NL-Day011 Genesis 20-21; Job 11; Mark 7
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 20-21: In chapter 19 of Genesis we heard what happened to Lot and his daughters after being saved from Sodom. The sons of Lot’s daughters became the ancestors of the Moabite and Ammonite races who were always at war with God’s people. JOB 11: In chapter 10, Job accused God, Job 10:13 GNT But now I know that all that time [since birth] you were secretly planning to harm me. 14 You were watching to see if I would sin, so that you could refuse to forgive me. 15 As soon as I sin, I'm in trouble with you, but when I do right, I get no credit. I am miserable and covered with shame. MARK...
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NL-Day010 Genesis 19; Job 10; Mark 6:30-56
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 19: In yesterday's reading, Abram and Sarai received new names and God confirmed and expanded his covenant with Abram (now Abraham). Circumcision was added as a sign of following the covenant. Angels visited Abraham and Sarah and Abraham bargained with God about saving the few righteous people in Sodom— among whom I am sure Abraham was thinking of Lot. JOB 10: Job continues his response to Bildad. At the end of chapter 9 Job showed mankind's need of a mediator: 32 “God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial. 33 If only there were a mediator between...
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NL-Day009 Genesis 17-18; Job 9; Mark 6:1-29
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 17-18: In chapter 15 we heard of God's covenant with Abram and Abram's _fully believing_ God's promises. Then in chapter 16 we read of Abram and Sarai trying to help God fulfill his promises. Chapter 15 verse 6 is a famous verse that is quoted three times in the NT: 6 Abram put his trust in the Lord, and because of this the Lord was pleased with him and accepted him. (GNT) [The NT translates this verse a bit differently because it is quoted from the Septuagint (the LXX, the ancient translation of the Old Testament into Koine Greek, made in the third and second centuries BC). ] JOB 9:...
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NL-Day008 Genesis 15-16; Job 8; Mark 5:21-43
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 15-16: Yesterday we heard the stories of Abram and Lot separating company, and of Abram rescuing Lot in time of war. Then we heard of the mysterious priest Melchizedek (who we will read about in the NT in Hebrews). JOB 8: In the preceding two chapters, Job said some very despairing and angry words, telling God basically to go take a walk and leave him alone. Job again wished for his own death. He said to God, 19 Won't you look away long enough for me to swallow my spit? 20 Are you harmed by my sin, you jailer? Why use me for your target practice? Am I so great a burden to you? 21...
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NL-Day007 Genesis 13-14; Job 7; Mark 5:1-20
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 13-14: In yesterday's reading we heard about God scattering people by confusing their languages. It’s important to remember that the city they were building is called Babylon. Then we traced the ancestry of Abram, who descended from Seth's line. Then we read about the call of Abram and what happened when they were staying in Egypt because of a famine. Abram doesn’t sound like a model husband. JOB 7: Today we hear the second chapter of Job’s response to Eliphaz. In chapter 6 Job said, 10 GNT If I knew he [God] would [kill me], I would leap for joy, no matter how great my pain. I...
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NL-Day006 Genesis 11-12; Job 6; Mark 4:21-41
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
If you are reading along while listening to the recordings, you will notice that I often exchange the word ‘believe’ (or ‘fully believe’) for ‘faith’. This is because the English word ‘faith’ is used with all kinds of fuzzy meanings these days and can easily be misunderstood. 1) In Greek, ‘faith’ and ‘believe’ are the noun and verb forms of the same root word. 2) When one uses an abstract noun like ‘faith’ in English, the object of the faith is lost— in this case the Person who is being believed. Note that ‘faith’ does not have a vague meaning like...
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NL-Day005 Genesis 9-10; Job 5; Mark 4:1-25
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Choose a good Bible version for your reading this year!I recommend that you choose a good meaning-based translation for your Bible reading this year, not one of the literal versions. I recommend that you use a literal version whenever you have time for in-depth study, but not for your daily devotional reading. Here’s the difference: The advantage of a literal translation is that it gives you a word-for-word view into the _form_ of the original. The disadvantage of literal translations is that they cannot give you the _meaning_ in clear and natural English. The advantage of a meaning-based...
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000: 2026 Daily Bible Reading Introduction and How-to's
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Hi there! I’m so glad you have clicked to listen to this introduction to the Digging Deeper Daily Bible reading plan and podcasts for 2025. If you want to read the Bible in a great reading plan that will hold your attention and enable you to stay with the program, you are in the right place. If you want to listen, the complete Bibles I have recorded following my reading plan are the New Living Translation and the Good News Bible. If you can, do both: listen to the podcast while reading along. My name is Phil Fields. I’m almost 75 years old and happily married to Gale. We have three...
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NL-Day004 Genesis 7-8; Job 4; Mark 3
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Most people find out about the DBRP through the YouVersion Bible reading app on their smart device. If you are one who has found out about these podcasts through some other means (such as via Apple Podcasts), then I want to make you aware that the Bible app created by YouVersion is wonderful. You can subscribe to the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan within the app, then reading along with these daily podcasts is very easy. Just start your episode using your podcast player, then go to your day in the YouVersion Reading Plan. Please be aware that you can turn on the YouVersion app’s audio for...
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NL-Day003 Genesis 5-6; Job 3; Mark 2
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
How can you get more out of your Bible reading this year? My top advice is to SLOW DOWN! The readings in this plan take around 20 minutes if read aloud. If you read silently, you might finish in only 10 minutes. But if you skim through like that, you won’t retain very much! I suggest these two ways to slow down: 1. Read out loud to yourself. Read expressively. When you find that your first attempt didn’t quite have the right intonation, go back and read the sentence again. Take time to think about— and pray about, what you have just read. 2. Read along while listening to the Daily Bible...
info_outlineNUMBERS 27-28:
Yesterday we heard of the second registration of Israel's troops.
PSALM 42:
This Psalm contains words we often sing. It is a song about renewing hope in the Lord after discouragement.
ACTS 3:
Yesterday we heard the conclusion of Peter's first sermon. 3,000 believed in Christ that day and were baptized. And the believers devoted themselves totally to the apostles' teaching.
NLT/GNT Translation notes:
Num. 27:1 Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah were the daughters of Zelophehad[. Zelophehad traced his genealogy as the] son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph.
2 [His daughters//They] went and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole community at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence and said,
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Ps. 42 [I hope that you remember who the clan of Korah was! Note that the presence of this Psalm is an interesting proof that God forgave and accepted the service of Korah’s clan.
This is another Psalm where the writer speaks honorific fashion to the Lord, speaking to him using the third person. To us, this makes it seem that the writer switches back and forth rapidly to talking about the Lord and talking to the Lord. I agree with CEV in adapting this Psalm to modern English and maintaining the perception that the whole poem is a prayer. Rather than reading from the CEV, I have simply made the required changes in the GNT at verses 4-9, and verse 11.]
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Act. 3:6 But Peter said to him, “I have no money at all, but I give you what I have: [by the power//in the name] of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I order you to get up and walk!”
16 GNT: It was the power of [Jesus//his name] that gave strength to this lame man. [This miracle that you can plainly//What you] see and know was done by [believing in Him//faith in his name]; it was [belief//faith] in Jesus that has made him well, as you can all see.
16 revised NLT: “Through [fully believing//faith] in [Jesus//the name of Jesus], this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. [Fully believing in Jesus//Faith in Jesus’ name] has healed him before your very eyes.
[Peter uses a common Jewish metonymy here— where ‘name’ stands for the whole person of Jesus. We use metonymy in English (in sayings like “The _pen_ is mightier than the _sword_.”) While many English speakers will understand ‘name of Jesus’ to simply refer to Jesus himself, others (and especially some of my podcast listeners from other cultures) could mistakenly think that the Bible teaches followers of Christ use ‘the name of Jesus’ like magic words.
NET has this note at 3:6: In the name. … The reference to “the name” is not like a magical incantation, but is designed to indicate the _agent_ who performs the healing. The theme is quite frequent in Acts (2:38 plus 21 other times).
If any of you say, “I’ve never heard ‘in the name of Jesus’ used like magic words!” I answer: Start listening! It’s happening all the time.]
NLT Translation notes:
Num28:24 On each of the seven days of the festival, this is how you must prepare the food offering that is presented as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to [Me,/0] the LORD. These will be offered in addition to the regular burnt offerings and liquid offerings.
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Act.3:6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] the Nazarene,a get up and walk!”
16 “Through [fully believing//faith] in [Jesus//the name of Jesus], this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. [Fully believing in Jesus//Faith in Jesus’ name] has healed him before your very eyes.
[Peter uses a common Jewish metonymy here, where 'name' stands for the whole person of Jesus. We use metonymy in English (in sayings like “The pen is mightier than the sword.”) While many English speakers will understand 'name of Jesus' simply to refer to Jesus himself, others (and especially some of my listeners from other cultures) could be tempted to think that the Bible teaches followers of Christ use 'the name of Jesus' like magic words.]
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.