Embracing Wonder: A 5-Week Advent Devotional From Matthew West

Daily Reading Plan With Christian Mael (December)

Moving Toward Each Other in the Middle of a Divisive World

Giving Thanks in Every Season

Thankful Through the Struggle

Vote With Vision: Praying God’s Will Over Elections

Advent Guide: You Belong

Our Father

El-Roi the God Who Sees Me

5 Spiritual Practices for Healing and Transformation

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

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 <div class="chapter ch23" data-usfm="LUK.23">
 <div class="label">23</div><div class="p"> 1Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, &#8220;We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3So Pilate asked Jesus, &#8220;Are you the king of the Jews?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> &#8220;You have said so,&#8221; Jesus replied.</div><div class="p"> 4Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, &#8220;I find no basis for a charge against this man.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5But they insisted, &#8220;He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7When he learned that Jesus was under Herod&#8217;s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.</div><div class="p"> 8When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12That day Herod and Pilate became friends&#8212;before this they had been enemies.</div><div class="p"> 13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, &#8220;You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.&#8221; [17]#23:17 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Matt. 27:15 and Mark 15:6.</div><div class="p"> 18But the whole crowd shouted, &#8220;Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!&#8221; 19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)</div><div class="p"> 20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21But they kept shouting, &#8220;Crucify him! Crucify him!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22For the third time he spoke to them: &#8220;Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.</div><div class="s1">The Crucifixion of Jesus</div><div class="p"> 26As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28Jesus turned and said to them, &#8220;Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the time will come when you will say, &#8216;Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!&#8217; 30Then</div><div class="q1"> &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;they will say to the mountains, &#8220;Fall on us!&#8221;</div><div class="q2"> and to the hills, &#8220;Cover us!&#8221;&#8198;&#8217; # 23:30 
 Hosea 10:8
 </div><div class="m"> 31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals&#8212;one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, &#8220;Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.&#8221;#23:34 Some early manuscripts do not have this sentence. And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.</div><div class="p"> 35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, &#8220;He saved others; let him save himself if he is God&#8217;s Messiah, the Chosen One.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, &#8220;If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 38There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.</div><div class="p"> 39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: &#8220;Aren&#8217;t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 40But the other criminal rebuked him. &#8220;Don&#8217;t you fear God,&#8221; he said, &#8220;since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 42Then he said, &#8220;Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.#23:42 Some manuscripts come with your kingly power&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 43Jesus answered him, &#8220;Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Death of Jesus</div><div class="p"> 44It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, &#8220;Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.&#8221;#23:46 Psalm 31:5 When he had said this, he breathed his last.</div><div class="p"> 47The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, &#8220;Surely this was a righteous man.&#8221; 48When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.</div><div class="s1">The Burial of Jesus</div><div class="p"> 50Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus&#8217; body. 53Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.</div><div class="p"> 55The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch45" data-usfm="GEN.45">
 <div class="label">45</div><div class="s1">Joseph Makes Himself Known</div><div class="p"> 1Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, &#8220;Have everyone leave my presence!&#8221; So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh&#8217;s household heard about it.</div><div class="p"> 3Joseph said to his brothers, &#8220;I am Joseph! Is my father still living?&#8221; But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.</div><div class="p"> 4Then Joseph said to his brothers, &#8220;Come close to me.&#8221; When they had done so, he said, &#8220;I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.#45:7 Or save you as a great band of survivors</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 9Now hurry back to my father and say to him, &#8216;This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don&#8217;t delay. 10You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me&#8212;you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. 13Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. 15And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.</div><div class="p"> 16When the news reached Pharaoh&#8217;s palace that Joseph&#8217;s brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. 17Pharaoh said to Joseph, &#8220;Tell your brothers, &#8216;Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, 18and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 19&#8220;You are also directed to tell them, &#8216;Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. 20Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. 22To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels#45:22 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms of silver and five sets of clothes. 23And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey. 24Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, &#8220;Don&#8217;t quarrel on the way!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. 26They told him, &#8220;Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.&#8221; Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. 27But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28And Israel said, &#8220;I&#8217;m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch46" data-usfm="GEN.46">
 <div class="label">46</div><div class="s1">Jacob Goes to Egypt</div><div class="p"> 1So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.</div><div class="p"> 2And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, &#8220;Jacob! Jacob!&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Here I am,&#8221; he replied.</div><div class="p"> 3&#8220;I am God, the God of your father,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph&#8217;s own hand will close your eyes.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel&#8217;s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6So Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt, taking with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan. 7Jacob brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters&#8212;all his offspring.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 8These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="li1">Reuben the firstborn of Jacob.</div><div class="li1"> 9The sons of Reuben:</div><div class="li2">Hanok, Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.</div><div class="li1"> 10The sons of Simeon:</div><div class="li2">Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.</div><div class="li1"> 11The sons of Levi:</div><div class="li2">Gershon, Kohath and Merari.</div><div class="li1"> 12The sons of Judah:</div><div class="li2">Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan).</div><div class="li2">The sons of Perez:</div><div class="li3">Hezron and Hamul.</div><div class="li1"> 13The sons of Issachar:</div><div class="li2">Tola, Puah,#46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Puvah Jashub#46:13 Samaritan Pentateuch and some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Num. 26:24 and 1 Chron. 7:1); Masoretic Text Iob and Shimron.</div><div class="li1"> 14The sons of Zebulun:</div><div class="li2">Sered, Elon and Jahleel.</div><div class="p"> 15These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,#46:15 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="li1"> 16The sons of Gad:</div><div class="li2">Zephon,#46:16 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint (see also Num. 26:15); Masoretic Text Ziphion Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.</div><div class="li1"> 17The sons of Asher:</div><div class="li2">Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah.</div><div class="li2">Their sister was Serah.</div><div class="li2">The sons of Beriah:</div><div class="li3">Heber and Malkiel.</div><div class="p"> 18These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah&#8212;sixteen in all.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="li1"> 19The sons of Jacob&#8217;s wife Rachel:</div><div class="li2">Joseph and Benjamin. 20In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.#46:20 That is, Heliopolis</div><div class="li1"> 21The sons of Benjamin:</div><div class="li2">Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.</div><div class="p"> 22These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob&#8212;fourteen in all.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="li1"> 23The son of Dan:</div><div class="li2">Hushim.</div><div class="li1"> 24The sons of Naphtali:</div><div class="li2">Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.</div><div class="p"> 25These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel&#8212;seven in all.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 26All those who went to Egypt with Jacob&#8212;those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons&#8217; wives&#8212;numbered sixty-six persons. 27With the two sons#46:27 Hebrew; Septuagint the nine children who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob&#8217;s family, which went to Egypt, were seventy#46:27 Hebrew (see also Exodus 1:5 and note); Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14) seventy-five in all.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p"> 28Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father#46:29 Hebrew around him and wept for a long time.</div><div class="p"> 30Israel said to Joseph, &#8220;Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 31Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father&#8217;s household, &#8220;I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, &#8216;My brothers and my father&#8217;s household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.&#8217; 33When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, &#8216;What is your occupation?&#8217; 34you should answer, &#8216;Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.&#8217; Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians.&#8221;</div>
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 <div class="chapter ch2" data-usfm="PRO.2">
 <div class="label">2</div><div class="s1">Moral Benefits of Wisdom</div><div class="q1"> 1My son, if you accept my words</div><div class="q2">and store up my commands within you,</div><div class="q1"> 2turning your ear to wisdom</div><div class="q2">and applying your heart to understanding&#8212;</div><div class="q1"> 3indeed, if you call out for insight</div><div class="q2">and cry aloud for understanding,</div><div class="q1"> 4and if you look for it as for silver</div><div class="q2">and search for it as for hidden treasure,</div><div class="q1"> 5then you will understand the fear of the Lord</div><div class="q2">and find the knowledge of God.</div><div class="q1"> 6For the Lord gives wisdom;</div><div class="q2">from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.</div><div class="q1"> 7He holds success in store for the upright,</div><div class="q2">he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,</div><div class="q1"> 8for he guards the course of the just</div><div class="q2">and protects the way of his faithful ones.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 9Then you will understand what is right and just</div><div class="q2">and fair&#8212;every good path.</div><div class="q1"> 10For wisdom will enter your heart,</div><div class="q2">and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.</div><div class="q1"> 11Discretion will protect you,</div><div class="q2">and understanding will guard you.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 12Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,</div><div class="q2">from men whose words are perverse,</div><div class="q1"> 13who have left the straight paths</div><div class="q2">to walk in dark ways,</div><div class="q1"> 14who delight in doing wrong</div><div class="q2">and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,</div><div class="q1"> 15whose paths are crooked</div><div class="q2">and who are devious in their ways.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 16Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,</div><div class="q2">from the wayward woman with her seductive words,</div><div class="q1"> 17who has left the partner of her youth</div><div class="q2">and ignored the covenant she made before God.#2:17 Or covenant of her God</div><div class="q1"> 18Surely her house leads down to death</div><div class="q2">and her paths to the spirits of the dead.</div><div class="q1"> 19None who go to her return</div><div class="q2">or attain the paths of life.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1"> 20Thus you will walk in the ways of the good</div><div class="q2">and keep to the paths of the righteous.</div><div class="q1"> 21For the upright will live in the land,</div><div class="q2">and the blameless will remain in it;</div><div class="q1"> 22but the wicked will be cut off from the land,</div><div class="q2">and the unfaithful will be torn from it.</div>
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