Ezek. 19
19:1 “And you, sing a lament for the princes of Israel, 2and say:
“‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions!
She lay among young lions; she reared her cubs.
3She reared one of her cubs; he became a young lion.
He learned to tear prey; he devoured people.
4The nations heard about him; he was trapped in their pit.
They brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.
5“‘When she realized that she waited in vain, her hope was lost.
She took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.
6He walked about among the lions; he became a young lion.
He learned to tear prey; he devoured people.
7He broke down their strongholds and devastated their cities.
The land and everything in it was frightened at the sound of his roaring.
8The nations—the surrounding regions—attacked him.
They threw their net over him; he was caught in their pit.
9They put him in a collar with hooks;
they brought him to the king of Babylon;
they brought him to prison
so that his voice would not be heard
any longer on the mountains of Israel.
10“‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by water.
It was fruitful and full of branches because it was well-watered.
11Its boughs were strong, fit for rulers’ scepters; it reached up into the clouds.
It stood out because of its height and its many branches.
12But it was plucked up in anger; it was thrown down to the ground.
The east wind dried up its fruit;
its strong branches broke off and withered—
a fire consumed them.
13Now it is planted in the wilderness,
in a dry and thirsty land.
14A fire has gone out from its branch; it has consumed its shoot and its fruit.
No strong branch was left in it, nor a scepter to rule.’
“This is a lament song, and has become a lament song.”
(NET Bible)Ps. 80
80:1 For the music director, according to the shushan-eduth style; a psalm of Asaph.
O Shepherd of Israel, pay attention,
you who lead Joseph like a flock of sheep.
You who sit enthroned above the cherubim, reveal your splendor.
2In the sight of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh reveal your power.
Come and deliver us.
3O God, restore us.
Smile on us. Then we will be delivered.
4O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,
how long will you remain angry at your people while they pray to you?
5You have given them tears as food;
you have made them drink tears by the measure.
6You have made our neighbors dislike us
and our enemies insult us.
7O God of Heaven’s Armies, restore us.
Smile on us. Then we will be delivered.
8You uprooted a vine from Egypt;
you drove out nations and transplanted it.
9You cleared the ground for it;
it took root
and filled the land.
10The mountains were covered by its shadow,
the highest cedars by its branches.
11Its branches reached the Mediterranean Sea,
and its shoots the Euphrates River.
12Why did you break down its walls,
so that all who pass by pluck its fruit?
13The wild boars of the forest ruin it;
the insects of the field feed on it.
14O God of Heaven’s Armies, come back.
Look down from heaven and take notice.
Take care of this vine,
15the root your right hand planted,
the shoot you made to grow.
16It is burned and cut down.
May those who did this die because you are displeased with them.
17May you give support to the one you have chosen,
to the one whom you raised up for yourself.
18Then we will not turn away from you.
Revive us and we will pray to you.
19O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, restore us.
Smile on us. Then we will be delivered.
(NET Bible)2 Tim. 4:9–22
4:9 Make every effort to come to me soon. 10For Demas deserted me, since he loved the present age, and he went to Thessalonica. Crescens went to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you because he is a great help to me in ministry. 12Now I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, bring with you the cloak I left in Troas with Carpas and the scrolls, especially the parchments. 14Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him in keeping with his deeds. 15You be on guard against him too, because he vehemently opposed our words. 16At my first defense no one appeared in my support; instead they all deserted me—may they not be held accountable for it. 17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed for all the Gentiles to hear. And so I was delivered from the lion’s mouth! 18The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever! Amen.
19Greetings to Prisca and Aquila and the family of Onesiphorus. 20Erastus stayed in Corinth. Trophimus I left ill in Miletus. 21Make every effort to come before winter. Greetings to you from Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters. 22The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
(NET Bible)Here we might add what Luther said in 1528 in his Vom Abendmahl Christi, Bekenntnis … “So we must say that Matthew and Mark have placed after the New Supper what took place after the old Supper and is to be located there. For they were not greatly concerned about the order but were satisfied if they wrote history and truth. Luke, however, who wrote after them, states that the reason for his writing was that many others had written such accounts without regard to the order of events, and that he, therefore, had resolved to write them in proper order.” (47–48)
–Johann Michael Reu, Luther on the Scriptures
This daily Bible reading guide, Reading the Word of God, was conceived and prepared as a result of the ongoing discussions between representatives of three church bodies: Lutheran Church—Canada (LCC), The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). The following individuals have represented their church bodies and approved this introduction and the reading guide: LCC: President Robert Bugbee; NALC: Bishop John Bradosky, Revs. Mark Chavez, James Nestingen, and David Wendel; LCMS: Revs. Albert Collver, Joel Lehenbauer, John Pless, and Larry Vogel.