September 6 Reading through the Bible

 

SONG OF SONGS 1:1-4:16

2 CORINTHIANS 8:16-24

PSALM 50:1-23

PROVERBS 22:22-23

SONG OF SONGS 1:1-4:16

This is Solomon's song of songs, more wonderful than any other. Young Woman: 2 " Kiss me again and again, for your love is sweeter than wine. 3 How fragrant your cologne, and how pleasing your name! No wonder all the young women love you! 4 Take me with you. Come, let's run! Bring me into your bedroom, O my king." Young Women of Jerusalem: " How happy we are for him! We praise his love even more than wine." Young Woman: "How right that the young women love you!5 " I am dark and beautiful, O women of Jerusalem, tanned as the dark tents of Kedar. Yes, even as the tents of Solomon! 6 " Don't look down on me, you fair city girls, just because my complexion is so dark. The sun has burned my skin. My brothers were angry with me and sent me out to tend the vineyards in the hot sun. Now see what it has done to me! 7 " Tell me, O my love, where are you leading your flock today? Where will you rest your sheep at noon? For why should I wander like a prostitute among the flocks of your companions?" Young Man: 8 " If you don't know, O most beautiful woman, follow the trail of my flock to the shepherds' tents, and there feed your young goats. 9 What a lovely filly you are, my beloved one! 10 How lovely are your cheeks, with your earrings setting them afire! How stately is your neck, accented with a long string of jewels. 11 We will make earrings of gold for you and beads of silver." Young Woman: 12 " The king is lying on his couch, enchanted by the fragrance of my perfume. 13 My lover is like a sachet of myrrh lying between my breasts. 14 He is like a bouquet of flowers in the gardens of En-gedi." Young Man: 15 " How beautiful you are, my beloved, how beautiful! Your eyes are soft like doves." Young Woman: 16 " What a lovely, pleasant sight you are, my love, as we lie here on the grass, 17 shaded by cedar trees and spreading firs." 2:1 YOUNG Woman: " I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley." Young Man: 2 " Yes, compared to other women, my beloved is like a lily among thorns." Young Woman: 3 " And compared to other youths, my lover is like the finest apple tree in the orchard. I am seated in his delightful shade, and his fruit is delicious to eat. 4 He brings me to the banquet hall, so everyone can see how much he loves me. 5 Oh, feed me with your love--your ` raisins' and your ` apples'--for I am utterly lovesick! 6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me. 7 " Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the swift gazelles and the deer of the wild, not to awaken love until the time is right. 8 " Ah, I hear him--my lover! Here he comes, leaping on the mountains and bounding over the hills. 9 My lover is like a swift gazelle or a young deer. Look, there he is behind the wall! Now he is looking in through the window, gazing into the room. 10 " My lover said to me, ` Rise up, my beloved, my fair one, and come away. 11 For the winter is past, and the rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers are springing up, and the time of singing birds has come, even the cooing of turtledoves. 13 The fig trees are budding, and the grapevines are in blossom. How delicious they smell! Yes, spring is here! Arise, my beloved, my fair one, and come away.' " Young Man: 14 " My dove is hiding behind some rocks, behind an outcrop on the cliff. Let me see you; let me hear your voice. For your voice is pleasant, and you are lovely." Young Women of Jerusalem: 15 " Quick! Catch all the little foxes before they ruin the vineyard of your love, for the grapevines are all in blossom." Young Woman: 16 " My lover is mine, and I am his. He feeds among the lilies! 17 Before the dawn comes and the shadows flee away, come back to me, my love. Run like a gazelle or a young stag on the rugged mountains." 3:1 YOUNG Woman: " One night as I lay in bed, I yearned deeply for my lover, but he did not come. 2 So I said to myself, ` I will get up now and roam the city, searching for him in all its streets and squares.' But my search was in vain. 3 The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds, and I said to them, ` Have you seen him anywhere, this one I love so much?' 4 A little while later I found him and held him. I didn't let him go until I had brought him to my childhood home, into my mother's bedroom, where I had been conceived. 5 " Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the swift gazelles and the deer of the wild, not to awaken love until the time is right." Young Women of Jerusalem: 6 " Who is this sweeping in from the deserts like a cloud of smoke along the ground? Who is it that smells of myrrh and frankincense and every other spice? 7 Look, it is Solomon's carriage, with sixty of Israel's mightiest men surrounding it. 8 They are all skilled swordsmen and experienced warriors. Each one wears a sword on his thigh, ready to defend the king against an attack during the night. 9 " King Solomon has built a carriage for himself from wood imported from Lebanon's forests. 10 Its posts are of silver, its canopy is gold, and its seat is upholstered in purple cloth. Its interior was a gift of love from the young women of Jerusalem." Young Woman: 11 " Go out to look upon King Solomon, O young women of Jerusalem. See the crown with which his mother crowned him on his wedding day, the day of his gladness." 4:1 YOUNG Man: " How beautiful you are, my beloved, how beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are like doves. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats frisking down the slopes of Gilead. 2 Your teeth are as white as sheep, newly shorn and washed. They are perfectly matched; not one is missing. 3 Your lips are like a ribbon of scarlet. Oh, how beautiful your mouth! Your cheeks behind your veil are like pomegranate halves--lovely and delicious. 4 Your neck is as stately as the tower of David, jeweled with the shields of a thousand heroes. 5 Your breasts are like twin fawns of a gazelle, feeding among the lilies. 6 Before the dawn comes and the shadows flee away, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense. 7 You are so beautiful, my beloved, so perfect in every part. 8 " Come with me from Lebanon, my bride. Come down from the top of Mount Amana, from Mount Senir and Mount Hermon, where lions have their dens and panthers prowl. 9 You have ravished my heart, my treasure, my bride. I am overcome by one glance of your eyes, by a single bead of your necklace. 10 How sweet is your love, my treasure, my bride! How much better it is than wine! Your perfume is more fragrant than the richest of spices. 11 Your lips, my bride, are as sweet as honey. Yes, honey and cream are under your tongue. The scent of your clothing is like that of the mountains and the cedars of Lebanon. 12 " You are like a private garden, my treasure, my bride! You are like a spring that no one else can drink from, a fountain of my own. 13 You are like a lovely orchard bearing precious fruit, with the rarest of perfumes: 14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, myrrh and aloes, perfume from every incense tree, and every other lovely spice. 15 You are a garden fountain, a well of living water, as refreshing as the streams from the Lebanon mountains." Young Woman: 16 " Awake, north wind! Come, south wind! Blow on my garden and waft its lovely perfume to my lover. Let him come into his garden and eat its choicest fruits."

2 CORINTHIANS 8:16-24

I [Paul] am thankful to God that he has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you [Corinthians] that I have. 17 He welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was eager to go and see you. 18 We are also sending another brother with Titus. He is highly praised in all the churches as a preacher of the Good News. 19 He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem--a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help. 20 By traveling together we will guard against any suspicion, for we are anxious that no one should find fault with the way we are handling this generous gift. 21 We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to know we are honorable. 22 And we are also sending with them another brother who has been thoroughly tested and has shown how earnest he is on many occasions. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his increased confidence in you. 23 If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And these brothers are representatives of the churches. They are splendid examples of those who bring glory to Christ. 24 So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.

PSALM 50:1-23

A psalm of Asaph.

1 The mighty God, the LORD, has spoken;

he has summoned all humanity from east to west!

2 From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,

God shines in glorious radiance.

3 Our God approaches with the noise of thunder.

Fire devours everything in his way,

and a great storm rages around him.

4 Heaven and earth will be his witnesses

as he judges his people:

5 " Bring my faithful people to me--

those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices."

6 Then let the heavens proclaim his justice,

for God himself will be the judge.

Interlude7 " O my people, listen as I speak.

Here are my charges against you, O Israel:

I am God, your God!

8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices

or the burnt offerings you constantly bring to my altar.

9 But I want no more bulls from your barns;

I want no more goats from your pens.

10 For all the animals of the forest are mine,

and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 Every bird of the mountains

and all the animals of the field belong to me.

12 If I were hungry, I would not mention it to you,

for all the world is mine and everything in it.

13 I don't need the bulls you sacrifice;

I don't need the blood of goats.

14 What I want instead is your true thanks to God;

I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High.

15 Trust me in your times of trouble,

and I will rescue you,

and you will give me glory."

16 But God says to the wicked:

" Recite my laws no longer,

and don't pretend that you obey me.

17 For you refuse my discipline

and treat my laws like trash.

18 When you see a thief, you help him,

and you spend your time with adulterers.

19 Your mouths are filled with wickedness,

and your tongues are full of lies.

20 You sit around and slander a brother--

your own mother's son.

21 While you did all this, I remained silent,

and you thought I didn't care.

But now I will rebuke you,

listing all my charges against you.

22 Repent, all of you who ignore me,

or I will tear you apart,

and no one will help you.

23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.

If you keep to my path,

I will reveal to you the salvation of God."

PROVERBS 22:22-23

Do not rob the poor because they are poor or exploit the needy in court. For the LORD is their defender. He will injure anyone who injures them.

September 5 Reading through the Bible

 

ECCLESIASTES 10:1-12:14

2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-15

PSALM 49:1-20

PROVERBS 22:20-21

ECCLESIASTES 10:1-12:14

Dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink! Yes, an ounce of foolishness can outweigh a pound of wisdom and honor. 2 The hearts of the wise lead them to do right, and the hearts of the foolish lead them to do evil. 3 You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street! 4 If your boss is angry with you, don't quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes. 5 There is another evil I have seen as I have watched the world go by. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake 6 if they give foolish people great authority, and if they fail to give people of proven worth their rightful place of dignity. 7 I have even seen servants riding like princes--and princes walking like servants. 8 When you dig a well, you may fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake. 9 When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you! When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax! Such are the risks of life. 10 Since a dull ax requires great strength, sharpen the blade. That's the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. 11 It does no good to charm a snake after it has bitten you. 12 It is pleasant to listen to wise words, but the speech of fools brings them to ruin. 13 Since fools base their thoughts on foolish premises, their conclusions will be wicked madness. 14 Foolish people claim to know all about the future and tell everyone the details! But who can really know what is going to happen? 15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they have no strength for even the simplest tasks.16 Destruction is certain for the land whose king is a child and whose leaders feast in the morning. 17 Happy is the land whose king is a nobleman and whose leaders feast only to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk. 18 Laziness lets the roof leak, and soon the rafters begin to rot. 19 A party gives laughter, and wine gives happiness, and money gives everything! 20 Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don't make fun of a rich man, either. A little bird may tell them what you have said.11:1 GIVE generously, for your gifts will return to you later.* 2 Divide your gifts among many, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead. 3 When the clouds are heavy, the rains come down. When a tree falls, whether south or north, there it lies. 4 If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. 5 God's ways are as hard to discern as the pathways of the wind, and as mysterious as a tiny baby being formed in a mother's womb. 6 Be sure to stay busy and plant a variety of crops, for you never know which will grow--perhaps they all will. 7 Light is sweet; it's wonderful to see the sun! 8 When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember that the dark days will be many. Everything still to come is meaningless.9 Young man, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. 10 So banish grief and pain, but remember that youth, with a whole life before it, still faces the threat of meaninglessness. 12:1 DON'T let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and no longer enjoy living. 2 It will be too late then to remember him, when the light of the sun and moon and stars is dim to your old eyes, and there is no silver lining left among the clouds. 3 Your limbs will tremble with age, and your strong legs will grow weak. Your teeth will be too few to do their work, and you will be blind, too. 4 And when your teeth are gone, keep your lips tightly closed when you eat! Even the chirping of birds will wake you up. But you yourself will be deaf and tuneless, with a quavering voice. 5 You will be afraid of heights and of falling, white-haired and withered, dragging along without any sexual desire. You will be standing at death's door. And as you near your everlasting home, the mourners will walk along the streets. 6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don't wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. 8 " All is meaningless," says the Teacher, " utterly meaningless." 9 Because the Teacher was wise, he taught the people everything he knew. He collected proverbs and classified them. 10 Indeed, the Teacher taught the plain truth, and he did so in an interesting way.11 A wise teacher's words spur students to action and emphasize important truths. The collected sayings of the wise are like guidance from a shepherd. 12 But, my child, be warned: There is no end of opinions ready to be expressed. Studying them can go on forever and become very exhausting! 13 Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-15

Now I [Paul] want to tell you, dear brothers and sisters,* what God in his kindness has done for the churches in Macedonia. 2 Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, their wonderful joy and deep poverty have overflowed in rich generosity. 3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford but far more. And they did it of their own free will. 4 They begged us again and again for the gracious privilege of sharing in the gift for the Christians in Jerusalem. 5 Best of all, they went beyond our highest hopes, for their first action was to dedicate themselves to the Lord and to us for whatever directions God might give them. 6 So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to complete your share in this ministry of giving. 7 Since you excel in so many ways--you have so much faith, such gifted speakers, such knowledge, such enthusiasm, and such love for us--now I want you to excel also in this gracious ministry of giving. 8 I am not saying you must do it, even though the other churches are eager to do it. This is one way to prove your love is real. 9 You know how full of love and kindness our Lord Jesus Christ was. Though he was very rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.10 I suggest that you finish what you started a year ago, for you were the first to propose this idea, and you were the first to begin doing something about it. 11 Now you should carry this project through to completion just as enthusiastically as you began it. Give whatever you can according to what you have. 12 If you are really eager to give, it isn't important how much you are able to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you don't have. 13 Of course, I don't mean you should give so much that you suffer from having too little. I only mean that there should be some equality. 14 Right now you have plenty and can help them. Then at some other time they can share with you when you need it. In this way, everyone's needs will be met. 15 Do you remember what the Scriptures say about this? " Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough."

PSALM 49:1-20

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

1 Listen to this, all you people!

Pay attention, everyone in the world!

2 High and low,

rich and poor--listen!

3 For my words are wise,

and my thoughts are filled with insight.

4 I listen carefully to many proverbs

and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.

5 There is no need to fear when times of trouble come,

when enemies are surrounding me.

6 They trust in their wealth

and boast of great riches.

7 Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death

by paying a ransom to God.

8 Redemption does not come so easily,

for no one can ever pay enough

9 to live forever

and never see the grave.

10 Those who are wise must finally die,

just like the foolish and senseless,

leaving all their wealth behind.

11 The grave is their eternal home,

where they will stay forever.

They may name their estates after themselves,

but they leave their wealth to others.

12 They will not last long despite their riches--

they will die like the animals.

13 This is the fate of fools,

though they will be remembered as being so wise.

Interlude14 Like sheep, they are led to the grave,

where death will be their shepherd.

In the morning the godly will rule over them.

Their bodies will rot in the grave,

far from their grand estates.

15 But as for me, God will redeem my life.

He will snatch me from the power of death.

Interlude16 So don't be dismayed when the wicked grow rich,

and their homes become ever more splendid.

17 For when they die, they carry nothing with them.

Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.

18 In this life they consider themselves fortunate,

and the world loudly applauds their success.

19 But they will die like all others before them

and never again see the light of day.

20 People who boast of their wealth don't understand

that they will die like the animals.

PROVERBS 22:20-21

I have written thirty sayings for you, filled with advice and knowledge. In this way, you may know the truth and bring an accurate report to those who sent you.