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Reading Plan
Day 263 Day 264Day 265

Psalm chapter 137

1
By the rivers of Babylon we sat down; there we wept when we remembered Zion.
2
On the willows near by we hung up our harps.
3
Those who captured us told us to sing; they told us to entertain them: "Sing us a song about Zion."
4
How can we sing a song to the LORD in a foreign land?
5
May I never be able to play the harp again if I forget you, Jerusalem!
6
May I never be able to sing again if I do not remember you, if I do not think of you as my greatest joy!
7
Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did the day Jerusalem was captured. Remember how they kept saying, "Tear it down to the ground!"
8
Babylon, you will be destroyed. Happy are those who pay you back for what you have done to us---
9
who take your babies and smash them against a rock.

Daniel chapter 7

1
In the first year that Belshazzar was king of Babylonia, I had a dream and saw a vision in the night. I wrote the dream down, and this is the record
2
of what I saw that night: Winds were blowing from all directions and lashing the surface of the ocean.
3
Four huge beasts came up out of the ocean, each one different from the others.
4
The first one looked like a lion, but had wings like an eagle. While I was watching, the wings were torn off. The beast was lifted up and made to stand up straight. And then a human mind was given to it.
5
The second beast looked like a bear standing on its hind legs. It was holding three ribs between its teeth, and a voice said to it, "Go on, eat as much meat as you can!"
6
While I was watching, another beast appeared. It looked like a leopard, but on its back there were four wings, like the wings of a bird, and it had four heads. It had a look of authority about it.
7
As I was watching, a fourth beast appeared. It was powerful, horrible, terrifying. With its huge iron teeth it crushed its victims, and then it trampled on them. Unlike the other beasts, it had ten horns.
8
While I was staring at the horns, I saw a little horn coming up among the others. It tore out three of the horns that were already there. This horn had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting proudly.
9
While I was looking, thrones were put in place. One who had been living forever sat down on one of the thrones. His clothes were white as snow, and his hair was like pure wool. His throne, mounted on fiery wheels, was blazing with fire,
10
and a stream of fire was pouring out from it. There were many thousands of people there to serve him, and millions of people stood before him. The court began its session, and the books were opened.
11
While I was looking, I could still hear the little horn bragging and boasting. As I watched, the fourth beast was killed, and its body was thrown into the flames and destroyed.
12
The other beasts had their power taken away, but they were permitted to go on living for a limited time.
13
During this vision in the night, I saw what looked like a human being. He was approaching me, surrounded by clouds, and he went to the one who had been living forever and was presented to him.
14
He was given authority, honor, and royal power, so that the people of all nations, races, and languages would serve him. His authority would last forever, and his kingdom would never end.
15
The visions I saw alarmed me, and I was deeply disturbed.
16
I went up to one of those standing there and asked him to explain it all. So he told me the meaning.
17
He said, "These four huge beasts are four empires which will arise on earth.
18
And the people of the Supreme God will receive royal power and keep it forever and ever."
19
Then I wanted to know more about the fourth beast, which was not like any of the others---the terrifying beast which crushed its victims with its bronze claws and iron teeth and then trampled on them.
20
And I wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and the horn that had come up afterward and had made three of the horns fall. It had eyes and a mouth and was boasting proudly. It was more terrifying than any of the others.
21
While I was looking, that horn made war on God's people and conquered them.
22
Then the one who had been living forever came and pronounced judgment in favor of the people of the Supreme God. The time had arrived for God's people to receive royal power.
23
This is the explanation I was given: "The fourth beast is a fourth empire that will be on the earth and will be different from all other empires. It will crush the whole earth and trample it down.
24
The ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will appear; he will be very different from the earlier ones and will overthrow three kings.
25
He will speak against the Supreme God and oppress God's people. He will try to change their religious laws and festivals, and God's people will be under his power for three and a half years.
26
Then the heavenly court will sit in judgment, take away his power, and destroy him completely.
27
The power and greatness of all the kingdoms on earth will be given to the people of the Supreme God. Their royal power will never end, and all rulers on earth will serve and obey them."
28
This is the end of the account. I was so frightened that I turned pale, and I kept everything to myself.

Daniel chapter 8

1
In the third year that Belshazzar was king, I saw a second vision.
2
In the vision I suddenly found myself in the walled city of Susa in the province of Elam. I was standing by the Ulai River,
3
and there beside the river I saw a ram that had two long horns, one of which was longer and newer than the other.
4
I watched the ram butting with his horns to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stop him or escape his power. He did as he pleased and grew arrogant.
5
While I was wondering what this meant, a goat came rushing out of the west, moving so fast that his feet didn't touch the ground. He had one prominent horn between his eyes.
6
He came toward the ram, which I had seen standing beside the river, and rushed at him with all his force.
7
I watched him attack the ram. He was so angry that he smashed into him and broke the two horns. The ram had no strength to resist. He was thrown to the ground and trampled on, and there was no one who could save him.
8
The goat grew more and more arrogant, but at the height of his power his horn was broken. In its place four prominent horns came up, each pointing in a different direction.
9
Out of one of these four horns grew a little horn, whose power extended toward the south and the east and toward the Promised Land.
10
It grew strong enough to attack the army of heaven, the stars themselves, and it threw some of them to the ground and trampled on them.
11
It even defied the Prince of the heavenly army, stopped the daily sacrifices offered to him, and ruined the Temple.
12
People sinned there instead of offering the proper daily sacrifices, and true religion was thrown to the ground. The horn was successful in everything it did.
13
Then I heard one angel ask another, "How long will these things that were seen in the vision continue? How long will an awful sin replace the daily sacrifices? How long will the army of heaven and the Temple be trampled on?"
14
I heard the other angel answer, "It will continue for 2,300 evenings and mornings, during which sacrifices will not be offered. Then the Temple will be restored."
15
I was trying to understand what the vision meant, when suddenly someone was standing in front of me.
16
I heard a voice call out over the Ulai River, "Gabriel, explain to him the meaning of what he saw."
17
Gabriel came and stood beside me, and I was so terrified that I fell to the ground. He said to me, "Mortal man, understand the meaning. The vision has to do with the end of the world."
18
While he was talking, I fell to the ground unconscious. But he took hold of me, raised me to my feet,
19
and said, "I am showing you what the result of God's anger will be. The vision refers to the time of the end.
20
"The ram you saw that had two horns represents the kingdoms of Media and Persia.
21
The goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the prominent horn between his eyes is the first king.
22
The four horns that came up when the first horn was broken represent the four kingdoms into which that nation will be divided and which will not be as strong as the first kingdom.
23
"When the end of those kingdoms is near and they have become so wicked that they must be punished, there will be a stubborn, vicious, and deceitful king.
24
He will grow strong---but not by his own power. He will cause terrible destruction and be successful in everything he does. He will bring destruction on powerful men and on God's own people.
25
Because he is cunning, he will succeed in his deceitful ways. He will be proud of himself and destroy many people without warning. He will even defy the greatest King of all, but he will be destroyed without the use of any human power.
26
This vision about the evening and morning sacrifices which has been explained to you will come true. But keep it secret now, because it will be a long time before it does come true."
27
I was depressed and ill for several days. Then I got up and went back to the work that the king had assigned to me, but I was puzzled by the vision and could not understand it.

Luke chapter 4

1
Jesus returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the desert,
2
where he was tempted by the Devil for forty days. In all that time he ate nothing, so that he was hungry when it was over.
3
The Devil said to him, "If you are God's Son, order this stone to turn into bread."
4
But Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Human beings cannot live on bread alone.' "
5
Then the Devil took him up and showed him in a second all the kingdoms of the world.
6
"I will give you all this power and all this wealth," the Devil told him. "It has all been handed over to me, and I can give it to anyone I choose.
7
All this will be yours, then, if you worship me."
8
Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!' "
9
Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem and set him on the highest point of the Temple, and said to him, "If you are God's Son, throw yourself down from here.
10
For the scripture says, 'God will order his angels to take good care of you.'
11
It also says, 'They will hold you up with their hands so that not even your feet will be hurt on the stones.' "
12
But Jesus answered, "The scripture says, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
13
When the Devil finished tempting Jesus in every way, he left him for a while.
14
Then Jesus returned to Galilee, and the power of the Holy Spirit was with him. The news about him spread throughout all that territory.
15
He taught in the synagogues and was praised by everyone.
16
Then Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath he went as usual to the synagogue. He stood up to read the Scriptures
17
and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written,
18
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed
19
and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people."
20
Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him,
21
as he said to them, "This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read."
22
They were all well impressed with him and marveled at the eloquent words that he spoke. They said, "Isn't he the son of Joseph?"
23
He said to them, "I am sure that you will quote this proverb to me, 'Doctor, heal yourself.' You will also tell me to do here in my hometown the same things you heard were done in Capernaum.
24
I tell you this," Jesus added, "prophets are never welcomed in their hometown.
25
Listen to me: it is true that there were many widows in Israel during the time of Elijah, when there was no rain for three and a half years and a severe famine spread throughout the whole land.
26
Yet Elijah was not sent to anyone in Israel, but only to a widow living in Zarephath in the territory of Sidon.
27
And there were many people suffering from a dreaded skin disease who lived in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha; yet not one of them was healed, but only Naaman the Syrian."
28
When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were filled with anger.
29
They rose up, dragged Jesus out of town, and took him to the top of the hill on which their town was built. They meant to throw him over the cliff,
30
but he walked through the middle of the crowd and went his way.
31
Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, where he taught the people on the Sabbath.
32
They were all amazed at the way he taught, because he spoke with authority.
33
In the synagogue was a man who had the spirit of an evil demon in him; he screamed out in a loud voice,
34
"Ah! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Are you here to destroy us? I know who you are: you are God's holy messenger!"
35
Jesus ordered the spirit, "Be quiet and come out of the man!" The demon threw the man down in front of them and went out of him without doing him any harm.
36
The people were all amazed and said to one another, "What kind of words are these? With authority and power this man gives orders to the evil spirits, and they come out!"
37
And the report about Jesus spread everywhere in that region.
38
Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon's home. Simon's mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, and they spoke to Jesus about her.
39
He went and stood at her bedside and ordered the fever to leave her. The fever left her, and she got up at once and began to wait on them.
40
After sunset all who had friends who were sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus; he placed his hands on every one of them and healed them all.
41
Demons also went out from many people, screaming, "You are the Son of God!" Jesus gave the demons an order and would not let them speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.
42
At daybreak Jesus left the town and went off to a lonely place. The people started looking for him, and when they found him, they tried to keep him from leaving.
43
But he said to them, "I must preach the Good News about the Kingdom of God in other towns also, because that is what God sent me to do."
44
So he preached in the synagogues throughout the country.

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