

11 The doors of the side-rooms opened toward an empty space, one door facing north and the other facing south; the empty space was eight-and-three-quarters feet [wide] all around.

12 The building on the west facing the separated yard had a[n interior] width of 1221/2 feet, a[n interior] length of 1571/2 feet and exterior walls eight-and-three-quarters feet thick all the way around.

13 He measured the length of the house at 175 feet; then a distance that included [the width of] the separated yard, [the interior width of] the building and [the thickness of] its [front and back exterior] walls, at 175 feet.

14 The distance along the facade of the house on the east through the separated yard[s to the north and south] was 175 feet.

15 He measured the length of the building facing the separated yard behind [the house], together with its galleries on both sides, at 175 feet. The sanctuary, the inner place and the vestibules [leading from the house] to the courtyard,

16 as well as the thresholds, narrow windows and galleries around these three, had wood panelling around them as far as the thresholds and from the ground up to the windows; and the windows were covered.

17 From the area above the entrance to the interior of the house, as well as outside, and on the entire wall all the way around, both inside and outside, was a pattern

18 consisting of k'ruvim and palm trees, with a palm tree between every two k'ruvim. Every keruv had two faces;

19 so that there was the face of a man toward the palm tree on its one side and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on its other side - this was the pattern all the way around the house.

20 The k'ruvim and palm trees ran from the ground to above the door, and likewise on the wall of the sanctuary.

21 As for the sanctuary, the door-frames were squared, and the appearance of the [Especially] Holy Place was like the appearance [I saw at the K'var River].

22 The altar was of wood, five-and-a-quarter feet high and three-and-a-half feet long; its length and walls were also of wood. He said to me, "This is the table which is in the presence of ADONAI."

23 The sanctuary had two doors, and the [Especially] Holy Place

24 had two doors. The doors had two swinging leaves each - two leaves for the one door and two for the other.

25 On them, that is, on the doors of the sanctuary, were carved k'ruvim and palm trees like those on the walls; and on the exterior facade of the outside entrance were thick beams of wood.

26 There were narrow windows flanked by palm trees on both sides of the entrance; the side-rooms of the house and the thick beams also [had palm trees].

Isaiah 62

1 For Tziyon's sake I will not be silent, for Yerushalayim's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out brightly and her salvation like a blazing torch.

2 The nations will see your vindication and all kings your glory. Then you will be called by a new name which ADONAI himself will pronounce.

3 You will be a glorious crown in the hand of ADONAI, a royal diadem held by your God.

4 You will no longer be spoken of as 'Azuvah [Abandoned] or your land be spoken of as 'Sh'mamah [Desolate]; rather, you will be called Heftzi-Vah [My-Delight-Is-In-Her] and your land Be'ulah [Married]. For ADONAI delights in you, and your land will be married

5 as a young man marries a young woman, your sons will marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over the bride, your God will rejoice over you.

6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, Yerushalayim; they will never fall silent, neither by day nor by night. You who call on ADONAI, give yourselves no rest;

7 and give him no rest till he restores Yerushalayim and makes it a praise on earth.

8 ADONAI has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: "Never again will I give your grain to your enemies as food; nor will strangers drink your wine, for which you worked so hard;

9 but those who harvest the grain will eat it with praises to ADONAI; those who gathered the wine will drink it in the courtyards of my sanctuary."

10 Go on through, go on through the gates, clear the way for the people! Build up a highway, build it up! Clear away the stones! Raise a banner for the peoples!

11 ADONAI has proclaimed to the end of the earth, "Say to the daughter of Tziyon, 'Here, your Salvation is coming! Here, his reward is with him, and his recompense is before him.'"

12 They will call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of ADONAI. You will be called D'rushah [Sought-After], 'Ir Lo Ne'ezvah [City-No-Longer-Abandoned].

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

December 27

Luke 3:21-38; Ezekiel 42-43; Isaiah 63 CJB

Luke 3:21-38

21 While all the people were being immersed, Yeshua too was immersed. As he was praying, heaven was opened;

22 the Ruach HaKodesh came down on him in physical form like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with you."

23 Yeshua was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry. It was supposed that he was a son of Yosef who was of Eli,

24 of Mattat, of Levi, of Malki, of Yannai, of Yosef,

25 of Mattityahu, of Amotz, of Nachum, of Hesli, of Naggai,

26 of Machat, of Mattityahu, of Shim`i, of Yosef, of Yodah,

27 of Yochanan, of Reisha, of Z'rubavel, of Sh'altiel, of Neri,

28 of Malki, of Addi, of Kosam, of Elmadan, of Er,

29 of Yeshua, of Eli`ezer, of Yoram, of Mattat, of Levi,

30 of Shim`on, of Y'hudah, of Yosef, of Yonam, of Elyakim,

31 of Mal'ah, of Manah, of Mattatah, of Natan, of David,

32 of Yishai, of `Oved, of Bo`az, of Salmon, of Nachshon,

33 of Amminadav, of Admin, of Arni, of Hetzron, of Peretz, of Y'hudah,

34 of Ya`akov, of Yitz'chak, of Avraham, of Terach, of Nachor,

35 of S'rug, of Re`u, of Peleg, of `Ever, of Shelah,

36 of Keinan, of Arpakhshad, of Shem, of Noach, of Lemekh,

37 of Metushelach, of Hanokh, of Yered, of Mahalal'el, of Keinan,

38 of Enosh, of Shet, of Adam, of God.

Ezekiel 42

1 Then he led me into the outer courtyard - the route went north - and brought me to the [block of] rooms opposite the separated yard and opposite the building to the north.

2 The length of the front was 175 feet on the north side, where the door was; the width was eighty-seven-and-a-half feet.

3 It was located between the inner courtyard, which was thirty-five feet wide, and the flooring of the outer courtyard. It had galleries, one above the other, on three floors.

4 In front of the [block of] rooms was a walkway seventeen-and-a-half feet wide and a path twenty-one inches [wide]; their doors faced north.

5 The upper rooms were shorter, because the galleries took up some of their space, more than from the [rooms on the] lower and middle [floors] of the building.

6 For the rooms were on three floors, and they didn't have columns like those in the courtyards; therefore space was taken away from the [rooms on the] lower and middle [floors], in comparison with the ground.

7 The length of the wall outside, next to the rooms, toward the outer courtyard in front of the rooms, was eighty-seven-and-a-half feet.

8 For the length of the rooms toward the outer courtyard was eighty-seven-and-a-half feet, whereas [the length of] the side facing the sanctuary was 175 feet.

9 Under these rooms was the entrance to the east side, leading in from the outer courtyard.

10 In the width of the courtyard wall on the east, facing the separated yard and facing the building, there were rooms,

11 with a passageway in front of them, similar to the rooms on the north. They were the same length and width and had similarly made exits and entrances.

12 By the entrances of the rooms on the south there was an entrance at the end of the passage, the passageway right in front of the wall, toward the eastern entrances.

13 Then he said to me, "The north and south [blocks of] rooms in front of the separated yard are the holy rooms where the cohanim who approach ADONAI will eat the especially holy things. This is where they will put the especially holy things - the grain offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings; for the place is holy.

14 When the cohanim come, they will not go out of the [Especially] Holy Place into the outer courtyard; rather, they will leave [in these rooms] the clothes they use when ministering, because they are holy. They will put on other clothes and only then approach the areas permitted to the people."

15 After he had finished measuring the inner house, he brought me out by way of the gate facing east and measured the whole area.

16 He measured the east side with the measuring rod; it was 875 feet by the measuring rod.

17 He measured the north side; it was 875 feet by the measuring rod.

18 He measured the south side; it was 875 feet by the measuring rod.

19 He turned to the west side and measured 875 feet with the measuring rod.

20 He measured its four sides; it had a wall around it; and it was 875 [feet] long and 875 [feet] wide. Thus a division was made between what was holy and what was common.

Ezekiel 43

1 After this, he brought me to the gate facing east.

2 There I saw the glory of the God of Isra'el approaching from the east. His voice was like the sound of rushing water, and the earth shone with his glory.

3 The vision seemed like the vision I had seen when I came to destroy the city; also the visions were like the vision I had seen by the K'var River; and I fell on my face.

4 ADONAI's glory entered the house through the gate facing east.

5 Next, a spirit took me up and brought me into the inner courtyard, and I saw ADONAI's glory fill the house.

6 I heard someone speaking to me from the house, and a man was standing by me.

7 He said, "Human being, this is the place for my throne, the place for the soles of my feet, where I will live among the people of Isra'el forever. The house of Isra'el, both they and their kings, will never again defile my holy name by their prostitution, by [burying] the corpses of their kings [on] their high places,

8 or by placing their threshold next to my threshold and their door-frames next to my door-frames, with only a common wall between me and them. Yes, they defiled my holy name by the disgusting practices they committed; which is why I destroyed them in my anger.

9 So now, they should put their prostitution at a distance and the corpses of their kings far away from me; then I will live among them forever.

10 "You, human being, describe this house to the house of Isra'el, so that they will be ashamed of their crimes. And let them measure accurately.

11 If they become ashamed of all they have done, show them the elevation and plan of the house, its exits and entrances, all its details and decorations, and all its specifications, its design and its Torah. Sketch it for them to see, so that they can observe the entire design with its specifications, and carry them out.

12 This is Torah for the house: the whole surrounding area on the mountaintop will be especially holy. This is Torah for the house."

13 These are the measurements of the altar in cubits (a cubit here is defined as a normal cubit [eighteen inches] plus a handbreadth [three inches]): the base, one cubit [twenty-one inches] deep and one cubit wide; with the molding surrounding it at its rim about a hand-span [nine inches] in width. The height of the altar is thus:

14 from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, three-and-a-half feet, with the width twenty-one inches; from the lower ledge to the upper ledge, seven feet, with the width again twenty-one inches.

15 The hearth measures seven feet [high], with four horns on top of the hearth.

16 The hearth is a square twenty-one feet on each of its four sides.

17 The ledge measures a square twenty-four-and-a-half feet on each of its four sides; the molding around it ten-and-a-half inches [across]; and its base twenty-one inches [larger than the rest, all the way] around. Its steps face east.

18 He said to me, "Human being, Adonai ELOHIM says, 'These are the regulations for the altar when the time comes to construct it, offer burnt offerings on it and splash the blood against it:

19 you are to give to the cohanim, who are L'vi'im descended from Tzadok and who approach to serve me,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'a young bull as a sin offering.

20 You are to take its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge and on the molding all the way around; this is how you will purify it and make atonement for it.

21 You are also to take the bull which is the sin offering and have it burned up at the designated place [on the grounds] of the house, outside the sanctuary.

22 On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect as a sin offering, and they are to purify the altar as they purified it with the bull.

23 When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull without defect and a ram from the flock without defect.

24 You are to present them before ADONAI, and the cohanim will throw salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to ADONAI.

25 Every day, for seven days, you are to prepare a goat as a sin offering; they are also to prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock without defect.

26 For seven days, they are to make atonement for the altar and cleanse it; in this way they are to consecrate it.

27 When these days are over, then, on the eighth day and afterwards, the cohanim will present your burnt offerings on the altar and your peace offerings; and I will accept you,' says Adonai ELOHIM."

Isaiah 63

1 Who is this, coming from Edom, from Botzrah with clothing stained crimson, so magnificently dressed, so stately in his great strength? "It is I, who speak victoriously, I, well able to save."

2 Why is your apparel red, your clothes like someone treading a winepress?

3 "I have trodden the winepress alone; from the peoples, not one was with me. So I trod them in my anger, trampled them in my fury; so their lifeblood spurted out on my clothing, and I have stained all my garments;

4 for the day of vengeance that was in my heart and my year of redemption have come.

5 I looked, but there was no one to help, and I was appalled that no one upheld me. Therefore my own arm brought me salvation, and my own fury upheld me.

6 In my anger I trod down the peoples, made them drunk with my fury, then poured out their lifeblood on the earth."

7 I will recall the grace of ADONAI and the praises of ADONAI, because of all that ADONAI has granted us and his great goodness toward the house of Isra'el, which he bestowed on them in keeping with his mercy, in keeping with the greatness of his grace.

8 For he said, "They are indeed my people, children who are not disloyal." So he became their Savior.

9 In all their troubles he was troubled; then the Angel of His Presence saved them; in his love and pity he redeemed them. He had lifted them up and carried them throughout the days of old.

10 However, they rebelled, they grieved his Holy Spirit; so he became their enemy and himself fought against them.

11 But then his people remembered the days of old, the days of Moshe: "Where is he who brought them up from the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he who put his Holy Spirit right there among them,

12 who caused his glorious arm to go at Moshe's right hand? He divided the water ahead of them, to make himself an eternal name;

13 he led them through the deep like a sure-footed horse through the desert;

14 like cattle going down into a valley the Spirit of ADONAI had them rest. This is how you led your people, to make yourself a glorious name."

15 Look down from heaven; and see from your holy, glorious dwelling. Where are your zeal and your mighty deeds, your inner concern and compassion? Don't hold back,

16 for you are our father. Even if Avraham were not to know us, and Isra'el were not to acknowledge us, you, ADONAI, are our father, Our Redeemer of Old is your name.

17 ADONAI, why do you let us wander from your ways and harden our hearts, so that we do not fear you? Return, for the sake of your servants, the tribes who are your possession.

18 Your holy people held your sanctuary such a short time, before our adversaries trampled it down.

19 For so long we have been like those you never ruled, like those who were not called by your name!

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

December 28

Luke 4:1-30; Ezekiel 44-45; Isaiah 64 CJB

Luke 4:1-30

1 Then Yeshua, filled with the Ruach HaKodesh, returned from the Yarden and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness

2 for forty days of testing by the Adversary. During that time he ate nothing, and afterwards he was hungry.

3 The Adversary said to him, "If you are the Son of God, order this stone to become bread."

4 Yeshua answered him, "The Tanakh says, `Man does not live on bread alone.'"

5 The Adversary took him up, showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world,

6 and said to him, "I will give you all this power and glory. It has been handed over to me, and I can give it to whomever I choose.

7 So if you will worship me, it will all be yours."

8 Yeshua answered him, "The Tanakh says, `Worship ADONAI your God and serve him only.'"

9 Then he took him to Yerushalayim, set him on the highest point of the Temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, jump from here!

10 For the Tanakh says, `He will order his angels to be responsible for you and to protect you.

11 They will support you with their hands, so that you will not hurt your feet on the stones.'"

12 Yeshua answered him, "It also says, `Do not put ADONAI your God to the test.'"

13 When the Adversary had ended all his testings, he let him alone until an opportune time.

14 Yeshua returned to the Galil in the power of the Spirit, and reports about him spread throughout the countryside.

15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone respected him.

16 Now when he went to Natzeret, where he had been brought up, on Shabbat he went to the synagogue as usual. He stood up to read,

17 and he was given the scroll of the prophet Yesha`yahu. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,

18 "The Spirit of ADONAI is upon me; therefore he has anointed me to announce Good News to the poor; he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the imprisoned and renewed sight for the blind, to release those who have been crushed,

19 to proclaim a year of the favor of ADONAI."

20 After closing the scroll and returning it to the shammash, he sat down; and the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him.

21 He started to speak to them: "Today, as you heard it read, this passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled!"

22 Everyone was speaking well of him and marvelling that such appealing words were coming from his mouth. They were even asking, "Can this be Yosef's son?"

23 Then Yeshua said to them, "No doubt you will quote to me this proverb -- `"Doctor, cure yourself!" We've heard about all the things that have been going on over in K'far-Nachum; now do them here in your home town!'

24 Yes!" he said, "I tell you that no prophet is accepted in his home town.

25 It's true, I'm telling you -- when Eliyahu was in Isra'el, and the sky was sealed off for threeand-a-half years, so that all the Land suffered a severe famine, there were many widows;

26 but Eliyahu was sent to none of them, only to a widow in Tzarfat in the land of Tzidon.

27 Also there were many people with tzara`at in Isra'el during the time of the prophet Elisha; but not one of them was healed, only Na`aman the Syrian."

28 On hearing this, everyone in the synagogue was filled with fury.

29 They rose up, drove him out of town and dragged him to the edge of the cliff on which their town was built, intending to throw him off.

30 But he walked right through the middle of the crowd and went away.

Ezekiel 44

1 Then he brought me back by way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east; and it was shut.

2 ADONAI said to me, "This gate will remain shut; it will not be opened, and no one will go through it; because ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, has gone through it. Therefore, it is to be kept shut.

3 Only the prince, since he is a prince, is to sit there to eat his meal before ADONAI; he is to enter through the vestibule of the gate and leave the same way."

4 Then he brought me through the north gate to the front of the house. I looked, saw ADONAI's glory filling the house of ADONAI, and fell on my face.

5 ADONAI said to me, "Human being, pay attention; see with your eyes and hear with your ears everything I tell you about all the regulations of ADONAI's house and about all its Torah; pay attention to who can enter the house and who must be excluded from the sanctuary.

6 You are to tell the rebels, the house of Isra'el, that this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'House of Isra'el, enough of all your disgusting practices!

7 You brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in both heart and flesh, to be in my sanctuary and profane it - yes, my house - when you offered my food, the fat and the blood; thus in addition to all your disgusting practices, they broke my covenant.

8 Instead of taking care of my holy things yourselves, you have put these people in charge of my sanctuary.'

9 Here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'No foreigner, uncircumcised in both heart and flesh, is to enter my sanctuary - no foreigner living among the people of Isra'el.

10 "'Rather, the L'vi'im, who went far away from me when Isra'el went astray, going astray after their idols - they will bear the consequences of their guilt,

11 but they are to serve in my sanctuary. They will have charge of the gates of the house and of serving in the house; they will slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people; and they will attend and serve them.

12 Because they served them in the presence of their idols and became an occasion of sin for the house of Isra'el, I am raising my hand against them,' says Adonai ELOHIM, 'and they will bear the consequences of their guilt.

13 They will not approach me to serve me in the office of cohen or approach any of the holy things or the especially holy things; but they will bear their shame for the disgusting practices they committed.

14 Yet I will put them in charge of the house and all its maintenance and everything to be done in it.

15 "'However, the cohanim, who are L'vi'im and descendants of Tzadok, who took care of my sanctuary when the people of Isra'el went astray from me - they are the ones who will approach me and serve me; it is they who will attend me and offer me the fat and the blood,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

16 'They will enter my sanctuary, approach my table to minister to me and perform my service.

17 "'Once they enter the gates of the inner courtyard, they are to wear linen clothing; they are not to wear any wool while serving at the gates of the inner courtyard or inside it.

18 They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen underclothes on their bodies, and they are not to wear anything that makes them sweat.

19 Before going out to the people in the outer courtyard, they are to remove the clothes in which they minister, lay them in the holy rooms, and put on other clothes; so that they won't transmit holiness to the people by means of their clothing.

20 They are not to shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must keep their hair carefully trimmed.

21 No cohen is to drink wine when he enters the inner courtyard.

22 They may not marry a widow or a divorcee but must marry virgins descended from the house of Isra'el or a widow whose deceased husband was a cohen.

23 "'They are to teach my people the difference between holy and common and enable them to distinguish between clean and unclean.

24 They are to be judges in controversies, and they are to render decisions in keeping with my rulings. At all my designated festivals they are to keep my laws and regulations, and they are to keep my shabbats holy.

25 They are not to come to any dead person, because this would make them unclean; however, for father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister who has had no husband they may make themselves unclean.

26 After a cohen has been purified, he is to wait seven days.

27 Then, on the day he enters the sanctuary, when he goes into the inner courtyard to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer his sin offering,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

28 "'Their inheritance is to be this: I myself am their inheritance. You are not to grant them any possession in Isra'el - I myself am their possession.

29 They are to eat the grain offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings; and everything in Isra'el devoted [to God] will be theirs.

30 The first of all the firstfruits of everything, and every voluntary contribution of everything, from all your offerings, will be for the cohanim. You are also to give the cohen the first of your dough, so that a blessing will rest on your house.

31 The cohanim are not to eat anything, bird or animal, that dies naturally or is torn to death.

Ezekiel 45

1 "'When you divide the land by lot for inheritance, you are to set aside an offering for ADONAI, a holy portion of the land. Its length is to be 25,000 [cubits, that is, eight miles] and its width 10,000 [three miles]; this entire region is to be holy.

2 Of this there is to be reserved for the holy place an area 875 [feet] square, with eighty-seven-and-a-half feet for open land around it.

3 Alongside this region you are to measure a length of eight [miles] and a width of three [miles]; in it is to be the sanctuary, which will be especially holy.

4 It is a holy portion of the land; it is for the cohanim who serve in the sanctuary, who approach to minister to ADONAI; there will be a place for their houses and a place set aside for the sanctuary.

5 A portion eight by three [miles] will be owned by the L'vi'im who serve in the house; it will also have twenty [gatekeepers'] rooms.

6 You are to give the city possession of an area, alongside the offering of the holy portion, one-and-a-half by eight [miles]; it will be for the whole house of Isra'el.

7 "'The prince is to have the territory on both sides of the holy offering and the city's holding; it will extend westward to the western border of the land and eastward to its eastern border; and the length [from the far side of one] of its two parts [to the far side of the other] will be the same as the length of one of the [tribal] portions.

8 His possession in Isra'el will be limited to this, and henceforth my princes will not wrong my people but will give the land to the house of Isra'el according to their tribes.'

9 Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'Princes of Isra'el, that should be enough for you! Get rid of violence and looting, do what is right and just, and stop evicting my people from their land!' says Adonai ELOHIM.

10 "'You are to have honest balance-scales, an honest eifah [a one-bushel dry-measure] and an honest bat [a five-gallon liquid-measure].

11 The eifah and the bat are to contain the same volume - the bat is to contain one-tenth of a homer, and the eifah is to contain one-tenth of a homer; the homer is to set the standard for measurement.

12 Also the shekel is to be twenty gerahs; your maneh will be the sum of a twenty-shekel piece, a twenty-five-shekel piece and a fifteen-shekel piece.

13 "'This is the offering you are to make: one-sixth of a bushel from every ten bushels of wheat, and you are to give one-sixth of a bushel from every ten bushels of barley.

14 The law for olive oil is to be half a gallon from every fifty gallons, which is the same as ten bats or one homer, since ten bats equal a homer.

15 From the flock, take one sheep from every two hundred being pastured in Isra'el; [all these are to be used] for grain offerings, burnt offerings and peace offerings, to make atonement for them,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

16 'All the people in the land are to present this offering to the prince in Isra'el.

17 The prince's obligation will be to present the burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings at the feasts, on Rosh-Hodesh, and on Shabbat - at all the designated times of the house of Isra'el. He is to prepare the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings and peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Isra'el.'

18 "Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'On the first day of the first month you are to take a young bull without defect and purify the sanctuary.

19 The cohen will take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the door-frames of the house, on the four corners of the altar's ledge and on the supports of the gate of the inner courtyard.

20 You are also to do this on the seventh day of the month for everyone who has sinned inadvertently or through ignorance. Thus you will make atonement for the house.

21 "'On the fourteenth day of the first month you are to have the Pesach, a feast seven days long; matzah will be eaten.

22 On that day the prince will provide, for himself and for all the people of the land, a young bull as a sin offering.

23 On the seven days of the feast he is to provide a burnt offering for ADONAI, seven young bulls and seven rams without defect daily for the seven days, and a male goat daily as a sin offering.

24 He is to provide as a grain offering a bushel [of grain] for a young bull and a bushel for a ram, and for each bushel [of grain] a gallon of olive oil.

25 "'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, during the feast [of Sukkot] he is to do the same thing for those seven days in regard to the sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings and olive oil.'

Isaiah 64

1 ) We wish you would tear open heaven and come down, so the mountains would shake at your presence!

2 It would be like fire kindling the brush, and the fire then makes the water boil. Then your enemies would know your name, the nations would tremble before you!

3 When you did tremendous things that we were not expecting, we wished that you would come down, so that the mountains would shake at your presence!

4 No one has ever heard, no ear perceived, no eye seen, any God but you. You work for him who waits for you.

5 You favored those who were glad to do justice, those who remembered you in your ways. When you were angry, we kept sinning; but if we keep your ancient ways, we will be saved.

6 All of us are like someone unclean, all our righteous deeds like menstrual rags; we wither, all of us, like leaves; and our misdeeds blow us away like the wind.

7 No one calls on your name or bestirs himself to take hold of you, for you have hidden your face from us and caused our misdeeds to destroy us.

8 But now, ADONAI, you are our father; we are the clay, you are our potter; and we are all the work of your hands.

9 Do not be so very angry, ADONAI! Don't remember crime forever. Look, please, we are all your people.

10 Your holy cities have become a desert, Tziyon a desert, Yerushalayim a ruin.

11 Our holy, beautiful house, where our ancestors used to praise you, has been burned to the ground; all we cherished has been ruined.

12 ADONAI, after all this, will you still hold back? Will you still stay silent and punish us past endurance?

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

December 29

Luke 4:31-44; Ezekiel 46-47; Isaiah 65 CJB

Luke 4:31-44

31 He went down to K'far-Nachum, a town in the Galil, and made a practice of teaching them on Shabbat.

32 They were amazed at the way he taught, because his word carried the ring of authority.

33 In the synagogue there was a man who had an unclean demonic spirit, who shouted in a loud voice,

34 "Yaah! What do you want with us, Yeshua from Natzeret? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God!"

35 But Yeshua rebuked it: "Be quiet, and come out of him!" The demonic spirit threw the man down in the middle of the crowd and came out of him, having done him no harm.

36 They were all astounded and said to one another, "What kind of teaching is this? Why, he gives orders with power and authority to the unclean spirits, and they come out!"

37 And reports about him went out through the whole surrounding district.

38 Leaving the synagogue, he went to Shim`on's house. Shim`on's mother-inlaw was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him to do something for her.

39 So, standing over her, he rebuked the fever; and it left her. She immediately got up and began helping them.

40 After sunset, all those who had people sick with various diseases brought them to Yeshua, and he put his hands on each one of them and healed them;

41 also demons came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But, rebuking them, he did not permit them to say that they knew he was the Messiah.

42 When day had come, he left and went away to a lonely spot. The people looked for him, came to him and would have kept him from leaving them.

43 But he said to them, "I must announce the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the other towns too -- this is why I was sent."

44 He also spent time preaching in the synagogues of Y'hudah.

Ezekiel 46

1 "This is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'The east gate of the inner courtyard is to be shut on the six working days, but on Shabbat it is to be opened, and on Rosh-Hodesh it is to be opened.

2 The prince is to enter by way of the outer vestibule of the gate and stand by the support of the gate. The cohanim are to prepare his burnt offering and peace offerings. Then he is to prostrate himself in worship at the threshold of the gate, after which he is to leave; but the gate is not to be shut until evening.

3 The people of the land are also to prostrate themselves in worship before ADONAI at the entrance to that gate on Shabbat and on Rosh-Hodesh.

4 "'The burnt offering the prince is to offer ADONAI on Shabbat is to consist of six lambs without defect and a ram without defect.

5 The grain offering is to be a bushel for the ram, while for the lambs it can be as much as he wants to give; with a gallon of olive oil per eifah.

6 On Rosh-Hodesh it is to be a young bull, six lambs and a ram, all without defect.

7 He is to prepare a grain offering consisting of a bushel for the bull, a bushel for the ram, and for the lambs as his means allow; with a gallon of olive oil per bushel.

8 "'When the prince enters, he is to go in by way of the vestibule of the gate, and he is to leave the same way.

9 But when the people of the land come before ADONAI at the designated times, whoever comes in to worship by way of the north gate is to leave by way of the south gate, and whoever comes in by way of the south gate is to leave by way of the north gate; he is not to go back out through the gate by which he entered but is to exit straight ahead of him.

10 [On these occasions,] the prince is to be among them when they enter; and when they leave, they are to leave together.

11 "'At the festivals and at designated times, the grain offering is to be a bushel for a young bull and a bushel for a ram, while for the lambs it can be as much as he wants to give, with a gallon of olive oil per bushel.

12 "'When the prince provides a voluntary offering, whether it is a burnt offering or peace offerings that he offers voluntarily to ADONAI, someone is to open the east gate for him; and he is to provide his burnt offering and peace offerings as he does on Shabbat. Then he will leave; and after he leaves, the gate is to be shut.

13 "'You are to provide a lamb in its first year that has no defect for a daily burnt offering to ADONAI; do this each morning.

14 Also each morning, provide with it a grain offering, one-sixth of a bushel, and one-third of a gallon of olive oil to moisten the fine flour; this is the ongoing grain offering for ADONAI, by a permanent regulation.

15 Thus they will offer a lamb, a grain offering and oil each morning as the ongoing burnt offering.'

16 "Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'If the prince turns over part of his hereditary property to one of his sons, it is his inheritance; it will belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance.

17 But if he gives part of his hereditary property to one of his slaves, it will be his until the year of freedom, at which time it will revert to the prince, so that the prince's heritage will go to his sons.

18 The prince is not to take over any of the people's inheritance, thereby evicting them wrongfully from their property; he is to give his sons an inheritance out of his own property, so that none of my people will be driven off their property.'"

19 Next, he brought me through the entry at the side of the gate into the holy rooms facing north that were for the cohanim. At their far west end I saw a place

20 about which he said to me, "This is the place where the cohanim will boil the guilt offerings and sin offerings and bake the grain offerings. In this way they won't have to bring them into the outer courtyard and risk transmitting holiness to the people."

21 He took me into the outer courtyard and had me pass by the four corners of the courtyard, and there in each corner of the courtyard was another courtyard -

22 in the four corners of the courtyard were enclosed courtyards seventy feet long and fifty-two-and-a-half feet; the four courtyards in the corners were the same size.

23 There was a wall around each of the four, with open stoves all around the bases of the walls.

24 He said to me, "These are the stoves where those serving in the house will boil the people's sacrifices."

Ezekiel 47

1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the house, and I saw water flowing eastward from under the threshold of the house, for the house faced east. The water flowed down from under the right side of the house, south of the altar.

2 Next he led me out through the north gate and took me around outside to the outer gate, by way of the east gate, where I saw water trickling from the south side.

3 With a line in his hand the man went out toward the east and measured a thousand cubits [one-third of a mile] and had me wade across the stream; the water came up to my ankles.

4 He measured another thousand and had me wade through the water, which reached my knees. He measured another thousand and had me wade through water up to my waist.

5 Finally he measured a thousand, and it was a river I couldn't cross on foot, because the water was so deep one would have to swim across; it was a river that could not be waded through.

6 He asked me, "Human being, have you seen this?" Then, guiding me, he got me back to the riverbank.

7 After being returned, I saw on the bank of the river a great number of trees on the one side and on the other.

8 He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and continues down to the 'Aravah. When it enters the sea, the sea of stagnant water, [the Dead Sea,] its water will become fresh.

9 When this happens, swarms of all kinds of living creatures will be able to live in it wherever the streams flow; so that there will be a vast number of fish; for this water is flowing there, so that, wherever the river goes, everything will be restored and able to live.

10 Then fishermen will stand on its shores spreading their nets all the way from 'Ein-Gedi to 'Ein-'Eglayim. There will be as many kinds of fish there as in the Great Sea, [the Mediterranean,] a great variety.

11 However, its mud flats and marshes will not become fresh but will remain salty.

12 On both riverbanks will grow all kinds of trees for food; their leaves will not dry up, nor will their fruit fail. There will be a different kind of fruit each month, because the water flows from the sanctuary, so that this fruit will be edible, and the leaves will have healing properties."

13 "Adonai ELOHIM says this: 'These are the borders of the land you are to distribute for inheritance by the twelve tribes of Isra'el, with Yosef receiving two portions.

14 For inheritance you will each have equal shares. I swore to your ancestors that I would give them this land, and now it falls to you to inherit it.

15 "'The borders of the land will be as follows: on the north, from the Great Sea through Hetlon to the entrance of Tz'dad,

16 Hamat, Berotah, Sibrayim (which is between the border of Dammesek and the border of Hamat), Hatzer-Hatikhon (which is toward the border of Havran).

17 The border from the sea will be Hatzar-'Einon (at the border of Dammesek); while on the north, northward, is the border of Hamat. This is the north side.

18 "'On the east side, measure between Havran and Dammesek, Gil'ad and the land of Isra'el by the Yarden, from the border to the eastern sea. This is the east side.

19 "'On the side of the Negev toward the south it will be from Tamar as far as the waters of M'rivot-Kadesh, then to the Vadi [of Egypt] and on to the Great Sea. This is the south side toward the Negev.

20 "'The west side will be the Great Sea, as far as across from the entrance to Hamat. This is the west side.

21 "'This is the territory you are to divide among the tribes of Isra'el.

22 You are to divide it by lot as an inheritance both to you and to the foreigners living among you who give birth to children living among you; for you they are to be no different from the native-born among the people of Isra'el - they are to have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Isra'el.

23 You are to give the foreigner an inheritance in the territory of the tribe with whom he is living,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

Isaiah 65

1 "I made myself accessible to those who didn't ask for me, I let myself be found by those who didn't seek me. I said, 'Here I am! Here I am!' to a nation not called by my name.

2 I spread out my hands all day long to a rebellious people who live in a way that is not good, who follow their own inclinations;

3 a people who provoke me to my face all the time, sacrificing in gardens and burning incense on bricks.

4 They sit among the graves and spend the night in caverns; they eat pig meat and their pots hold soup made from disgusting things.

5 They say, 'Keep your distance, don't come near me, because I am holier than you.' These are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day!

6 See, it is written before me; I will not be silent until I repay them; I will repay them to the full,

7 your own crimes and those of your ancestors together," says ADONAI. "They offered incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills. First I will measure out their wages and then repay them in full."

8 Here is what ADONAI says: "As when juice is found in a cluster of grapes, and people say, 'Don't destroy it, there is still some good in it,' so I will do likewise for the sake of my servants, and not destroy them all.

9 I will bring forth descendants from Ya'akov, heirs of my mountains from Y'hudah; my chosen ones will possess them, and my servants will live there.

10 The Sharon will be a pasture for flocks, the Akhor Valley a place for cattle to rest, for my people who have sought me.

11 "But as for you who abandon ADONAI, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for a Gad, a god of luck, and fill bowls of mixed wine for Meni, a god of destiny

12 I will destine you to the sword, you will all bow down to be slaughtered; because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not hear, but did what was evil from my point of view and chose what did not please me."

13 Therefore this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: "My servants will eat, while you go hungry; my servants will drink, while you go thirsty. My servants will rejoice, while you will be ashamed.

14 Yes, my servants will sing for joy from their hearts, but you will cry out from the pain in your heart and howl from an anguished spirit.

15 My chosen will use your name as a curse - 'May Adonai ELOHIM strike you dead!' But to his servants he will give another name.

16 Thus someone on earth who blesses himself will bless himself by the God of truth, and someone on earth who swears an oath will swear by the God of truth; for past troubles will be forgotten, hidden from my eyes.

17 "For, look! I create new heavens and a new earth; past things will not be remembered, they will no more come to mind.

18 So be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for look! I am making Yerushalayim a joy, and her people a delight.

19 I will rejoice in Yerushalayim and take joy in my people. The sound of weeping will no longer be heard in it, no longer the sound of crying.

20 No more will babies die in infancy, no more will an old man die short of his days - he who dies at a hundred will be thought young, and at less than a hundred thought cursed.

21 They will build houses and live in them, they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 They will not build and others live there, they will not plant and others eat; for the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, and my chosen will themselves enjoy the use of what they make.

23 They will not toil in vain or raise children to be destroyed, for they are the seed blessed by ADONAI; and their offspring with them.

24 Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.

25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion eat straw like an ox (but the serpent - its food will be dust). They will not hurt or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain," says ADONAI.

[phkrause]

Today's Bible Reading

December 30

Luke 5:1-26; Ezekiel 48; Isaiah 66 CJB

Luke 5:1-26

1 One day, as Yeshua was standing on the shore of Lake Kinneret, with the people pressing in around him in order to hear the word of God,

2 he noticed two boats pulled up on the beach, left there by the fishermen, who were cleaning their nets.

3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Shim`on, and asked him to put out a little way from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Shim`on, "Put out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch."

5 Shim`on answered, "We've worked hard all night long, Rabbi, and haven't caught a thing! But if you say so, I'll let down the nets."

6 They did this and took in so many fish that their nets began to tear.

7 So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; and they came and filled both boats to the point of sinking.

8 When he saw this, Shim`on Kefa fell at Yeshua's knees and said, "Get away from me, sir, because I'm a sinner!"

9 For astonish ment had seized him and everyone with him at the catch of fish they had taken, and

10 likewise bothYa`akov andYochanan, Shim`on's partners. "Don't be frightened,"Yeshua said to Shim`on, "from now on you will be catching men -- alive!"

11 And as soon as they had beached their boats, they left everything behind and followed him.

12 Once, when Yeshua was in one of the towns, there came a man completely covered with tzara`at. On seeing Yeshua, he fell on his face and begged him, "Sir, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

13 Yeshua reached out his hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing! Be cleansed!" Immediately the tzara`at left him.

14 Then Yeshua warned him not to tell anyone. "Instead, as a testimony to the people, go straight to the cohen and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moshe commanded."

15 But the news about Yeshua kept spreading all the more, so that huge crowds would gather to listen and be healed of their sicknesses.

16 However, he made a practice of withdrawing to remote places in order to pray.

17 One day when Yeshua was teaching, there were P'rushim and Torah-teachers present who had come from various villages in the Galil and Y'hudah, also from Yerushalayim; and the power of ADONAI was with him to heal the sick.

18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. They wanted to bring him inside and lay him in front of Yeshua,

19 but they couldn't find a way to get him in because of the crowd. So they went up onto the roof and lowered him on his mattress through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, right in front of Yeshua.

20 When Yeshua saw their trust, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you."

21 The Torah-teachers and the P'rushim began thinking, "Who is this fellow that speaks such blasphemies? Who can forgive sin except God?"

22 But Yeshua, knowing what they were think ing, answered, "Why are you turning over such thoughts in your hearts?

23 Which is easier to say? `Your sins are forgiven you'? or `Get up and walk'?

24 But look! I will prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." He then said to the paralytic, "I say to you: get up, pick up your mattress and go home!"

25 Immediately, in front of everyone, he stood up, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home praising God.

26 Amazement seized them all, and they made a b'rakhah to God; they were awestruck, saying, "We have seen extraordinary things today."

Ezekiel 48

1 "'Following is the list of tribes: "'This is Dan's territory: from the north end, through Hetlon to the entrance of Hamat, Hatzar-'Einan (at the border of Dammesek), northward, next to Hamat; and they will have their sides east and west.

2 "'Asher's territory will run alongside the territory of Dan from east to west.

3 "'Naftali's territory will run alongside the territory of Asher from east to west.

4 "'M'nasheh's territory will run alongside the territory of Naftali from east to west.

5 "'Efrayim's territory will run alongside the territory of M'nasheh from east to west.

6 "'Re'uven's territory will run alongside the territory of Efrayim from east to west.

7 "'Y'hudah's territory will run alongside the territory of Re'uven from east to west.

8 "'Alongside the territory of Y'hudah, from east to west, will be the offering you are to set aside, 25,000 [cubits] wide [eight miles], and in length equal to distance between the east and west boundaries of one of the portions, with the sanctuary inside it.

9 The offering you are to set aside for ADONAI is to be eight [miles] long and three wide.

10 This holy offering will be for the cohanim; it will be eight [miles] in length along its north and south sides and three in width along its west and east sides; ADONAI's sanctuary will be inside it.

11 The portion set aside as holy will be for the cohanim who are descendants of Tzadok that remained faithful to my commission and did not go astray when the people of Isra'el and the L'vi'im went astray.

12 It is to be an especially holy portion set apart for them and taken from the offering of the land, next to the border of the L'vi'im.

13 " 'Alongside the territory for the cohanim, the L'vi'im are to have a portion eight [miles] long and three wide - its total length will be eight and its width three.

14 They may not sell, exchange or alienate any of this choice land; because it is holy, for ADONAI.

15 "'The 5,000 [cubits, that is, the one-and-a-half miles] that are left of the width is to be for the common use of the city, for housing and for open fields. The city will be inside it.

16 and will measure 4,500 cubits [just under one-and-a-half miles] along each of its sides - north, south, east and west.

17 The city is to have outside it a border of land 440 feet wide on each side - north, south, east and west.

18 A strip next to the holy offering extending three [miles] to the east and three to the west is to be left. This area by the holy offering is to be used to grow food for those serving the city.

19 The people from all the tribes of Isra'el who serve in the city will farm it.

20 The entire offering will be eight [miles] square, including the section for the city.

21 "'What remains will be for the prince - the land on the two sides of the holy offering and section for the city, that is, the portion eastward from the eight [miles] of the offering's eastern border to the land's eastern border and the portion westward from the eight [miles] of the offering's western border to the land's western border - this land adjacent to the [tribal] portions will be for the prince, with the holy offering and the sanctuary of the house inside it.

22 Thus the land belonging to the L'vi'im and the section for the city will be inside that which belongs to the prince. "'The territory belonging to the prince will be between the territory of Y'hudah and the territory of Binyamin -

23 which brings us to the rest of the tribes: "'Binyamin's territory will run from east to west.

24 "'Shim'on's territory will run alongside the territory of Binyamin from east to west.

25 "'Yissakhar's territory will run alongside the territory of Shim'on from east to west.

26 "'Z'vulun's territory will run alongside the territory of Yissakhar from east to west.

27 "'Gad's territory will run alongside the territory of Z'vulun from east to west.

28 "'Alongside the territory of Gad, from the Negev southward, the border will run from Tamar to the water at M'rivat-Kadesh, then to the Vadi [of Egypt], and on to the Great Sea.

29 This is the land you are to distribute by lot to the tribes of Isra'el for inheritance, and these are their portions,' says Adonai ELOHIM.

30 "'These are the city exits; they are to be named after the tribes of Isra'el, three gates on each of the four sides; the four sides each measure just under one-and-a-half [miles]: on the north, gates named after Re'uven, Y'hudah and Levi; on the east, gates named after Yosef, Binyamin and Dan; on the south, gates named after Shim'on, Yissakhar and Z'vulun; and on the west, gates named after Gad, Asher and Naftali.

31

32

33

34

35 "'The perimeter of [the city] will be just under six [miles] long. And from that day on the name of the city will be ADONAI Shamah [ADONAI is there].'"

Isaiah 66

1 "Heaven is my throne," says ADONAI, "and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house could you build for me? What sort of place could you devise for my rest?

2 Didn't I myself make all these things? This is how they all came to be," says ADONAI. "The kind of person on whom I look with favor is one with a poor and humble spirit, who trembles at my word.

3 Those others might as well kill a person as an ox, as well break a dog's neck as sacrifice a lamb, as well offer pig's blood as offer a grain offering, as well bless an idol as burn incense. Just as these have chosen their ways and enjoy their disgusting practices,

4 so I will enjoy making fools of them, and bring on them the very things they fear. For when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they did not hear. Instead they did what was evil in my sight and chose what did not please me."

5 Hear the word of ADONAI, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers, who hate you and reject you because of my name, have said: 'Let ADONAI be glorified, so we can see your joy.' But they will be put to shame."

6 That uproar in the city, that sound from the temple, is the sound of ADONAI repaying his foes what they deserve.

7 Before going into labor, she gave birth; before her pains came, she delivered a male child.

8 Who ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Is a country born in one day? Is a nation brought forth all at once? For as soon as Tziyon went into labor, she brought forth her children.

9 "Would I let the baby break through and not be born?" asks ADONAI. "Would I, who cause the birth, shut the womb?" asks your God.

10 Rejoice with Yerushalayim! Be glad with her, all you who love her! Rejoice, rejoice with her, all of you who mourned for her;

11 so that you nurse and are satisfied by her comforting breast, drinking deeply and delighting in the overflow of her glory.

12 For ADONAI says, "I will spread shalom over her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried in her arm and cuddled in her lap.

13 Like someone comforted by his mother, I will comfort you; in Yerushalayim you will be comforted."

14 Your heart will rejoice at the sight, your bodies will flourish like newly sprouted grass. It will be known that the hand of ADONAI is with his servants; but with his enemies, his fury.

15 For - look! - ADONAI will come in fire, and his chariots will be like the whirlwind, to render his anger furiously, his rebuke with blazing fire.

16 For ADONAI will judge all humanity with fire and with the sword, and those slain by ADONAI will be many.

17 "Those who consecrate and purify themselves in order to enter the gardens, then follow the one who was already there, eating pig meat, reptiles and mice, will all be destroyed together," says ADONAI.

18 "For I [know] their deeds and their thoughts. "[The time] is coming when I will gather together all nations and languages. They will come and see my glory,

19 and I will give them a sign. I will send some of their survivors to the nations of Tarshish, Pul, Lud (these are archers), Tuval, Greece and more distant coasts, where they have neither heard of my fame nor seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory in these nations;

20 and they will bring all your kinsmen out of all the nations as an offering to ADONAI - on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, on camels - to my holy mountain Yerushalayim," says ADONAI, "just as the people of Isra'el themselves bring their offerings in clean vessels to the house of ADONAI.

21 I will also take cohanim and L'vi'im from them," says ADONAI.

22 "For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making will continue in my presence," says ADONAI, "so will your descendants and your name continue.

23 "Every month on Rosh-Hodesh and every week on Shabbat, everyone living will come to worship in my presence," says ADONAI.

24 "As they leave, they will look on the corpses of the people who rebelled against me. For their worm will never die, and their fire will never be quenched; but they will be abhorrent to all humanity." ["Every month on Rosh-Hodesh and every week on Shabbat, everyone living will come to worship in my presence," says ADONAI.]