Podcast
Daily Bible Reading Podcast
Hosted by Phil Fields · EN
Listen to the whole NLT or GNT Bible in 365 20-minute-long podcasts!
133episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
NL-Day193 2 Kings 13-14; Psalm 129; John 13:12-38
2w ago00:21:33Tap to summarize2KINGS 13-14:Yesterday we heard of Athaliah's seven year reign over Judah, of how Joash was saved from being killed, and of Jehoida's successful plot to end Athaliah's reign. Joash turned out to be sorta good, but disappointing at the end of his reign. And it is interesting to note that the people who worked on restoring the temple evidently had more integrity than the priests. PSALM 129:This is another Psalm of Ascent and another nationalistic psalm. In this year's readings, in just a few days we will begin hearing the parts of Israel's history where this psalm writer could have received the scars on his back. (I like how the GNT shows that the scars on the back might be taken figuratively for the whole race, instead of personally for just the writer. But one just listening to a reading of this chapter will probably not pick up on that detail.) In our time, this psalm gives us permission to pray that the Lord's enemies do not prosper. JOHN 13b:John spends several chapters in the upper room, and this is the first. We hear the most complete account here about Judas, and only here do we find the story of Jesus washing the disciple's feet. This is another time where we see Jesus consciously acting out a parable for us. And because of that event, the interchange with Peter is more poignant, although John takes pity on Peter and does not include details of that conversation that are found elsewhere. NLT Translation notes:John 13:2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas[, 0>>//son of Simon Iscariot,] to betray Jesus. [Judas was the son of (a man named) Simon from the village Carioth.]|8 "No," Peter protested, "you will never ever wash my feet!"Jesus replied, "[PET: If I don't wash your feet, you're no longer My follower.///Unless I wash you, you won't belong to me.]"12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, "Do you understand what I was [showing you//doing]?17 [You ought to wash each other's feet.] Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.[Repeating the thing Jesus wants them to do makes the last sentence more understandable. "Doing them" does not mean taking slaves or sending messages.]26 Jesus responded, "It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl." And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon[, the man from Carioth// Iscariot].31 As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, "The time has come for [Me] the Son of Man to enter into [my/his] glory, and God will be glorified because of [Me/him].32 And since [my Father, God,/God] receives glory because of [Me, his/the] Son,i he will soon [also] give glory to [Me/the Son].36 [0/Simon] Peter asked, "Lord, where are you going?"And Jesus replied, "You can't go with me now, but you will follow me later." Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Transcribe →
NL-Day192 2 Kings 11-12; Psalm 128; John 13:1-17
2w ago00:18:12Tap to summarize2KINGS 11-12:Yesterday's story was of Jehu, anointed on Elisha's orders, and who executed the Lord's vengeance on Ahab and his whole family, and even his friends and the worshipers of Baal. However, after that, he still didn't follow the Lord, but continued the idolatry of Israel. PSALM 128:Today's Song of Ascent has a similar theme about the Lord's blessings for families as yesterday's psalm. Unlike what I said about translating the Hebrew word 'sons' in Psalm 127, the context of today's psalm seems more inclusive, so we can easily agree with the NET and other versions in translating that word as 'children' here in Psalm 128. JOHN 13a:Jesus' words often have a double meaning. An example was heard yesterday when He said, "when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." NLT Translation notes:John 13:2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas[, 0>>//son of Simon Iscariot,] to betray Jesus. [Judas was the son of (a man named) Simon from the village Carioth.] 8 "No," Peter protested, "you will never ever wash my feet!"Jesus replied, "[PET: If I don't wash your feet, you're no longer My follower.///Unless I wash you, you won't belong to me.]"12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, "Do you understand what I was [showing you//doing]?17 [You ought to wash each other's feet.] Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.[Repeating the thing Jesus wants them to do makes the last sentence more understandable. "Doing them" does not mean taking slaves or sending messages.]26 Jesus responded, "It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl." And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon[, the man from Carioth// Iscariot].31 As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, "The time has come for [Me] the Son of Man to enter into [my/his] glory, and God will be glorified because of [Me/him].32 And since [my Father, God,/God] receives glory because of [Me, his/the] Son,i he will soon [also] give glory to [Me/the Son]. 36 [0/Simon] Peter asked, "Lord, where are you going?"And Jesus replied, "You can't go with me now, but you will follow me later." Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Transcribe →
NL-Day191 2 Kings 9-10; Psalm 127; John 12:20-50
2w ago00:25:31Tap to summarize2KINGS 9-10:Yesterday we heard one of my favorite Old Testament stories: The one about the three lepers and the famine in Samaria. Elisha's prophecy was so dramatically fulfilled, and the scoffing officer could be a parable for modern times. Then we heard how the woman from Shunem returned and was blessed a second time. The narrative switched briefly to the kingdom of Judah and Ahaziah's reign. PSALM 127:About 'children/sons' in v. 3, NET's note says this: Some prefer to translate this word with the gender neutral "children," but "sons" are plainly in view here, as the following verses make clear. Daughters are certainly wonderful additions to a family, but in ancient Israelite culture sons were the "arrows" that gave a man security in his old age, for they could defend the family interests at the city gate, where the legal and economic issues of the community were settled. This psalm would not be considered politically correct in today's world. Let's understand it with a historical perspective learn from it. JOHN 12b:Following the raising of Lazarus, the Jewish leaders became even more firm in their plans to kill Jesus. NLT Translation notes:John 12:4 But Judas [, the man from the village of Carioth// Iscariot], the disciple who would soon betray him, said,28 [Rather, I pray,] Father, bring glory to your name."Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again." 39 But the people couldn't believe, for as Isaiah [reported the Lord's words//also said],40 "[I have//The Lord has] blinded their eyesand hardened their hearts—so that their eyes cannot see,and their hearts cannot understand,and they cannot turn to meand have me heal them."41 Isaiah['s prophecy] was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah's glory.42 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn't admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue[s].44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you [believe in/trust] me, you are [not just believing in//trusting not only] me, but also God who sent me.47 I will not judge those who hear me but don't obey me, for I have come to save the world [,//and] not to judge it. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Transcribe →
NL-Day190 2 Kings 7-8; Psalm 126; John 12:1-26
2w ago00:22:14Tap to summarize2KINGS 7-8:Yesterday we heard two more chapters containing fascinating miracles performed by Elisha. The story about Gahazi getting the gifts from Naaman, and the vision about the chariots of fire both have interesting spiritual significance to ponder. We come back to the story from chapter 7 where the Aramean army is surrounding Samaria. The famine is severe. The king has sent an executioner to kill Elisha. And then: 2Kings 6:32 NLT Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders of Israel when the king sent a messenger to summon him. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, "A murderer has sent a man to cut off my head. When he arrives, shut the door and keep him out. We will soon hear his master's steps following him." 33 While Elisha was still saying this, the messenger arrived. And the king said, "All this misery is from the LORD! Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?" PSALM 126:Laughter, joy, and tears are in this often quoted psalm. JOHN 12a:In yesterday's reading, Jesus worked his biggest miracle so far in the story— the raising of Lazarus, and the Jewish leaders became even firmer in their plans to kill Him. NLT Translation notes:John 12:4 But Judas [, the man from the village of Carioth// Iscariot], the disciple who would soon betray him, said,28 [Rather, I pray,] Father, bring glory to your name."Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again." 39 But the people couldn't believe, for as Isaiah [reported the Lord's words//also said],40 "[I have//The Lord has] blinded their eyesand hardened their hearts—so that their eyes cannot see,and their hearts cannot understand,and they cannot turn to meand have me heal them."41 Isaiah['s prophecy] was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah's glory.42 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn't admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue[s].44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you [believe in/trust] me, you are [not just believing in//trusting not only] me, but also God who sent me.47 I will not judge those who hear me but don't obey me, for I have come to save the world [,//and] not to judge it. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Transcribe →
NL-Day189 2 Kings 5-6; Psalm 125; John 11:21-57
2w ago00:26:40Tap to summarize2KINGS 5-6:Yesterday we heard of the many miracles done by Elisha, supplying water for three armies on their way to Moab for war, helping the widow of a prophet, blessing the woman from Shunem, purifying Jericho's water, and miraculously transforming food. PSALM 125:The first verse of this psalm is one that our family has sung for years. Gale and I learned this song from a cassette tape that came from a Canadian church called St. Margaret's, a place we have never been to. At that time (around 1977) we were teachers in Papua New Guinea and our David was two. Those who trust in the Lord are secure! JOHN 11b:Reminding us of what we heard in John 10: Our Shepherd calls us by name. He knows us thoroughly, just like He and the Father know each other. He goes before us and leads us into a rich and satisfying life. He is our great and good Shepherd because He was willing to sacrifice his life for us. NLT Translation notes:26 Everyone who [0//lives in me and] believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?"[Woah! I am surprised that, apparently, the NLT translators didn't think that just believing was enough! I don't see any textual variant that could justify this addition. I normally like the NLT. This just goes to show that no translation is perfect.]31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus's grave to weep [there]. So they followed her [0/there].38 Jesus was still [upset//angry] as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Transcribe →
NL-Day188 2 Kings 3-4; Psalm 124; John 11:1-26
2w ago00:22:49Tap to summarize2KINGS 3-4:Yesterday we heard of the final amazing prophecies of Elijah, and then how he took leave of the prophets and particularly, his successor Elisha. Elisha quickly showed that he was Elijah's successor. PSALM 124:I keep being amazed how people (and particularly those in America) don't seem to learn anything from the amazing things that are happening in our times. The last verse of this psalm expresses the lesson that I think we should have learned by now. JOHN 11a:Reminding us of what we heard in John 10: Our Shepherd calls us by name. He knows us thoroughly, just like He and the Father know each other. We hear his voice and recognize him. He goes before us and leads us into a rich and satisfying life. He is our great and good Shepherd because He was willing to sacrifice his life for us. NLT/GNT Translation comparison: 2Kings 3:27 NLT So he took his oldest son, who would have been the next king, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the wall. As a result, the anger against Israel was great, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.//GNT So he took his oldest son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him on the city wall as a sacrifice to the god of Moab. The Israelites were terrified and so they drew back from the city and returned to their own country.[The Hebrew for the first phrase of the last sentence can be interpreted in several ways. The NLT makes better sense to me. There would have been anger and indignation on Moab's side, and revulsion on Israel's side.] NLT Translation notes:John 11:5 So although Jesus loved Martha, [and loved] Mary, and [loved] Lazarus,26 Everyone who [0//lives in me and] believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?"[Woah! I am surprised that, apparently, the NLT translators didn't think that just believing was enough! I don't see any textual variant that would lead to this addition in the translation.]31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus's grave to weep [there]. So they followed her [0/there]. 38 Jesus was still [upset//angry] as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Transcribe →
NL-Day187 2 Kings 1-2; Psalm 123; John 10:11-42
2w ago00:19:36Tap to summarize2KINGS 1-2:Yesterday we heard stories which show that King Ahab indeed "sold himself to evil," including the story of Naboth's vineyard. And also we heard of Ahab's friendship with King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Finally we heard how the prophecies against Ahab were fulfilled. PSALM 123:This psalm has an important similarity with Ps. 121 which said, Ps. 121:1 NLT I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there?2 My help comes from the LORD,who made heaven and earth! Today's psalm tells us how to 'look'. JOHN 10b:In John 9, with the formerly blind man standing there, Jesus said, 39 NLT "I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind."40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, "Are you saying we're blind?"41 "If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty," Jesus replied. "But you remain guilty because you claim you can see. I think the formerly blind man would have been greatly comforted to find out that the Son of Man was now his shepherd and the gate for the sheep. John 10:10 is a frequently memorized verse because of Jesus' promise: Life in all its fulness. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Transcribe →
NL-Day186 1 Kings 21-22; Psalm 122; John 10:1-21
3w ago00:21:32Tap to summarize1KINGS 21-22:What a cruel surprise it must have been for Elijah to bring about such an irrefutable display of God's power before the people, but then to have to flee for his life because of Queen Jezebel! Note that God deigned to speak twice to King Ahab. And the reason was: God wanted it known to Ahab and to us that He is not a territorial God. God also gave amazing, symbolic revelations of Himself in the story of His appearing to Elijah at Mount Sinai. Finally, in yesterday's reading, Elijah's successor, Elisha, was introduced. PSALM 122:Consider how exciting it would have been to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. And let's all keep 'marching to Zion'. JOHN 10a:This is a place where our chapter divisions in our Bibles probably do not serve us well. In the original manuscript by John, there would not be any separation between what Jesus said to the Pharisees to answer their question about spiritual blindness, and this chapter. In fact, in John's day they didn't even have spaces between words. So in all likelihood, there was not even a new line to start this teaching. So let's envision Jesus giving this teaching while the previously blind man and the Pharisees were listening. NLT Translation note:Ps. 122:4 All the tribes of Israel—the LORD's people— make their pilgrimage here.They come to give thanks to [0//the name of] the LORD, as the law requires of Israel. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Transcribe →
NL-Day185 1 Kings 19-20; Psalm 121; John 9
3w ago00:23:52Tap to summarize1KINGS 19-20:The story we read yesterday in this book is one of the most dramatic in all of Scripture: The time the prophet Elijah confronted King Ahab. Remember that in the New Testament James used this story to encourage us that we are no different than Elijah and that we should pray fervently like him. PSALM 121:This is another psalm that is frequently sung, even today. Often this whole psalm is set to music. As Olsen says, this psalm lifts the fog from our eyes. Re-reading JOHN 9:Remember that in John 8 there was a tense standoff between Jesus and the religious leaders. The people took up stones to kill Jesus. John places this story here to illustrate again the opposition to Jesus. One of the hardest verses to translate is the very last one in this chapter. That is Jesus' answer when the Pharisees give this incredulous or rebuking response, "Surely you don't mean that we are blind, too?" The Greek can be translated as in literal versions, "If you were blind, you would have no [sin//guilt]... To say someone has no sin, in English, would mean that they are totally sinless, and that is NOT what Jesus was meaning. 41 [based on NLT: Jesus replied, "If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty [of still sinning], but you remain guilty because you claim you can see.//GNT Jesus answered, "If you were blind, then you would not [be sinning now//be guilty]; but since you claim that you can see, this means that you are [still guilty of sinning//still guilty]."] NLT Translation note:1Kings 19:10 Elijah replied, "I have zealously served [You,/the] LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too."====John 9:28 They [hurled insults at//cursed] him and said, "You are that fellow's disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.34 "You were born a total sinner!" they answered. "[And now you think you are smart enough to teach us!//Are you trying to teach us?]" And they threw him out of the synagogue.37 "You have seen him," Jesus said, "and he is speaking to you [now]!"39 Then Jesus told him, "I entered this world to render judgment— [to cause the blind to see, and to cause those who think that they can see to become blind."//to give sight to the blind and to _show_ those who think they see that they are blind."][The word 'show' is not in the Greek, and I do not agree with adding it. Unfortunately, on earth at least, only a percentage are shown that they are spiritually blind. The blind often take their blindness to the grave. That is the danger that Jesus is warning the Pharisees about.]40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and [replied/asked], "Are you saying we're blind?"41 "If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty [of still sinning]," Jesus replied. "But you remain guilty because you claim you can see. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Transcribe →
NL-Day184 1 Kings 17-18; Psalm 120; John 9
3w ago00:24:17Tap to summarize1KINGS 17-18:We've arrived at the narrative of the different kings of Judah (which now includes the smaller tribe of Benjamin) and the kings of Israel (consisting of the 10 other tribes, sometimes called the Northern Kingdom). The kings on Israel's side changed more rapidly and were 100% bad, while there was a mixed record among the kings of Judah. It will help your understanding to observe the section headings (which I normally do not read), and to try to remember which kingdom is being talked about. Note in yesterday's reading how prophecy was fulfilled again and again. And although Baasha fulfilled the murderous prophecy against the house of Jeroboam, in chapter 16 verse 7, in God's view the murders he committed were still counted against Baasha as sin. God's sovereignty and omniscience does not conflict with our own personal responsibility for sin. PSALM 120:Psalm 120 is the first of the Songs of Ascent. The HCSB Study Bible says this about the Songs of Ascent: These psalms were designed for pilgrimage processions to celebrate seasonal feasts in Jerusalem. The hymns contain numerous references to Jerusalem or Zion, the temple, Israel, peace, and adversity. The 15 songs, adapted from ancient hymns heralding the blessings and salvation of Zion, may have been sung on the 15 steps leading up to the temple. JOHN 9:Ever since I was in high school this has been my favorite chapter of the Bible. This dates from the time that I found a tract from the American Bible Society in the rack in the foyer of our church. So in Indonesia also, I have made this chapter into a little book containing our translation. I like giving this chapter out to people I meet. Why? It is not because it answers people's questions. It is because this chapter makes people ask the most important questions. NLT Translation notes:John 9:22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from [all] the synagogue[s].23 That's why they said, "He is old enough. Ask him."26 "But what did he do [to you]?" they asked. "How did he heal you?"28 Then they [hurled insults at//cursed] him and said, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses!33 If this man were not from God, he couldn't [do anything like this!//have done it.]"34 "You were born a total sinner!" they answered. "[And now you think you are smart enough to teach us!//Are you trying to teach us?]" And they threw him out of the synagogue.37 "You have seen him," Jesus said, "and he is speaking to you [now]!"39 Then Jesus told him, "I entered this world to render judgment— [to cause the blind to see, and to cause those who think that they can see to become blind."//to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind."][The word 'show' is not in the Greek, and I do not agree with adding it. Unfortunately, on earth at least, only a percentage are shown that they are spiritually blind. The blind often take their blindness to the grave. That is the danger that Jesus is warning the Pharisees about.]40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and [replied/asked], "Are you saying we're blind?"41 "If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty," Jesus replied. "But you remain guilty because you claim you can see. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Transcribe →