Proverbs 8:1-21 and Psalm 88

Proverbs 8:1-21

[1]Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? [2] On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; [3] beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: [4] "To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live. [5] O simple ones, learn prudence; acquire intelligence, you who lack it. [6] Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right; [7] for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. [8] All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. [9] They are all straight to one who understands and right to those who find knowledge. [10] Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; [11] for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. [12] I, wisdom, live with prudence, and I attain knowledge and discretion. [13] The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. [14] I have good advice and sound wisdom; I have insight, I have strength. [15] By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; [16] by me rulers rule, and nobles, all who govern rightly. [17] I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. [18] Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and prosperity. [19] My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. [20] I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, [21] endowing with wealth those who love me, and filling their treasuries. 

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Psalm 88

[1]   O LORD, God of my salvation,   
    when, at night, I cry out in your presence,   
[2]   let my prayer come before you;   
         incline your ear to my cry.

[3]   For my soul is full of troubles,   
         and my life draws near to Sheol.   
[4]   I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;   
         I am like those who have no help,   
[5]   like those forsaken among the dead,   
         like the slain that lie in the grave,   
    like those whom you remember no more,   
         for they are cut off from your hand.   
[6]   You have put me in the depths of the Pit,   
         in the regions dark and deep.   
[7]   Your wrath lies heavy upon me,   
         and you overwhelm me with all your waves.               Selah

[8]   You have caused my companions to shun me;   
         you have made me a thing of horror to them.   
    I am shut in so that I cannot escape;   
[9]        my eye grows dim through sorrow.   
    Every day I call on you, O LORD;   
         I spread out my hands to you.   
[10]  Do you work wonders for the dead?   
         Do the shades rise up to praise you?                                
 Selah   
[11]  Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,   
         or your faithfulness in Abaddon?   
[12]  Are your wonders known in the darkness,   
         or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness?

[13]  But I, O LORD, cry out to you;   
         in the morning my prayer comes before you.   
[14]  O LORD, why do you cast me off?   
         Why do you hide your face from me?   
[15]  Wretched and close to death from my youth up,   
         I suffer your terrors; I am desperate.   
[16]  Your wrath has swept over me;   
         your dread assaults destroy me.   
[17]  They surround me like a flood all day long;   
         from all sides they close in on me.   
[18]  You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me;   
         my companions are in darkness.

  

Proverbs 7:1-27 and Psalm 143

Proverbs 7:1-27

[1]My child, keep my words and store up my commandments with you; [2]keep my commandments and live, keep my teachings as the apple of your eye; [3]bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart. [4]Say to wisdom, "You are my sister", and call insight your intimate friend, [5]that they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.

[6]For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice, [7]and I saw among the simple ones, I observed among the youths, a young man without sense, [8]passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house [9]in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.

[10]Then a woman comes towards him, decked out like a prostitute, wily of heart. [11]She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; [12]now in the street, now in the squares, and at every corner she lies in wait. [13]She seizes him and kisses him, and with impudent face she says to him: [14]"I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; [15]so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you! [16]I have decked my couch with coverings, coloured spreads of Egyptian linen; [17]I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. [18]Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us delight ourselves with love. [19]For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. [20]He took a bag of money with him; he will not come home until full moon."

[21]With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. [22]Right away he follows her, and goes like an ox to the slaughter, or bounds like a stag towards the trap [23]until an arrow pierces its entrails. He is like a bird rushing into a snare, not knowing that it will cost him his life.

[24]And now, my children, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. [25]Do not let your hearts turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths. [26]for many are those she has laid low, and numerous are her victims. [27]Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.

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Psalm 143

[1]   Hear my prayer, O LORD;  
          give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness;  
          answer me in your righteousness.  
[2]   Do not enter into judgment with your servant,  
          for no one living is righteous before you.

[3]   For the enemy has pursued me,  
          crushing my life to the ground,  
          making me sit in darkness like those long dead.  
[4]   Therefore my spirit faints within me;  
          my heart within me is appalled.

[5]   I remember the days of old,  
          I think about all your deeds,  
          I meditate on the works of your hands.  
[6]   I stretch out my hands to you;  
          my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.                  
Selah

[7]   Answer me quickly, O LORD;  
          my spirit fails.  
     Do not hide your face from me,  
          or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.  
[8]   Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,  
          for in you I put my trust.  
     Teach me the way I should go,  
          for to you I lift up my soul.

[9]   Save me, O LORD, from my enemies;  
          I have fled to you for refuge.  
[10]  Teach me to do your will,  
          for you are my God.  
     Let your good spirit lead me  
          on a level path.

[11]  For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life.  
          In your righteousness bring me out of trouble.  
[12]  In your steadfast love cut off my enemies,  
          and destroy all my adversaries,  
          for I am your servant.

Proverbs 6:1-19 and Psalm 65

Proverbs 6:1-19

[1]My child, if you have given your pledge to your neighbor, if you have bound yourself to another, [2] you are snared by the utterance of your lips, caught by the words of your mouth. [3] So do this, my child, and save yourself, for you have come into your neighbor's power: go, hurry, and plead with your neighbor. [4] Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; [5] save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

[6] Go to the ant, you lazybones; consider its ways, and be wise. [7] Without having any chief or officer or ruler, [8] it prepares its food in summer, and gathers its sustenance in harvest. [9] How long will you lie there, O lazybones? When will you rise from your sleep? [10] A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, [11] and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want, like an armed warrior.

[12] A scoundrel and a villain goes around with crooked speech, [13] winking the eyes, shuffling the feet, pointing the fingers, [14] with perverted mind devising evil, continually sowing discord; [15] on such a one calamity will descend suddenly; in a moment, damage beyond repair.

[16] There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: [17] haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, [18] a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil, [19] a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family.

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Psalm 65

[1]   Praise is due to you,  
          O God, in Zion;  
     and to you shall vows be performed,  
[2]        O you who answer prayer!  
     To you all flesh shall come.  
[3]   When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,  
          you forgive our transgressions.  
[4]   Happy are those whom you choose and bring near  
          to live in your courts.  
     We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,  
          your holy temple.

[5]   By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,  
          O God of our salvation;  
     you are the hope of all the ends of the earth  
          and of the farthest seas.  
[6]   By your strength you established the mountains;  
          you are girded with might.  
[7]   You silence the roaring of the seas,  
          the roaring of their waves,  
          the tumult of the peoples.  
[8]   Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs;  
          you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.

[9]   You visit the earth and water it,  
          you greatly enrich it;  
     the river of God is full of water;  
          you provide the people with grain,  
          for so you have prepared it.  
[10]  You water its furrows abundantly,  
          settling its ridges,  
     softening it with showers,  
          and blessing its growth.  
[11]  You crown the year with your bounty;  
          your wagon tracks overflow with richness.  
[12]  The pastures of the wilderness overflow,  
          the hills gird themselves with joy,  
[13]  the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,  
          the valleys deck themselves with grain,  
          they shout and sing together for joy.

1 John 4:7-21 and Psalm 99

1 John 4:7-21

[7]Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. [8]Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. [9]God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. [10]In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. [11]Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. [12]No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

[13]By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. [14]And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. [15]God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. [16]So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.

[17]Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. [18]There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. [19]We love because he first loved us. [20]Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. [21]The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

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Psalm 99

[1]   The LORD is king; let the peoples tremble!  

          He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!  

[2]   The LORD is great in Zion;  

          he is exalted over all the peoples.  

[3]   Let them praise your great and awesome name.  

          Holy is he!  

[4]   Mighty King, lover of justice,  

          you have established equity;  

     you have executed justice  

          and righteousness in Jacob.  

[5]   Extol the LORD our God;  

          worship at his footstool.  

          Holy is he!  

[6]   Moses and Aaron were among his priests,  

          Samuel also was among those who called on his name.  

          They cried to the LORD, and he answered them.  

[7]   He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;  

          they kept his decrees,  

          and the statutes that he gave them.

[8]   O LORD our God, you answered them;  

          you were a forgiving God to them,  

          but an avenger of their wrongdoings.  

[9]   Extol the LORD our God,  

          and worship at his holy mountain;  

          for the LORD our God is holy.

1 John 3:18-24 and Psalm 57

1 John 3:18-24

[18]Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. [19]And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him [20]whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. [21]Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; [22]and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

[23]And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. [24]All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

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Psalm 57

[1]   Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
          for in you my soul takes refuge;
     in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
          until the destroying storms pass by.
[2]   I cry to God Most High,
          to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
[3   ]He will send from heaven and save me,
          he will put to shame those who trample on me.           Selah
     God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.

[4]   I lie down among lions
          that greedily devour human prey;
     their teeth are spears and arrows,
          their tongues sharp swords.

[5]   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
          Let your glory be over all the earth.

[6]   They set a net for my steps;
          my soul was bowed down.
     They dug a pit in my path,
          but they have fallen into it themselves.                      
Selah
[7]   My heart is steadfast, O God,
          my heart is steadfast.
     I will sing and make melody.
[8]        Awake, my soul!
     Awake, O harp and lyre!
          I will awake the dawn.
[9]   I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
          I will sing praises to you among the nations.
[10]   For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens;
          your faithfulness extends to the clouds.

[11]   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
     Let your glory be over all the earth.

1 John 3:1-3 and Psalm 130

1 John 3:1-3

[1]See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. [2]Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. [3]And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 

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Psalm 130

[1]   Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.   
[2]       Lord, hear my voice!   
    Let your ears be attentive   
         to the voice of my supplications!

[3]   If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,   
         Lord, who could stand?   
[4]   But there is forgiveness with you,   
         so that you may be revered.

[5]   I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,   
         and in his word I hope;   
[6]   my soul waits for the Lord   
         more than those who watch for the morning,   
         more than those who watch for the morning.

[7]   O Israel, hope in the LORD!   
         For with the LORD there is steadfast love,   
         and with him is great power to redeem.   
[8]   It is he who will redeem Israel   
         from all its iniquities.

John 10:19-30 and Psalm 36

John 10:19-30

[19]Again the Jews were divided because of these words. [20]Many of them were saying, "He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?" [21]Others were saying, "These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" [22]At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, [23]and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. [24]So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." [25]Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; [26]but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. [27]My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. [28]I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. [29]What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. [30]The Father and I are one." 

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Psalm 36

[1]   Transgression speaks to the wicked  

          deep in their hearts;  

     there is no fear of God  

          before their eyes.  

[2]   For they flatter themselves in their own eyes  

          that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.  

[3]   The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit;  

          they have ceased to act wisely and do good.  

[4]   They plot mischief while on their beds;  

          they are set on a way that is not good;  

          they do not reject evil.

[5]   Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,  

          your faithfulness to the clouds.  

[6]   Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,  

          your judgments are like the great deep;  

          you save humans and animals alike, O LORD.

[7]   How precious is your steadfast love, O God!  

          All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.  

[8]   They feast on the abundance of your house,  

          and you give them drink from the river of your delights.  

[9]   For with you is the fountain of life;  

          in your light we see light.

[10]  O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,  

          and your salvation to the upright of heart!  

[11]  Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me,  

          or the hand of the wicked drive me away.  

[12]  There the evildoers lie prostrate;  

          they are thrust down, unable to rise.

John 10:1-18 and Psalm 15

John 10:1-18

[1]"Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. [2]The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. [3]The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4]When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. [5]They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." [6]Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

[7]So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. [8]All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. [9]I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. [10]The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

[11]"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. [12]The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away - and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. [13]The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. [14]I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, [15]just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. [16]I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. [17]For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. [18]No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."

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Psalm 15

[1]   O LORD, who may abide in your tent?  
          Who may dwell on your holy hill?

[2]   Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,  
          and speak the truth from their heart;  
[3]   who do not slander with their tongue,  
          and do no evil to their friends,  
          nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;  
[4]   in whose eyes the wicked are despised,  
          but who honor those who fear the LORD;  
     who stand by their oath even to their hurt;  
[5]   who do not lend money at interest,  
          and do not take a bribe against the innocent.  
     Those who do these things shall never be moved.

1 John 2:1-11 and Psalm 123

1 John 2:1-11

[1]My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; [2]and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

[3]Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments.
[4]Whoever says, "I have come to know him," but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; [5]but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: [6]whoever says, "I abide in him," ought to walk just as he walked.

[7]Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard. [8]Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. [9]Whoever says, "I am in the light," while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. [10]Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. [11]But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.

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Psalm 123

[1]   To you I lift up my eyes,  
          O you who are enthroned in the heavens!  
[2]   As the eyes of servants  
          look to the hand of their master,  
     as the eyes of a maid  
          to the hand of her mistress,  
     so our eyes look to the LORD our God,  
          until he has mercy upon us.

[3]   Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,  
          for we have had more than enough of contempt.  
[4]   Our soul has had more than its fill  
          of the scorn of those who are at ease,  
          of the contempt of the proud.

1 John 1:1-10 and Psalm 135

1 John 1:1-10

[1]We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life - [2]this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us - [3]we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. [4]We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 

[5]This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. [6]If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; [7]but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. [8]If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9]If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10]If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

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Psalm 135

[1]   Praise the LORD!   
         Praise the name of the LORD;   
         give praise, O servants of the LORD,   
[2]   you that stand in the house of the LORD,   
         in the courts of the house of our God.   
[3]   Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;   
         sing to his name, for he is gracious.   
[4]   For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,   
         Israel as his own possession.

[5]   For I know that the LORD is great;   
         our Lord is above all gods.  
[6]   Whatever the LORD pleases he does,   
         in heaven and on earth,   
         in the seas and all deeps.   
[7]   He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth;   
         he makes lightnings for the rain   
         and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

[8]   He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,   
         both human beings and animals;   
[9]   he sent signs and wonders   
         into your midst, O Egypt,   
         against Pharaoh and all his servants.   
[10]  He struck down many nations   
         and killed mighty kings --   
[11]  Sihon, king of the Amorites,   
         and Og, king of Bashan,   
         and all the kingdoms of Canaan --   
[12]  and gave their land as a heritage,   
         a heritage to his people Israel.

[13]  Your name, O LORD, endures forever,   
         your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.   
[14]  For the LORD will vindicate his people,   
         and have compassion on his servants.

[15]  The idols of the nations are silver and gold,   
         the work of human hands.   
[16]  They have mouths, but they do not speak;   
         they have eyes, but they do not see;   
[17]  they have ears, but they do not hear,   
         and there is no breath in their mouths.   
[18]  Those who make them   
         and all who trust them   
         shall become like them.

[19]  O house of Israel, bless the LORD!   
         O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!   
[20]  O house of Levi, bless the LORD!   
         You that fear the LORD, bless the LORD!   
[21]  Blessed be the LORD from Zion,   
         he who resides in Jerusalem.   
    Praise the LORD!

 

Psalm 51 and Psalm 142

Psalm 51

[1]   Have mercy on me, O God,   
         according to your steadfast love;   
    according to your abundant mercy   
         blot out my transgressions.   
[2]   Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,   
         and cleanse me from my sin.

[3]   For I know my transgressions,   
         and my sin is ever before me.   
[4]   Against you, you alone, have I sinned,   
         and done what is evil in your sight,   
    so that you are justified in your sentence   
         and blameless when you pass judgment.   


[5]   Indeed, I was born guilty,   
         a sinner when my mother conceived me.

[6]   You desire truth in the inward being;   
         therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.   
[7]   Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;   
         wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.   
[8]   Let me hear joy and gladness;   
         let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.   
[9]   Hide your face from my sins,   
         and blot out all my iniquities.

[10]  Create in me a clean heart, O God,   
         and put a new and right spirit within me.   
[11]  Do not cast me away from your presence,   
         and do not take your holy spirit from me.   
[12]  Restore to me the joy of your salvation,   
         and sustain in me a willing spirit.

[13]  Then I will teach transgressors your ways,   
         and sinners will return to you.   
[14]  Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,   
         O God of my salvation,   
         and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

[15]  O Lord, open my lips,   
         and my mouth will declare your praise.   
[16]  For you have no delight in sacrifice;   
         if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.   
[17]  The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;   
         a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

[18]  Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;   
         rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,   
[19]  then you will delight in right sacrifices,   
         in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;   
         then bulls will be offered on your altar.

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Psalm 142

[1]   With my voice I cry to the LORD;   
         with my voice I make supplication to the LORD.   
[2]   I pour out my complaint before him;   
         I tell my trouble before him.   
[3]   When my spirit is faint,   
         you know my way.

    In the path where I walk   
         they have hidden a trap for me.   
[4]   Look on my right hand and see --   
         there is no one who takes notice of me;   
    no refuge remains to me;   
         no one cares for me.

[5]   I cry to you, O LORD;   
         I say, "You are my refuge,   
         my portion in the land of the living."   
[6]   Give heed to my cry,   
         for I am brought very low.

    Save me from my persecutors,   
         for they are too strong for me.   
[7]   Bring me out of prison,   
         so that I may give thanks to your name.   
    The righteous will surround me,   
         for you will deal bountifully with me.

 

Romans 12:9-21 and Psalm 97

Romans 12:9-21

[9]Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; [10]love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. [11]Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. [12]Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. [13]Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

[14]Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. [15]Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. [16]Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. [17]Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. [18]If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. [19]Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." [20]No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." [21]Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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Psalm 97

[1]   The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice;  

          let the many coastlands be glad!  

[2]   Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;  

          righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.  

[3]   Fire goes before him,  

          and consumes his adversaries on every side.  

[4]   His lightnings light up the world;  

          the earth sees and trembles.  

[5]   The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,  

          before the Lord of all the earth.

[6]   The heavens proclaim his righteousness;  

          and all the peoples behold his glory.  

[7]   All worshipers of images are put to shame,  

          those who make their boast in worthless idols;  

          all gods bow down before him.  

[8]   Zion hears and is glad,  

          and the towns of Judah rejoice,  

          because of your judgments, O God.  

[9]   For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;  

          you are exalted far above all gods.

[10]  The LORD loves those who hate evil;  

          he guards the lives of his faithful;  

          he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.  

[11]  Light dawns for the righteous,  

          and joy for the upright in heart.  

[12]  Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,  

          and give thanks to his holy name!

Romans 12:1-8 and Psalm 89:1-18

Romans 12:1-8

[1]I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. [2]Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

[3]For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. [4]For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, [5]so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. [6]We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; [7]ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; [8]the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. 

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Psalm 89:1-18

[1]   I will sing of your steadfast love, O LORD, forever;   
         with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations. 

[2]   I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;   
         your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.

[3]   You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one,   
         I have sworn to my servant David:   
[4]   'I will establish your descendants forever,   
         and build your throne for all generations.'"                   
Selah

[5]   Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD,   
         your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones.   
[6]   For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD?   
         Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,   
[7]   a God feared in the council of the holy ones,   
         great and awesome above all that are around him?   
[8]   O LORD God of hosts,   
         who is as mighty as you, O LORD?   
         Your faithfulness surrounds you.   
[9]   You rule the raging of the sea;   
         when its waves rise, you still them.   
[10]  You crushed Rahab like a carcass;   
         you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.   
[11]  The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours;   
         the world and all that is in it -- you have founded them.   
[12]  The north and the south -- you created them;   
         Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.   
[13]  You have a mighty arm;   
         strong is your hand, high your right hand.   
[14]  Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;   
         steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.   
[15]  Happy are the people who know the festal shout,   
         who walk, O LORD, in the light of your countenance;   
[16]  they exult in your name all day long,   
         and extol your righteousness.   
[17]  For you are the glory of their strength;   
         by your favor our horn is exalted.   
[18]  For our shield belongs to the LORD,   
         our king to the Holy One of Israel.

 

John 7:53-8:11 and Psalm 133

John 7:53-8:11

7:53Then each of them went home,

8:1while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. [2]Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. [3]The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, [4]they said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.

[5]Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" [6]They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.

[7]When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." [8]And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. [9]When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. [10]Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" [11]She said, "No one, sir." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again."

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Psalm 133

[1]   How very good and pleasant it is  
          when kindred live together in unity!  
[2]   It is like the precious oil on the head,  
          running down upon the beard,  
     on the beard of Aaron,  
          running down over the collar of his robes.  
[3]   It is like the dew of Hermon,  
          which falls on the mountains of Zion.  
     For there the LORD ordained his blessing,  
          life forevermore.

Genesis 25:19-34 and Psalm 29

Genesis 25:19-34

[19]These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, [20]and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. [21]Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. [22]The children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is to be this way, why do I live?"
So she went to inquire of the LORD. [23]And the LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger." [24]When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. [25]The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau.
[26]Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

[27]When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. [28]Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

[29]Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. [30]Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!" (Therefore he was called Edom.) [31]Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright." [32]Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?" [33]Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. [34]Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

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Psalm 29

[1]   Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,  
          ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.  
[2]   Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name;  
          worship the LORD in holy splendor.

[3]   The voice of the LORD is over the waters;  
          the God of glory thunders,  
          the LORD, over mighty waters.  
[4]   The voice of the LORD is powerful;  
          the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

[5]   The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;  
          the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.  
[6]   He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,  
          and Sirion like a young wild ox.

[7]   The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.  
[8]   The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;  
          the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

[9]   The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl,  
          and strips the forest bare;  
          and in his temple all say, "Glory!"

[10]  The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;  
          the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.  
[11]  May the LORD give strength to his people!  
          May the LORD bless his people with peace!

Hebrews 12:3-11 and Psalm 148

Hebrews 12:3-11

[3]Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. [4]In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. [5]And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children — "My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; [6]for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts." [7]Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? [8]If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. [9]Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? [10]For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. [11]Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

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Psalm 148

[1]   Praise the Lord!  
     Praise the Lord from the heavens;  
          praise him in the heights!  
[2]   Praise him, all his angels;  
          praise him, all his host!

[3]   Praise him, sun and moon;  
          praise him, all you shining stars!  
[4]   Praise him, you highest heavens,  
          and you waters above the heavens!

[5]   Let them praise the name of the Lord,  
          for he commanded and they were created.  
[6]   He established them forever and ever;  
          he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

[7]   Praise the Lord from the earth,  
          you sea monsters and all deeps,  
[8]   fire and hail, snow and frost,  
          stormy wind fulfilling his command!

[9]   Mountains and all hills,  
          fruit trees and all cedars!  
[10]  Wild animals and all cattle,  
          creeping things and flying birds!

[11]  Kings of the earth and all peoples,  
          princes and all rulers of the earth!  
[12]  Young men and women alike,  
          old and young together!

[13]  Let them praise the name of the Lord,  
          for his name alone is exalted;  
          his glory is above earth and heaven.  
[14]  He has raised up a horn for his people,  
          praise for all his faithful,  
          for the people of Israel who are close to him.  
     Praise the Lord!

Hebrews 11:32-12:2 and Psalm 130

Hebrews 11:32-12:2

[32]And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets — [33]who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, [34]quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. [35]Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. [36]Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. [37]They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented — [38]of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

[39]Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, [40]since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.

[1]Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, [2]looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

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Psalm 130

[1]   Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.  
[2]       Lord, hear my voice!  
     Let your ears be attentive  
          to the voice of my supplications!

[3]   If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,  
          Lord, who could stand?  
[4]   But there is forgiveness with you,  
          so that you may be revered.

[5]   I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,  
          and in his word I hope;  
[6]   my soul waits for the Lord  
          more than those who watch for the morning,  
          more than those who watch for the morning.

[7]   O Israel, hope in the LORD!  
          For with the LORD there is steadfast love,  
          and with him is great power to redeem.  
[8]   It is he who will redeem Israel  
          from all its iniquities.

Hebrews 11:23-31 and Psalm 96

Hebrews 11:23-31

[23]By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful; and they were not afraid of the king's edict. [24]By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh's daughter, [25]choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. [26]He considered abuse suffered for the Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. [27]By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king's anger; for he persevered as though he saw him who is invisible. [28]By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

[29]By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. [30]By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. [31]By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace. 

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Psalm 96

[1]   O sing to the LORD a new song;   
         sing to the LORD, all the earth.   
[2]   Sing to the LORD, bless his name;   
         tell of his salvation from day to day.   
[3]   Declare his glory among the nations,   
         his marvelous works among all the peoples.   
[4]   For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;   
         he is to be revered above all gods.   
[5]   For all the gods of the peoples are idols,   
         but the LORD made the heavens.   
[6]   Honor and majesty are before him;   
         strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.   
[7]   Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,   
         ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.   
[8]   Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;   
         bring an offering, and come into his courts.   
[9]   Worship the LORD in holy splendor;   
         tremble before him, all the earth.

[10]  Say among the nations, "The LORD is king!   
         The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.   
         He will judge the peoples with equity."   
[11]  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;   
         let the sea roar, and all that fills it;   
[12]       let the field exult, and everything in it.   
    Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy   
[13]       before the LORD; for he is coming,   
         for he is coming to judge the earth.   
    He will judge the world with righteousness,   
         and the peoples with his truth.

 

Genesis 21:1-21 and Psalm 12

Genesis 21:1-21

[1]The LORD dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as he had promised. [2]Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. [3]Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. [4]And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. [5]Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. [6]Now Sarah said, "God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me." [7]And she said, "Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

[8]The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. [9]But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. [10]So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac." [11]The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. [12]But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. [13]As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring." [14]So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

[15]When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. [16]Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, "Do not let me look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. [17]And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. [18]Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him." [19]Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.

[20]God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. [21]He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

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Psalm 12

[1]   Help, O LORD, for there is no longer anyone who is godly;  

          the faithful have disappeared from humankind.  

[2]   They utter lies to each other;  

          with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

[3]   May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,  

          the tongue that makes great boasts,  

[4]   those who say, "With our tongues we will prevail;  

          our lips are our own -- who is our master?"

[5]   "Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan,  

          I will now rise up," says the LORD;  

          "I will place them in the safety for which they long."  

[6]   The promises of the LORD are promises that are pure,  

          silver refined in a furnace on the ground,  

          purified seven times.

[7]   You, O LORD, will protect us;  

          you will guard us from this generation forever.  

[8]   On every side the wicked prowl,  

          as vileness is exalted among humankind.

Hebrews 11:1-12 and Psalm 9

Hebrews 11:1-12

[1]Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [2]Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. [3]By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

[4]By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain's.
Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks. [5]By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and "he was not found, because God had taken him." For it was attested before he was taken away that "he had pleased God." [6]And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. [7]By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.

[8]By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. [9]By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. [10]For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. [11]By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old - and Sarah herself was barren - because he considered him faithful who had promised. [12]Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, "as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore."

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Psalm 9

[1]   I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;  

          I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.  

[2]   I will be glad and exult in you;  

          I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

[3]   When my enemies turned back,  

          they stumbled and perished before you.  

[4]   For you have maintained my just cause;  

          you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.

[5]   You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked;  

          you have blotted out their name forever and ever.  

[6]   The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins;  

          their cities you have rooted out;  

          the very memory of them has perished.

[7]   But the LORD sits enthroned forever,  

          he has established his throne for judgment.  

[8]   He judges the world with righteousness;  

          he judges the peoples with equity.

[9]   The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,  

          a stronghold in times of trouble.  

[10]  And those who know your name put their trust in you,  

          for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

[11  ]Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion.  

          Declare his deeds among the peoples.  

[12]  For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;  

          he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

[13]  Be gracious to me, O LORD.  

          See what I suffer from those who hate me;  

          you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,  

[14]  so that I may recount all your praises,  

          and, in the gates of daughter Zion,  

          rejoice in your deliverance.

[15]  The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;  

          in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.  

[16]  The LORD has made himself known, he has executed judgment;  

          the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.             

Higgaion.  Selah

[17]  The wicked shall depart to Sheol,  

          all the nations that forget God.

[18]  For the needy shall not always be forgotten,  

          nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

[19]  Rise up, O LORD! Do not let mortals prevail;  

          let the nations be judged before you.  

[20]  Put them in fear, O LORD;  

          let the nations know that they are only human.                     

            Selah