AME Zion Universal Reading September 12th 2021

First Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 31

1And Moses went, and he spoke the following words to all Israel.2He said to them, "Today I am one hundred and twenty years old. I can no longer go or come, and the Lord said to me, "You shall not cross this Jordan."3The Lord, your God He will cross before you; He will destroy these nations from before you so that you will possess them. Joshua he will cross before you, as the Lord has spoken.

Sunday

Mark 10:46–52 (NLT): Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

46 Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. 47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”

So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” 50 Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”

52 And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

Second Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 31

4And the Lord will do to them, as He did to the Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, and to their land, [all of] which He destroyed.5And [when] the Lord delivers them before you, you shall do to them according to all the commandment that I have commanded you.6Be strong and courageous! Neither fear, nor be dismayed of them, for the Lord, your God He is the One Who goes with you. He will neither fail you, nor forsake you."

Monday

Isaiah 35:1–6 (NLT): Hope for Restoration

1 Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.

The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses.

2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers

and singing and joy!

The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon,

as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.

There the Lord will display his glory,

the splendor of our God.

3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,

and encourage those who have weak knees.

4 Say to those with fearful hearts,

“Be strong, and do not fear,

for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.

He is coming to save you.”

5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind

and unplug the ears of the deaf.

6 The lame will leap like a deer,

and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!

Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,

and streams will water the wasteland.

Third Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 31

7And Moses called Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous! For you shall come with this people to the land which the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them. And you shall apportion it to them as an inheritance.8The Lord He is the One Who goes before you; He will be with you; He will neither fail you, nor forsake you. Do not fear, and do not be dismayed."9Then Moses wrote this Torah, and gave it to the priests, the descendants of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.

Tuesday

Psalm 96:1–13 (NLT):

1 Sing a new song to the Lord!

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!

2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name.

Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.

3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.

Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

4 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

He is to be feared above all gods.

5 The gods of other nations are mere idols,

but the Lord made the heavens!

6 Honor and majesty surround him;

strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

7 O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;

recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.

8 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!

Bring your offering and come into his courts.

9 Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.

Let all the earth tremble before him.

10 Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

He will judge all peoples fairly.

11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!

Let the trees of the forest sing for joy

13 before the Lord, for he is coming!

He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with justice,

and the nations with his truth.

Fourth Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 31

10Then, Moses commanded them, saying, "At the end of [every] seven years, at an appointed time, in the Festival of Succoth, [after] the year of release,11When all Israel comes to appear before the Lord, your God, in the place He will choose, you shall read this Torah before all Israel, in their ears.12Assemble the people: the men, the women, and the children, and your stranger in your cities, in order that they hear, and in order that they learn and fear the Lord, your God, and they will observe to do all the words of this Torah.13And their children, who did not know, will hear and learn to fear the Lord, your God, all the days that you live on the land, to which you are crossing the Jordan, to possess.

Wednesday

Psalm 115:1–18 (NLT):

1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us,

but to your name goes all the glory

for your unfailing love and faithfulness.

2 Why let the nations say,

“Where is their God?”

3 Our God is in the heavens,

and he does as he wishes.

4 Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,

shaped by human hands.

5 They have mouths but cannot speak,

and eyes but cannot see.

6 They have ears but cannot hear,

and mouths but cannot breathe.

7 They have hands but cannot feel,

and feet but cannot walk,

and throats but cannot make a sound.

8 And those who make idols are just like them,

as are all who trust in them.

9 O Israel, trust the Lord!

He is your helper and your shield.

10 O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord!

He is your helper and your shield.

11 All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!

He is your helper and your shield.

12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us.

He will bless the people of Israel

and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

13 He will bless those who fear the Lord,

both great and lowly.

14 May the Lord richly bless

both you and your children.

15 May you be blessed by the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

16 The heavens belong to the Lord,

but he has given the earth to all humanity.

17 The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord,

for they have gone into the silence of the grave.

18 But we can praise the Lord

both now and forever!

Praise the Lord!

Fifth Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 31

14And the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, your days are approaching [for you] to die. Call Joshua and stand in the Tent of Meeting, and I will inspire him. So Moses and Joshua went, and stood in the Tent of Meeting.15And the Lord appeared in the Tent, in a pillar of cloud. The pillar of cloud stood at the entrance to the Tent.16And the Lord said to Moses: Behold, you are [about to] lie with your forefathers, and this nation will rise up and stray after the deities of the nations of the land, into which they are coming. And they will forsake Me and violate My covenant which I made with them.17And My fury will rage against them on that day, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed, and many evils and troubles will befall them, and they will say on that day, 'Is it not because our God is no longer in my midst, that these evils have befallen me?'18And I will hide My face on that day, because of all the evil they have committed, when they turned to other deities.19And now, write for yourselves this song, and teach it to the Children of Israel. Place it into their mouths, in order that this song will be for Me as a witness for the children of Israel.

Thursday

Mark 10:17–22 (NLT): The Rich Man

17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’”

20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Sixth Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 31

20When I bring them to the land which I have sworn to their forefathers [to give them], a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat and be satisfied, and live on the fat [of the land]. Then, they will turn to other deities and serve them, provoking Me and violating My covenant.21And it will be, when they will encounter many evils and troubles, this song will bear witness against them, for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their offspring. For I know their inclination what they [are planning] to do today, [even] before I bring them in to the land which I have sworn [to give them]."22And Moses wrote this song on that day, and taught it to the children of Israel.23And He commanded Joshua the son of Nun, and said: "Be strong and courageous! For you shall bring the children of Israel to the land that I have sworn to them, and I will be with you."24And it was, when Moses finished writing the words of this Torah in a scroll, until their very completion,

Friday

Mark 10:42–45 (NLT):

42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Seventh Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 31

25that Moses commanded the Levites, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying:26"Take this Torah scroll and place it along side the ark of covenant of the Lord, your God, and it will be there as a witness.27For I know your rebellious spirit and your stubbornness. Even while I am alive with you today you are rebelling against the Lord, and surely after my death!28Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, and I will speak these words into their ears, and I will call upon the heaven and the earth as witnesses against them.29For I know that after my death, you will surely become corrupted, and deviate from the way which I had commanded you. Consequently, the evil will befall you at the end of days, because you did evil in the eyes of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands.30Then, Moses spoke into the ears of the entire assembly of Israel the words of the following song, until their completion.

Saturday

Psalm 146:1–10 (NLT):

1 Praise the Lord!

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live.

I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.

3 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;

there is no help for you there.

4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,

and all their plans die with them.

5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,

whose hope is in the Lord their God.

6 He made heaven and earth,

the sea, and everything in them.

He keeps every promise forever.

7 He gives justice to the oppressed

and food to the hungry.

The Lord frees the prisoners.

8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.

The Lord loves the godly.

9 The Lord protects the foreigners among us.

He cares for the orphans and widows,

but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.

10 The Lord will reign forever.

He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.

Praise the Lord!

Maftir Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 31

28Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, and I will speak these words into their ears, and I will call upon the heaven and the earth as witnesses against them.29For I know that after my death, you will surely become corrupted, and deviate from the way which I had commanded you. Consequently, the evil will befall you at the end of days, because you did evil in the eyes of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands.30Then, Moses spoke into the ears of the entire assembly of Israel the words of the following song, until their completion.

Haftarah

Hosea Chapter 14

2Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.3Take words with yourselves and return to the Lord. Say, "You shall forgive all iniquity and teach us [the] good [way], and let us render [for] bulls [the offering of] our lips.4Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses, nor will we say any longer, our gods, to the work of our hands, for in You, by Whom the orphan is granted mercy."5I will remedy their backsliding; I will love them freely, for My wrath has turned away from them.6I will be like dew to Israel, they shall blossom like a rose, and it shall strike its roots like the Lebanon.7Its branches shall go forth, and its beauty shall be like the olive tree, and its fragrance like the Lebanon.8Those who dwelt in its shade shall return; they shall revive [like] corn and blossom like the vine; its fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon.9Ephraim; What more do I need the images? I will answer him and I will look upon him: I am like a leafy cypress tree; from Me your fruit is found.10Who is wise and will understand these, discerning and will know them; for the ways of the Lord are straight, and the righteous shall walk in them, and the rebellious shall stumble on them.

Micah Chapter 7 18Who is a God like You, Who forgives iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not maintain His anger forever, for He desires loving-kindness.19He shall return and grant us compassion; He shall hide our iniquities, and You shall cast into the depths of the sea all their sins.20You shall give the truth of Jacob, the loving-kindness of Abraham, which You swore to our forefathers from days of yore.

AME Zion Universal Reading September 5th 2021

Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 29

9You are all standing this day before the Lord, your God the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, every man of Israel,10your young children, your women, and your convert who is within your camp both your woodcutters and your water drawers,11that you may enter the covenant of the Lord, your God, and His oath, which the Lord, your God, is making with you this day,

Sunday

Exodus 15:11–21 (NLT):

11 “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—

glorious in holiness,

awesome in splendor,

performing great wonders?

12 You raised your right hand,

and the earth swallowed our enemies.

13 “With your unfailing love you lead

the people you have redeemed.

In your might, you guide them

to your sacred home.

14 The peoples hear and tremble;

anguish grips those who live in Philistia.

15 The leaders of Edom are terrified;

the nobles of Moab tremble.

All who live in Canaan melt away;

16 terror and dread fall upon them.

The power of your arm

makes them lifeless as stone

until your people pass by, O Lord,

until the people you purchased pass by.

17 You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain—

the place, O Lord, reserved for your own dwelling,

the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established.

18 The Lord will reign forever and ever!”

19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers rushed into the sea, the Lord brought the water crashing down on them. But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground!

20 Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced.

21 And Miriam sang this song:

“Sing to the Lord,

for he has triumphed gloriously;

he has hurled both horse and rider

into the sea.”

Second Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 29

12in order to establish you this day as His people, and that He will be your God, as He spoke to you, and as He swore to your forefathers to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.13But not only with you am I making this covenant and this oath,14but with those standing here with us today before the Lord, our God, and [also] with those who are not here with us, this day.

Monday

Exodus 14:1–9 (NLT):

Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses: 2 “Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, across from Baal-zephon. 3 Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’ 4 And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!” So the Israelites camped there as they were told.

The Egyptians Pursue Israel

5 When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. 6 So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. 7 He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with fists raised in defiance. 9 The Egyptians chased after them with all the forces in Pharaoh’s army—all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon.

Third Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 29

15For you know how we dwelled in the land of Egypt, and how we passed among the nations through which you passed.16And you saw their abominations and their repugnant idols [of] wood and stone, silver and gold which were with them.17Perhaps there is among you a man, woman, family, or tribe, whose heart strays this day from the Lord, our God, to go and worship the deities of those nations. Perhaps there is among you a root that produces hemlock and wormwood.18And it will be, when he [such a person] hears the words of this oath, that he will bless himself in his heart, saying, "I will have peace, even if I follow my heart's desires," in order to add the [punishment for the] unintentional sins [of this man] to that of [his] intentional sins.19The Lord will not be willing to forgive him; rather, then, the Lord's fury and His zeal will fume against that man, and the entire curse written in this book will rest upon him, and the Lord will obliterate his name from beneath the heavens.20And the Lord will separate him for evil, out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant, written in this Torah scroll.21And a later generation, your descendants, who will rise after you, along with the foreigner who comes from a distant land, will say, upon seeing the plagues of that land and the diseases with which the Lord struck it:22Sulfur and salt have burned up its entire land! It cannot be sown, nor can it grow [anything], not [even] any grass will sprout upon it. It is like the overturning of Sodom, Gemorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overturned in His fury and in His rage.23And all the nations will say, Why did the Lord do so to this land? What [is the reason] for this great rage of fury?24Then they will say, It is because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord, God of their fathers, [the covenant] which He made with them when He took them out of the land of Egypt,25For they went and served other deities, prostrating themselves to them deities which they had not known, and which He had not apportioned to them.26And the Lord's fury raged against that land, bringing upon it the entire curse written in this book.27And the Lord uprooted them from upon their land, with fury, anger and great wrath, and He cast them to another land, as it is this day.28The hidden things belong to the Lord, our God, but the revealed things apply to us and to our children forever: that we must fulfill all the words of this Torah.

Tuesday

Exodus 14:10–20 (NLT):

10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, 11 and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 12 Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’ ”

13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

Escape through the Red Sea

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! 16 Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. 18 When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!”

19 Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. 20 The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.

Fourth Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 30

1And it will be, when all these things come upon you the blessing and the curse which I have set before you that you will consider in your heart, among all the nations where the Lord your God has banished you,2and you will return to the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, and you will listen to His voice according to all that I am commanding you this day you and your children,3then, the Lord, your God, will bring back your exiles, and He will have mercy upon you. He will once again gather you from all the nations, where the Lord, your God, had dispersed you.4Even if your exiles are at the end of the heavens, the Lord, your God, will gather you from there, and He will take you from there.5And the Lord, your God, will bring you to the land which your forefathers possessed, and you [too] will take possession of it, and He will do good to you, and He will make you more numerous than your forefathers.6And the Lord, your God, will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, [so that you may] love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, for the sake of your life.

Wednesday

Exodus 14:21–31 (NLT):

21 Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. 22 So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!

23 Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea. 24 But just before dawn the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. 25 He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!”

26 When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” 27 So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.

29 But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides. 30 That is how the Lord rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. 31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Fifth Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 30

7And the Lord, your God, will place all these curses upon your enemies and upon your adversaries, who pursued you.8And you will return and listen to the voice of the Lord, and fulfill all His commandments, which I command you this day.9And the Lord, your God, will make you abundant for good in all the work of your hands, in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil. For the Lord will once again rejoice over you for good, as He rejoiced over your forefathers,10when you obey the Lord, your God, to observe His commandments and His statutes written in this Torah scroll, [and] when you return to the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul.

Thursday

Luke 1:67–75 (NLT): Zechariah’s Prophecy

67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:

68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,

because he has visited and redeemed his people.

69 He has sent us a mighty Savior

from the royal line of his servant David,

70 just as he promised

through his holy prophets long ago.

71 Now we will be saved from our enemies

and from all who hate us.

72 He has been merciful to our ancestors

by remembering his sacred covenant—

73 the covenant he swore with an oath

to our ancestor Abraham.

74 We have been rescued from our enemies

so we can serve God without fear,

75 in holiness and righteousness

for as long as we live.

Sixth Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 30

11For this commandment which I command you this day, is not concealed from you, nor is it far away.12It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?"13Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?"14Rather,[this] thing is very close to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fulfill it.

Friday

1 Corinthians 15:51–58 (NLT):

51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Seventh Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 30

15Behold, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil,16inasmuch as I command you this day to love the Lord, your God, to walk in His ways, and to observe His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances, so that you will live and increase, and the Lord, your God, will bless you in the land to which you are coming to take possession of it.17But if your heart deviates and you do not listen, and you will be drawn astray, and you will prostrate yourself to other deities and serve them,18I declare to you this day, that you will surely perish, and that you will not live long days on the land, to which you are crossing the Jordan, to come and take possession thereof.19This day, I call upon the heaven and the earth as witnesses [that I have warned] you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. You shall choose life, so that you and your offspring will live;20To love the Lord your God, to listen to His voice, and to cleave to Him. For that is your life and the length of your days, to dwell on the land which the Lord swore to your forefathers to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob to give to them.

Saturday

Exodus 15:1–10 (NLT): A Song of Deliverance

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord:

“I will sing to the Lord,

for he has triumphed gloriously;

he has hurled both horse and rider

into the sea.

2 The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has given me victory.

This is my God, and I will praise him—

my father’s God, and I will exalt him!

3 The Lord is a warrior;

Yahweh is his name!

4 Pharaoh’s chariots and army

he has hurled into the sea.

The finest of Pharaoh’s officers

are drowned in the Red Sea.

5 The deep waters gushed over them;

they sank to the bottom like a stone.

6 “Your right hand, O Lord,

is glorious in power.

Your right hand, O Lord,

smashes the enemy.

7 In the greatness of your majesty,

you overthrow those who rise against you.

You unleash your blazing fury;

it consumes them like straw.

8 At the blast of your breath,

the waters piled up!

The surging waters stood straight like a wall;

in the heart of the sea the deep waters became hard.

9 “The enemy boasted, ‘I will chase them

and catch up with them.

I will plunder them

and consume them.

I will flash my sword;

my powerful hand will destroy them.’

10 But you blew with your breath,

and the sea covered them.

They sank like lead

in the mighty waters.

Maftir Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 30

15Behold, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil,16inasmuch as I command you this day to love the Lord, your God, to walk in His ways, and to observe His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances, so that you will live and increase, and the Lord, your God, will bless you in the land to which you are coming to take possession of it.17But if your heart deviates and you do not listen, and you will be drawn astray, and you will prostrate yourself to other deities and serve them,18I declare to you this day, that you will surely perish, and that you will not live long days on the land, to which you are crossing the Jordan, to come and take possession thereof.19This day, I call upon the heaven and the earth as witnesses [that I have warned] you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. You shall choose life, so that you and your offspring will live;20To love the Lord your God, to listen to His voice, and to cleave to Him. For that is your life and the length of your days, to dwell on the land which the Lord swore to your forefathers to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob to give to them.

Haftarah

Isaiah Chapter 61

10I will rejoice with the Lord; my soul shall exult with my God, for He has attired me with garments of salvation, with a robe of righteousness He has enwrapped me; like a bridegroom, who, priestlike, dons garments of glory, and like a bride, who adorns herself with her jewelry.11For, like the earth, which gives forth its plants, and like a garden that causes its seeds to grow, so shall the Lord God cause righteousness and praise to grow opposite all the nations.

Isaiah Chapter 62

1For the sake of Zion, I will not be silent, and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not rest, until her righteousness comes out like brilliance, and her salvation burns like a torch.2And nations shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory, and you shall be called a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall pronounce.3And you shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a kingly diadem in the hand of your God.4No longer shall "forsaken" be said of you, and "desolate" shall no longer be said of your land, for you shall be called "My desire is in her," and your land, "inhabited," for the Lord desires you, and your land shall be inhabited.5As a young man lives with a virgin, so shall your children live in you, and the rejoicing of a bridegroom over a bride shall your God rejoice over you.6On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night, they shall never be silent; those who remind the Lord, be not silent.7And give Him no rest, until He establishes and until He makes Jerusalem a praise in the land.8The Lord swore by His right hand and by the arm of His strength; I will no longer give your grain to your enemies, and foreigners shall no longer drink your wine for which you have toiled.9But its gatherers shall eat it and they shall praise the Lord, and its gatherers shall drink it in My holy courts.10Pass, pass through the portals, clear the way of the people, pave, pave the highway, clear it of stones, lift up a banner over the peoples.11Behold, the Lord announced to the end of the earth, "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold your salvation has come.' " Behold His reward is with Him, and His wage is before Him.12And they shall call them the holy people, those redeemed by the Lord, and you shall be called, "sought, a city not forsaken."

Isaiah Chapter 63

1Who is this coming from Edom, with soiled garments, from Bozrah, this one [Who was] stately in His apparel, girded with the greatness of His strength? "I speak with righteousness, great to save."2Why is Your clothing red, and your attire like [that of] one who trod in a wine press?3"A wine press I trod alone, and from the peoples, none was with Me; and I trod them with My wrath, and I trampled them with My fury, and their life blood sprinkled on My garments, and all My clothing I soiled.4For a day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redemption has arrived.5And I looked and there was no one helping, and I was astounded and there was no one supporting, and My arm saved for Me, and My fury-that supported Me.6And I trod peoples with My wrath, and I intoxicated them with My fury, and I brought their power down to the earth."7The kind acts of the Lord I will mention, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord bestowed upon us, and much good to the house of Israel, which He bestowed upon them according to His mercies and according to His many kind acts.8And He said, "They are but My people, children who will not deal falsely." And He became their Savior.9In all their trouble, He did not trouble [them], and the angel of His presence saved them; with His love and with His pity He redeemed them, and He bore them, and He carried them all the days of old.

AME Zion Universal Reading August 29th 2021

Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 26

1And it will be, when you come into the land which the Lord, your God, gives you for an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it,2that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you will bring from your land, which the Lord, your God, is giving you. And you shall put [them] into a basket and go to the place which the Lord, your God, will choose to have His Name dwell there.3And you shall come to the kohen who will be [serving] in those days, and say to him, "I declare this day to the Lord, your God, that I have come to the land which the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us."4And the kohen will take the basket from your hand, laying it before the altar of the Lord, your God.5And you shall call out and say before the Lord, your God, "An Aramean [sought to] destroy my forefather, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there with a small number of people, and there, he became a great, mighty, and numerous nation.6And the Egyptians treated us cruelly and afflicted us, and they imposed hard labor upon us.7So we cried out to the Lord, God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.8And the Lord brought us out from Egypt with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, with great awe, and with signs and wonders.9And He brought us to this place, and He gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.10And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground which you, O Lord, have given to me." Then, you shall lay it before the Lord, your God, and prostrate yourself before the Lord, your God.11Then, you shall rejoice with all the good that the Lord, your God, has granted you and your household you, the Levite, and the stranger who is among you.

2 Corinthians 4:16–5:10 (NLT):

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Chapter 5

New Bodies

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Second Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 26

12When you have finished tithing all the tithes of your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give [them] to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, so that they can eat to satiety in your cities.13Then you shall say before the Lord, your God, "I have removed the holy [portion] from the house, and I have also given it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, according to all Your commandment that You commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten [them].14I did not eat any of it [second tithe] while in my mourning, nor did I consume any of it while unclean; neither did I use any of it for the dead. I obeyed the Lord, my God; I did according to all that You commanded me.15Look down from Your holy dwelling, from the heavens, and bless Your people Israel, and the ground which You have given to us, as You swore to our forefathers a land flowing with milk and honey.

Monday

1 Corinthians 15:15–23 (NLT):

16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

Third Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 26

16This day, the Lord, your God, is commanding you to fulfill these statutes and ordinances, and you will observe and fulfill them with all your heart and with all your soul.17You have selected the Lord this day, to be your God, and to walk in His ways, and to observe His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and to obey Him.18And the Lord has selected you this day to be His treasured people, as He spoke to you, and so that you shall observe all His commandments,19and to make you supreme, above all the nations that He made, [so that you will have] praise, a [distinguished] name and glory; and so that you will be a holy people to the Lord, your God, as He spoke.

Tuesday

Ephesians 3:14–21 (NLT): Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Fourth Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 27

1And Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Observe all of the commandment that I command you this day.2And it will be, on the day that you cross the Jordan to the land the Lord, your God, is giving you, that you shall set up for yourself huge stones, and plaster them with lime.3When you cross, you shall write upon them all the words of this Torah, in order that you may come to the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, God of your forefathers, has spoken to you.4And it will be, when you cross the Jordan, that you shall set up these stones, [regarding] which I command you this day on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with lime.5And there, you shall build an altar to the Lord, your God, an altar of stones. You shall not wield any iron upon them.6You shall build the altar of the Lord, your God, out of whole stones. And on it, you shall offer up burnt offerings to the Lord, your God.7And you shall slaughter peace offerings, and you shall eat there, and you shall rejoice before the Lord, your God.8You shall write upon the stones all the words of this Torah, very clearly.9Moses and the Levitic priests spoke to all Israel, saying, "Pay attention and listen, O Israel! This day, you have become a people to the Lord, your God.10You shall therefore obey the Lord, your God, and fulfill His commandments and His statutes, which I command you this day.

Wednesday

Ecclesiastes 12:8–14 (NLT): Concluding Thoughts about the Teacher

8 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.”

9 Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. 10 The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly.

11 The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.

12 But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.

13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

Fifth Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 27

11And Moses commanded the people on that day, saying,12When you cross the Jordan, the following shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.13And the following shall stand upon Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naftali.14The Levites shall speak up, saying to every individual of Israel, in a loud voice:15"Cursed be the man who makes any graven or molten image an abomination to the Lord, the handiwork of a craftsman and sets it up in secret! And all the people shall respond, saying, 'Amen!'16Cursed be he who degrades his father and mother. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'17Cursed be he who moves back his neighbor's landmark. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'18Cursed be he who misguides a blind person on the way. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'19Cursed be he who perverts the judgment of the stranger, the orphan, or the widow. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'20Cursed be he who lies with his father's wife, thus uncovering the corner of his father's garment. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'21Cursed be he who lies with any animal. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'22Cursed be he who lies with his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'23Cursed be he who lies with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'24Cursed be he who strikes his fellow in secret. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'25Cursed be he who takes a bribe to put an innocent person to death. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'26Cursed be he who does not uphold the words of this Torah, to fulfill them. And all the people shall say, 'Amen!'

Deuteronomy Chapter 28

1And it will be if you obey the Lord, your God, to observe to fulfill all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord, your God, will place you supreme above all the nations of the earth.2And all these blessings will come upon you and cleave to you, if you obey the Lord, your God.3You shall be blessed in the city, and you shall be blessed in the field.4Blessed will be the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your soil, the fruit of your livestock, the offspring of your cattle, and the flocks of your sheep.5Blessed will be your basket and your kneading bowl.6You shall be blessed when you come, and you shall be blessed when you depart.

Thursday

Romans 2:4–11 (NLT):

4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

Sixth Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 28

7The Lord will cause your enemies who rise up against you, to be beaten before you; they will come out against you in one direction, but they will flee from you in seven directions.8The Lord will order the blessing to be with you in your granaries, and in every one of your endeavors, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you.9The Lord will establish you as His holy people as He swore to you, if you observe the commandments of the Lord, your God, and walk in His ways.10Then all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of the Lord is called upon you, and they will fear you.11And the Lord will grant you good surplus in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil, on the land which the Lord swore to your forefathers, to give you.12The Lord will open up for you His good treasury, the heaven, to give your land its rain in its [right] time, and to bless everything you do. And you will lend many nations, but you will not [need to] borrow.13And the Lord will set you at the head, and not at the tail, and you will be only at the top, and you will not be at the bottom, if you obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I am commanding you this day, to observe to fulfill [them].14And you shall not turn right or left from all of the words I am commanding you this day, to follow other deities to worship them.15And it will be, if you do not obey the Lord, your God, to observe to fulfill all His commandments and statutes which I am commanding you this day, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.16You shall be cursed in the city, and you shall be cursed in the field.17Cursed will be your [food] basket and your kneading bowl.18Cursed will be the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your soil, the fruit of your livestock, those born from your cattle and the flock of your sheep.19You shall be cursed when you come, and you shall be cursed when you depart.20The Lord will send the curse of shortages, confusion, and turmoil upon you, in every one of your endeavors which you undertake, until it destroys you and until you quickly vanish, because of your evil deeds in forsaking Me.21The Lord will make pestilence cleave to you, until it has exterminated you from upon the land, to which you are coming, to possess it.22The Lord will strike you with consumption, fever, illnesses with burning fevers, a disease which causes unquenchable thirst, with the sword, with blast, and with yellowing, and they will pursue you until you perish.23And your skies above you will be [like] copper, and the earth below you [like] iron.24The Lord will turn the rain of your land into powder and dust, raining down upon you from the heavens until you are destroyed.25The Lord will cause you to be broken before your enemy: you will come out against them in one direction, but you will flee from them in seven directions. And you will become a terrifying [example] to all the kingdoms on earth.26Your corpse will be food for all birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth, and no one will frighten them [away].27The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with hemorrhoids, with oozing sores, and with dry lesions, from which you will be unable to be cured.28The Lord will strike you with insanity, with blindness, and with bewilderment.29You will grope at midday, as the blind man gropes in the dark, and you will be unsuccessful in your ways. You will be only oppressed and robbed all the days, and no one will save [you].30You will betroth a woman, but another man will lie with her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not redeem it[s fruits].31Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat from it. Your donkey will be snatched right in front of you, and it will not return to you. Your flock will be given over to your enemies, and you will have no savior.32Your sons and daughters will be given over to another people, and your eyes will see [this] and long for them all day long, but you will be powerless.33A people unknown to you will eat up the fruit of your soil and [the result of] all your toil. You will be only wronged and crushed all the days.34You will go insane from the vision before your eyes that you will behold.35The Lord will strike you on the knees and on the legs with a terrible skin eruption from which you will be unable to be cured; [it will eventually cover you] from the sole of your foot to the top of your head.36The Lord will lead you and your king whom you will have established over you, to a nation unknown to you or your fathers; and there, you will serve other deities [made] of wood and stone.37And you will become an [object of] astonishment, an example, and a topic of discussion, among all the peoples to whom the Lord will lead you.38You will take much seed out to the field, yet you will gather in little, for the locusts will finish it.39You will plant vineyards and work [them], but you will neither drink of [their] wine, or gather [the grapes], because the worms will devour them.40You will have olive trees throughout all your boundaries, but you will not anoint with [their] oil, because your olive trees will drop off.41You will bear sons and daughters, but you will not have them, because they will go into captivity.42All your trees and all the fruit of your soil the cicada will make destitute.43The stranger who is among you will arise above you, higher and higher, while you will descend lower and lower.44He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be at the head, while you will be at the tail.45All these curses will befall you, pursuing you and overtaking you to destroy you because you did not obey the Lord, your God, to observe His commandments and statutes which He commanded you.46And they will be as a sign and a wonder, upon you and your offspring, forever,47because you did not serve the Lord, your God, with happiness and with gladness of heart, when [you had an] abundance of everything.48Therefore, you will serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, [when you are] in famine, thirst, destitution, and lacking everything, and he will place an iron yoke upon your neck, until he has destroyed you.49The Lord will bring upon you a nation from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you will not understand,50a brazen nation, which will not respect the elderly, nor show favor to the young.51They will devour the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your soil, to destroy you. They will not leave over anything for you of the grain, wine, oil, offspring of your cattle or flocks of your sheep, until they annihilate you.52And they will besiege you in all your cities, until your high and fortified walls in which you trust come down, throughout all your land. And they will besiege you in all your cities throughout all your land, which the Lord, your God, has given you.53And during the siege and the desperation which your enemies will bring upon you, you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of your sons and daughters, whom the Lord, your God, gave you.54The most tender and delicate man among you, will begrudge his own brother and the wife of his embrace and the rest of his children, whom he will leave over,55of giving any one of them of the flesh of his children that he is eating, because not a thing will remain for him in the siege and in the desperation which your enemies will bring upon you, in all your cities.56The most tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set her foot upon the ground, because of delicateness and tenderness, will begrudge the husband of her embrace and her own son and daughter,57and the infants who emerge from between her legs, and her own children whom she will bear, for she will eat them in secret, in destitution, in the siege and the desperation which your enemies will inflict upon you, in your cities.58If you do not observe to fulfill all the words of this Torah, which are written in this scroll, to fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord, your God,59Then the Lord [will bring upon] you and your offspring uniquely [horrible] plagues, terrible and unyielding plagues, and evil and unyielding sicknesses.60And He will bring back upon you all the diseases of Egypt which you dreaded, and they will cling to you.61Also, the Lord will bring upon you every disease and plague which is not written in this Torah scroll, to destroy you.62And you will remain few in number, whereas you were once as numerous as the stars of the heavens because you did not obey the Lord, your God.63And it will be, just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do good for you and to increase you, so will the Lord cause to rejoice over you to annihilate you and to destroy you. And you will be uprooted from the land which you enter therein, to possess it.64And the Lord will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will serve other deities unknown to you or your forefathers, [deities of] wood and stone.65And among those nations, you will not be calm, nor will your foot find rest. There, the Lord will give you a trembling heart, dashed hopes, and a depressed soul.66And your life will hang in suspense before you. You will be in fear night and day, and you will not believe in your life.67In the morning, you will say, "If only it were evening! " and in the evening, you will say, "If only it were morning!" because of the fear in your heart which you will experience and because of the sights that you will behold.68And the Lord will bring you back to Egypt in ships, through the way about which I had said to you, You will never see it again. And there, you will seek to be sold to your enemies for slaves and handmaids, but there will be no buyer.69These are the words of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.

Friday

2 Corinthians 4:1–6 (NLT): Treasure in Fragile Clay Jars

Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

Seventh Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 29

1And Moses called all of Israel and said to them, "You have seen all that the Lord did before your very eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to all his land;2the great trials which your very eyes beheld and those great signs and wonders.3Yet until this day, the Lord has not given you a heart to know, eyes to see and ears to hear.4I led you through the desert for forty years [during which time] your garments did not wear out from upon you, nor did your shoes wear out from upon your feet.5You neither ate bread, nor drank new wine or old wine, in order that you would know that I am the Lord, your God.6And then you arrived at this place. And Sihon, the king of Heshbon, and Og, the king of Bashan, came out towards us in battle, and we smote them.7And we took their land, and we gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.8And you shall observe the words of this covenant and fulfill them, in order that you will succeed in all that you do.

Saturday

2 Corinthians 4:7–15 (NLT):

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

Maftir Portion

Deuteronomy Chapter 29

6And then you arrived at this place. And Sihon, the king of Heshbon, and Og, the king of Bashan, came out towards us in battle, and we smote them.7And we took their land, and we gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.8And you shall observe the words of this covenant and fulfill them, in order that you will succeed in all that you do.

Haftarah

Isaiah Chapter 60

1Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has shone upon you.

2For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and a gross darkness the kingdoms, and the Lord shall shine upon you, and His glory shall appear over you.

3And nations shall go by your light and kings by the brilliance of your shine.

4Lift up your eyes all around and see, they all have gathered, they have come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be raised on [their] side.

5Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall be startled and become enlarged, for the abundance of the west shall be turned over to you, the wealth of the nations that will come to you.

6A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah, all of them shall come from Sheba; gold and frankincense they shall carry, and the praises of the Lord they shall report.

7All the sheep of Kedar shall be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth shall serve you; they shall be offered up with acceptance upon My altar, and I will glorify My glorious house.

8Who are these that fly like a cloud and like doves to their cotes?

9For the isles will hope for Me, and the ships of Tarshish [as] in the beginning, to bring your sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them, in the name of the Lord your God and for the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you.

10And foreigners shall build your walls, and their kings shall serve you, for in My wrath I struck you, and in My grace have I had mercy on you.

11And they shall open your gates always; day and night they shall not be closed, to bring to you the wealth of the nations and their kings in procession.

12For the nation and the kingdom that shall not serve you shall perish, and the nations shall be destroyed.

13The glory of the Lebanon shall come to you, box trees, firs, and cypresses together, to glorify the place of My sanctuary, and the place of My feet I will honor.

14And the children of your oppressors shall go to you bent over, and those who despised you shall prostrate themselves at the soles of your feet, and they shall call you 'the city of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.'

15Instead of your being forsaken and hated without a passerby, I will make you an everlasting pride, the joy of every generation.

16And you shall suck the milk of nations and the breast of kings you shall suck, and you shall know that I am the Lord, your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17Instead of the copper I will bring gold, and instead of the iron I will bring silver, and instead of the wood, copper, and instead of the stones, iron, and I will make your officers peace and your rulers righteousness.

18Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither robbery nor destruction within your borders, and you shall call salvation your walls and your gates praise.

19You shall no longer have the sun for light by day, and for brightness, the moon shall not give you light, but the Lord shall be to you for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory.

20Your sun shall no longer set, neither shall your moon be gathered in, for the Lord shall be to you for an everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be completed.

21And your people, all of them righteous, shall inherit the land forever, a scion of My planting, the work of My hands in which I will glory.

22The smallest shall become a thousand and the least a mighty nation; I am the Lord, in its time I will hasten it.