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 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,1 it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin!2 For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell3 of fire.
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.4 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my5 Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed6 in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.7
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.8 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.9 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant10 fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii,11 and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,12 until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
[1] 18:6
[2] 18:7
[3] 18:9
[4] 18:10
[5] 18:14
[6] 18:18
[7] 18:22
[8] 18:23
[9] 18:24
[10] 18:26
[11] 18:28
[12] 18:34
(ESV)
It happens in families, marriages, friendships, and even in the workplace. You do something that inadvertently offends another person. And naturally, you have no idea that you have offended them because you did it inadvertently. But to the one you have offended, what you have done is grossly odious and nearly unforgivable. And you can tell that this person is now acting differently toward you. They are distant, detached, and disconnected. And so you begin sleuthing to find out what went wrong. It begins with a simple question: "Hey, is everything alright? Are you okay? What's wrong?" And then comes the one-word answer, ubiquitous to situations like this: "Nothing." But you know, just by their posture, their tone, and the way they refuse to make eye contact with you, that something's wrong. And so you repeat your question, this time more emphatically: "Are you sure nothing's wrong?" But the offended person belligerently sticks to their guns: "Nothing's wrong!" They may even add, "I don't want to talk about it."
It seems that a common way of addressing conflict is simply not to address it. Answers such as "Nothing" and "I don't want to talk about it" are meant to shut down conversations that could lead to forgiveness and reconciliation between an offender and an offended before they even begin. Granted, sometimes we all need "a little space" and "some breathing room" to process our pain. But far too often, these elusive and downright false answers of "Nothing" and "I don't want to talk about it" are not so much requests for time to emotionally reflect as they are efforts at retaliating against a person who has offended us. We figure if we just cut them out of our life, we'll hurt them like they hurt us.
In our reading for today from Matthew 18, Jesus shows us a different way to confront conflict: "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you" (verse 15). I like the way the ESV translates this same verse: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone." Did you catch that? "Go and tell him his fault." In other words, have a conversation with him. Don't just vindictively give him icy looks and cold shoulders in retaliation for some sin that is unbeknownst to him. For a conversation needs to be had, even if not right away.
The final goal of having such a conversation, even if it's difficult or awkward, is so that "you can win your brother over" (verse 15). Indeed, this is why Jesus spends the balance of this chapter talking about forgiveness and its primacy in the Christian life. The desire in having a conversation with someone who has offended you should be to forgive them for their offense and, if possible, to reconcile and restore your relationship with them. But first, you have to talk to them.
I have a four-year-old nephew named Nicholas who, like all little boys, has moments of shyness. One night, we had him and his brother Noah over for supper when Nicholas jumped up from the table and headed off to play. Melody, not pleased by his lack of manners, summoned him back to the table and asked him, "Nicholas, what do you say?" For at their house, they need to ask, "May I be excused please?" before they're allowed to leave the table. But rather than asking that appropriate question when he was summoned back to our table, he just stood there, turning beet read. So Melody asked again, "Nicholas, what do you say?" But again, Nicholas continued to stand there in stunned silence. Finally, Melody looked at Nicholas straight in the eyes and said, "Nicholas! Use your words! What do you say?" Finally the response came: "May I be excused please?"
The reminder that Melody gave to my four-year-old nephew is a reminder that we all need from time to time: "Use your words!" When someone offends us, sins against us, or hurts our feelings, rather than estranging ourselves from them or telling them, "Nothing's wrong," we need to "use our words" and confront the situation head-on. For this is Jesus' prescription for forgiveness.
So today, is there anyone you need to "use your words" with? If so, have a conversation with them. Try to reconcile with them. Extend forgiveness to them. For it's only through forgiveness that the answer to the question, "What's wrong?" can truly be, "Nothing." And that's an answer that's freeing, beautiful, and wonderful to give... when we really mean it.
47:1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.
2 “Thus says the LORD:
Behold, waters are rising out of the north,
and shall become an overflowing torrent;
they shall overflow the land and all that fills it,
the city and those who dwell in it.
Men shall cry out,
and every inhabitant of the land shall wail.
3 At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions,
at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels,
the fathers look not back to their children,
so feeble are their hands,
4 because of the day that is coming to destroy
all the Philistines,
to cut off from Tyre and Sidon
every helper that remains.
For the LORD is destroying the Philistines,
the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.
5 Baldness has come upon Gaza;
Ashkelon has perished.
O remnant of their valley,
how long will you gash yourselves?
6 Ah, sword of the LORD!
How long till you are quiet?
Put yourself into your scabbard;
rest and be still!
7 How can it1 be quiet
when the LORD has given it a charge?
Against Ashkelon and against the seashore
he has appointed it.”
48:1 Concerning Moab.
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
“Woe to Nebo, for it is laid waste!
Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken;
the fortress is put to shame and broken down;
2 the renown of Moab is no more.
In Heshbon they planned disaster against her:
‘Come, let us cut her off from being a nation!’
You also, O Madmen, shall be brought to silence;
the sword shall pursue you.
3 “A voice! A cry from Horonaim,
‘Desolation and great destruction!’
4 Moab is destroyed;
her little ones have made a cry.
5 For at the ascent of Luhith
they go up weeping;2
for at the descent of Horonaim
they have heard the distressed cry3 of destruction.
6 Flee! Save yourselves!
You will be like a juniper in the desert!
7 For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures,
you also shall be taken;
and Chemosh shall go into exile
with his priests and his officials.
8 The destroyer shall come upon every city,
and no city shall escape;
the valley shall perish,
and the plain shall be destroyed,
as the LORD has spoken.
9 “Give wings to Moab,
for she would fly away;
her cities shall become a desolation,
with no inhabitant in them.
10 “Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed.
11 “Moab has been at ease from his youth
and has settled on his dregs;
he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel,
nor has he gone into exile;
so his taste remains in him,
and his scent is not changed.
12 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I shall send to him pourers who will pour him, and empty his vessels and break his4 jars in pieces. 13 Then Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.
14 “How do you say, ‘We are heroes
and mighty men of war’?
15 The destroyer of Moab and his cities has come up,
and the choicest of his young men have gone down to slaughter,
declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
16 The calamity of Moab is near at hand,
and his affliction hastens swiftly.
17 Grieve for him, all you who are around him,
and all who know his name;
say, ‘How the mighty scepter is broken,
the glorious staff.’
18 “Come down from your glory,
and sit on the parched ground,
O inhabitant of Dibon!
For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you;
he has destroyed your strongholds.
19 Stand by the way and watch,
O inhabitant of Aroer!
Ask him who flees and her who escapes;
say, ‘What has happened?’
20 Moab is put to shame, for it is broken;
wail and cry!
Tell it beside the Arnon,
that Moab is laid waste.
[1] 47:7
[2] 48:5
[3] 48:5
[4] 48:12
(ESV)
Jeremiah's next oracle against the Gentile nations surrounding Judah was directed at the Philistines, who were her neighbors to the west, occupying the coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea. The Philistines had been long-time foes of Israel, from the days of the Judges, and had been subdued by Samson at that time. They were continually trying to expand their territory into the hill country of Judah. The prophet's oracle was directed against the Philistines before the Egyptian Pharaoh attacked their capital city of Gaza. Jeremiah's words predicted an assault from the north by Babylon that would leave the Philistines squeezed between them and Egypt on the south. The fear of the enemy would be so great that fathers would not even be able to rescue their children. None would be found to help them including their previous allies of Tyre and Sidon. Their suffering would be so great that they would shave their heads and cut themselves as signs of mourning. Moab was the next target of Jeremiah's prophecy. The towns and territories mentioned had all belonged to Israel at one point, and had been taken over by Moab. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, this prophecy was fulfilled in the 23rd year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Up and down the hills of Moab the weeping and mourning would be heard, because these people had trusted in their "works" and their "treasures" rather than in the LORD. God's determination to punish Moab was shown by the curse He pronounced on any nation "who does the work of the Lord with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed." Moab would be poured out like an offering to the LORD, and they would be ashamed of their false god, Chemosh.
9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge1—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
[1] 91:9
(ESV)