Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Samuel 1:6-7 (New Living Translation) 6 So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. 7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even […]

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Habakkuk 2:8 (New Living Translation) 8 Because you have plundered many nations,now all the survivors will plunder you. This is part of a conversation between God and the prophet Habakkuk. God was telling the prophet about using the nation of Babylon to punish a sinful people. The Babylonians would sweep through and conquer in a […]

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John 5:13 (New Living Translation) 13 The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. This is part of the (hi)story of Jesus healing a lame man in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate at the pool of Bethesda. This caused a controversy because it was the Sabbath or day of rest. As instructed […]

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John 3:3-4 (New Living Translation) 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again,[a] you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” These statements are from the famous conversation between […]

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Obadiah 1:13 (New Living Translation) 13 You should not have plundered the land of Israelwhen they were suffering such calamity.You should not have gloated over their destructionwhen they were suffering such calamity.You should not have seized their wealthwhen they were suffering such calamity. God is speaking to the people of Edom through the prophet Obadiah. […]

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Luke 4:22 (New Living Translation) 22 Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Jesus spoke to many people during the time He spent on earth. The Bible often calls them “multitudes.” People would stop what […]

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Isaiah 45:7 (New Living Translation) 7 I create the light and make the darkness.I send good times and bad times.I, the Lord, am the one who does these things. God is speaking to Cyrus the Great of Persia through the prophet Isaiah. God is reminding Cyrus of a few things before God uses Cyrus to […]

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Luke 5:11 (New Living Translation) 11 And as soon as they (Peter, James, and John) landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. Peter and his partners, James and his brother John, were commercial fishermen. They fished in a great lake and sold their fish in the markets. This was a business. This was a livelihood. […]

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Isaiah 44:16-17 (New Living Translation) 16 He burns part of the tree to roast his meatand to keep himself warm.He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.”17 Then he takes what’s leftand makes his god: a carved idol!He falls down in front of it,worshiping and praying to it.“Rescue me!” he says.“You are my god!” God is […]

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