Exodus 32

• 1. When Moses failed to come back down the mountain right away, the people went to Aaron. "Look," they said, "make us some gods who can lead us. This man Moses, who brought us here from Egypt, has disappeared. We don't know what has happened to him."
• 2. So Aaron said, "Tell your wives and sons and daughters to take off their gold earrings, and then bring them to me."
• 3. All the people obeyed Aaron and brought him their gold earrings.
• 4. Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded and tooled it into the shape of a calf. The people exclaimed, "O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!"
• 5. When Aaron saw how excited the people were about it, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD!"
• 6. So the people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and indulged themselves in pagan revelry.
• 7. Then the LORD told Moses, "Quick! Go down the mountain! The people you brought from Egypt have defiled themselves.
• 8. They have already turned from the way I commanded them to live. They have made an idol shaped like a calf, and they have worshiped and sacrificed to it. They are saying, `These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.'"
• 9. Then the LORD said, "I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are.
• 10. Now leave me alone so my anger can blaze against them and destroy them all. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation instead of them."
• 11. But Moses pleaded with the LORD his God not to do it. "O LORD!" he exclaimed. "Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and mighty acts?
• 12. The Egyptians will say, `God tricked them into coming to the mountains so he could kill them and wipe them from the face of the earth.' Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you are planning against your people!
• 13. Remember your covenant with your servants--Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You swore by your own self, `I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. Yes, I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.'"
• 14. So the LORD withdrew his threat and didn't bring against his people the disaster he had threatened.
• 15. Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.
• 16. These stone tablets were God's work; the words on them were written by God himself.
• 17. When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses, "It sounds as if there is a war in the camp!"
• 18. But Moses replied, "No, it's neither a cry of victory nor a cry of defeat. It is the sound of a celebration."
• 19. When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing. In terrible anger, he threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain.
• 20. He took the calf they had made and melted it in the fire. And when the metal had cooled, he ground it into powder and mixed it with water. Then he made the people drink it.
• 21. After that, he turned to Aaron. "What did the people do to you?" he demanded. "How did they ever make you bring such terrible sin upon them?"
• 22. "Don't get upset, sir," Aaron replied. "You yourself know these people and what a wicked bunch they are.
• 23. They said to me, `Make us some gods to lead us, for something has happened to this man Moses, who led us out of Egypt.'
• 24. So I told them, `Bring me your gold earrings.' When they brought them to me, I threw them into the fire--and out came this calf!"
• 25. When Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control--and much to the amusement of their enemies--
• 26. he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, "All of you who are on the LORD's side, come over here and join me." And all the Levites came.
• 27. He told them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Strap on your swords! Go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other, killing even your brothers, friends, and neighbors."
• 28. The Levites obeyed Moses, and about three thousand people died that day.
• 29. Then Moses told the Levites, "Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Because of this, he will now give you a great blessing."
• 30. The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a terrible sin, but I will return to the LORD on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for you."
• 31. So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, these people have committed a terrible sin. They have made gods of gold for themselves.
• 32. But now, please forgive their sin--and if not, then blot me out of the record you are keeping."
• 33. The LORD replied to Moses, "I will blot out whoever has sinned against me.
• 34. Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Look! My angel will lead the way before you! But when I call the people to account, I will certainly punish them for their sins."
• 35. And the LORD sent a great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made.

John 12

• 1. Six days before the Passover ceremonies began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus--the man he had raised from the dead.
• 2. A dinner was prepared in Jesus' honor. Martha served, and Lazarus sat at the table with him.
• 3. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with fragrance.
• 4. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples--the one who would betray him--said,
• 5. "That perfume was worth a small fortune. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor."
• 6. Not that he cared for the poor--he was a thief who was in charge of the disciples' funds, and he often took some for his own use.
• 7. Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. She did it in preparation for my burial.
• 8. You will always have the poor among you, but I will not be here with you much longer."
• 9. When all the people heard of Jesus' arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead.
• 10. Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too,
• 11. for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.
• 12. The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A huge crowd of Passover visitors
• 13. took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, "Praise God! Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!"
• 14. Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:
• 15. "Don't be afraid, people of Israel. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt."
• 16. His disciples didn't realize at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered that these Scriptures had come true before their eyes.
• 17. Those in the crowd who had seen Jesus call Lazarus back to life were telling others all about it.
• 18. That was the main reason so many went out to meet him--because they had heard about this mighty miracle.
• 19. Then the Pharisees said to each other, "We've lost. Look, the whole world has gone after him!"
• 20. Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem to attend the Passover
• 21. paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, "Sir, we want to meet Jesus."
• 22. Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.
• 23. Jesus replied, "The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory.
• 24. The truth is, a kernel of wheat must be planted in the soil. Unless it dies it will be alone--a single seed. But its death will produce many new kernels--a plentiful harvest of new lives.
• 25. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who despise their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
• 26. All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them.
• 27. Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from what lies ahead'? But that is the very reason why I came!
• 28. Father, bring glory to your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought it glory, and I will do it again."
• 29. When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.
• 30. Then Jesus told them, "The voice was for your benefit, not mine.
• 31. The time of judgment for the world has come, when the prince of this world will be cast out.
• 32. And when I am lifted up on the cross, I will draw everyone to myself."
• 33. He said this to indicate how he was going to die.
• 34. "Die?" asked the crowd. "We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. Why are you saying the Son of Man will die? Who is this Son of Man you are talking about?"
• 35. Jesus replied, "My light will shine out for you just a little while longer. Walk in it while you can, so you will not stumble when the darkness falls. If you walk in the darkness, you cannot see where you are going.
• 36. Believe in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light." After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.
• 37. But despite all the miraculous signs he had done, most of the people did not believe in him.
• 38. This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted: "Lord, who has believed our message? To whom will the Lord reveal his saving power?"
• 39. But the people couldn't believe, for as Isaiah also said,
• 40. "The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts--so their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them."
• 41. Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he made this prediction, because he was given a vision of the Messiah's glory.
• 42. Many people, including some of the Jewish leaders, believed in him. But they wouldn't admit it to anyone because of their fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue.
• 43. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.
• 44. Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you trust me, you are really trusting God who sent me.
• 45. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.
• 46. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the darkness.
• 47. If anyone hears me and doesn't obey me, I am not his judge--for I have come to save the world and not to judge it.
• 48. But all who reject me and my message will be judged at the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.
• 49. I don't speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me gave me his own instructions as to what I should say.
• 50. And I know his instructions lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say!"

Proverbs 9

• 1. Wisdom has built her spacious house with seven pillars.
• 2. She has prepared a great banquet, mixed the wines, and set the table.
• 3. She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come. She calls out from the heights overlooking the city.
• 4. "Come home with me," she urges the simple. To those without good judgment, she says,
• 5. "Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed.
• 6. Leave your foolish ways behind, and begin to live; learn how to be wise."
• 7. Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get a smart retort. Anyone who rebukes the wicked will get hurt.
• 8. So don't bother rebuking mockers; they will only hate you. But the wise, when rebuked, will love you all the more.
• 9. Teach the wise, and they will be wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn more.
• 10. Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding.
• 11. Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life.
• 12. If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.
• 13. The woman named Folly is loud and brash. She is ignorant and doesn't even know it.
• 14. She sits in her doorway on the heights overlooking the city.
• 15. She calls out to men going by who are minding their own business.
• 16. "Come home with me," she urges the simple. To those without good judgment, she says,
• 17. "Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!"
• 18. But the men don't realize that her former guests are now in the grave.

New Living Translation: 81 of 365 days.