This Bible reading plan takes you through most of the Holy Scriptures each weekday of the year. Each day has three Bible readings:
You're welcome to read one, two, or all three of the readings every weekday. And if you fall behind, don't worry! You can either use the weekends to catch up or you can simply dive in to the reading for that day, even if you've missed a few days, weeks, or even months!
You can download a foldable bookmark here: 2026
22:1 Then the angel1 showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life2 with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes,3 so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.4 Amen.
[1] 22:1
[2] 22:2
[3] 22:14
[4] 22:21
(ESV)
One of my wife Melody's favorite TV shows is "Clean House" on the Style Network. This lighthearted series features host Niecy Nash and her team of designers who travel throughout Southern California helping people in embarrassingly messy living quarters clean out their clutter and put their homes back together. During the first half of the show, Nash and her team scour their patrons' home looking for items to put out in a yard sale, the profits from which they use to redecorate and makeover the house.
I always find fascinating the reactions of the show's clients when they are asked to part with certain possession so that they may turn a good profit in the yard sale. Sure the treadmill may have been sitting in the back room as a clothes rack for the past five years. But the homeowners vow to use it "one day." Sure the chest may have been sitting in the attic for some two decades collecting nothing but dust. But the homeowners swear they will pull it down and sort through its items any day now. Sure there are a bunch of tools hiding out in the back shed which the owners didn't even know about. But now that they know, these tools are certainly sorely needed. These people, for all the promises that this show makes about the organized and clutter free life "Clean House" can bring them, regularly have a difficult time parting with a bunch of stuff they don't need.
We are a nation of keepers. We keep our memories in photo albums to keep them safe. We keep our sports car in the garage to keep it from getting dirty. We keep our computers up to date to keep them from getting viruses. We keep so many things.
And yet, there are some things - some things which are more precious and valuable than many of the things we so carefully keep - which we do not keep like we should. The father who does not keep the promise to his son to take him to the ballpark because he is too busy. The couple who does not keep their vows to each other and shatters their marriage with infidelity. The businessperson who does not keep his eye on the ball to see a project through to its end. For all the things we do keep, there are just as many things - many important things - which we don't.
Jesus, in John's closing vision in Revelation 22, leaves the apostle with this commission: "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." Jesus, it seems, wants John to carefully keep his words.
The Greek word for "keep" is tereo. And this word is used in the New Testament to encourage us to "keep" the important things of God. First and foremost, this word is used to encourage us to keep believing God's Word. As the book of Revelation opens, John writes, "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near" (Revelation 1:3). The Greek word for "take to heart" is tereo. Thus, when God speaks in his Word, we should always take it to heart. We should always believe what he says. For his words are words of life. Second, this word is used to encourage us to keep obeying God's commands. Jesus says, "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15). The Greek word for "obey" is tereo. Thus, we are to keep God's commands. We are to walk according to his ways every day. Third, this word is used to encourage us to keep the faith until we finish its course. The apostle Paul, as he is nearing the end of his life, writes, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). Through it all - good times and bad, joyous times and sad - Paul has refused to relinquish his trust and hope in Christ. He has stood firm until the end. He has kept his faith. So should we.
As John's Revelation draws to a close, then, we are called to believe, obey, and stand fast until the end. For this is the Christian life. And with John's vision, we not only receive a commission for this life, but a glimpse into the life of hereafter. Thus, as we wrap up this sometimes confusing, but always important and precious, book, my encouragement to you is simply this: Keep on. Keep on believing. Keep on obeying. Keep on standing firm in your faith. And you will receive the crown of life. I'm sure it will look great on you. Until then, "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen" (verse 21).
53 “I will restore their fortunes, both the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes in their midst, 54 that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all that you have done, becoming a consolation to them. 55 As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state, and you and your daughters shall return to your former state. 56 Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you have become an object of reproach for the daughters of Syria1 and all those around her, and for the daughters of the Philistines, those all around who despise you. 58 You bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, declares the LORD.
59 “For thus says the Lord GOD: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, 60 yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. 61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of2 the covenant with you. 62 I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, 63 that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord GOD.”
17:1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel; 3 say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar. 4 He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants. 5 Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil.3 He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig, 6 and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out boughs.
7 “And there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage, and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him from the bed where it was planted, that he might water it. 8 It had been planted on good soil by abundant waters, that it might produce branches and bear fruit and become a noble vine.
9 “Say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers, so that all its fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots. 10 Behold, it is planted; will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it—wither away on the bed where it sprouted?”
[1] 16:57
[2] 16:61
[3] 17:5
(ESV)
Just as the name "Sodom" became a catchphrase for scorn during the glory days of Israel, so would Israel and Judah become a byword of derision as a result of their sin and punishment in the Exile. Yet, God's mercy would be shown to Sodom, as well as to Judah, because God would restore their fortunes after times of shame, disgrace and punishment. God is both just to punish our sin, and gracious to forgive and restore us when His justice has been satisfied. God would remember His covenant with His chosen people, even though they had broken the covenant. Thus, He would establish an "everlasting covenant" with His people. This is the New Covenant that the prophet Jeremiah spoke of in Jeremiah 31. In this New Covenant, God's people would be purified from their idolatrous ways, and God would complete His plan of salvation for all mankind by sending the Messiah, Jesus Christ, through the restored nation of Israel. God then gave Ezekiel a parable or an allegory to explain what He was doing in punishing His rebellious people. The story involved two eagles, the first representing King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the second representing Egypt. The breaking off of the top of the cedar was symbolic of Nebuchadnezzar's attack on Jerusalem in 597 BC and deposing King Jehoiachin of Judah, as well as taking into exile Ezekiel and the others with him. The taking of the seed and planting it symbolized the establishment of the vassal King Zedekiah, and the settling of the remaining population in the land. The vine that grew up from the seeds represented these people of Judah and Jerusalem who remained after 597. Their turning their branches toward the second eagle symbolized their efforts to make an alliance with Egypt to protect themselves from Babylon, rather than trusting in God. Because of this, the survivors of the 597 BC invasion would "wither away on the bed where it sprouted," referring to the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. Thus, God showed the exiles through Ezekiel that the nation of Judah would not be allowed to remain, but would only be restored again after a lengthy exile.
115:1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
2 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
9 O Israel,1 trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.
12 The LORD has remembered us; he will bless us;
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;
13 he will bless those who fear the LORD,
both the small and the great.
14 May the LORD give you increase,
you and your children!
15 May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth!
16 The heavens are the LORD’s heavens,
but the earth he has given to the children of man.
17 The dead do not praise the LORD,
nor do any who go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the LORD!
[1] 115:9
(ESV)