Where Do We Come From?

Daily Bible Reading—December 2024, God’s Guiding Word: Joy

The Way of Kings

The Heart of Christian Friendship: Cultivating Bonds That Last a Lifetime

Jesus: The Greatest Gift

How to Keep the Fire Burning

Hope for the Holidays

John 3:16 - for God So Loved the World

Navigating Challenges in Christian Friendships and Relationships

How to Redeem Your Time

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="label">15</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Lost Sheep</div><div class="p">1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, &#8220;This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.&#8221;</div><div class="p">3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4&#8220;Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn&#8217;t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, &#8216;Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.&#8217; 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Lost Coin</div><div class="p">8 &#8220;Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins #15:8 Greek ten drachmas, each worth about a day&#8217;s wages and loses one. Doesn&#8217;t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, &#8216;Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.&#8217; 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Lost Son</div><div class="p">11Jesus continued: &#8220;There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, &#8216;Father, give me my share of the estate.&#8217; So he divided his property between them.</div><div class="p">13 &#8220;Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.</div><div class="p">17 &#8220;When he came to his senses, he said, &#8216;How many of my father&#8217;s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.&#8217; 20So he got up and went to his father.</div><div class="p">&#8220;But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.</div><div class="p">21 &#8220;The son said to him, &#8216;Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.&#8217;</div><div class="p">22 &#8220;But the father said to his servants, &#8216;Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let&#8217;s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.&#8217; So they began to celebrate.</div><div class="p">25 &#8220;Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27&#8216;Your brother has come,&#8217; he replied, &#8216;and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.&#8217;</div><div class="p">28 &#8220;The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, &#8216;Look! All these years I&#8217;ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!&#8217;</div><div class="p">31 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;My son,&#8217; the father said, &#8216;you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div>
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 <div class="label">16</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Shrewd Manager</div><div class="p">1Jesus told his disciples: &#8220;There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2So he called him in and asked him, &#8216;What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.&#8217;</div><div class="p">3 &#8220;The manager said to himself, &#8216;What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I&#8217;m not strong enough to dig, and I&#8217;m ashamed to beg&#8212; 4I know what I&#8217;ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.&#8217;</div><div class="p">5 &#8220;So he called in each one of his master&#8217;s debtors. He asked the first, &#8216;How much do you owe my master?&#8217;</div><div class="p">6 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Nine hundred gallons #16:6 Or about 3,000 liters of olive oil,&#8217; he replied.</div><div class="p">&#8220;The manager told him, &#8216;Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.&#8217;</div><div class="p">7 &#8220;Then he asked the second, &#8216;And how much do you owe?&#8217;</div><div class="p">&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;A thousand bushels #16:7 Or about 30 tons of wheat,&#8217; he replied.</div><div class="p">&#8220;He told him, &#8216;Take your bill and make it eight hundred.&#8217;</div><div class="p">8 &#8220;The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.</div><div class="p">10 &#8220;Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else&#8217;s property, who will give you property of your own?</div><div class="p">13 &#8220;No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.&#8221;</div><div class="p">14The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15He said to them, &#8220;You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God&#8217;s sight.</div><div class="s1">Additional Teachings</div><div class="p">16 &#8220;The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it. 17It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.</div><div class="p">18 &#8220;Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.</div><div class="s1">The Rich Man and Lazarus</div><div class="p">19 &#8220;There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man&#8217;s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.</div><div class="p">22 &#8220;The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham&#8217;s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, &#8216;Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.&#8217;</div><div class="p">25 &#8220;But Abraham replied, &#8216;Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.&#8217;</div><div class="p">27 &#8220;He answered, &#8216;Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.&#8217;</div><div class="p">29 &#8220;Abraham replied, &#8216;They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.&#8217;</div><div class="p">30 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;No, father Abraham,&#8217; he said, &#8216;but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.&#8217;</div><div class="p">31 &#8220;He said to him, &#8216;If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div>
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New International Version

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 <div class="p">1Jesus said to his disciples: &#8220;Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3So watch yourselves.</div><div class="p">&#8220;If your brother or sister #17:3 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman. sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying &#8216;I repent,&#8217; you must forgive them.&#8221;</div><div class="p">5The apostles said to the Lord, &#8220;Increase our faith!&#8221;</div><div class="p">6He replied, &#8220;If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, &#8216;Be uprooted and planted in the sea,&#8217; and it will obey you.</div><div class="p">7 &#8220;Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, &#8216;Come along now and sit down to eat&#8217;? 8Won&#8217;t he rather say, &#8216;Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink&#8217;? 9Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, &#8216;We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div>
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 <div class="p">7and then he said to his disciples, &#8220;Let us go back to Judea.&#8221;</div><div class="p">8&#8220;But Rabbi,&#8221; they said, &#8220;a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?&#8221;</div><div class="p">9Jesus answered, &#8220;Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world&#8217;s light. 10It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.&#8221;</div><div class="p">11After he had said this, he went on to tell them, &#8220;Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.&#8221;</div><div class="p">12His disciples replied, &#8220;Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.&#8221; 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.</div><div class="p">14So then he told them plainly, &#8220;Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.&#8221;</div><div class="p">16Then Thomas (also known as Didymus#11:16 Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean twin.) said to the rest of the disciples, &#8220;Let us also go, that we may die with him.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus</div><div class="p">17On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Now Bethany was less than two miles#11:18 Or about 3 kilometers from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.</div><div class="p">21&#8220;Lord,&#8221; Martha said to Jesus, &#8220;if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.&#8221;</div><div class="p">23Jesus said to her, &#8220;Your brother will rise again.&#8221;</div><div class="p">24Martha answered, &#8220;I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.&#8221;</div><div class="p">25Jesus said to her, &#8220;I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?&#8221;</div><div class="p">27&#8220;Yes, Lord,&#8221; she replied, &#8220;I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.&#8221;</div><div class="p">28After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. &#8220;The Teacher is here,&#8221; she said, &#8220;and is asking for you.&#8221; 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.</div><div class="p">32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, &#8220;Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.&#8221;</div><div class="p">33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34&#8220;Where have you laid him?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p">&#8220;Come and see, Lord,&#8221; they replied.</div><div class="p">35Jesus wept.</div><div class="p">36Then the Jews said, &#8220;See how he loved him!&#8221;</div><div class="p">37But some of them said, &#8220;Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead</div><div class="p">38Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39&#8220;Take away the stone,&#8221; he said.</div><div class="p">&#8220;But, Lord,&#8221; said Martha, the sister of the dead man, &#8220;by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.&#8221;</div><div class="p">40Then Jesus said, &#8220;Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?&#8221;</div><div class="p">41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, &#8220;Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.&#8221;</div><div class="p">43When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, &#8220;Lazarus, come out!&#8221; 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.</div><div class="p">Jesus said to them, &#8220;Take off the grave clothes and let him go.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Plot to Kill Jesus</div><div class="p">45Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.</div><div class="p">&#8220;What are we accomplishing?&#8221; they asked. &#8220;Here is this man performing many signs. 48If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.&#8221;</div><div class="p">49Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, &#8220;You know nothing at all! 50You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.&#8221;</div><div class="p">51He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53So from that day on they plotted to take his life.</div><div class="p">54Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.</div><div class="p"></div>
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