Daily Bible Readings for Sunday, 26 March 2006
The Fall of Jerusalem
In addition, the leaders of Judah, the priests, and the people followed the sinful example of the nations around them in worshiping idols, and so they defiled the Temple, which the Lord himself had made holy. The Lord, the God of their ancestors, had continued to send prophets to warn his people, because he wanted to spare them and the Temple. But they made fun of God's messengers, ignoring his words and laughing at his prophets, until at last the Lord's anger against his people was so great that there was no escape.
He burned down the Temple and the city, with all its palaces and its wealth, and broke down the city wall. He took all the survivors to Babylonia, where they served him and his descendants as slaves until the rise of the Persian Empire. And so what the Lord had foretold through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "The Land will lie desolate for seventy years, to make up for the Sabbath rest that has not been observed."
In the first year that Cyrus of Persia was emperor, the Lord made what he had said through the prophet Jeremiah come true. He prompted Cyrus to issue the following command and send it out in writing to be read aloud everywhere in his empire:
"This is the command of Cyrus, Emperor of Persia. The Lord, the God of Heaven has made me ruler over the whole world and has given me the responsibility of building a temple for him in Jerusalem in Judah. Now, all of you who are God's people, go there, and may the Lord your God be with you."
- 2 CHRONICLES 36:14-16, 19-23
A Lament of Israelites in Exile
By the rivers of Babylon we sat down; there we wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows near by we hung up our harps. Those who captured us told us to sing; they told us to entertain them: "Sing us a song about Zion."
How can we sing a song to the Lord in a foreign land? May I never be able to play the harp again if I forget you Jerusalem! May I never be able to sing again if I do not remember you, if I do not think of you as my greatest joy!
- PSALMS 137:1-6
The Word of Life
The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son.
John spoke about him. He cried out, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'He comes after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.'"
Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
John the Baptist
The Jewish authorities in Jerusalem sent some priests and Levites to John to ask him, "Who are you?"
John did not refuse to answer, but spoke out openly and clearly, saying: "I am not the Messiah."
"Who are you, then?" they asked. "Are you Elijah?"
"No, I am not," John answered.
"Are you the Prophet?" they asked.
"No," he replied.
- JOHN 3:14-21
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Jerusalem
John the Baptist
In addition, the leaders of Judah, the priests, and the people followed the sinful example of the nations around them in worshiping idols, and so they defiled the Temple, which the Lord himself had made holy. The Lord, the God of their ancestors, had continued to send prophets to warn his people, because he wanted to spare them and the Temple. But they made fun of God's messengers, ignoring his words and laughing at his prophets, until at last the Lord's anger against his people was so great that there was no escape.
He burned down the Temple and the city, with all its palaces and its wealth, and broke down the city wall. He took all the survivors to Babylonia, where they served him and his descendants as slaves until the rise of the Persian Empire. And so what the Lord had foretold through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "The Land will lie desolate for seventy years, to make up for the Sabbath rest that has not been observed."
In the first year that Cyrus of Persia was emperor, the Lord made what he had said through the prophet Jeremiah come true. He prompted Cyrus to issue the following command and send it out in writing to be read aloud everywhere in his empire:
"This is the command of Cyrus, Emperor of Persia. The Lord, the God of Heaven has made me ruler over the whole world and has given me the responsibility of building a temple for him in Jerusalem in Judah. Now, all of you who are God's people, go there, and may the Lord your God be with you."
- 2 CHRONICLES 36:14-16, 19-23
A Lament of Israelites in Exile
By the rivers of Babylon we sat down; there we wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows near by we hung up our harps. Those who captured us told us to sing; they told us to entertain them: "Sing us a song about Zion."
How can we sing a song to the Lord in a foreign land? May I never be able to play the harp again if I forget you Jerusalem! May I never be able to sing again if I do not remember you, if I do not think of you as my greatest joy!
- PSALMS 137:1-6
The Word of Life
The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son.
John spoke about him. He cried out, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'He comes after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.'"
Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
John the Baptist
The Jewish authorities in Jerusalem sent some priests and Levites to John to ask him, "Who are you?"
John did not refuse to answer, but spoke out openly and clearly, saying: "I am not the Messiah."
"Who are you, then?" they asked. "Are you Elijah?"
"No, I am not," John answered.
"Are you the Prophet?" they asked.
"No," he replied.
- JOHN 3:14-21
Technorati tags: Catholic
Bible
Daily Bible
Catholic Bible
Jerusalem
John the Baptist
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