Daily Bible Reading Plan

• Jeremiah 29 (3:31)

Jeremiah 29 1 Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the court officials, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.) 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying, 4 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5 'Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 'Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters ; and multiply there and do not decrease. 7 'Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf ; for in its welfare you will have welfare.' 8 "For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. 9 'For they prophesy falsely to you in My name ; I have not sent them,' declares the LORD. 10 "For thus says the LORD, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 'I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.' 15 "Because you have said, 'The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon '- 16 for thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile - 17 thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, I am sending upon them the sword, famine and pestilence, and I will make them like split-open figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness. 18 'I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with pestilence ; and I will make them a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and a horror and a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, 19 because they have not listened to My words,' declares the LORD, 'which I sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets ; but you did not listen,' declares the LORD. 20 "You, therefore, hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. 21 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you falsely in My name, 'Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will slay them before your eyes. 22 'Because of them a curse will be used by all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, "May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire, 23 because they have acted foolishly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and have spoken words in My name falsely, which I did not command them; and I am He who knows and am a witness," declares the LORD.' " 24 To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying, 25 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26 "The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the overseer in the house of the LORD over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and in the iron collar, 27 now then, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who prophesies to you? 28 "For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, 'The exile will be long ; build houses and live in them and plant gardens and eat their produce.' ""' 29 Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet. 30 Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying, 31 "Send to all the exiles, saying, 'Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite, "Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, although I did not send him, and he has made you trust in a lie," 32 therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants ; he will not have anyone living among this people, and he will not see the good that I am about to do to My people," declares the LORD, "because he has preached rebellion against the LORD.""' [[slnc 10000]]

• Jeremiah 30 (2:39)

Jeremiah 30 1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book. 3 'For behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.' The LORD says, 'I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.' " 4 Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah : 5 "For thus says the LORD, 'I have heard a sound of terror, Of dread, and there is no peace. 6 'Ask now, and see If a male can give birth. Why do I see every man With his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth ? And why have all faces turned pale ? 7 'Alas ! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, But he will be saved from it. 8 'It shall come about on that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'that I will break his yoke from off their neck and will tear off their bonds ; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves. 9 'But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. 10 'Fear not, O Jacob My servant,' declares the LORD, 'And do not be dismayed, O Israel ; For behold, I will save you from afar And your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease, And no one will make him afraid. 11 'For I am with you,' declares the LORD, 'to save you; For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you, Only I will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly And will by no means leave you unpunished.' 12 "For thus says the LORD, 'Your wound is incurable And your injury is serious. 13 'There is no one to plead your cause ; No healing for your sore, No recovery for you. 14 'All your lovers have forgotten you, They do not seek you; For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, With the punishment of a cruel one, Because your iniquity is great And your sins are numerous. 15 'Why do you cry out over your injury ? Your pain is incurable. Because your iniquity is great And your sins are numerous, I have done these things to you. 16 'Therefore all who devour you will be devoured ; And all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity ; And those who plunder you will be for plunder, And all who prey upon you I will give for prey. 17 'For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'Because they have called you an outcast, saying: "It is Zion ; no one cares for her."' Restoration of Jacob 18 "Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob And have compassion on his dwelling places ; And the city will be rebuilt on its ruin, And the palace will stand on its rightful place. 19 'From them will proceed thanksgiving And the voice of those who celebrate ; And I will multiply them and they will not be diminished ; I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant. 20 'Their children also will be as formerly, And their congregation shall be established before Me; And I will punish all their oppressors. 21 'Their leader shall be one of them, And their ruler shall come forth from their midst ; And I will bring him near and he shall approach Me; For who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?' declares the LORD. 22 'You shall be My people, And I will be your God.' " 23 Behold, the tempest of the LORD ! Wrath has gone forth, A sweeping tempest ; It will burst on the head of the wicked. 24 The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and until He has accomplished The intent of His heart ; In the latter days you will understand this. [[slnc 10000]]

• Colossians 4 (1:37)

Colossians 4 1 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven. 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving ; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned ; 4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. 5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders , making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. 7 As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. 8 For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts ; 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here. 10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings ; and also Barnabas's cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions ; if he comes to you, welcome him); 11 and also Jesus who is called Justus ; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. 15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. 16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans ; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. 17 Say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it." 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you. [[slnc 10000]]