Wednesday, February 2

1In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. The house was full of His glory.

2Around Him stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

3And one cried to another and said, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.'

4The lintel was lifted up by the voice of those who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

5So I said, 'Woe is me, because I am pierced to the heart, for being a man and having unclean lips, I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips; for I saw the King, the Lord of hosts, with my eyes!'

6Then one of the seraphim was sent to me. He had a live coal in his hand, which he took with tongs from the altar.

7He touched my mouth, and said, 'Behold, this has touched your lips. Your lawlessness is taken away, and your sin is cleansed.'

8I also heard the voice of the Lord, saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people?' Then I said, 'Behold, here am I, send me.'

9So He said, 'Go, and tell this people, 'You shall hear indeed, but not understand; and you shall see indeed, but not perceive.'

10For the heart of this people has become insensitive, and their ears hear with difficulty. They have closed their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return, and I should heal them.'

11Then I said, 'Lord, how long?' So He answered, 'Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, the houses are without people, and the land shall be left desolate.

12After this God will remove the people far away, and those left in the land shall multiply.

1The vision of Egypt: Behold, the Lord sits on a swift cloud and shall come to Egypt, and the things made by hands in Egypt shall be shaken by His presence, and their heart shall be overcome within them.

2'Egyptians shall be stirred up against Egyptians, and a man shall fight against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city and law against law.

3The spirit of the Egyptians will be troubled within them, and I will reject their counsel, and they shall consult their gods and their statues, and those who speak from the earth and are ventriloquists.

4And I will deliver Egypt into the hands of harsh lords and kings who will rule over them,' thus says the Lord of hosts.

5And the Egyptians will drink water from the sea, for the river will run dry and have no water.

6The streams and canals of the river will fail; and every reservoir shall dry up, as well as every marsh of reed and papyrus.

7All the greenery around the river and everything sown alongside the river shall be blasted by the wind and dried up.

8The fishermen will also groan, and all who cast a fishhook into the river will also lament, and those who cast dragnets and the anglers shall mourn.

9Shame shall fall on those who work fine flax, and those who weave fine fabric will be ashamed.

10Those who work these things will be in pain. All who make strong drink shall grieve and suffer in their souls.

11The rulers of Tanis are fools. As for the king's wise counselors, their counsel will be turned into foolishness. How will you say to the king, 'We are sons of the wise, we are sons of kings of old'?

12Where are your wise men now? Let them now tell you, and let them say what the Lord of hosts planned against Egypt.

13The rulers of Tanis have failed, and the rulers of Memphis are exalted, and they shall lead Egypt astray according to tribes.

14For the Lord prepared for them a spirit of error, and they led Egypt astray in all their works, like a drunken man who staggers and vomits.

15There shall be no work for the Egyptians that will bring about employer and employee, and beginning and completion.

16In that day, the Egyptians shall be like women in fear and trembling because of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which He shall lay upon them.

17The country of the Jews will be a terror to the Egyptians. If anyone mentions it to them, they will be in fear, because of the counsel the Lord purposed concerning it.

18In that day, five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the name of the Lord; one city will be called the City of Justice.

19In that day, there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the country of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord at its border.

20It will be a sign forever to the Lord in the country of Egypt, for they will cry to the Lord because of their oppressors, and the Lord will send them a Man who will save them. He will judge and save them.

21Then the Lord will be known to the Egyptians, and in that day the Egyptians will know the Lord and offer sacrifices. Yes, they will make vows to the Lord and pay them.

25And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

27So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,

28he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

29'Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;

30For my eyes have seen Your salvation

31Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

32A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.'

7Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.

8Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives.

9Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak,

10for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

11Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?

12For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

13For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.

14For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.

15And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest

16who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.

17For He testifies: 'You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.'

1Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

2that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

3For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

4In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.

5They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

6For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

7But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.

8And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.'

9Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

10As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

11If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

22Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD'),

24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, 'A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.'

25And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

27So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,

28he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

29'Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;

30For my eyes have seen Your salvation

31Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

32A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.'

33And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.

34Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, 'Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against

35(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.'

36Now there was one, Anna, prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;

37and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

38And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

39So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.

40And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

28Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, 'Which is the first commandment of all?'

29Jesus answered him, 'The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.

30And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.

31And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.'

32So the scribe said to Him, 'Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.

33And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.'

34Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' But after that no one dared question Him.

35Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, 'How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?

36For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.' '

37Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?'