Christmas Planting

Christian Relationship Advice: Why Establishing a Strong Friendship Matters

Making Eye Contact With God - Discovering God's Personality

Gone Fishin' Six

Living With Enthusiasm: A 5 Devotional by Justeina Brownlee

The Church - Ephesians 4

Emulating Jesus in a Dark World

A Year in Luke/Acts

The Desire for Control

Finding God’s Love in Our Wounds

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

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

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch17" data-usfm="GEN.17">
 <div class="label">17</div><div class="s1">The Covenant of Circumcision</div><div class="p">1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, &#8220;I am God Almighty#17:1 Hebrew El-Shaddai; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. 2Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.&#8221;</div><div class="p">3Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4&#8220;As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5No longer will you be called Abram#17:5 Abram means exalted father.; your name will be Abraham,#17:5 Abraham probably means father of many. for I have made you a father of many nations. 6I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.&#8221;</div><div class="p">9Then God said to Abraham, &#8220;As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner&#8212;those who are not your offspring. 13Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.&#8221;</div><div class="p">15God also said to Abraham, &#8220;As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.&#8221;</div><div class="p">17Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, &#8220;Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?&#8221; 18And Abraham said to God, &#8220;If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!&#8221;</div><div class="p">19Then God said, &#8220;Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.#17:19 Isaac means he laughs. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.&#8221; 22When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.</div><div class="p">23On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27And every male in Abraham&#8217;s household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkGEN">
 <div class="chapter ch18" data-usfm="GEN.18">
 <div class="label">18</div><div class="s1">The Three Visitors</div><div class="p">1The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.</div><div class="p">3He said, &#8220;If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord,#18:3 Or eyes, Lord do not pass your servant by. 4Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way&#8212;now that you have come to your servant.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Very well,&#8221; they answered, &#8220;do as you say.&#8221;</div><div class="p">6So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. &#8220;Quick,&#8221; he said, &#8220;get three seahs#18:6 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.&#8221;</div><div class="p">7Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.</div><div class="p">9&#8220;Where is your wife Sarah?&#8221; they asked him.</div><div class="p">&#8220;There, in the tent,&#8221; he said.</div><div class="p">10Then one of them said, &#8220;I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, &#8220;After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?&#8221;</div><div class="p">13Then the Lord said to Abraham, &#8220;Why did Sarah laugh and say, &#8216;Will I really have a child, now that I am old?&#8217; 14Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.&#8221;</div><div class="p">15Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, &#8220;I did not laugh.&#8221;</div><div class="p">But he said, &#8220;Yes, you did laugh.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Abraham Pleads for Sodom</div><div class="p">16When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17Then the Lord said, &#8220;Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.#18:18 Or will use his name in blessings (see 48:20) 19For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.&#8221;</div><div class="p">20Then the Lord said, &#8220;The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.&#8221;</div><div class="p">22The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.#18:22 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition but the Lord remained standing before Abraham 23Then Abraham approached him and said: &#8220;Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare#18:24 Or forgive; also in verse 26 the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25Far be it from you to do such a thing&#8212;to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?&#8221;</div><div class="p">26The Lord said, &#8220;If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.&#8221;</div><div class="p">27Then Abraham spoke up again: &#8220;Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;If I find forty-five there,&#8221; he said, &#8220;I will not destroy it.&#8221;</div><div class="p">29Once again he spoke to him, &#8220;What if only forty are found there?&#8221;</div><div class="p">He said, &#8220;For the sake of forty, I will not do it.&#8221;</div><div class="p">30Then he said, &#8220;May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?&#8221;</div><div class="p">He answered, &#8220;I will not do it if I find thirty there.&#8221;</div><div class="p">31Abraham said, &#8220;Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?&#8221;</div><div class="p">He said, &#8220;For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.&#8221;</div><div class="p">32Then he said, &#8220;May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?&#8221;</div><div class="p">He answered, &#8220;For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.&#8221;</div><div class="p">33When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkPSA">
 <div class="chapter ch5" data-usfm="PSA.5">
 <div class="label">5</div><div class="cl">Psalm 5#In Hebrew texts 5:1-12 is numbered 5:2-13.</div><div class="d">For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David.</div><div class="q1">1Listen to my words, Lord,</div><div class="q2">consider my lament.</div><div class="q1">2Hear my cry for help,</div><div class="q2">my King and my God,</div><div class="q2">for to you I pray.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">3In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;</div><div class="q2">in the morning I lay my requests before you</div><div class="q2">and wait expectantly.</div><div class="q1">4For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;</div><div class="q2">with you, evil people are not welcome.</div><div class="q1">5The arrogant cannot stand</div><div class="q2">in your presence.</div><div class="q1">You hate all who do wrong;</div><div class="q2">6you destroy those who tell lies.</div><div class="q1">The bloodthirsty and deceitful</div><div class="q2">you, Lord, detest.</div><div class="q1">7But I, by your great love,</div><div class="q2">can come into your house;</div><div class="q1">in reverence I bow down</div><div class="q2">toward your holy temple.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">8Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness</div><div class="q2">because of my enemies&#8212;</div><div class="q2">make your way straight before me.</div><div class="q1">9Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;</div><div class="q2">their heart is filled with malice.</div><div class="q1">Their throat is an open grave;</div><div class="q2">with their tongues they tell lies.</div><div class="q1">10Declare them guilty, O God!</div><div class="q2">Let their intrigues be their downfall.</div><div class="q1">Banish them for their many sins,</div><div class="q2">for they have rebelled against you.</div><div class="q1">11But let all who take refuge in you be glad;</div><div class="q2">let them ever sing for joy.</div><div class="q1">Spread your protection over them,</div><div class="q2">that those who love your name may rejoice in you.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">12Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;</div><div class="q2">you surround them with your favor as with a shield.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkLUK">
 <div class="chapter ch9" data-usfm="LUK.9">
 <div class="label">9</div><div class="s1">Jesus Sends Out the Twelve</div><div class="p">1When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3He told them: &#8220;Take nothing for the journey&#8212;no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.&#8221; 6So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.</div><div class="p">7Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9But Herod said, &#8220;I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?&#8221; And he tried to see him.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand</div><div class="p">10When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.</div><div class="p">12Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, &#8220;Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.&#8221;</div><div class="p">13He replied, &#8220;You give them something to eat.&#8221;</div><div class="p">They answered, &#8220;We have only five loaves of bread and two fish&#8212;unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.&#8221; 14(About five thousand men were there.)</div><div class="p">But he said to his disciples, &#8220;Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.&#8221; 15The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.</div><div class="s1">Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah</div><div class="p">18Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, &#8220;Who do the crowds say I am?&#8221;</div><div class="p">19They replied, &#8220;Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.&#8221;</div><div class="p">20 &#8220;But what about you?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;Who do you say I am?&#8221;</div><div class="p">Peter answered, &#8220;God&#8217;s Messiah.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Predicts His Death</div><div class="p">21Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22And he said, &#8220;The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.&#8221;</div><div class="p">23Then he said to them all: &#8220;Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.</div><div class="p">27 &#8220;Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Transfiguration</div><div class="p">28About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31They spoke about his departure,#9:31 Greek exodos which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, &#8220;Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters&#8212;one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.&#8221; (He did not know what he was saying.)</div><div class="p">34While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35A voice came from the cloud, saying, &#8220;This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.&#8221; 36When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy</div><div class="p">37The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38A man in the crowd called out, &#8220;Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.&#8221;</div><div class="p">41 &#8220;You unbelieving and perverse generation,&#8221; Jesus replied, &#8220;how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.&#8221;</div><div class="p">42Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time</div><div class="p">While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44&#8220;Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.&#8221; 45But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.</div><div class="p">46An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48Then he said to them, &#8220;Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.&#8221;</div><div class="p">49&#8220;Master,&#8221; said John, &#8220;we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.&#8221;</div><div class="p">50 &#8220;Do not stop him,&#8221; Jesus said, &#8220;for whoever is not against you is for you.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Samaritan Opposition</div><div class="p">51As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, &#8220;Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them#9:54 Some manuscripts them, just as Elijah did?&#8221; 55But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56Then he and his disciples went to another village.</div><div class="s1">The Cost of Following Jesus</div><div class="p">57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, &#8220;I will follow you wherever you go.&#8221;</div><div class="p">58Jesus replied, &#8220;Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.&#8221;</div><div class="p">59He said to another man, &#8220;Follow me.&#8221;</div><div class="p">But he replied, &#8220;Lord, first let me go and bury my father.&#8221;</div><div class="p">60Jesus said to him, &#8220;Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.&#8221;</div><div class="p">61Still another said, &#8220;I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.&#8221;</div><div class="p">62Jesus replied, &#8220;No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.&#8221;</div>
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