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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.
Duration: 1245 days
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Version
Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost

When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.(A) Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind(B) came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.(C) And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled(D) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.(E)

There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation(F) under heaven. When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were astounded and amazed, saying,[a] “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?(G) How is it that each of us can hear in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,(H) 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,(I) 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking the magnificent acts of God in our own languages.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What could this be?” 13 But some sneered and said, “They’re full of new wine!”(J)

Peter’s Sermon

14 But Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Men of Judah and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this[b] to you and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning.[c] 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 And it will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.(K)
18 I will even pour out My Spirit
on My male and female slaves in those days,
and they will prophesy.(L)
19 I will display wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below:
blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood(M)
before the great and remarkable Day of the Lord(N) comes.
21 Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.(O)[d]

Ezekiel 37:1-14

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me,(A) and He brought me out by His Spirit(B) and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them. There were a great many of them on the surface of the valley, and they were very dry. Then He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I replied, “Lord God, only You know.”(C)

He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live.(D) I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you so that you come to life. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”(E)

So I prophesied as I had been commanded. While I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. As I looked, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath,[a] prophesy, son of man. Say to it: This is what the Lord God says: Breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these slain so that they may live!”(F) 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me; the breath[b] entered them,(G) and they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army.

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.(H) Look how they say, ‘Our bones are dried up,(I) and our hope has perished;(J) we are cut off.’(K) 12 Therefore, prophesy and say to them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them,(L) My people, and lead you into the land of Israel. 13 You will know that I am Yahweh, My people, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.(M) 14 I will put My Spirit in you,(N) and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. I have spoken, and I will do it.”(O) This is the declaration of the Lord.

Psalm 104:24-34

24 How countless are Your works, Lord!
In wisdom You have made them all;
the earth is full of Your creatures.[a](A)
25 Here is the sea, vast and wide,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.(B)
26 There the ships move about,
and Leviathan, which You formed to play there.(C)

27 All of them wait for You
to give them their food at the right time.(D)
28 When You give it to them,
they gather it;
when You open Your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.(E)
29 When You hide Your face,
they are terrified;
when You take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.(F)
30 When You send Your breath,[b]
they are created,
and You renew the face of the earth.(G)

31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in His works.(H)
32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the mountains,
and they pour out smoke.(I)
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God while I live.(J)
34 May my meditation be pleasing to Him;
I will rejoice in the Lord.(K)

Psalm 104:35

35 May sinners vanish from the earth
and wicked people be no more.(A)
My soul, praise Yahweh!
Hallelujah!

Romans 8:22-27

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains(A) until now. 23 And not only that,(B) but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits(C)—we also groan within ourselves,(D) eagerly waiting for adoption,(E) the redemption of our bodies.(F) 24 Now in this hope(G) we were saved, yet hope(H) that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see,(I) we eagerly wait for it with patience.

26 In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should,(J) but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us[a](K) with unspoken groanings. 27 And He who searches the hearts(L) knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost

When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.(A) Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind(B) came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.(C) And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled(D) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.(E)

There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation(F) under heaven. When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were astounded and amazed, saying,[a] “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?(G) How is it that each of us can hear in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,(H) 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,(I) 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking the magnificent acts of God in our own languages.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What could this be?” 13 But some sneered and said, “They’re full of new wine!”(J)

Peter’s Sermon

14 But Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Men of Judah and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this[b] to you and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning.[c] 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 And it will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.(K)
18 I will even pour out My Spirit
on My male and female slaves in those days,
and they will prophesy.(L)
19 I will display wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below:
blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood(M)
before the great and remarkable Day of the Lord(N) comes.
21 Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.(O)[d]

John 15:26-27

Coming Testimony and Rejection

26 “When the Counselor(A) comes, the One I will send to you from the Father(B)—the Spirit of truth(C) who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me. 27 You also will testify,(D) because you have been with Me from the beginning.

John 16:4-15

But I have told you these things so that when their time[a] comes you may remember(A) I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

The Counselor’s Ministry

“But now I am going away(B) to Him who sent Me, and not one of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’(C) Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth.(D) It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you.(E) When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father(F) and you will no longer see Me; 11 and about judgment,(G) because the ruler of this world(H) has been judged.(I)

12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.(J) 13 When the Spirit of truth(K) comes, He will guide you into all the truth.(L) For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father(M) has is Mine.(N) This is why I told you that He takes from what is Mine and will declare it to you.(O)