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First Portion

Exodus Chapter 6

2God spoke to Moses, and He said to him, "I am the Lord.3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob with [the name] Almighty God, but [with] My name YHWH, I did not become known to them.4And also, I established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings in which they sojourned.5And also, I heard the moans of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians are holding in bondage, and I remembered My covenant.6Therefore, say to the children of Israel, 'I am the Lord, and I will take you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will save you from their labor, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.7And I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be a God to you, and you will know that I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.8I will bring you to the land, concerning which I raised My hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it to you as a heritage; I am the Lord.' "9Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel, but they did not hearken to Moses because of [their] shortness of breath and because of [their] hard labor.10The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,11"Come, speak to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and he will let the children of Israel out of his land."12But Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, "Behold, the children of Israel did not hearken to me. How then will Pharaoh hearken to me, seeing that I am of closed lips?"13So the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and He commanded them concerning the children of Israel and concerning Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to let the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Sunday

Genesis 4:1–26 (NLT): Cain and Abel

Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel.

When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

9 Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?”

“I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

13 Cain replied to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear! 14 You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!”

15 The Lord replied, “No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. 16 So Cain left the Lord’s presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

The Descendants of Cain

17 Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain founded a city, which he named Enoch, after his son. 18 Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.

19 Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who raise livestock and live in tents. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal, the first of all who play the harp and flute. 22 Lamech’s other wife, Zillah, gave birth to a son named Tubal-cain. He became an expert in forging tools of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain had a sister named Naamah. 23 One day Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;

listen to me, you wives of Lamech.

I have killed a man who attacked me,

a young man who wounded me.

24 If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times,

then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!”

The Birth of Seth

25 Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name.

Second Portion

Exodus Chapter 6

14These [following] are the heads of the fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Enoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Karmi, these are the families of Reuben.15And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Saul, the son of the Canaanitess, these are the families of Simeon.16And these are the names of Levi's sons after their generations: Gershon, Kehath, and Merari, and the years of Levi's life were one hundred thirty seven years.17The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei to their families.18And the sons of Kehath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, and the years of Kehath's life were one hundred thirty three years.19And the sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi; these are the families of the Levites according to their generations.20Amram took Jochebed, his aunt, as his wife, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, and the years of Amram's life were one hundred thirty seven years.21And the sons of Izhar were Korah and Nepheg and Zichri.22And the sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.23Aaron took to himself for a wife, Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.24And the sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.25Eleazar, the son of Aaron, took himself [one] of the daughters of Putiel to himself as a wife, and she bore him Phinehas; these are the heads of the fathers' [houses] of the Levites according to their families.26That is Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord said, "Take the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt with their legions."27They are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to let the children of Israel out of Egypt; they are Moses and Aaron.28Now it came to pass on the day that the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,

Monday

Acts 7:54–60 (NLT):

54 The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 56 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

57 Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him 58 and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Third Portion

Exodus Chapter 6

29that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "I am the Lord. Speak to Pharaoh everything that I speak to you."30But Moses said before the Lord, "Behold, I am of closed lips; so how will Pharaoh hearken to me?"

Exodus Chapter 7

1The Lord said to Moses, "See! I have made you a lord over Pharaoh, and Aaron, your brother, will be your speaker.2You shall speak all that I command you, and Aaron, your brother, shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel out of his land.3But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and I will increase My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.4But Pharaoh will not hearken to you, and I will lay My hand upon the Egyptians, and I will take My legions, My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt with great judgments.5And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I stretch forth My hand over Egypt, and I will take the children of Israel out of their midst."6Moses and Aaron did; as the Lord commanded them, so they did.7And Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Tuesday

Matthew 2:1–18 (NLT): Visitors from the East

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,

are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,

for a ruler will come from you

who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

The Escape to Egypt

13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”

16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

18 “A cry was heard in Ramah—

weeping and great mourning.

Rachel weeps for her children,

refusing to be comforted,

for they are dead.”

Fourth Portion

Exodus Chapter 7

8The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,9"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Provide a sign for yourselves,' you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff, [and] cast [it] before Pharaoh; it will become a serpent.' "10[Thereupon,] Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and they did so, as the Lord had commanded; Aaron cast his staff before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.11[Then,] Pharaoh too summoned the wise men and the magicians, and the necromancers of Egypt also did likewise with their magic.12Each one of them cast down his staff, and they became serpents; but Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs.13But Pharaoh's heart remained steadfast, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had spoken.14The Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is heavy; he has refused to let the people out.15Go to Pharaoh in the morning; behold, he is going forth to the water, and you shall stand opposite him on the bank of the Nile, and the staff that was turned into a serpent you shall take in your hand.16And you shall say to him, 'The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to you, saying, "Send forth My people, so that they may serve Me in the desert," but behold, until now, you have not hearkened.17So said the Lord, "With this you will know that I am the Lord." Behold, I will smite with the staff that is in my hand upon the water that is in the Nile, and it will turn to blood.18And the fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will become putrid, and the Egyptians will weary [in their efforts] to drink water from the Nile.'"19The Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch forth your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their canals, over their ponds, and over all their bodies of water, and they will become blood, and there will be blood throughout the entire land of Egypt, even in wood and in stone.' "20Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord had commanded, and he raised the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile before the eyes of Pharaoh and before the eyes of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile turned to blood.21And the fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile became putrid; the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile, and there was blood throughout the entire land of Egypt.22And the necromancers of Egypt did likewise with their secret rites, and Pharaoh's heart was steadfast, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had spoken.23Pharaoh turned and went home, and he paid no heed even to this.24All the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink because they could not drink from the water of the Nile.25Seven full days passed after the Lord had smitten the Nile.26The Lord said to Moses, "Come to Pharaoh and say to him, 'So said the Lord, "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.27But if you refuse to let [them] go, behold, I will smite all your borders with frogs.28And the Nile will swarm with frogs, and they will go up and come into your house and into your bedroom and upon your bed and into the house of your servants and into your people, and into your ovens and into your kneading troughs;29and into you and into your people and into all your servants, the frogs will ascend.'"

Exodus Chapter 8

1The Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, stretch forth your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals, and over the ponds, and bring up the frogs on the land of Egypt."2And Aaron stretched forth his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.3And the necromancers did likewise with their secret rites, and they brought up the frogs on the land of Egypt.4Thereupon, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and said, "Entreat the Lord that He remove the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let out the people [of Israel] so that they may sacrifice to the Lord."5And Moses said to Pharaoh, "Boast [of your superiority] over me. For when shall I entreat for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and from your houses, [that] they should remain only in the Nile? "6And he [Pharaoh] said, "For tomorrow." And he [Moses] said, "As you say, in order that you should know that there is none like the Lord, our God.

Wednesday

Revelation 6:9–17 (NLT):

9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. 10 They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them.

12 I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. 13 Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.

15 Then everyone—the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person—all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?”

Fifth Portion

Exodus Chapter 8

7And the frogs will depart from you and from your houses and from your servants and from your people; only in the Nile will they remain."8And Moses and Aaron went away from Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs that He had brought upon Pharaoh.9And the Lord did according to Moses' word, and the frogs died from the houses, from the courtyards, and from the fields.10They gathered them into many heaps, and the land stank.11When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had spoken.12The Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch forth your staff and strike the dust of the earth, and it shall become lice throughout the entire land of Egypt.' "13They did so, and Aaron stretched forth his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and the lice were upon man and beast; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout the entire land of Egypt.14And the necromancers did likewise with their secret rites to bring out the lice, but they could not, and the lice were upon man and beast.15So the necromancers said to Pharaoh, "It is the finger of God," but Pharaoh's heart remained steadfast, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had spoken.16And the Lord said to Moses, "Arise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, behold, he is going out to the water, and you shall say to him, 'So said the Lord, "Let My people go out and serve Me.17For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will incite against you and against your servants and against your people and in your houses a mixture of noxious creatures, and the houses of Egypt will be filled with the mixture of noxious creatures, as well as the land upon which they are.18And I will separate on that day the land of Goshen, upon which My people stand, that there will be no mixture of noxious creatures there, in order that you know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.

Thursday

Psalm 94:1–10 (NLT):

1 O Lord, the God of vengeance,

O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth!

2 Arise, O Judge of the earth.

Give the proud what they deserve.

3 How long, O Lord?

How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat?

4 How long will they speak with arrogance?

How long will these evil people boast?

5 They crush your people, Lord,

hurting those you claim as your own.

6 They kill widows and foreigners

and murder orphans.

7 “The Lord isn’t looking,” they say,

“and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.”

8 Think again, you fools!

When will you finally catch on?

9 Is he deaf—the one who made your ears?

Is he blind—the one who formed your eyes?

10 He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you?

He knows everything—doesn’t he also know what you are doing?

Sixth Portion

Exodus Chapter 8

19And I will make a redemption between My people and your people; this sign will come about tomorrow." ' "20The Lord did so, and a heavy mixture of noxious creatures came to Pharaoh's house and his servants' house, and throughout the entire land of Egypt, the land was destroyed because of the mixture of noxious creatures.21Thereupon, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and he said, "Go, sacrifice to your God in the land."22But Moses said, "It is improper to do that, for we will sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to God our Lord. Will we sacrifice the deity of the Egyptians before their eyes, and they will not stone us?23Let us go [for] a three day journey in the desert and sacrifice to the Lord, our God, as He will say to us."24Pharaoh said, "I will let you go out, and you will sacrifice to the Lord, your God, in the desert, but do not go far away; entreat [Him] on my behalf."25Moses said, "Behold, I am going away from you, and I will entreat the Lord, and the mixture of noxious creatures will depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only let Pharaoh not tease anymore, by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord."26So Moses went away from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord.27And the Lord did according to Moses' word, and He removed the mixture of noxious creatures from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one was left.28But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.

Exodus Chapter 9

1The Lord said to Moses, "Come to Pharaoh and speak to him, 'So said the Lord, God of the Hebrews, "Send out My people so that they may serve Me.2For if you refuse to let them go, and you still hold on to them,3behold, the hand of the Lord will be upon your livestock that is in the field, upon the horses, upon the donkeys, upon the camels, upon the cattle, and upon the sheep, a very severe pestilence.4And the Lord will make a separation between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing of the children of Israel will die. " ' "5The Lord set an appointed time, saying, "Tomorrow, God will do this thing in the land."6God did this thing on the morrow, and all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but of the livestock of the children of Israel not one died.7And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not even one of the livestock of Israel died, but Pharaoh's heart became hardened, and he did not let the people out.8The Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, "Take yourselves handfuls of furnace soot, and Moses shall cast it heavenward before Pharaoh's eyes.9And it will become dust upon the entire land of Egypt, and it will become boils, breaking out into blisters upon man and upon beast throughout the entire land of Egypt."10So they took furnace soot, and they stood before Pharaoh, and Moses cast it heavenward, and it became boils breaking out into blisters upon man and upon beast.11And the necromancers could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were upon the necromancers and upon all Egypt.12But the Lord strengthened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord spoke to Moses.13The Lord said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and stand erect before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'So said the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, "Let My people go so that they may worship Me.14Because this time, I am sending all My plagues into your heart and into your servants and into your people, in order that you know that there is none like Me in the entire earth.15For if now I had stretched forth My hand, and I had smitten you and your people with pestilence, you would have been annihilated from the earth.16But, for this [reason] I have allowed you to stand, in order to show you My strength and in order to declare My name all over the earth.

Friday

Psalm 94:11–23 (NLT):

11 The Lord knows people’s thoughts;

he knows they are worthless!

12 Joyful are those you discipline, Lord,

those you teach with your instructions.

13 You give them relief from troubled times

until a pit is dug to capture the wicked.

14 The Lord will not reject his people;

he will not abandon his special possession.

15 Judgment will again be founded on justice,

and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.

16 Who will protect me from the wicked?

Who will stand up for me against evildoers?

17 Unless the Lord had helped me,

I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave.

18 I cried out, “I am slipping!”

but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.

19 When doubts filled my mind,

your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

20 Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side—

leaders whose decrees permit injustice?

21 They gang up against the righteous

and condemn the innocent to death.

22 But the Lord is my fortress;

my God is the mighty rock where I hide.

23 God will turn the sins of evil people back on them.

He will destroy them for their sins.

The Lord our God will destroy them.

Seventh Portion

Exodus Chapter 9

17If you still tread upon My people, not letting them out,18behold, I am going to rain down at this time tomorrow a very heavy hail, the likes of which has never been in Egypt from the day of its being founded until now.19And now, send, gather in your livestock and all that you have in the field, any man or beast that is found in the field and not brought into the house the hail shall fall on them, and they will die." ' "20He who feared the word of the Lord of Pharaoh's servants drove his servants and his livestock into the houses.21But he who did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field.22The Lord said to Moses, "Stretch forth your hand heavenward, and hail will be upon the entire land of Egypt, upon man and upon beast and upon all the vegetation of the field in the land of Egypt."23So Moses stretched forth his staff heavenward, and the Lord gave forth thunder and hail, and fire came down to the earth, and the Lord rained down hail upon the land of Egypt.24And there was hail, and fire flaming within the hail, very heavy, the likes of which had never been throughout the entire land of Egypt since it had become a nation.25The hail struck throughout the entire land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast, and the hail struck all the vegetation of the field, and it broke all the trees of the field.26Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.27So Pharaoh sent and summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, "I have sinned this time. The Lord is the righteous One, and I and my people are the guilty ones.28Entreat the Lord, and let it be enough of God's thunder and hail, and I will let you go, and you shall not continue to stand."29And Moses said to him, "When I leave the city, I will spread my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, in order that you know that the land is the Lord's.30But you and your servants I know that you still do not fear the Lord God,31though the flax and the barley have been broken, for the barley is in the ear, and the flax is in the stalk.32The wheat and the spelt, however, have not been broken because they ripen late."33Moses went away from Pharaoh, out of the city, and he spread out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and rain did not come down to earth.34And Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased; so he continued to sin, and he strengthened his heart, he and his servants.35And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go out, as the Lord had spoken through the hand of Moses.

Saturday

1 John 3:4–13 (NLT):

4 Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

Love One Another

11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

Maftir Portion

Exodus Chapter 9

33Moses went away from Pharaoh, out of the city, and he spread out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and rain did not come down to earth.34And Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased; so he continued to sin, and he strengthened his heart, he and his servants.35And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go out, as the Lord had spoken through the hand of Moses.

Haftarah

Ezekiel Chapter 28

25So says the Lord God: When I gather in the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered, and I have been sanctified through them in the eyes of the nations, then shall they dwell on their land that I gave to My servant, to Jacob.26And they shall dwell upon it securely, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards and dwell securely when I execute judgments against all those who plunder them from all around them, and they shall know that I am the Lord their God."

Ezekiel Chapter 29

1In the tenth year, in the tenth [month], on the twelfth of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying:2"Son of man! Set your face against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.3Speak and you shall say; So says the Lord God: Behold I am upon you, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great crocodile that lies down in the midst of its rivers, who said, "My river is my own, and I made myself."4And I will put hooks in your jaws and I will cause the fish of your rivers to fasten onto your scales, and I will drag you up out of the midst of your rivers and all the fish of your rivers shall stick to your scales.5And I will scatter you in the desert, you and all the fish of your rivers; upon the open fields shall you fall-you shall not be brought home, nor gathered together; to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the air have I given you to be devoured.6And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the Lord, because they have been a prop of reeds to the house of Israel.7When they took hold of you with the hand, you splintered and pierced the whole of their shoulders, and when they leaned upon you, you broke, and you made all their loins stand upright.8Therefore, so says the Lord God: Behold I will bring the sword over you, and I will cut off from you man and beast.9And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and in ruins, and they shall know that I am the Lord! Because he said, "The river is mine, and I have made it."10Therefore, behold I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt into ruins, ruins of desolation from Migdol till Syene and until the border of Ethiopia.11No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited for forty years.12And I will make the land of Egypt desolate even amongst the desolate lands, and its cities, a desolation even amongst cities in ruins, forty years.13Yet thus has the Lord God said: At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they have been scattered.14And I will return the captives of Egypt and will lead them to the land of Pathros, to the land of their habitation, and they shall be there an unimportant kingdom.15It shall be the lowest of the kingdoms and shall no longer exalt itself above the nations, for I will diminish their numbers so that they shall not domineer over the nations.16And it will no longer be confidence of the House of Israel, bringing iniquity into remembrance when they turn after them, and they shall know that I am the Lord God.17And it came to pass in the twenty-seventh year in the first [month], on the first of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying:18"Son of man! Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, made his army serve a great work against Tyre; every head became bald and every shoulder sore, yet he had no reward nor did his army out of Tyre for the service he had served against it.19Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Behold I will give Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, the land of Egypt, and he shall carry away its multitude, pillage its spoils, and plunder its booty, and that shall be the reward for his army.20For his labor wherewith he worked against it I have given him the land of Egypt, because of what they did to Me, says the Lord God.21On that day will I cause the horn of the House of Israel to blossom out, and I will give you free speech in their midst, and they shall know that I am the Lord."

AME Zion Universal Reading December 26th 2021

Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Exodus Chapter 1

1And these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt; with Jacob, each man and his household came:2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin.4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.5Now all those descended from Jacob were seventy souls, and Joseph, [who] was in Egypt.6Now Joseph died, as well as all his brothers and all that generation.7The children of Israel were fruitful and swarmed and increased and became very very strong, and the land became filled with them.8A new king arose over Egypt, who did not know about Joseph.9He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more numerous and stronger than we are.10Get ready, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they increase, and a war befall us, and they join our enemies and wage war against us and depart from the land."11So they appointed over them tax collectors to afflict them with their burdens, and they built store cities for Pharaoh, namely Pithom and Raamses.12But as much as they would afflict them, so did they multiply and so did they gain strength, and they were disgusted because of the children of Israel.13So the Egyptians enslaved the children of Israel with back breaking labor.14And they embittered their lives with hard labor, with clay and with bricks and with all kinds of labor in the fields, all their work that they worked with them with back breaking labor.15Now the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one who was named Shifrah, and the second, who was named Puah.16And he said, "When you deliver the Hebrew women, and you see on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall put him to death, but if it is a daughter, she may live."17The midwives, however, feared God; so they did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them, but they enabled the boys to live.

Sunday

Nahum 1:2–15 (NLT): The Lord’s Anger against Nineveh

2 The Lord is a jealous God,

filled with vengeance and rage.

He takes revenge on all who oppose him

and continues to rage against his enemies!

3 The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great,

and he never lets the guilty go unpunished.

He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm.

The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet.

4 At his command the oceans dry up,

and the rivers disappear.

The lush pastures of Bashan and Carmel fade,

and the green forests of Lebanon wither.

5 In his presence the mountains quake,

and the hills melt away;

the earth trembles,

and its people are destroyed.

6 Who can stand before his fierce anger?

Who can survive his burning fury?

His rage blazes forth like fire,

and the mountains crumble to dust in his presence.

7 The Lord is good,

a strong refuge when trouble comes.

He is close to those who trust in him.

8 But he will sweep away his enemies

in an overwhelming flood.

He will pursue his foes

into the darkness of night.

9 Why are you scheming against the Lord?

He will destroy you with one blow;

he won’t need to strike twice!

10 His enemies, tangled like thornbushes

and staggering like drunks,

will be burned up like dry stubble in a field.

11 Who is this wicked counselor of yours

who plots evil against the Lord?

12 This is what the Lord says:

“Though the Assyrians have many allies,

they will be destroyed and disappear.

O my people, I have punished you before,

but I will not punish you again.

13 Now I will break the yoke of bondage from your neck

and tear off the chains of Assyrian oppression.”

14 And this is what the Lord says concerning the Assyrians in Nineveh:

“You will have no more children to carry on your name.

I will destroy all the idols in the temples of your gods.

I am preparing a grave for you

because you are despicable!”

15  Look! A messenger is coming over the mountains with good news!

He is bringing a message of peace.

Celebrate your festivals, O people of Judah,

and fulfill all your vows,

for your wicked enemies will never invade your land again.

They will be completely destroyed!

Second Portion

Exodus Chapter 1

18So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, that you have enabled the boys to live?"19And the midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are skilled as midwives; when the midwife has not yet come to them, they have [already] given birth."20God benefited the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong.21Now it took place when the midwives feared God, that He made houses for them.22And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you shall cast into the Nile, and every daughter you shall allow to live."

Exodus Chapter 2

1A man of the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi.2The woman conceived and bore a son, and [when] she saw him that he was good, she hid him for three months.3[When] she could no longer hide him, she took [for] him a reed basket, smeared it with clay and pitch, placed the child into it, and put [it] into the marsh at the Nile's edge.4His sister stood from afar, to know what would be done to him.5Pharaoh's daughter went down to bathe, to the Nile, and her maidens were walking along the Nile, and she saw the basket in the midst of the marsh, and she sent her maidservant, and she took it.6She opened [it], and she saw him the child, and behold, he was a weeping lad, and she had compassion on him, and she said, "This is [one] of the children of the Hebrews."7His sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call for you a wet nurse from the Hebrew women, so that she shall nurse the child for you?"8Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go!" So the girl went and called the child's mother.9Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will give [you] your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.10The child grew up, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became like her son. She named him Moses, and she said, "For I drew him from the water."

Monday

Psalm 33:1–12 (NLT):

1 Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord;

it is fitting for the pure to praise him.

2 Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre;

make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.

3 Sing a new song of praise to him;

play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.

4 For the word of the Lord holds true,

and we can trust everything he does.

5 He loves whatever is just and good;

the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.

6 The Lord merely spoke,

and the heavens were created.

He breathed the word,

and all the stars were born.

7 He assigned the sea its boundaries

and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.

8 Let the whole world fear the Lord,

and let everyone stand in awe of him.

9 For when he spoke, the world began!

It appeared at his command.

10 The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations

and thwarts all their schemes.

11 But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever;

his intentions can never be shaken.

12 What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord,

whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.

Third Portion

Exodus Chapter 2

11Now it came to pass in those days that Moses grew up and went out to his brothers and looked at their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man of his brothers.12He turned this way and that way, and he saw that there was no man; so he struck the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.13He went out on the second day, and behold, two Hebrew men were quarreling, and he said to the wicked one, "Why are you going to strike your friend?"14And he retorted, "Who made you a man, a prince, and a judge over us? Do you plan to slay me as you have slain the Egyptian?" Moses became frightened and said, "Indeed, the matter has become known!"15Pharaoh heard of this incident, and he sought to slay Moses; so Moses fled from before Pharaoh. He stayed in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.16Now the chief of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew [water], and they filled the troughs to water their father's flocks.17But the shepherds came and drove them away; so Moses arose and rescued them and watered their flocks.18They came to their father Reuel, and he said, "Why have you come so quickly today?"19They replied, "An Egyptian man rescued us from the hand[s] of the shepherds, and he also drew [water] for us and watered the flocks."20He said to his daughters, "So where is he? Why have you left the man? Invite him, and let him eat bread."21Moses consented to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.22She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, "I was a stranger in a foreign land."23Now it came to pass in those many days that the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed from the labor, and they cried out, and their cry ascended to God from the labor.24God heard their cry, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.25And God saw the children of Israel, and God knew.

Tuesday

Isaiah 61:4–9 (NLT):

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins,

repairing cities destroyed long ago.

They will revive them,

though they have been deserted for many generations.

5 Foreigners will be your servants.

They will feed your flocks

and plow your fields

and tend your vineyards.

6 You will be called priests of the Lord,

ministers of our God.

You will feed on the treasures of the nations

and boast in their riches.

7 Instead of shame and dishonor,

you will enjoy a double share of honor.

You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land,

and everlasting joy will be yours.

8 “For I, the Lord, love justice.

I hate robbery and wrongdoing.

I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering

and make an everlasting covenant with them.

9 Their descendants will be recognized

and honored among the nations.

Everyone will realize that they are a people

the Lord has blessed.”

Fourth Portion

Exodus Chapter 3

1Moses was pasturing the flocks of Jethro, his father in law, the chief of Midian, and he led the flocks after the free pastureland, and he came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.2An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within the thorn bush, and behold, the thorn bush was burning with fire, but the thorn bush was not being consumed.3So Moses said, "Let me turn now and see this great spectacle why does the thorn bush not burn up?"4The Lord saw that he had turned to see, and God called to him from within the thorn bush, and He said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am!"5And He said, "Do not draw near here. Take your shoes off your feet, because the place upon which you stand is holy soil."6And He said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look toward God.7And the Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their slave drivers, for I know their pains.8I have descended to rescue them from the hand[s] of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land, to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivvites, and the Jebusites.9And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression that the Egyptians are oppressing them.10So now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and take My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."11But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should take the children of Israel out of Egypt?"12And He said, "For I will be with you, and this is the sign for you that it was I Who sent you. When you take the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."13And Moses said to God, "Behold I come to the children of Israel, and I say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"14God said to Moses, "Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I will be what I will be)," and He said, "So shall you say to the children of Israel, 'Ehyeh (I will be) has sent me to you.'"15And God said further to Moses, "So shall you say to the children of Israel, 'The Lord God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is how I should be mentioned in every generation.

Wednesday

Luke 1:26–37 (NLT): The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.”

Fifth Portion

Exodus Chapter 3

16Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, 'The Lord God of your forefathers has appeared to me, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, "I have surely remembered you and what is being done to you in Egypt." '17And I said, 'I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivvites, and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.'18And they will hearken to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to him, 'The Lord God of the Hebrews has happened upon us, and now, let us go for a three days' journey in the desert and offer up sacrifices to the Lord, our God.'19However, I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except through a mighty hand.20And I will stretch forth My hand and smite the Egyptians with all My miracles that I will wreak in their midst, and afterwards he will send you out.21And I will put this people's favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and it will come to pass that when you go, you will not go empty handed.22Each woman shall borrow from her neighbor and from the dweller in her house silver and gold objects and garments, and you shall put [them] on your sons and on your daughters, and you shall empty out Egypt."

Exodus Chapter 4

1Moses answered and said, "Behold they will not believe me, and they will not heed my voice, but they will say, 'The Lord has not appeared to you.' "2And the Lord said to him, "What is this in your hand?" And he said, "A staff."3And He said, "Cast it to the ground," and he cast it to the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses fled from before it.4And the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch forth your hand and take hold of its tail." So Moses stretched forth his hand and grasped it, and it became a staff in his hand.5"In order that they believe that the Lord, the God of their forefathers, has appeared to you, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."6And the Lord said further to him, "Now put your hand into your bosom," and he put his hand into his bosom, and he took it out, and behold, his hand was leprous like snow.7And He said, "Put your hand back into your bosom," and he put his hand back into his bosom, and [when] he took it out of his bosom, it had become again like [the rest of] his flesh.8"And it will come to pass, that if they do not believe you, and they do not heed the voice of the first sign, they will believe the voice of the last sign.9And it will come to pass, if they do not believe either of these two signs, and they do not heed your voice, you shall take of the water of the Nile and spill it upon the dry land, and the water that you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry land."10Moses said to the Lord, "I beseech You, O Lord. I am not a man of words, neither from yesterday nor from the day before yesterday, nor from the time You have spoken to Your servant, for I am heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue."11But the Lord said to him, "Who gave man a mouth, or who makes [one] dumb or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?12So now, go! I will be with your mouth, and I will instruct you what you shall speak. "13But he said, "I beseech You, O Lord, send now [Your message] with whom You would send."14And the Lord's wrath was kindled against Moses, and He said, "Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite? I know that he will surely speak, and behold, he is coming forth toward you, and when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart.15You shall speak to him, and you shall put the words into his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will instruct you [both] what you shall do.16And he will speak for you to the people, and it will be that he will be your speaker, and you will be his leader.17And you shall take this staff in your hand, with which you shall perform the signs."

Thursday

Psalm 72:1–14 (NLT):

1 Give your love of justice to the king, O God,

and righteousness to the king’s son.

2 Help him judge your people in the right way;

let the poor always be treated fairly.

3 May the mountains yield prosperity for all,

and may the hills be fruitful.

4 Help him to defend the poor,

to rescue the children of the needy,

and to crush their oppressors.

5 May they fear you as long as the sun shines,

as long as the moon remains in the sky.

Yes, forever!

6 May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass,

like the showers that water the earth.

7 May all the godly flourish during his reign.

May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more.

8 May he reign from sea to sea,

and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

9 Desert nomads will bow before him;

his enemies will fall before him in the dust.

10 The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands

will bring him tribute.

The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba

will bring him gifts.

11 All kings will bow before him,

and all nations will serve him.

12 He will rescue the poor when they cry to him;

he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.

13 He feels pity for the weak and the needy,

and he will rescue them.

14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,

for their lives are precious to him.

Sixth Portion

Exodus Chapter 4

18Moses went and returned to Jether, his father in law, and he said to him, "Let me go now and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and let me see whether they are still alive." So Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."19The Lord said to Moses in Midian, "Go, return to Egypt, for all the people who sought your life have died."20So Moses took his wife and his sons, mounted them upon the donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt, and Moses took the staff of God in his hand.21The Lord said to Moses, "When you go to return to Egypt, see all the signs that I have placed in your hand and perform them before Pharaoh, but I will strengthen his heart, and he will not send out the people.22And you shall say to Pharaoh, 'So said the Lord, "My firstborn son is Israel." '23So I say to you, 'Send out My son so that he will worship Me, but if you refuse to send him out, behold, I am going to slay your firstborn son.' "24Now he was on the way, in an inn, that the Lord met him and sought to put him to death.25So Zipporah took a sharp stone and severed her son's foreskin and cast it to his feet, and she said, "For you are a bridegroom of blood to me."26So He released him. Then she said, "A bridegroom of blood concerning the circumcision."27The Lord said to Aaron, "Go toward Moses, to the desert." So he went and met him on the mount of God, and he kissed him.28And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him and all the signs that He had commanded him.29So Moses and Aaron went, and they assembled all the elders of the children of Israel.30And Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs before the eyes of the people.31And the people believed, and they heard that the Lord had remembered the children of Israel and that He saw their affliction, and they kneeled and prostrated themselves.

Friday

Luke 1:46–55 (NLT): The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise

46 Mary responded,

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,

and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

49 For the Mighty One is holy,

and he has done great things for me.

50 He shows mercy from generation to generation

to all who fear him.

51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!

He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

52 He has brought down princes from their thrones

and exalted the humble.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things

and sent the rich away with empty hands.

54 He has helped his servant Israel

and remembered to be merciful.

55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,

to Abraham and his children forever.”

Seventh Portion

Exodus Chapter 5

1And afterwards, Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, "So said the Lord God of Israel, 'Send out My people, and let them sacrifice to Me in the desert.' "2And Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord that I should heed His voice to let Israel out? I do not know the Lord, neither will I let Israel out."3And they said, "The God of the Hebrews has happened upon us. Now let us go on a three day journey in the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He strike us with a plague or with the sword."4But the king of Egypt said to them, "Why, Moses and Aaron, do you disturb the people from their work? Go to your own labors."5And Pharaoh said, "Behold, now the people of the land are many, and you are stopping them from their labors."6So, on that day, Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,7"You shall not continue to give stubble to the people to make the bricks like yesterday and the day before yesterday. Let them go and gather stubble for themselves.8But the number of bricks they have been making yesterday and the day before yesterday you shall impose upon them; you shall not reduce it, for they are lax. Therefore they cry out, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'9Let the labor fall heavy upon the men and let them work at it, and let them not talk about false matters."10So the taskmasters of the people and their officers came out and spoke to the people, saying, "So said Pharaoh, 'I am not giving you stubble.11You go take for yourselves stubble from wherever you find [it], because nothing will be reduced from your work.' "12So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt, to gather a gleaning for stubble.13And the taskmasters were pressing [them], saying, "Finish your work, the requirement of each day in its day, just as when there was stubble."14And the officers of the children of Israel whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten, saying, "Why have you not completed your quota to make bricks like the day before yesterday, neither yesterday nor today?"15So the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you do this to your servants?16Stubble is not given to your servants, but they tell us, 'Make bricks,' and behold, your servants are beaten, and your people are sinning."17But he said, "You are lax, just lax. Therefore, you say, 'Let us go, let us sacrifice to the Lord.'18And now, go and work, but you will not be given stubble. Nevertheless, the [same] number of bricks you must give."19The officers of the children of Israel saw them in distress, saying, "Do not reduce [the number] of your bricks, the requirement of each day in its day."20They met Moses and Aaron standing before them when they came out from Pharaoh's presence.21And they said to them, "May the Lord look upon you and judge, for you have brought us into foul odor in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to place a sword into their hand[s] to kill us."22So Moses returned to the Lord and said, "O Lord! Why have You harmed this people? Why have You sent me?23Since I have come to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has harmed this people, and You have not saved Your people."

Exodus Chapter 6

1And the Lord said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for with a mighty hand he will send them out, and with a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land."

Saturday

Luke 2:1–7 (NLT): The Birth of Jesus

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Maftir Portion

Exodus Chapter 5

22So Moses returned to the Lord and said, "O Lord! Why have You harmed this people? Why have You sent me?23Since I have come to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has harmed this people, and You have not saved Your people."Exodus Chapter 6 1And the Lord said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for with a mighty hand he will send them out, and with a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land."

Haftarah

Isaiah Chapter 27

6Those who came, whom Jacob caused to take root, Israel flourished and blossomed and they filled the face of the world with fruitage.7Like the smiting who smote him did He smite him: like the slaying of his slain ones, was he slain?8In that measure, when they sent them out, it strove with it; He spoke with His harsh wind on the day of the east wind.9Therefore, with this shall Jacob's iniquity be atoned for, and this is all the fruit of removing his sin; by making all the altar stones like crushed chalkstones; asherim and sun-images shall not rise.10For a fortified city is solitary, a dwelling is forsaken and abandoned like a pasture; there a calf shall graze, and there he shall lie and consume its branches.11When its branches dry out, they shall be broken; women shall come and ignite it, for it is not a people of understanding; therefore, its Maker shall not have compassion on it, and He Who formed it shall not grant it favor.12And it shall come to pass on that day, that the Lord shall gather from the flood of the river to the stream of Egypt, and you shall be gathered one by one, O children of Israel.13And it shall come to pass on that day, that a great shofar shall be sounded, and those lost in the land of Assyria and those exiled in the land of Egypt shall come and they shall prostrate themselves before the Lord on the holy mount in Jerusalem.

Isaiah Chapter 28

1Woe is to the crown of the pride of the drunkards of Ephraim and the young fruit of an inferior fig is the position of his glory, which is at the end of a valley of fatness, crushed by wine.2Behold God [has] a strong and powerful [wind], like a downpour of hail, a storm of destruction, like a stream of powerful, flooding water, He lays it on the land with [His] hand.3With the feet, they shall be trampled, the crown of the pride of the drunkards of Ephraim.4And his glorious beauty shall be the young fruit of an inferior fig, which is on the head of the valley of fatness; as a fig that ripens before the summer, which, if the seer sees it, he will swallow it while it is still in his hand.5On that day, the Lord of Hosts shall be for a crown of beauty and for a diadem of glory, for the rest of His people.6And for a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and for might for those who bring back the war to the gate.7These, too, erred because of wine and strayed because of strong wine; priest and prophet erred because of strong wine, they became corrupt because of wine; they went astray because of strong wine, they erred against the seer, they caused justice to stumble.8For all tables were filled with vomit and ordure, without place.9Whom shall he teach knowledge and to whom shall he explain the message? To those weaned from milk, removed from breasts?10For a precept for a precept, a precept for a precept, a line for a line, a line for a line, a little there, a little there.11For with distorted speech and in another language, does he speak to this people.12For he said to them, "This is the rest; give rest to the weary, and this is the tranquility," but they would not listen.13And the word of the Lord shall be for them a precept for a precept, a precept for a precept, a line for a line, a line for a line, a little there, a little there, in order that they go and stumble backwards and be broken, and be trapped and caught.

Isaiah Chapter 29

22Therefore, so said the Lord to the House of Jacob, Who redeemed Abraham, "Now Jacob shall not be ashamed, and now his face shall not pale.23For, when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, who shall hallow My name, and they shall hallow the Holy One of Jacob, and the God of Israel they shall revere.

AME Zion Universal Reading December 19th 2021

Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Genesis Chapter 47

28And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years, and Jacob's days, the years of his life, were a hundred and forty seven years.29When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have now found favor in your eyes, now place your hand beneath my thigh, and you shall deal with me with lovingkindness and truth; do not bury me now in Egypt.30I will lie with my forefathers, and you shall carry me out of Egypt, and you shall bury me in their grave." And he said, "I will do as you say."31And he said, "Swear to me. " So he swore to him, and Israel prostrated himself on the head of the bed.

Genesis Chapter 48

1Now it came to pass after these incidents that [someone] said to Joseph, "Behold, your father is ill." So he took his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim.2And [someone] told Jacob and said, "Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you." And Israel summoned his strength and sat up on the bed.3And Jacob said to Joseph, "Almighty God appeared to me in Luz, in the land of Canaan, and He blessed me.4And He said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and cause you to multiply, and I will make you into a congregation of peoples, and I will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting inheritance.'5And now, [as for] your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt, until I came to you, to the land of Egypt they are mine. Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine like Reuben and Simeon.6But your children, if you beget [any] after them, shall be yours; by their brothers' names they shall be called in their inheritance.7As for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died to me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still a stretch of land to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem."8Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and he said, "Who are these?"9Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God gave me here." So he said, "Now bring them near to me, so that I may bless them."

Sunday

Isaiah 9:1–7 (NLT): Hope in the Messiah

1 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

2  The people who walk in darkness

will see a great light.

For those who live in a land of deep darkness,

a light will shine.

3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel,

and its people will rejoice.

They will rejoice before you

as people rejoice at the harvest

and like warriors dividing the plunder.

4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery

and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.

You will break the oppressor’s rod,

just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.

5 The boots of the warrior

and the uniforms bloodstained by war

will all be burned.

They will be fuel for the fire.

6 For a child is born to us,

a son is given to us.

The government will rest on his shoulders.

And he will be called:

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 His government and its peace

will never end.

He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David

for all eternity.

The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies

will make this happen!

Second Portion

Genesis Chapter 48

10Now Israel's eyes had become heavy with age, [to the extent that] he could not see. So he drew them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them.11And Israel said to Joseph, "I had not expected to see [even] your face, and behold, God has shown me your children too."12And Joseph took them out from upon his [Jacob's] knees, and he prostrated himself to the ground.13And Joseph took them both, Ephraim at his right, from Israel's left, and Manasseh at his left, from Israel's right, and he brought [them] near to him.14But Israel stretched out his right hand and placed [it] on Ephraim's head, although he was the younger, and his left hand [he placed] on Manasseh's head. He guided his hands deliberately, for Manasseh was the firstborn.15And he blessed Joseph and said, "God, before Whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, walked, God Who sustained me as long as I am alive, until this day,16may the angel who redeemed me from all harm bless the youths, and may they be called by my name and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and may they multiply abundantly like fish, in the midst of the land."

Monday

Leviticus 19:1–2 (NLT): Holiness in Personal Conduct

The Lord also said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

Leviticus 19:11–18 (NLT):

11 “Do not steal.

“Do not deceive or cheat one another.

12 “Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord.

13 “Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.

“Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay.

14 “Do not insult the deaf or cause the blind to stumble. You must fear your God; I am the Lord.

15 “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.

16 “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.

“Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord.

17 “Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.

18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Third Portion

Genesis Chapter 48

17And Joseph saw that his father was placing his right hand on Ephraim's head, and it displeased him. So he held up his father's hand to remove it from upon Ephraim's head [to place it] on Manasseh's head.18And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, Father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."19But his father refused, and he said, "I know, my son, I know; he too will become a people, and he too will be great. But his younger brother will be greater than he, and his children['s fame] will fill the nations."20So he blessed them on that day, saying, "With you, Israel will bless, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh,' " and he placed Ephraim before Manasseh.21And Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am going to die, and God will be with you, and He will return you to the land of your forefathers.22And I have given you one portion over your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."

Tuesday

Psalm 89:14–21 (NLT):

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.

Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.

15 Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,

for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

16 They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation.

They exult in your righteousness.

17 You are their glorious strength.

It pleases you to make us strong.

18 Yes, our protection comes from the Lord,

and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king.

19 Long ago you spoke in a vision to your faithful people.

You said, “I have raised up a warrior.

I have selected him from the common people to be king.

20 I have found my servant David.

I have anointed him with my holy oil.

21 I will steady him with my hand;

with my powerful arm I will make him strong.

Fourth Portion

Genesis Chapter 49

1Jacob called for his sons and said, "Gather and I will tell you what will happen to you at the end of days.2Gather and listen, sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel, your father.3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength and the first of my might. [You should have been] superior in rank and superior in power.4[You have] the restlessness of water; [therefore,] you shall not have superiority, for you ascended upon your father's couch; then you profaned [Him Who] ascended upon my bed.5Simeon and Levi are brothers; stolen instruments are their weapons.6Let my soul not enter their counsel; my honor, you shall not join their assembly, for in their wrath they killed a man, and with their will they hamstrung a bull.7Cursed be their wrath for it is mighty, and their anger because it is harsh. I will separate them throughout Jacob, and I will scatter them throughout Israel.8Judah, [as for] you, your brothers will acknowledge you. Your hand will be at the nape of your enemies, [and] your father's sons will prostrate themselves to you.9A cub [and] a grown lion is Judah. From the prey, my son, you withdrew. He crouched, rested like a lion, and like a lion, who will rouse him?10The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the student of the law from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples.11He binds his foal to a vine, and to a tendril [he binds] his young donkey. [He launders] his garment with wine, and with the blood of grapes binds his raiment.12[He is] red eyed from wine and white toothed from milk.13Zebulun will dwell on the coast of the seas; he [will be] at the harbor of the ships, and his boundary will be at Zidon.14Issachar is a bony donkey, lying between the boundaries.15He saw a resting place, that it was good, and the land, that it was pleasant, and he bent his shoulder to bear [burdens], and he became an indentured laborer.16Dan will avenge his people, like one, the tribes of Israel.17Dan will be a serpent on the road, a viper on the path, which bites the horse's heels, so its rider falls backwards.18For Your salvation, I hope, O Lord!

Wednesday

1 Timothy 6:6–12 (NLT):

6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Paul’s Final Instructions

11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

Fifth Portion

Genesis Chapter 49

19[As for] Gad, a troop will troop forth from him, and it will troop back in its tracks.20From Asher will come rich food, and he will yield regal delicacies.21Naphtali is a swift gazelle; [he is one] who utters beautiful words.22A charming son is Joseph, a son charming to the eye; [of the] women, [each one] strode along to see him.23They heaped bitterness upon him and became quarrelsome; yea, archers despised him.24But his bow was strongly established, and his arms were gilded from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob; from there he sustained the rock of Israel,25from the God of your father, and He will help you, and with the Almighty, and He will bless you [with] the blessings of the heavens above, the blessings of the deep, lying below, the blessings of father and mother.26The blessings of your father surpassed the blessings of my parents, the ends of the everlasting hills. May they come to Joseph's head and to the crown (of the head) of the one who was separated from his brothers.

Thursday

Micah 6:1–8 (NLT): The Lord’s Case against Israel

Listen to what the Lord is saying:

“Stand up and state your case against me.

Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.

2 And now, O mountains,

listen to the Lord’s complaint!

He has a case against his people.

He will bring charges against Israel.

3 “O my people, what have I done to you?

What have I done to make you tired of me?

Answer me!

4 For I brought you out of Egypt

and redeemed you from slavery.

I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.

5 Don’t you remember, my people,

how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed

and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead?

And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal,

when I, the Lord, did everything I could

to teach you about my faithfulness.”

6 What can we bring to the Lord?

Should we bring him burnt offerings?

Should we bow before God Most High

with offerings of yearling calves?

7 Should we offer him thousands of rams

and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?

Should we sacrifice our firstborn children

to pay for our sins?

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,

and this is what he requires of you:

to do what is right, to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with your God.

Sixth Portion

Genesis Chapter 49

27Benjamin is a wolf, he will prey; in the morning he will devour plunder, and in the evening he will divide the spoil."28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them; each man, according to his blessing, he blessed them.29And he commanded them and said to them, "I will be brought in to my people; bury me with my fathers, in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,30in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre in the land of Canaan, which field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for burial property.31There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebecca, and there I buried Leah.32The purchase of the field and the cave therein was from the sons of Heth."33And Jacob concluded commanding his sons, and he drew his legs [up] into the bed, and expired and was brought in to his people.

Genesis Chapter 50

1Joseph fell on his father's face, and he wept over him and kissed him.2And Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Israel.3And forty days were completed for him for so are the days of embalming completed and the Egyptians wept over him for seventy days.4When the days of his weeping had passed, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh's household, saying, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak now in Pharaoh's ears, saying,5'My father adjured me, saying, "Behold, I am going to die. In my grave, which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me." So now, please let me go up and bury my father and return.' "6And Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father as he adjured you."7So Joseph went up to bury his father, and all Pharaoh's servants, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went up with him,8and Joseph's entire household and his brothers and his father's household; only their young children and their flocks and cattle did they leave in the land of Goshen.9And chariots and horsemen also went up with him, and the camp was very numerous.10And they came to the threshing floor of the thornbushes, which is on the other side of the Jordan, and there they conducted a very great and impressive eulogy, and he made for his father a mourning of seven days.11The Canaanite[s], the inhabitant[s] of the land, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of the thornbushes, and they said, "This is an intense mourning for the Egyptians." Therefore, they named it Abel Mizraim (Egypt mourns), which is on the other side of the Jordan.12And his sons did to him just as he had commanded them.13And his sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and they buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which field Abraham had bought for burial property from Ephron the Hittite before Mamre.14And Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.15Now Joseph's brothers saw that their father had died, and they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us and return to us all the evil that we did to him."16So they commanded [messengers to go] to Joseph, to say, "Your father commanded [us] before his death, saying,17'So shall you say to Joseph, "Please, forgive now your brothers' transgression and their sin, for they did evil to you. Now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." ' " Joseph wept when they spoke to him.18His brothers also went and fell before him, and they said, "Behold, we are your slaves."19But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid, for am I instead of God?20Indeed, you intended evil against me, [but] God designed it for good, in order to bring about what is at present to keep a great populace alive.

Friday

Matthew 6:25–34 (NLT):

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Seventh Portion

Genesis Chapter 50

21So now do not fear. I will sustain you and your small children." And he comforted them and spoke to their hearts.22So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's household, and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.23Joseph saw children of a third generation [born] to Ephraim; also the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh were born on Joseph's knees.24Joseph said to his brothers, "I am going to die; God will surely remember you and take you up out of this land to the land that He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."25And Joseph adjured the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely remember you, and you shall take up my bones out of here."26And Joseph died at the age of one hundred ten years, and they embalmed him and he was placed into the coffin in Egypt.

Saturday

Isaiah 11:1–9 (NLT): A Branch from David’s Line

1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—

yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.

2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and might,

the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

3 He will delight in obeying the Lord.

He will not judge by appearance

nor make a decision based on hearsay.

4 He will give justice to the poor

and make fair decisions for the exploited.

The earth will shake at the force of his word,

and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.

5 He will wear righteousness like a belt

and truth like an undergarment.

6 In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;

the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.

The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion,

and a little child will lead them all.

7 The cow will graze near the bear.

The cub and the calf will lie down together.

The lion will eat hay like a cow.

8 The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.

Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.

9 Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,

for as the waters fill the sea,

so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.

Maftir Portion

Genesis Chapter 50

23Joseph saw children of a third generation [born] to Ephraim; also the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh were born on Joseph's knees.24Joseph said to his brothers, "I am going to die; God will surely remember you and take you up out of this land to the land that He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."25And Joseph adjured the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely remember you, and you shall take up my bones out of here."26And Joseph died at the age of one hundred ten years, and they embalmed him and he was placed into the coffin in Egypt.

Haftarah

I Kings Chapter 2

1And the days of David drew near that he should die; and he charged Solomon, his son, saying:2"I go the way of all the earth; you shall be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man;3And keep the charge of the Lord your God to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn;4That the Lord may continue His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your children take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you,' said He, 'a man on the throne of Israel.'5Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, (and) what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace and put the blood of war upon his girdle (that was) about his loins, and in his shoes that (were) on his feet.6And you shall do according to your wisdom, and do not let his hoary head go down to the grave in peace.7But show kindness to the children of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at your table, for so did they befriend me when I fled from Absalom your brother.8And, behold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim, and he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'9And now hold him not guiltless, for you are a wise man, and you will surely know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his hoary head down to the grave with blood."10And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.11And the days that David reigned over Israel (were) forty years, seven years he reigned in Hebron, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years.12And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.