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
18:1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
3 For all nations have drunk1
the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
“Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues;
5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,
and repay her double for her deeds;
mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.
7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
since in her heart she says,
‘I sit as a queen,
I am no widow,
and mourning I shall never see.’
8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,
death and mourning and famine,
and she will be burned up with fire;
for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”
9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,
“Alas! Alas! You great city,
you mighty city, Babylon!
For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.2
14 “The fruit for which your soul longed
has gone from you,
and all your delicacies and your splendors
are lost to you,
never to be found again!”
15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,
16 “Alas, alas, for the great city
that was clothed in fine linen,
in purple and scarlet,
adorned with gold,
with jewels, and with pearls!
17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”
And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning,
“What city was like the great city?”
19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,
“Alas, alas, for the great city
where all who had ships at sea
grew rich by her wealth!
For in a single hour she has been laid waste.
20 Rejoice over her, O heaven,
and you saints and apostles and prophets,
for God has given judgment for you against her!”
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,
“So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence,
and will be found no more;
22 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,
will be heard in you no more,
and a craftsman of any craft
will be found in you no more,
and the sound of the mill
will be heard in you no more,
23 and the light of a lamp
will shine in you no more,
and the voice of bridegroom and bride
will be heard in you no more,
for your merchants were the great ones of the earth,
and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,
and of all who have been slain on earth.”
(ESV)
When I ride my bike I usually go out alone. Part of the reason is schedule. It's easier to go out on my own than to look for someone who can ride at the same time. Primarily, however, I normally don't join in group rides because then I have to ride at their pace, and that is frequently a quicker pace than I would take on my own, since I am often the oldest rider in the group. One time since I've moved to Texas another cyclist who is on the same website on which I log my own rides contacted me for a ride. We went out together and I had to struggle for the next two hours to keep up. Group rides are often like this. They turn into what cyclists call "hammerfests" as everyone tries to show how fast they are and the whole group suffers along out of pride.
Of course, there is the danger of the "pack mentality" or "group think" in almost every human situation. It's easy to get caught up in and go along with whatever a crowd of people might be doing. I remember when I was a kid and a group of boys would dare someone to do something foolish. One dare probably wouldn't do it, but a whole group egging on the individual would generally get the job done, and usually with disastrous results for that person.
In Revelation 18:4-5 we hear a warning against joining the "pack." There John warns against the wicked city called Babylon, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes." (Revelation 18:4-5) In a similar vein Proverbs 23:20 warns: "Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat." And Proverbs 24:21 cautions: "Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious."
It's important to watch what company we keep. "Bad company corrupts good character." (1 Corinthians 15:33) The influence of others can be strong, especially when we as God's people are in the minority. So just as I might ride harder than I should in a group ride just to keep up, so too, we as God's people might condone or even participate in evils that we would otherwise condemn, if we are influenced too strongly by the larger group.
If we don't separate ourselves from the sinful society that opposes God will, then we can find ourselves dragged down by it, and in the end experience the same plagues of judgment that our sinful, unbelieving neighbors endure. So when you think about what to do for entertainment, or where to go for relaxation, or what to watch or listen to for leisure time, think about this danger of the "pack mentality". Remember this warning, "Come out of her, my people" and steer clear of those groups or situations that might influence you to sin.
17 “And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them 18 and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls! Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive? 19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.
20 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds. 21 Your veils also I will tear off and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand as prey, and you shall know that I am the LORD. 22 Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way to save his life, 23 therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the LORD.”
14:1 Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me: 3 “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? 4 Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols, 5 that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols.
6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7 For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to a prophet to consult me through him, I the LORD will answer him myself. 8 And I will set my face against that man; I will make him a sign and a byword and cut him off from the midst of my people, and you shall know that I am the LORD. 9 And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10 And they shall bear their punishment1—the punishment of the prophet and the punishment of the inquirer shall be alike—11 that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, nor defile themselves anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people and I may be their God, declares the Lord GOD.”
[1] 14:10
(ESV)
God had Ezekiel prophesy against two groups of people who had led His people astray and caused souls to be lost eternally. One group was women who were practicing magic arts involving wristbands and veils. We are too distant from these practices to determine precisely what their significance and use was. Their false and lying practices involved divining the future for a price, and led innocent people to death and damnation who should have kept the faith and be saved. God promised to rip off their bands and veils and deliver His people from the hands of these false prophetesses. Their sinful practices disheartened the righteous and encouraged the wicked. God made it clear that they could not go on destroying innocent souls among God's people and expect to save their own souls. The other group Ezekiel prophesied against was the elders of Israel who had taken the idols of pagan nations into their own hearts, and yet supposed themselves to be leaders of Israel who could consult with God on behalf of His people. God warned that when the elders would consult a prophet, they would get the kind of lying answer that their idolatry deserves. Either the prophet would not answer them, or because of the hardness of their hearts, God would trick the prophet into giving them a false answer. In that case, both the lying prophet and the elders would receive what they deserved because of their idolatry and their doing the things that God hated. As a result, the elders and false prophets would be cut off from Israel, but the innocent among God's people would understand who is the true God, and would not turn away from Him to serve idols. God would do this so that "they may be my people and I may be their God, declares the Lord GOD."
110:1 The LORD says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The LORD sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
3 Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,1
in holy garments;2
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.3
4 The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs4
over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.
[1] 110:3
[2] 110:3
[3] 110:3
[4] 110:6
(ESV)