Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

Join us in reading through the whole NLT Bible in 365 20-minute-long podcasts! This podcast was previously named Daily Bible Reading.

NL-Day061 Leviticus 17-18; Psalm 19; Luke 12:21-59 02/23/2025

NL-Day061 Leviticus 17-18; Psalm 19; Luke 12:21-59 LEVITICUS 17-18:Yesterday we learned about regulations concerning uncleanness caused by bodily discharges of all kinds. Then we heard the procedures for the high priest to perform yearly on the day of atonement. PSALM 19:Today’s Psalm is a famous poem celebrating the heavens and God's creation, and secondly celebrating the perfection of God's Word. LUKE 12b:In yesterday’s reading in this chapter, Jesus warned about hypocrisy, and one of our biggest fears— fearing what other people will think of us. I want to read a clear version of these three verses: Luk. 12:8 [PET “I tell you the truth, everyone who says publicly here on earth, ‘I am a follower of Jesus’, I, the Son of Man, will also acknowledge them as my followers in the presence of God’s angels. 9 But those who deny me here on earth, saying they are not my disciples, I will also say that they are not my disciples in the presence of God’s angels.//GNT “I assure you that those who declare publicly that they belong to me, [I,] the Son of Man will do the same for them before the angels of God. 9 But those who reject me publicly, [I,] the Son of Man will also reject them before the angels of God.]10 “Whoever says a word against [Me,] the Son of Man can be forgiven; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. NLT Translation notes:Ps. 19:3 They speak without a sound or word;their voice is never [actually/0] heard.8 The [commands/commandments] of the LORD are right,bringing joy to the heart.11 They are a warning to [me,/0] your servant,a great reward for those who obey them.13 Keep [me,/0] your servant, from deliberate sins!Don’t let them control me.====Luk. 12:6 “What is the price of five sparrows— [maybe/0] two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 8 “I tell you the truth, everyone who [says publicly here on earth 'I am a follower of Jesus', I, the Son of Manc will also acknowledge them as my followers in the presence of God’s angels.//acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.]9 But [those who deny me here on earth, saying they are not my disciple, I will also say that they are not my disciples in the presence of God’s angels.//anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.]16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a [very/0] fertile farm that produced fine crops. “[You lucky guy//My friend], you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you have [hoarded up for ourself/worked for]?’[See the footnote in the NET for this verse.]28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you [— you my friends with so little faith!!//Why do you have so little faith?][Here I let the word ‘faith’ stand. Maybe like this, following my normal pattern: “— you my friends who so weakly believe that the Father will help you.” Note that using ‘believe’ kind of requires that the translator add an object. For the sake of clarity, this is a good thing. Some readers will feel that this is going too far, but translators routinely do this in languages which don’t have any abstract nouns, or in situations like this for languages like Indonesian and English.]40 You also must be ready all the time, for [I—/0] the Son of Man, will come when least expected.”46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut [that evil//the] servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.52 From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against. [As the Scripture says,//0]54 Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a [rain/0] shower.’ And you are right.56 You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, [so why can't you figure out how to interpret the signs of the present time?!//but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5045680

NL-Day060 Leviticus 15-16; Psalm 18; Luke 12:1-32 02/23/2025

NL-Day060 Leviticus 15-16; Psalm 18; Luke 12:1-32 LEVITICUS 15-16:Yesterday we heard about sacrifices following the healing of skin diseases and after getting rid of house mildew. Chapter 15 is about defiling bodily discharges. Chapter 16 is about the Day of Atonement, and the chapter contains a translation problem in the word or name ‘azazel’. If you are interested in this problem, see the Translate notes in today’s episode notes. PSALM 18:This poem reveals David’s intimacy with God. Even though he frequently refers to himself, we see that God— and not himself, is the center of his spiritual life. LUKE 12a:Jesus definitely gained enemies by his teaching at the end of chapter 11, which was against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and religious experts. NLT Translation notes:Ps. 18:34 He trains my hands for battle;he strengthens my arm [so that I can draw back abronze bow of bronze//to draw a bronze bow.]41 They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.They even cried to [you, LORD, but you//the LORD, but he] refused to answer.====Luk. 12:6 “What is the price of five sparrows— [maybe/0] two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 8 “I tell you the truth, everyone who [says publicly here on earth 'I am a follower of Jesus', I, the Son of Manc will also acknowledge them as my followers in the presence of God’s angels.//acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.]9 But [those who deny me here on earth, saying they are not my disciple, I will also say that they are not my disciples in the presence of God’s angels.//anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.]10 Anyone who speaks against [me,/0] the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a [very/0] fertile farm that produced fine crops. “[You lucky guy//My friend], you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you have [hoarded up for yourself/worked for]?’[See the footnote in the NET for this verse.]28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith [in Him]?[Here I let the word ‘faith’ stand. Maybe like this, following my normal pattern: “— you my friends who so weakly believe that the Father will help you.” Note that using ‘believe’ kind of requires that the translator add an object. Some readers will feel that this is going too far, but translators routinely do this in languages which don’t have any abstract nouns, or in situations like this for languages like Indonesian and English.40 You also must be ready all the time, for [I—/0] the Son of Man, will come when least expected.”46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut [that evil//the] servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.52 From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against. [As the Scripture says,//0]54 Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a [rain/0] shower.’ And you are right. 56 You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, [so why can't you figure out how to interpret the signs of the present time?!//but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5044444

NL-Day059 Leviticus 14; Psalm 17; Luke 11:29-54 02/23/2025

NL-Day059 Leviticus 14; Psalm 17; Luke 11:29-54 LEVITICUS 14:After hearing about the serious skin diseases yesterday, today we hear of the regulations if someone is healed from one. Note that these regulations were probably almost never done— until perhaps when Jesus caused a wave of men who had been healed to come with offerings. Note that our modern translations use either ‘serious skin disease’ or ‘contagious skin disease’ instead of calling these ‘leprosy’ as in older translations. Leprosy— also called Hanson’s Disease, is a very different disease from the ones described in Scripture. PSALM 17:This is one of David’s poems. Olsen quotes Spurgeon commenting on this psalm: “David would never have been [called] a man after God's own heart if he had not been a man of prayer. He was a master in the sacred art of supplication.” LUKE 11b:Yesterday in the first half of Luke 11, Jesus taught about prayer, and persistence in prayer, and taught refuting those who slandered him saying that he worked by the power of Satan. Jesus also taught that demons can leave on their own, but spiritual vacuum will result in more demons than before. NLT Translation notes:Luk. 11:2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray“Father, [PET: Our Father, may everyone honor You as the Holy God.//may your name be kept You always be regarded as holy.]May your Kingdom come soon.[As in many other places, 'name' is a metonymy for all of God. It is not just the name of God that Jesus wants us to hold as holy, but the whole Person of God as well.]21-22 [PET: “Satan can be illustrated as a strong home owner who— fully armed, always guards his house. He trusts in his weapons to keep all his possessions safe, and to defeat the One who opposes him— which is Me. But I'm stronger than he is! When I attack him, I will certainly defeat him, take all of his weapons, carry away his possessions and distribute them according to My will. //21 For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe—22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings. ]44 Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.” [So also your defiling corruption is hidden and contagious.//0] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5019947

NL-Day058 Leviticus 13; Psalm 16; Luke 11:1-28 02/23/2025

NL-Day058 Leviticus 13; Psalm 16; Luke 11:1-28 LEVITICUS 13:Yesterday in Lev. 11-12, we learned the animals considered clean and edible, and those that were considered unclean and detestable. Then we heard about the sacrifices for purification after a woman gives birth. PSALM 16:E.C. Olsen says that the Old Testament is like a sundial. “It is not difficult to read the hour marks on a sundial. Anybody can read them and at any time, but one can only tell time when the sun shines upon the sundial. Thus, while the Bible is the Word of God and can be read by all at any time, only the man who has received the Lord Jesus Christ is able to tell divine time by the Bible. It is only as the “Son” shines upon the pages of Scripture, particularly the Old Testament, that we are able to understand, to see and to appreciate that Christ is to be found on every page of Scripture.” With the Son shining on it, we see that this is a Messianic psalm. LUKE 11a:Yesterday in 10b, Jesus agreed with a law expert in the most important commandments, but taught the man the meaning of who is one's neighbor. And Jesus visited Martha and Mary. NLT Translation notes:Luk. 11:2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:“Father, [PET: Our Father, may everyone honor You as the Holy God.//may your name be kept holy//may You always be regarded as holy.]May your Kingdom come soon.[As in many other places, 'name' is a metonymy for all of God. It is not just the name of God that Jesus wants us to hold as holy, but the whole Person of God as well.]21-22 [PET: “Satan can be illustrated as a strong home owner who— fully armed, always guards his house. He trusts in his weapons to keep all his possessions safe, and to defeat the One who opposes him— which is Me. But I'm stronger than he is! When I attack him, I will certainly defeat him, take all of his weapons, carry away his possessions and distribute them according to My will. //21 For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe—22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.]44 Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.” [So also your defiling corruption is hidden and contagious.//0] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5016377

NL-Day057 Leviticus 11-12; Psalm 15; Luke 10:21-42 02/23/2025

NL-Day057 Leviticus 11-12; Psalm 15; Luke 10:21-42 LEVITICUS 11-12:Yesterday in Leviticus, Aaron and his sons started their work, and the glory of the Lord was revealed. But right after that Nadab and Abihu died because they offered an unauthorized kind of fire to the Lord. PSALM 15:This is a psalm showing the kind of people who will be welcomed into God's presence. LUKE 10:Yesterday in the first half of the chapter, Jesus sent the 72 disciples out ahead of Him with interesting instructions. A worker will be given his pay as he trusts in the Lord to provide it. And there were strong words for the villages which received most of Jesus' miracles. NLT Translation notes:3 Those who refuse to gossip or [to/0] harm their neighbors or [to/0] speak evil of their friends.====Luk. 10:5 “Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ 6 If those who live there are [people who desire God's peace//peaceful], the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. 23 Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are [your eyes because of what you have been allowed to see.// “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen.] 24 I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you [have been seeing//see], but they didn’t [get to//0] see it. And they longed to hear what you [have been hearing//hear], but they didn’t [get to//0] hear it.”29 The man wanted to justify his [life-style//actions], so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”36 “Now which of [those/these] three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”Then Jesus said, “Yes, now [you also//0] go and do the same.” 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5014161

NL-Day056 Leviticus 9-10; Psalm 14; Luke 10:1-24 02/23/2025

NL-Day056 Leviticus 9-10; Psalm 14; Luke 10:1-24 LEVITICUS 9-10:Yesterday in Leviticus, we heard more regulations for the priests (mainly), and then heard the story of the ordination ceremony that Moses performed for Aaron and his sons. PSALM 14:Psalm 14 can be classed as a messianic psalm because of v7. (However that is made clearer in other translations.) David shows us what God sees when He looks at this world. And that is why Paul quoted from this psalm in Romans 3. LUKE 10:In the second half of Luke 9, Jesus came down from the mountain to find a crowd, and he healed a demon possessed boy. Jesus predicted his death, and talked about the cost of being his disciples. NLT Translation notes:Ps. 14:7 Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?When the LORD restores his people,Jacob['s people/0] will shout with joy, and all Israel will rejoice.====Luk. 10:5 “Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ 6 If those who live there are [people who desire God's peace//peaceful], the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you.23 Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are [your eyes because of what you have been allowed to see.// “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen.]24 I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you [have been seeing//see], but they didn’t [get to//0] see it. And they longed to hear what you [have been hearing//hear], but they didn’t [get to//0] hear it.”29 The man wanted to justify his [life-style//actions], so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”36 “Now which of [those/these] three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”Then Jesus said, “Yes, now [you also//0] go and do the same.” 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5014055

NL-Day055 Leviticus 7-8; Psalm 13; Luke 9:35-62 02/23/2025

NL-Day055 Leviticus 7-8; Psalm 13; Luke 9:35-62 LEVITICUS 7:Yesterday we heard about sin and guilt offerings and about the ordination offering for priests. In today’s reading, it sounds to me that for repayment offerings (repayment being a sin which would usually be intentional), the person offering the sacrifice would not be entitled to receive any of the meat. PSALM 13:David starts by crying out “How long?” and ends with a note of praise. We can be thankful for his difficult experiences which give us these Psalms. LUKE 9b:Yesterday we heard of Jesus sending out his disciples, and afterward the feeding of the 5,000. Peter rightly declared what position Jesus was filling. Jesus predicted his death. He said that some standing there would not die before seeing the Kingdom of God, and perhaps he meant his three disciples who saw the transfiguration, because His kingship was clearly foreshadowed there. NLT Translation notes:Luk. 9:18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “[According to the crowds, whose position am I ministering in?”/ /According to what the people are saying, whose position am I apparently filling?”//Who do people say I am?”][In English, the answer to “Who do people say I am?” would be “Jesus”— his name. This is a case where one has to use more words than the original to capture the same intent.]19 “Well,” they replied, “some say the position of John the Baptist, some say [taking Elijah's place//Elijah], and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.” 20 Then he asked them, “But [whose place do you say I am filling?”//who do you say I am?”]21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone [about this//who he was]. 22 “[I, the//The] Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,”he said. “[I/He] will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. [I/He] will be killed, but on the third day [I/he] will be raised from the dead.”23 Then he said to the crowd, “[PET Everyone who wants to follow Me has to leave his own self interests and follow Me every day, thinking like this, I will keep following the Lord even to the point of death— even death by crucifixion!’//If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.]44 “Listen to me and remember what I say. [I, the Son of Man am//The Son of Man is] going to be betrayed into the hands of [my/his] enemies.”58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but [I,/0] the Son of Man, has no place even to lay [my/his] head.” 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5012764

NL-Day054 Leviticus 5-6; Psalm 12; Luke 9:1-36 02/16/2025

NL-Day054 Leviticus 5-6; Psalm 12; Luke 9:1-36 LEVITICUS 5-6:Yesterday we read about sacrifices given for unintentional sins and for peace offerings. And I said that we would hear about offerings for intentional sins today. PSALM 12:In Psalm 12, we hear of trusting in God's promises even in the midst of hard times. LUKE 9a:Yesterday to the woman healed of bleeding, Jesus said, “It is because you believe in me that you are healed.” And to Jairus, He said, “ Don’t be afraid. Just keep on believing in Me.” NLT Translation notes:Ps. 12:5 The LORD replies, “I have seen [your violence done againstthe helpless,//violence done to the helpless,]and I have heard the groans of the poor.6 [Your promises, O LORD,//The LORD’s promises] are pure,like silver refined in a furnace,purified seven times over.====Mrk. 9:18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “[According to the crowds, whose position am I ministering in?”/ /According to what the people are saying, whose position am I apparently filling?”//Who do people say I am?”][In English, the answer to “Who do people say I am?” would be “Jesus”— his name. This is a case where one has to use more words than the original to capture the same intent.]19 “Well,” they replied, “some say the position of John the Baptist, some say [taking Elijah's place//Elijah], and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”20 Then he asked them, “But [whose place do you say I am filling?”//who do you say I am?”]21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone [about this//who he was]. 22 “[I, the//The] Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,”he said. “[I/He] will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. [I/He] will be killed, but on the third day [I/he] will be raised from the dead.”23 Then he said to the crowd, “[PET Everyone who wants to follow Me has to leave his own self interests and follow Me every day, thinking like this, I will keep following the Lord even to the point of death— even death by crucifixion!’//If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.] 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, [I,] the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when [I return in my//he returns in his] glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.44 “Listen to me and remember what I say. [I, the Son of Man am//The Son of Man is] going to be betrayed into the hands of [my/his] enemies.”58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but [I,/0] the Son of Man, has no place even to lay [my/his] head.” 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5012338

NL-Day053 Leviticus 3-4; Psalm 11; Luke 8:22-56 02/16/2025

NL-Day053 Leviticus 3-4; Psalm 11; Luke 8:22-56 LEVITICUS 3-4:Yesterday we heard about burnt offerings and grain offerings. Andrew Bonar states about Leviticus:“There is no book in the whole compass of that inspired Volume which the Holy Spirit has given us, that contains more of the very words of God than Leviticus. It is God that is the direct speaker in almost every page; His gracious words are recorded in the form wherein they were uttered.” Note this in our reading in Leviticus today: By and large, the sacrificial system was set up to forgive unintentional sins. (Some small exceptions will be noted in tomorrow’s reading in Leviticus.) It is good to draw a distinction— as the book of Hebrews does, between unintentional and intentional sins. Each of us should feel uncomfortable, because each of us can look back and remember sins we committed intentionally. Let us make the firm commitment to never trample upon our Savior’s kindness by sinning intentionally. But we can praise the Lord for this verse spoken by Paul in Acts 13:38-39: “Therefore let it be known to you, brothers [and sisters//0], that through this one forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by this one everyone who believes is justified from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify you.” (NET) PSALM 11:This is a song of trust in the Lord. LUKE 8b:Yesterday we read the parable of the sower, or different kinds of soil. Jesus taught about the importance of hearing and doing what is in God's Word, and that was echoed again when his mother and brothers came to see him. NLT Translation notes:Luk. 8:7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up [with the tender young plants and choked them out.//it and choked out the tender plants.] 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, [“You people have ears to hear with, don't you?! Well then, listen and understand!”//Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.][Seed is a collective noun, therefore plural!]9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets a of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled [where God said//0]:‘When they look, they won’t really see.When they hear, they won’t understand.’25 Then he asked them, “[Whatever happened to the idea of your believing in Me?!”//Where is your faith?]The disciples were terrified and amazed. “[What kind of man is this?!//Who is this man?]” they asked each other.“When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”30 Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”“[Batalion/Legion],” he replied, for he was filled with many demons.32 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs.[0/So] Jesus gave them permission.[The Greek ‘kai’ (and) is frequently left untranslated on purpose. I definitely don't like the addition of a 'So' logical connector here.]34 When the herdsmen saw [what happened//it], they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran.35 People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they [all became afraid//were afraid].48 “[0//Daughter],” he said to her, “[You are now healed because you believe fully in Me.//your faith has made you well.] Go in peace.”[Jesus does call her 'daughter' in Greek. But people can often get the wrong impression from that. One common wrong implication would be that this woman was younger than Jesus. If the translator changes to something like 'woman', then there are other problems with wrong implications. Other options I have thought of sound unnatural. For naturalness sake, it sounds best and most natural to me to just leave the word out.]50 But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. [Just keep believing fully in Me//Just have faith], and she will be healed.” 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5011433

NL-Day052 Leviticus 1-2; Psalm 10; Luke 8:1-25 02/16/2025

NL-Day052 Leviticus 1-2; Psalm 10; Luke 8:1-25 LEVITICUS 1-2:Yesterday at the end of Exodus, the worship in the completed and dedicated tabernacle was started. Leviticus is a continuation of Exodus, in the same way that Exodus is a continuation of Genesis. Leviticus also starts with the word ‘And’. The title once again comes from Latin Vulgate which was based on the name in the Septuagint. So the name does not come from the Hebrew. Because of the name, many think that this book is a handbook only for the priests. Not so. Wenham (from Constable) states: “It would be wrong, however, to describe Leviticus simply as a manual for priests. It is equally, if not more, concerned with the part the laity should play in worship. Many of the regulations explain what the layman should sacrifice. They tell him when to go to the sanctuary, what to bring, and what he may expect the priest to do when he arrives. Most of the laws apply to all Israel: only a few sections specifically concern the priests alone, e.g., chs. 21—22. The lay orientation of the legislation is particularly noticeable in ch. 23, where the whole emphasis lies on the days that must be observed as days of sabbath rest.” Many New Testament concepts are foreshadowed in this book, such as the seriousness of sin in God’s sight, the necessity of atonement of sin, the holiness of God, and the necessity of a mediator between God and Man. H.C. Mears says, “In Genesis we see humanity ruined, in Exodus, humanity redeemed, and in Leviticus, humanity worshipping.” One can’t read this book without being thankful to Christ Jesus for His sacrifice which fulfills the incredibly detailed laws about sacrifice for us. PSALM 10:E.C. Olsen says this Psalm has “a triple theme: the silence of God, the despair of the humble, and the pride of the wicked.” This Psalm doesn't give us all the answers, but we know God understands how we feel about these things. LUKE 8:At the end of Luke 7 we read about how Jesus was anointed by a sinful woman, and how Jesus answered the silent criticism of Simon, the pharisee. NLT Translation notes:Lev. 1:12 Then [you/0] cut the animal in pieces, and the priests will arrange the pieces of the offering, including the head and fat, on the wood burning on the altar.[Modern readers tend to think that the priests did all the messy bloody work. Not so!]====Ps. 10:2 The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor.[Why not let/Let] them be caught in the evil they plan for others[?!/.]4 The wicked are too proud to seek [You, O God!// God.]They seem to think that [You are dead!//God is dead.][Compare with CEV on using 2nd person here.]8 They lurk in ambush in the villages,waiting to murder innocent people [(like me)!//.]10 Their helpless victims [(like me)//0] are crushed;they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.12 Arise, O L ORD !Punish the wicked, O God!Do not ignore [us helpless people/the helpless people]!13 Why do the wicked get away with despising [You, O//0] God?They think, “God will never call us to account.”14 But you [really do//0] see the trouble and grief they cause.You take note of it and [will/0] punish them.The helpless put their trust in you.You [really do] defend the orphans[!/.]15 [Oh, break//Break] the arms of these wicked, evil people!Go after them until the last one is destroyed.17 LORD , you [really do//0] know the hopes of the helpless!.Surely you will hear [our/their] cries and comfort [us/them].====Luk. 8:7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up [with the tender young plants and choked them out.//it and choked out the tender plants.] 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, [“You people have ears to hear with, don't you?! Well then, listen and understand!”//Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.][Seed is a collective noun, therefore plural!]9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 Hereplied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets a of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others sothat the Scriptures might be fulfilled [where God said//0]:‘When they look, they won’t really see.When they hear, they won’t understand.’25 Then he asked them, “[Whatever happened to the idea of your believing in Me?!”//Where is your faith?]The disciples were terrified and amazed. “[What kind of man is this?!//Who is this man?]” they asked each other.“When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”30 Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”“[Batalion/Legion],” he replied, for he was filled with many demons.32 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs.[0/So] Jesus gave them permission.[The Greek ‘kai’ (and) is frequently left untranslated on purpose. I definitely don't like the addition of a 'So' logical connector here.]34 When the herdsmen saw [what happened//it], they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran.35 People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they [all we overcome with fear//all became afraid//were afraid].48 “[0//Daughter],” he said to her, “[You are now healed because you believe fully in Me.//your faith has made you well.] Go in peace.”[Jesus does call her 'daughter' in Greek. But people can often get the wrong impression from that. One common wrong implication would be that this woman was younger than Jesus. If the translator changes to something like 'woman', then there are other problems with wrong implications. Other options I have thought of sound unnatural. For naturalness sake, it sounds best and most natural to me to just leave the word out.]50 But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. [Just keep believing fully in Me//Just have faith], and she will be healed.” 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5011380

NL-Day051 Exodus 40; Psalm 9; Luke 7:20-50 02/16/2025

NL-Day051 Exodus 40; Psalm 9; Luke 7:20-50 EXODUS 40:Yesterday we read about Bezalel making the outside articles for worship— like the altar for burnt offerings. There was a listing of materials used, and then we heard of the making of the priests' clothes— all according to how Moses was instructed by God. And Moses inspected everything and blessed the people. The stage is set for the start of worship according to God's instructions. PSALM 9:Psalm 9 is a song celebrating God sitting on his throne and judging justly. LUKE 7b:Yesterday we read about Jesus healing a favorite slave of a Roman officer and the raising of a widow's son from death. We start today’s rereading where Jesus was speaking about John the Baptist. NLT Translation notes:Luk. 7:2 At that time [a/the] highly valued slave of a Roman officer a was sick and near death.9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t [found someone fully believing//seen faith] like this in all Israel!”15 Then the dead [young man//boy] sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.22 [He//Then he] told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and [0/the] Good News is being preached to the poor.25 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found [instead/0] in palaces.26 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 27 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when [God said,//they say,]‘ Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,and he will prepare your way before you.’33 For John the Baptist didn’t [join with you in//spend his time] eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’34 [I, the//The] Son of Man, on the other hand, [join you in//0] feasts and drinks, and you say, [I am// ‘He’s] a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner! [(And he would tell her to stop!)//0]”47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven [only a//0] little shows only little love.”49 The men at the table said among themselves, “[What kind of man is this//Who is this man] , that he goes around forgiving sins?!”[The answer to “Who is this man” is “Jesus.” It is more natural in English to make this rhetorical question as I have here.]50 And Jesus said to the woman, “[You are saved because you fully believe in me.//Your faith has saved you] [. Go/; go] in peace.”[In English, 'faith' has so many fuzzy meanings, that it makes a verse like this very unclear. Jesus did NOT use 'faith' to mean such things as 'inner fortitude', 'vague hope', 'blind trust', denominational faith, or many other meanings. In Greek, 'faith' is simply the noun form of 'believe'.] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5010466

NL-Day050 Exodus 38-39; Psalm 8; Luke 7:1-35 02/16/2025

NL-Day050 Exodus 38-39; Psalm 8; Luke 7:1-35 EXODUS 38-39:Yesterday we heard of the building of the tabernacle, the Covenant Box, and the other furniture of the Holy Place and Most Holy Place. Everything was done precisely as God had described before. The actor ‘he’ as we start this chapter is again Bezalel. PSALM 8:This psalm is quoted in Hebrews 2 and is frequently misunderstood. “Son of man” does not refer to Jesus in this Psalm or in Hebrews 2, and the NLT is correct in not using that term here. This is a psalm of praise for the awesomeness of God, expressing amazement at the place of _mankind_ in God's creation. LUKE 7a:In chapter 6 we read the Beatitudes, and Jesus taught about loving others and not judging them. Jesus taught using the figures of trees and their fruit, and building houses upon a rock foundation. One of the most frequently misquoted verses in Scripture was included in yesterday’s portion of Luke 6, “Do not judge others and you will not be judged.” But if we take that to the extreme, we would not be able to recognize good and bad people, as Jesus talks about in verse 45. And there are many other places where Christians are called upon to make judgments— especially those of us in leadership. But the key would be not bringing judgment against others if we might be found to be guilty of the same sin. NLT Translation notes:Exo. 38:26 This silver came from the tax collected from each man registered in the census. (The tax [was/is] one beka, which is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel.) The tax was collected from 603,550 men who had reached their twentieth birthday.====Ps. 8:1 O LORD , our Lord, [how your majestic glory is visible everywhere on earth!//O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth.][This is a metonymy on the name of the Lord. (Meaning that 'name' stands for the whole person of God, like 'white house' can stand for the current USA government administration..) Most of the time such metonymy simply refers to the whole person of the Lord, not just his name. In some places it can refer to the Lord’s reputation— as NET translates here. The 'Lord’s name' metonymy is everywhere in Scripture. Although English clearly uses metonymy, we don't so often use it for 'name'. Now that I think of it, a good way to translate this line would be, “O Lord, our Lord, your glorious handwriting is visible everywhere on earth!”]4 what are mere mortals that you should think aboutthem, human beings that you should care for them?5 Yet you, [O God,//0] made them only a little lower than[Yourself/God] and crowned them with glory and honor.9 O LORD , our Lord, [how your majestic glory isvisible everywhere on earth!//O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth.]====Luk.7:2 At that time [a/the] highly valued slave of a Roman officer a was sick and near death.9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t [found someone fully believing//seen faith] like this in all Israel!”15 Then the dead [young man//boy] sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.22 [He//Then he] told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and [0/the] Good News is being preached to the poor.33 For John the Baptist didn’t [join with you in//spend his time] eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 34 [I, the//The] Son of Man, on the other hand, [join you in//0] feasts and drinks, and you say, [I am// ‘He’s] a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner! [(And he would tell her to stop!)//0]”47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven [only a//0] little shows only little love.”49 The men at the table said among themselves, “[What kind of man is this//Who is this man] , that he goes around forgiving sins?!”[The answer to “Who is this man” is “Jesus.” It is more natural in English to make this rhetorical question as I have here.]50 And Jesus said to the woman, “[You are saved because you fully believe in me.//Your faith has saved you] [. Go/; go] in peace.”[In English, 'faith' has so many fuzzy meanings, that it makes a verse like this very unclear. Jesus did NOT use 'faith' to mean such things as 'inner fortitude', 'vague hope', 'blind trust', denominational faith, or many other meanings. In Greek, 'faith' is simply the noun form of 'believe'.] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5009880

NL-Day049 Exodus 36-37; Psalm 7; Luke 6:27-49 02/16/2025

NL-Day048 Exodus 34-35; Psalm 6; Luke 6:1-31 02/16/2025

NL-Day047 Exodus 32-33; Psalm 5; Luke 5 02/09/2025

NL-Day047 Exodus 32-33; Psalm 5; Luke 5 EXODUS 32-33:Yesterday we read about the plans for the incense altar, and about the making of incense and anointing oil. We heard also of God's choosing and giving ability to Bezalel and Oholiab for making everything required in the worship of God. And God emphasized the importance of keeping the Sabbath as a covenant responsibility. PSALM 5:Psalm 5 is a song for early morning (when arising from a night of sleep). Erling Olsen comments that this Psalm says that God hates or detests evil doers. He says that this stands in stark contrast to pictures of God that make him only capable of the sentiment of love. We as God's created beings, have no right to criticize Him or remake him in an image we find more comfortable. God who created us has all emotions, and is just— possessing the right to judge his created beings. LUKE 5:Yesterday we read of Jesus being rejected in his home town, of healings, and casting out demons. He refused to have his identity proclaimed by demons, and silenced them. And He refused to stay in one town, but went around preaching in the whole area. NLT Translation notes:22 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, [ [PET] “I know that you have doubts in your hearts about what I said!23 Of course it was hard for you to accept it when I said to this paralyzed man, ‘I've forgiven your sins.’ Will it be easier for you to accept if I say to him, ‘Get up, pick up your mattress and go home’?24 But by saying this, I'm proving to you that I— as the Son of Man, have the right to forgive the sin of man!”//“Why do you question this in your hearts? 23 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.][This was a very difficult passage for us to translate in both languages I have translated for. For one thing, it is not physically difficult to pronounce either statement. As to the answer to Jesus’ rhetorical question, I do NOT buy the interpretation found in some translations that it was easier for Jesus to forgive the man’s sins because it was something that could not be physically seen. It was hard for Jesus to say both statements— hard in the sense that both statements require the power of God. Remember, Jesus knows that He will go to the cross in order to purchase forgiveness for this man— and for us. Jesus chose the order of his statements, not based on difficulty, but to prove an important point to everyone, and especially his critics.] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/5006755

NL-Day046 Exodus 30-31; Psalm 4; Luke 4:14-44 02/09/2025

NL-Day045 Exodus 29; Psalm 3; Luke 4:1-30 02/09/2025

NL-Day044 Exodus 27-28; Psalm 2; Luke 3 02/09/2025

NL-Day043 Exodus 25-26; Psalm 1; Luke 2:25-52 02/09/2025

NL-Day043 Exodus 25-26; Psalm 1; Luke 2:25-52 EXODUS 25-26:Yesterday we read the commands for the Israelites to be good neighbors and to practice justice. And we heard the requirement for all Israelites to celebrate three festivals, and God gave promises of how He would bring them into the land. Then we read the story of how Moses led the people in accepting the covenant. Note how important the sacrificial blood was in this ceremony. The Israelites promised to obey the covenant. Moses told them to wait for him, then followed God's call to go up to the summit of the mountain, where he stayed for 40 days and nights. PSALMS 1:Job— as I said before, is a book of sophisticated poetry, one that uses literary devices and makes reference to a well-developed mythology. And we find a book that defies simple analysis. At the conclusion of Job, some of you may be feeling that some basic questions were not really answered. Some of you may be saying, “But I have suffered injustice, and God has not responded to me the way he responded to Job at the end of the book.” To those of you, I say that we can learn several things from Job, and one would be that there are many things God takes into account that we do not know about. And secondly, we can be sure that God is just and fair, and in the final analysis— when we reach heaven, all issues of justice will be resolved. And I also say this: I hope you continue to read the Bible with us this year, because we will find more answers about God’s sovereignty and justice as we go on. The book of Psalms was the nation of Israel's hymnbook. The poems were compiled over time, with most of the first half by King David. The Psalms fall into these categories: Instruction, Praise, Thanksgiving,Penitence, Trust, Distress,Aspiration, History, and Prophecy. Under the prophecy category, the Psalms talk of Jesus' prophetic office, his priestly office, his kingly office, his sufferings, and his resurrection. (For details, see HC Mears.) LUKE 2b:Yesterday we read of Jesus' birth, of the angels announcement to the shepherds, and of Jesus being presented in the temple— which is where we pick up the story today. NLT Translation notes:Luk. 2:30 [For I have now//I have] seen your salvation,31 which you have prepared for all people.32 He is a light to reveal [You/God] to the nations,and he is the glory of your people Israel!” 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/4997691

NL-Day042 Exodus 23-24; Job 42; Luke 2:1-35 02/09/2025

NL-Day041 Exodus 21-22; Job 41; Luke 1:39-80 02/09/2025

NL-Day041 Exodus 21-22; Job 41; Luke 1:39-80 EXODUS 21-22:Yesterday we read about the awesome and fearful way the Lord revealed himself at Mount Sinai to the Israelites. (Remember that for when we come to Hebrews 13.) And God gave the 10 Commandments. JOB 41:God continues to confront and challenge Job, asking questions revealing God's power compared to human weakness. A note about Leviathan in this chapter. Leviathan can be compared to a sea crocodile. The identification of Leviathan is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literature. LUKE 1b:Yesterday, in a very formal prologue, Luke stated his purpose. Then we read of Zechariah's unbelief, and how Mary accepted the role God had given to her. She said: 38 “ I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” NLT Translation notes:18 “Now suppose two men quarrel, and one hits the other with a stone or fist, and the injured [man/person] does not die but is confined to bed.[I can’t stand it when, in the name of gender sensitivity, ‘man’ gets changed to ‘person’. In this case, it is already clear that it is ‘two men’!]27 And if a man knocks out [a/the] tooth [from/of] his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.31 “You must be my holy people. Therefore, do not eat any animal that has been torn up and killed by wild animals. Throw [that/it] to the dogs.====Luk. 1:61 They said to her, “[But//There is] no one among your relatives who has that name.”[See the note in NET about the use of ‘But’ here.]67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and [{spoke/gave} this prophecy//prophesied]:80 [John grew up//And the child grew] and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/4996052

NL-Day040 Exodus 19-20; Job 40; Luke 1:1-45 02/02/2025

NL-Day040 Exodus 19-20; Job 40; Luke 1:1-45 EXODUS 19-20:Yesterday we heard of God satisfying the thirst of the Israelites by commanding Moses to hit a rock. Israel defeated the Amalekites. And Jethro brought Moses’ wife and sons to him and gave him good advice. Note that in most English translations, God often talks of Himself in what we might term the royal fashion— as ‘The LORD’, and then as ‘He’ (instead of ‘I’, and ‘Me’). (The capital letters L O R D indicate that the Hebrew actually has his name, Yahweh.) In many of the world’s languages, it is ungrammatical to speak of oneself in the third person, so translations into those languages must use ‘I, the Lord’ and ‘Me’. Even in English it is highly unusual for anyone to use the royal form. So if you are following along in the NLT, you will notice that I regularly alter the text so that God speaks of himself in the first person. I do this for the sake of naturalness and clarity for those who are listening. JOB 40:Yesterday God continued to challenge Job with questions too hard for humans to answer. In today’s chapter, starting at verse 15, we read about the Behemoth. The GNT footnote tells that some identify this as a hippopotamus. But the description of Behemoth's tail in verse 17 doesn't fit with a hippopotamus. Maybe a sea crocodile would be a better choice? But they don’t eat grass. It is perhaps better to simply say that the Behemoth and Leviathan are legendary or mythical sea creatures. LUKE 1:Yesterday we finished 2nd Peter with his advising us to get ready for the Lord's return. Luke— as we will find out in other NT books, was the physician who was a traveling companion of Paul. His goal was to write a well-researched and ordered account of Jesus' life— as he says in his formal prologue. Robert Maddox states:“[Luke] writes to reassure the Christians of his day that their faith in Jesus is no aberration, but the authentic goal towards which God’s ancient dealings with Israel were driving.” More Muslims have become followers of Christ through reading Luke’s Gospel than from reading other three, because of its emphases. Luke is the longest book of the NT, and if we put Luke’s two books together, they form 27% of the NT. Luke wrote to Theophilus, who may have been a Roman dignitary, but since the name means “Lover of God” Luke may have intended his book for all of us who love God. Luke's explanations show that he was writing to the Greeks, and so he appropriately brings out that Christ came for all mankind— Jews and Gentiles. Luke also highlights the roles played by women. A major example is the material from his interviews with Mary, the mother of Jesus. Luke includes more poetry than the other Gospels, tells more about Jesus praying, and chronicles Jesus' parables and teaching. NLT Translation notes:Exo. 19:7 “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. [I, the LORD//The LORD] will not let you go unpunished if you misuse [my/his] name.11 For in six days [I//the LORD] made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day [I/he] rested. That is why [I, the LORD,//the LORD] blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land [that I,//0] the L ORD your God [am/is] giving you.[It is a feature of Hebrew that God frequently uses the honorific form where He refers to Himself in the third person. This is ungrammatical in many of the world’s languages, and is rather borderline ungrammatical even in English. Note the example in Job below.]==== Job 4:9 Are you as strong as [Me//God]? Can you thunder with a voice like [mine/his]? ==== Luk. 1:2 They used the eyewitness reports circulating among [0//us from] the early disciples. Luk. 1:38 “ I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”61 They said to her, “[But//There is] no one among your relatives who has that name.”[See the note in NET about the use of ‘But’ here.]67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and [{spoke/gave} this prophecy//prophesied]:80 [John grew up//And the child grew] and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/4995206

NL-Day039 Exodus 17-18; Job 39; 2 Peter 3 02/02/2025

NL-Day038 Exodus 15-16; Job 38; 2 Peter 1:19-2:22 02/02/2025

NL-Day038 Exodus 15-16; Job 38; 2 Peter 1:19-2:22 EXODUS 15-16:Yesterday we heard that because of the Passover plague which killed Egypt's firstborn, God claims the firstborn of Israel for all time to come. Then we heard of Pharaoh's final hardening of his heart, and the parting of the red sea. JOB 38:In the 6 chapters before this, Elihu has said that God uses multiple means of communication with humans. He maintained that God is just, and said that Job— in his despair, had gone too far in saying it doesn't make any difference if one tries to serve God. He said that God is amazing in His power, and God does notice and punish the wicked. Then it so happened that as Elihu was speaking, a storm was blowing up that showed God's awesome majesty. Then— in today’s chapter, the Lord answers Job, not the last speaker, Elihu. 2PETER 2:Yesterday we heard that we can employ God's promises to supply power for godly living. This power can even enable us to share in God's own nature, thereby escaping the world's corruption. Let’s review what we read yesterday starting at 1:19, as Peter's mention of the prophets are a stark contrast with the false teachers Peter will describe in chapter 2. 1:19 NLT Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. NLT Translation notes:Gen. 15:26 He said, “If you will listen carefully to [my voice//0] the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in [my/his] sight, obeying [my/his] commands and keeping all [my/his] decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.” ==== Job 38:32 NLT96 Can you [ensure the proper sequence of//NLT07 direct the constellations through] the seasons or guide the constellation of the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?====2Ptr. 2:20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way [of/to] righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/4992353

NL-Day037 Exodus 13-14; Job 37; 2 Peter 1 02/02/2025

NL-Day037 Exodus 13-14; Job 37; 2 Peter 1 EXODUS 13-14:Yesterday we heard of the final plague— including the death of the firstborn and the first Passover. And we heard the rules for the Passover celebrations. Note how Christ is foreshadowed in the Passover lamb, including the detail that not a bone was to be broken. JOB 37:This is the conclusion of Elihu's speech. 2nd PETER 1:Yesterday in James 5, James railed against the rich to encourage the poor. He also told us how to be patient in our suffering. The last section teaches about prayer for the sick and finally about repentance. I add a little footnote here. So often I hear the part about praying for the sick quoted by people who do not bother to fulfill all the instructions that James gives. If we are going to claim promises in Scriptures, we need to fulfill the conditions given! This 2nd letter of Peter's was probably written not long before he was martyred in AD 68. Or it could have been written as early as AD 65. A different person with a very different vocabulary served as Peter’s secretary to write this. One of the things that tells me that Peter really was the author is his consistent humility. In 1Peter 5, he spoke of himself as a fellow elder and a fellow in looking forward to the glory that will be revealed to us. And he starts this letter in a similar vein, calling his listeners those ‘who share the same precious [faith/way of believing] we [apostles] have.’ Constable quotes Vernon McGee:“Second Peter is the swan song of Peter, just as 2 Timothy is the swan song of Paul. There are striking similarities between the two books. Both epistles put up a warning sign along the pilgrim pathway the church is traveling to identify the awful apostasy that was on the way at the time and which in our time has now arrived. What was then like a cloud the size of a man’s hand today envelops the sky and produces a storm of hurricane proportions. Peter warns of heresy among teachers; Paul warns of heresy among the laity.” NLT Translation notes:Exo. 13:31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the L ORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. [At last/0] they [fully believed//put their faith] in the L ORD and in his servant Moses.====1 This letter is from Simon a Peter, a slave and apostle of Christ Jesus.I am writing to you who share the same precious [beliefs/faith] we have. The things we fully believe were given to us//faith we have. This faith was given to you] because of the justice and fairness of [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], our God and Savior.5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your [believing/faith] with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,14 For our Lord [and Christ Jesus//Lord Jesus Christ] has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/4990900

NL-Day036 Exodus 11-12; Job 36; James 5 02/02/2025

NL-Day036 Exodus 11-12; Job 36; James 5 EXODUS 11-12:Yesterday we heard of the plague against the livestock, the plague of boils, and the plague of hail. We are not told how much time there was in between each plague. It seems there was enough time for many Egyptians to buy more livestock before they were again decimated by the hail. Then we heard about the plague of locusts followed by the plague of darkness. I hope you noticed Who is doing the hardening of hearts and causing the stubbornness. Paul talks about that in Romans 9. JOB 36:This is Elihu's 5th chapter. JAMES 5:In chapter 4, James preached against the way the world had infiltrated the church— and we could say, still infiltrates the church. He gave an important clue about why God doesn't answer our prayers. And he taught that we need to purify our hearts from pride and having divided loyalty between God and the world. He gave a big clue on how to be rid of Satan's influence. Finally James taught us how prideful it is to judge others, and warned about prideful planning. Note that in verses 1-6 of our reading today, James is using the rhetorical device called ‘apostrophe’— where he harshly rebukes rich people who are NOT actually in his audience. He is is doing this to give comfort to his actual audience, which includes many who are poor. It is almost certainly the case that any rich people who were actually part of James’ audience had not done the crimes James mentions. NLT Translation notes:James 5:3-4 3 Your gold and silver [have become worthless//are corroded]. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This [0//corroded] treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. [The wages you held back cry out against you.//0] The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. [I moved the idea of ‘rust’ in verse 3 to verse 4. Literally, ‘the rust of them will become a testimony against you’.]Jam. 5:11 We give great honor to those who endured under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how[-- at the end/0], the Lord was kind to him [0/at the end], for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.15 [ [PET] And God will answer their prayers for healing which are supported by fully believing that the Lord is answering. The Lord will bring him back to health. And if his sickness was caused by his sins, through such prayers, the Lord will forgive him. //Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.] 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/4990612

NL-Day035 Exodus 9-10; Job 35; James 4 02/02/2025

NL-Day034 Exodus 7-8; Job 34; James 3 02/02/2025

NL-Day033 Exodus 5-6; Job 33; James 2 01/26/2025

NL-Day033 Exodus 5-6; Job 33; James 2 EXODUS 5-6:Moses has responded to God's call, returned to Egypt with Aaron, and has had a successful meeting with the leaders of the Israelite people. JOB 33:This is Elihu's second chapter of six in his speech. JAMES 2:Yesterday James told us to consider it a great joy when troubles come our way. Don't miss James’ reasoning for this seeming contradiction. Then he spoke very strongly about not just being people who merely listen to God's Word. We must do it. NLT Translation notes:Jam. 2:1 My dear brothers and sisters, a how can you claim to [fully believe//have faith] in our glorious Lord [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] if you favor some people over others?5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in [the area of fully believing in Christ//faith]? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], whose noble nameyou bear?10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty [of being a law breaker as the//as a] person who has broken all of God’s laws. 11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery.”HEADING: [Believing without Good Deeds Is Dead Religion//Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead]14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you [believe/have faith] but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of [believing/faith] save anyone?17 So you see, [believing/faith] by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead [religion/0] and useless.18 Now [I can just hear someone arguing//someone may argue], “Some people [are good at believing//have faith]; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me [that you believe//your faith] if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you [that I fully believe through//my faith] by my good deeds.”19 You say you [believe//have faith], [because/for] you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe [that/this], and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that [believing/faith] without good deeds is useless?22 You see, [believing/faith] and his actions worked together. His actions made his [believing/faith] complete [in God's sight]. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his [fully believing//faith].” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by [believing/faith] alone.[I hope you remember why I use ‘believe’ instead of ‘faith’. ‘Faith’ and ‘believe’ translate the same root word (pistin/pisteuw) in Greek. 1. Faith is fuzzy because the word has taken on all sorts of meanings. 2. If you tell someone to have faith, they will likely ask, “But how?” Faith is not a volitional action. But believing is. 3. And finally I make the changes above for maintaining cohesion. In a verse like 23, it is important that the two phrases use the same word: ‘Abraham believed God’, and … ‘because of his believing’— that believing just mentioned, not some fuzzy thing Hollywood and our culture calls ‘faith’.]26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also [merely believing is just dead religion//faith is dead] without good works. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/4983034

NL-Day032 Exodus 3-4; Job 32; James 1 01/26/2025

NL-Day032 Exodus 3-4; Job 32; James 1 EXODUS 3-4:In yesterday's beginning to Exodus, we heard of Moses' birth and his young adulthood in Egypt. He murdered a man and had to flee for his life, going to Midian. We also read of his helping the seven daughters of Reuel, a scene that I can't read without thinking of the Cecil B. DeMill movie. JOB 32:Job having finished his defense, Elihu takes the stage. HC Mears says, Eliphaz basically said, “God never makes a mistake. What have you done to bring this on yourself?” Bildad essentially said, “God is just. Confess your sin.” Zophar suggested, “God is all-wise. He knows man.” Elihu, God's man, said the wisest thing: “God is good; look up, and trust Him.” Note that at the end of the book, Elihu is not mentioned as having misrepresented God. He does seem to speak wisely, but we can fault him for his arrogance. JAMES 1:Yesterday in 1Peter 5, Peter gave a very important encouragement to elders within the church. And among other things, he gave an important words about spiritual battle with Satan. I summarize his commands as Stay alert, Stand firm, and Remember. The letter of James is similar to 1 Peter in several ways. In the first verse of both letters, both mention that their audience is dispersed throughout the world. Both describe their audience using Jewish catch phrases. James is also similar to Peter in the way he sets out several themes and keeps returning to them. Moyer says of this book, “As soon as we read through the letter of James we say to ourselves, ‘This man was a preacher before he was a writer.’” James is probably the oldest book of the New Testament, written perhaps only 15 years after Jesus' death and before the first council of Jerusalem in AD 50. This was written, not by the disciple named James, but by James the half brother of Christ. While Jesus was alive, James was not a believer. But he came to believe when Jesus appeared to him shortly after His resurrection. Some time after this and before his martyrdom in AD 62, James was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. James does not call himself ‘the brother of Jesus’ but His slave! NLT Translation notes:Jam. 1:1 This letter is from James, a slave of God and of [our Lord Christ Jesus//the Lord Jesus Christ].6 But when you ask him, be sure that [you fully believe that God is willing to give you that wisdom you are asking for./ /your faith is in God alone.]Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. [But unlike those heavenly lights, God//He] never changes or casts a shifting shadow.24 You see [that you have dirt on your face, and then just//yourself,] walk away, and forget what you [looked/look] like. 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. /episode/index/show/dailybiblereading/id/4982800

Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields

TOPICS