[26]"Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their backs and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. [27]Therefore you gave them into the hands of their enemies, who made them suffer. Then in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hands of their enemies. [28]But after they had rest, they again did evil before you, and you abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them; yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you rescued them according to your mercies.
[29]And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances, by the observance of which a person shall live. They turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. [30]Many years you were patient with them, and warned them by your spirit through your prophets; yet they would not listen. Therefore you handed them over to the peoples of the lands. [31]Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.
[32]"Now therefore, our God -- the great and mighty and awesome God, keeping covenant and steadfast love -- do not treat lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings, our officials, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until today. [33]You have been just in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly; [34]our kings, our officials, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law or heeded the commandments and the warnings that you gave them. [35]Even in their own kingdom, and in the great goodness you bestowed on them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you and did not turn from their wicked works. [36]Here we are, slaves to this day -- slaves in the land that you gave to our ancestors to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts. [37]Its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins; they have power also over our bodies and over our livestock at their pleasure, and we are in great distress."
[38]Because of all this we make a firm agreement in writing, and on that sealed document are inscribed the names of our officials, our Levites, and our priests.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
Nehemiah 9:6-21
[6] And Ezra said: "You are the LORD, you alone; you have made heaven, the
heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. To all of them you give life, and the host of heaven worships you. [7] You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham; [8] and you found his heart faithful before you, and made with him a covenant to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite; and you have fulfilled your
promise, for you are righteous.
[9] "And you saw the distress of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea. [10] You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted insolently against our ancestors. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day. [11] And you divided the sea before them, so that they passed through the sea on dry land, but you threw their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters. [12] Moreover, you led them by day with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light on the way in which they should go. [13] You came down also upon Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments, [14] and you made known your holy sabbath to them and gave them commandments and statutes and a law through your servant Moses. [15] For their hunger you gave them bread from heaven, and for their thirst you brought water for them out of the rock, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you swore to give them.
[16] "But they and our ancestors acted presumptuously and stiffened their necks and did not obey your commandments; [17] they refused to obey, and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them; but they stiffened their necks and determined to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and you did not forsake them. [18] Even when they had cast an image of a calf for themselves and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,' and had committed great blasphemies, [19] you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of cloud that led them in the way did not leave them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night that gave them light on the way by which they should go. [20] You gave your good spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and gave them water for their thirst. [21] Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness so that they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.
heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. To all of them you give life, and the host of heaven worships you. [7] You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham; [8] and you found his heart faithful before you, and made with him a covenant to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite; and you have fulfilled your
promise, for you are righteous.
[9] "And you saw the distress of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea. [10] You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted insolently against our ancestors. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day. [11] And you divided the sea before them, so that they passed through the sea on dry land, but you threw their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters. [12] Moreover, you led them by day with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light on the way in which they should go. [13] You came down also upon Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments, [14] and you made known your holy sabbath to them and gave them commandments and statutes and a law through your servant Moses. [15] For their hunger you gave them bread from heaven, and for their thirst you brought water for them out of the rock, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you swore to give them.
[16] "But they and our ancestors acted presumptuously and stiffened their necks and did not obey your commandments; [17] they refused to obey, and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them; but they stiffened their necks and determined to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and you did not forsake them. [18] Even when they had cast an image of a calf for themselves and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,' and had committed great blasphemies, [19] you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of cloud that led them in the way did not leave them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night that gave them light on the way by which they should go. [20] You gave your good spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and gave them water for their thirst. [21] Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness so that they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.
Friday, November 8, 2013
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.
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.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
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!
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!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Matthew 13:44-52
[44]"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
[45]"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; [46]on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
[47]"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; [48]when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. [49]So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous [50]and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
[51]"Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." [52]And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."
[45]"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; [46]on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
[47]"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; [48]when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. [49]So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous [50]and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
[51]"Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." [52]And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."
Monday, November 4, 2013
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!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Psalm 25
[1] To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
[2] O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
[3] Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
[4] Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
[5] Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
[6] Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
[7] Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness' sake, O LORD!
[8] Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
[9] He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
[10] All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
[11] For your name's sake, O LORD,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
[12] Who are they that fear the LORD?
He will teach them the way that they should choose.
[13] They will abide in prosperity,
and their children shall possess the land.
[14] The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him,
and he makes his covenant known to them.
[15] My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
[16] Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
[17] Relieve the troubles of my heart,
and bring me out of my distress.
[18] Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
[19] Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
[20] O guard my life, and deliver me;
do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
[21] May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
[22] Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all its troubles.
[2] O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
[3] Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
[4] Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
[5] Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
[6] Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
[7] Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness' sake, O LORD!
[8] Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
[9] He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
[10] All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
[11] For your name's sake, O LORD,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
[12] Who are they that fear the LORD?
He will teach them the way that they should choose.
[13] They will abide in prosperity,
and their children shall possess the land.
[14] The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him,
and he makes his covenant known to them.
[15] My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
[16] Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
[17] Relieve the troubles of my heart,
and bring me out of my distress.
[18] Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
[19] Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
[20] O guard my life, and deliver me;
do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
[21] May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
[22] Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all its troubles.
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