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
2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men1 from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose2 and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
(ESV)
My wife Melody loves her birthday. She loves to talk about her birthday, she loves to celebrate her birthday, and she loves to drop me little hints as to what she might like for her birthday. I, on the other hand, am not nearly so fond of my big day. I would just assume have a nice quiet evening at home rather than a rowdy party, and a simple meal with my wife rather than a mountain of gifts. Because I very much prefer a low-key and private birthday celebration, I have often stood astonished at Melody's desire for a high-energy and public birthday party. I have asked her more than once, "What's the big deal about birthdays?" To which she has repeatedly replied, "Your birthday is the day God brought you into the world. And that's a big deal! It's your special day, so we need to celebrate!"
"It's your special day." This is Melody's credo concerning birthdays.
Our reading for today from Matthew 2 begins thusly: "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod... " (verse 1). In Greek, the phrase "during the time of King Herod" is en hemeras Herodou, meaning literally, "In the days of Herod." Herod, it seems, didn't just have a special day, he had special days. Every day was like his birthday.
Indeed it was. For history records Herod as a hopelessly ruthless, maniacally egotistical, and incurably narcissistic ruler. His monetary wealth surpassed not only that of Caesar, but that of the collective Roman Empire. He built himself a palace, the remains of which can still be seen today, in which he literally raised the of a hill so that his mountaintop mansion would appear more imposing to those who dwelt below. He also constructed a city around his private fortress that, in the words of the first century Jewish historian Josephus, was "second to none." What would he call such a brazen display of his so-called majesty? He modestly named it the Herodium, of course. As he lay on his deathbed, Herod was so concerned that no one would mourn his passing (a justifiable concern due to his merciless brutality) that he ordered the dignitaries of Judea be locked inside the Hippodrome in Jericho and slaughtered upon his death so that there would be weeping and mourning when he died, even if it wasn't for him. These were the days of King Herod.
"In the days of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him'" (verses 1-2). Matthew begins with the "days of King Herod," but he ends with the star of the King of Jews. For the days of King Herod are being swallowed up by the dawning of the day of a new King. For the star that these Magi have seen is a "Morning Star" (Revelation 22:16). A new day is on its way. And this new day is not a day of hopeless ruthlessness, maniacal egotism, and incurable narcissism; instead, this new day is a day of gentle compassion, contagious humility, and salvific selflessness. For this new day is the new "day of the Lord Jesus" (2 Corinthians 1:14).
Perhaps you sometimes feel as though you live in the days of King Herod. Maybe you are victim of your boss's ego. Maybe you look longingly at the palaces others live in while you are barely making ends' meat. Maybe you simply live in fear of all the violence and callousness that seems to permeate today's headlines. If this is you, then this is your promise: Jesus, the Morning Star, is rising for you. The days of King Herod in all of their sinfulness and brokenness are waning while the new Day of the Lord Jesus is rushing to culminate history and bring salvation. And that day will be bigger and better than even a birthday. I hope it comes soon. Because even though I don't always enjoy a large celebration for my birthday, I'm sure I'll be up for a huge party for the Day of the Lord Jesus. After all, that's a day truly worth celebrating... no matter what kind of a birthday boy or girl you are.
36 “Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: 37 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.
42 “For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. 43 Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ 44 Fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, in the land of Benjamin, in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD.”
33:1 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: 2 “Thus says the LORD who made the earth,1 the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: 3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. 4 For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and against the sword: 5 They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them2 with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil. 6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. 7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. 8 I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. 9 And this city3 shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.
10 “Thus says the LORD: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again 11 the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD:
“‘Give thanks to the LORD of hosts,
for the LORD is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!’
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD.
12 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks. 13 In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD.
[1] 33:2
[2] 33:5
[3] 33:9
(ESV)
We've all heard the expression, "There's no such thing as a free lunch!" Because of our experience in this world, we have a very difficult time believing God's promise of salvation as a free gift, unearned and underserved. This is the reason why God repeats His promise to His people over and over again. He knows that's what it takes to overcome their unbelief. God promised to bring His people back to Jerusalem and fulfill His covenant promise: "And they shall be my people, and I will be their God." In addition, He promised to give them "one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever." Jesus claimed the fulfillment of this promise when He said that "I am the Way." The promise of the New Covenant was repeated, along with the promise of a settled life in the Promised Land, so that the coming of the Messiah would indeed be fulfilled. God also gave Jeremiah a personal assurance of His faithfulness while the prophet was under arrest in the palace. In spite of the destruction and devastation that would come upon Jerusalem, God promised health and healing, and an abundance of prosperity and security. The most wonderful aspect of God's grace would be accomplished through Jesus the Messiah's death on the cross—"I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me." This is the only way that we could truly be God's people, in spite of our sin. God promised to radically alter the conditions for Jerusalem, changing them from desolation to rejoicing in the LORD.
6 Pour out your anger on the nations
that do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
that do not call upon your name!
7 For they have devoured Jacob
and laid waste his habitation.
8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities;1
let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
for your name’s sake!
10 Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes!
11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
12 Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors
the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!
13 But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
[1] 79:8
(ESV)