Friday, January 3

1Be glad, you thirsty desert, and rejoice exceedingly, and let the desert blossom as a lily.

2The desert places of the Jordan shall blossom abundantly and rejoice exceedingly. The glory of Lebanon and the honor of Carmel shall be given to it, and My people shall see the glory of the Lord and the majesty of our God.

3Be strong, you relaxed hands and feeble knees.

4Be comforted, you fainthearted. Be strong, do not fear. Behold, our God renders judgment and will render it. He will come and save us.

5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear.

6Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will speak clearly. For water shall burst forth in the desert, and a valley in the thirsty land.

7The waterless desert shall become meadows, and the thirsty land springs of water. There will be the gladness of birds, a habitation of reeds and marshes.

8A pure way shall be there, and it shall be called a holy way. No unclean man shall pass through there, neither shall there be an unclean way there. But those dispersed shall walk in it, and they shall not go astray.

9No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous animals go up on it, nor at all be found there. But the redeemed shall walk in it,

10and those gathered by the Lord shall return and come to Zion with gladness, and with everlasting gladness over their head. For praise and exceeding joy will be on their head, and gladness shall possess them. Pain, sorrow, and sighing fled away.

25And as John was finishing his course, he said, 'Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.'

26'Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent.

27For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him.

28And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death.

29Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.

30But God raised Him from the dead.

31He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people.

32And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers.

33God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.'

1In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

2and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'

3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.' '

4Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

5Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him

6and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, 'Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

9and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

10And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

16Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean. Put away the evils from your souls before My eyes. Cease from your evils.

17Learn to do good. Seek judgment and redeem the wronged. Defend the orphan and justify the widow.

18Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'although your sins are like crimson, I shall make them white like snow, and although they are as scarlet, I shall make them white like wool.

19If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good things of the land.

20But if you are unwilling and disobedient, you shall be devoured by the sword,' for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

1And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples

2he said to them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?'

3So they said to him, 'We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.' And he said to them, 'Into what then were you baptized?'

4So they said, 'Into John's baptism.' Then Paul said, 'John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.'

5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

7Now the men were about twelve in all.

8And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.

1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2As it is written in the Prophets: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'

3'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' '

4John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

5Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

6Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

7And he preached, saying, 'There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.

8I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'

3You will draw water with gladness from the wells of salvation.

4In that day, you will say, 'Praise the Lord; call upon His name. Declare His glorious things among the Gentiles and make mention that His name is exalted.

5Sing to the name of the Lord, for He has done great things. Declare this in all the earth.

6Exult and be glad, O inhabitants of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is exalted in her midst.'

3Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

4Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

7For he who has died has been freed from sin.

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

11Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

9It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

10And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.

11Then a voice came from heaven, 'You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'

8Thus says the Lord: 'In an acceptable time I heard You, and in the day of salvation I helped You. I give You as a covenant to the Gentiles, to establish the earth and to inherit the inheritance of the desert;

9saying to those in bonds, 'Go forth,' and to those in darkness, 'Reveal yourselves.' They shall feed along all their roads, and their pasture shall be along all the paths.

10They shall not hunger, neither shall they thirst, nor shall the burning heat of the sun strike them; but He who has mercy on them will comfort them; and He shall lead them by the fountains of waters.

11I will make every mountains as a road, and every path as a pasture for them.

12Behold, these come from afar, these from the north and these from the sea, and the others from the land of the Persians.'

13Be glad, O heavens, and rejoice exceedingly, O earth. Let the mountains break out in gladness, and the hills in righteousness. For the Lord had mercy on His people, and comforted the humble of His people.

14But Zion said, 'The Lord forsook me, and the Lord forgot me.'

15'Will a woman forget her child, so as not to have mercy on the offspring of her womb? But even if a woman should forget these things, nevertheless, I shall not forget you,' says the Lord.

11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

12teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

13looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

14who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

15Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

1Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,

2to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

3For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

4But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,

5not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

6whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

7that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.

14And John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?'

15But Jesus answered and said to him, 'Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he allowed Him.

16When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

17And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'

15To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.

16They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

1But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:

2that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience;

3the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—

4that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

5to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

6Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded,

7in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,

8sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.

9Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back,

10not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

1Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, 'Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!'

2And Jesus answered and said to him, 'Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.'

3Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,

4'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?'

5And Jesus, answering them, began to say: 'Take heed that no one deceives you.

6For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.

7But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.

8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.