Reading through the Word.....Day 250

ISAIAH 3:1- 5:30
2 CORINTHIANS 11:1- 15
PSALM 53:1- 6
PROVERBS 22:28- 29


The Lord, the LORD Almighty, will cut off the supplies of food and water from Jerusalem and Judah. 2 He will destroy all the nation's leaders-- the heroes, soldiers, judges, prophets, diviners, elders, 3 army officers, honorable citizens, advisers, skilled magicians, and expert enchanters. 4 Then he will appoint children to rule over them, and anarchy will prevail. 5 People will take advantage of each other-- man against man, neighbor fighting neighbor. Young people will revolt against authority, and nobodies will sneer at honorable people. 6 In those days a man will say to his brother, "Since you have a cloak, you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of ruins!" 7 "No!" he will reply. "I can't help. I don't have any extra food or clothes. Don't ask me to get involved!" 8 Judah and Jerusalem will lie in ruins because they speak out against the LORD and refuse to obey him. They have offended his glorious presence among them. 9 The very look on their faces gives them away and displays their guilt. They sin openly like the people of Sodom. They are not one bit ashamed. How terrible it will be for them! They have brought about their own destruction. 10 But all will be well for those who are godly. Tell them, "You will receive a wonderful reward!" 11 But say to the wicked, "Your destruction is sure. You, too, will get what you deserve. Your well- earned punishment is on the way." 12 Children oppress my people, and women rule over them. O my people, can't you see what fools your rulers are? They are leading you down a pretty garden path to destruction. 13 The LORD takes his place in court. He is the great prosecuting attorney, presenting his case against his people! 14 The leaders and the princes will be the first to feel the LORD's judgment. "You have ruined Israel, which is my vineyard. You have taken advantage of the poor, filling your barns with grain extorted from helpless people. 15 How dare you grind my people into the dust like that!" demands the Lord, the LORD Almighty. 16 Next the LORD will judge the women of Jerusalem, who walk around with their noses in the air, with tinkling ornaments on their ankles. Their eyes rove among the crowds, flirting with the men. 17 The Lord will send a plague of scabs to ornament their heads. Yes, the LORD will make them bald for all to see! 18 The Lord will strip away their artful beauty-- their ornaments, headbands, and crescent necklaces; 19 their earrings, bracelets, and veils of shimmering gauze. 20 Gone will be their scarves, ankle chains, sashes, perfumes, and charms; 21 their rings, jewels, 22 party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses; 23 their mirrors, linen garments, head ornaments, and shawls. 24 Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, they will stink. They will wear ropes for sashes, and their well- set hair will fall out. They will wear rough sackcloth instead of rich robes. Their beauty will be gone. Only shame will be left to them. 25 The men of the city will die in battle. 26 The gates of Jerusalem will weep and mourn. The city will be like a ravaged woman, huddled on the ground. 4:1 IN that day few men will be left alive. Seven women will fight over each of them and say, "Let us all marry you! We will provide our own food and clothing. Only let us be called by your name so we won't be mocked as old maids." 2 But in the future, Israel-- the branch of the LORD-- will be lush and beautiful, and the fruit of the land will be the pride of its people. 3 All those whose names are written down, who have survived the destruction of Jerusalem, will be a holy people. 4 The Lord will wash the moral filth from the women of Jerusalem. He will cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains by a spirit of judgment that burns like fire. 5 Then the LORD will provide shade for Jerusalem and all who assemble there. There will be a canopy of smoke and cloud throughout the day and clouds of fire at night, covering the glorious land. 6 It will be a shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain. 5:1 NOW I will sing a song for the one I love about his vineyard:My beloved has a vineyard
on a rich and fertile hill.
2 He plowed the land, cleared its stones,
and planted it with choice vines.
In the middle he built a watchtower
and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks.
Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes,
but the grapes that grew were wild and sour.
3 "Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah,
you have heard the case; you be the judges.
4 What more could I have done
to cultivate a rich harvest?
Why did my vineyard give me wild grapes
when I expected sweet ones?
5 Now this is what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will tear down its fences
and let it be destroyed.
I will break down its walls
and let the animals trample it.
6 I will make it a wild place.
I will not prune the vines or hoe the ground.
I will let it be overgrown with briers and thorns.
I will command the clouds
to drop no more rain on it."
7 This is the story of the LORD's people.
They are the vineyard of the LORD Almighty.
Israel and Judah are his pleasant garden.
He expected them to yield a crop of justice,
but instead he found bloodshed.
He expected to find righteousness,
but instead he heard cries of oppression.
8 Destruction is certain for you who buy up property so others have no place to live. Your homes are built on great estates so you can be alone in the land. 9 But the LORD Almighty has sealed your awful fate. With my own ears I heard him say, "Many beautiful homes will stand deserted, the owners dead or gone. 10 Ten acres of vineyard will not produce even six gallons of wine. Ten measures of seed will yield only one measure of grain." 11 Destruction is certain for you who get up early to begin long drinking bouts that last late into the night. 12 You furnish lovely music and wine at your grand parties; the harps, lyres, tambourines, and flutes are superb! But you never think about the LORD or notice what he is doing. 13 So I will send my people into exile far away because they do not know me. The great and honored among them will starve, and the common people will die of thirst. 14 The grave is licking its chops in anticipation of Jerusalem, this delicious morsel. Her great and lowly will be swallowed up, with all her drunken crowds. 15 In that day the arrogant will be brought down to the dust; the proud will be humbled. 16 But the LORD Almighty is exalted by his justice. The holiness of God is displayed by his righteousness. 17 In those days flocks will feed among the ruins; lambs and kids will pasture there. 18 Destruction is certain for those who drag their sins behind them, tied with cords of falsehood. 19 They even mock the Holy One of Israel and say, "Hurry up and do something! Quick, show us what you can do. We want to see what you have planned." 20 Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. 21 Destruction is certain for those who think they are wise and consider themselves to be clever. 22 Destruction is certain for those who are heroes when it comes to drinking, who boast about all the liquor they can hold. 23 They take bribes to pervert justice. They let the wicked go free while punishing the innocent. 24 Therefore, they will all disappear like burning straw. Their roots will rot and their flowers wither, for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty. They have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 That is why the anger of the LORD burns against his people. That is why he has raised his fist to crush them. The hills tremble, and the rotting bodies of his people are thrown as garbage into the streets. But even then the LORD's anger will not be satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike! 26 He will send a signal to the nations far away. He will whistle to those at the ends of the earth, and they will come racing toward Jerusalem. 27 They will not get tired or stumble. They will run without stopping for rest or sleep. Not a belt will be loose, not a sandal thong broken. 28 Their arrows will be sharp and their bows ready for battle. Sparks will fly from their horses 'hooves as the wheels of their chariots spin like the wind. 29 Roaring like lions, they will pounce on their prey. They will seize my people and carry them off into captivity, and no one will be there to rescue them. 30 The enemy nations will growl over their victims like the roaring of the sea. A cloud of darkness and sorrow will hover over Israel. The clouds will blot out the light.


I [Paul] hope you [Corinthians] will be patient with me as I keep on talking like a fool. Please bear with me. 2 I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. For I promised you as a pure bride to one husband, Christ. 3 But I fear that somehow you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent. 4 You seem to believe whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach about a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. 5 But I don't think I am inferior to these "super apostles." 6 I may not be a trained speaker, but I know what I am talking about. I think you realize this by now, for we have proved it again and again. 7 Did I do wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God's Good News to you without expecting anything in return? 8 I "robbed" other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost. 9 And when I was with you and didn't have enough to live on, I did not ask you to help me. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me another gift. I have never yet asked you for any support, and I never will. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, I will never stop boasting about this all over Greece. 11 Why? Because I don't love you? God knows I do. 12 But I will continue doing this to cut the ground out from under the feet of those who boast that their work is just like ours. 13 These people are false apostles. They have fooled you by disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no wonder his servants can also do it by pretending to be godly ministers. In the end they will get every bit of punishment their wicked deeds deserve.


For the choir director:A meditation of David.
1 Only fools say in their hearts,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
no one does good!
2 God looks down from heaven
on the entire human race;
he looks to see if there is even one with real understanding,
one who seeks for God.
3 But no, all have turned away from God;
all have become corrupt.
No one does good,
not even one!
4 Will those who do evil never learn?
They eat up my people like bread;
they wouldn't think of praying to God.
5 But then terror will grip them,
terror like they have never known before.
God will scatter the bones of your enemies.
You will put them to shame, for God has rejected them.
6 Oh, that salvation would come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel!
For when God restores his people,
Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.


Do not steal your neighbor's property by moving the ancient boundary markers set up by your ancestors. Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than ordinary people

Reading through the Word.....Day 249

ISAIAH 1:1- 2:22
2 CORINTHIANS 10:1- 18
PSALM 52:1- 9
PROVERBS 22:26- 27


These visions concerning Judah and Jerusalem came to Isaiah son of Amoz during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah-- all kings of Judah. 2 Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! This is what the LORD says:"The children I raised and cared for have turned against me. 3 Even the animals-- the donkey and the ox-- know their owner and appreciate his care, but not my people Israel. No matter what I do for them, they still do not understand." 4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are! They are loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil and corrupt children who have turned away from the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel, cutting themselves off from his help. 5 Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. 6 You are sick from head to foot-- covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds-- without any ointments or bandages. 7 Your country lies in ruins, and your cities are burned. As you watch, foreigners plunder your fields and destroy everything they see. 8 Jerusalem stands abandoned like a watchman's shelter in a vineyard or field after the harvest is over. It is as helpless as a city under siege. 9 If the LORD Almighty had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah. 10 Listen to the LORD, you leaders of Israel! Listen to the law of our God, people of Israel. You act just like the rulers and people of Sodom and Gomorrah. 11 "I am sick of your sacrifices," says the LORD. "Don't bring me any more burnt offerings! I don't want the fat from your rams or other animals. I don't want to see the blood from your offerings of bulls and rams and goats. 12 Why do you keep parading through my courts with your worthless sacrifices? 13 The incense you bring me is a stench in my nostrils! Your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath day, and your special days for fasting-- even your most pious meetings-- are all sinful and false. I want nothing more to do with them. 14 I hate all your festivals and sacrifices. I cannot stand the sight of them! 15 From now on, when you lift up your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen. For your hands are covered with the blood of your innocent victims. 16 Wash yourselves and be clean! Let me no longer see your evil deeds. Give up your wicked ways. 17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows. 18" Come now, let us argue this out, "says the LORD." No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. 19 If you will only obey me and let me help you, then you will have plenty to eat. 20 But if you keep turning away and refusing to listen, you will be destroyed by your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken! "21 See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers. 22 Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag. Once so pure, you are now like watered- down wine. 23 Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them take bribes and refuse to defend the orphans and the widows. 24 Therefore, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, says," I will pour out my fury on you, my enemies! 25 I will turn against you. I will melt you down and skim off your slag. I will remove all your impurities. 26 Afterward I will give you good judges and wise counselors like the ones you used to have. Then Jerusalem will again be called the Home of Justice and the Faithful City. "27 Because the LORD is just and righteous, the repentant people of Jerusalem will be redeemed. 28 But all sinners will be completely destroyed, for they refuse to come to the LORD. 29 Shame will cover you when you think of the times you offered sacrifices to idols in your groves of sacred oaks. You will blush when you think of all the sins you committed in your sacred gardens. 30 You will wither away like an oak or garden without water. 31 The strongest among you will disappear like burning straw. Your evil deeds are the spark that will set the straw on fire, and no one will be able to put it out. 2:1 THIS is another vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:2 In the last days, the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem will become the most important place on earth. People from all over the world will go there to worship. 3 Many nations will come and say," Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Temple of the God of Israel. There he will teach us his ways, so that we may obey him. "For in those days the LORD's teaching and his word will go out from Jerusalem. 4 The LORD will settle international disputes. All the nations will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. All wars will stop, and military training will come to an end. 5 Come, people of Israel, let us walk in the light of the LORD! 6 The LORD has rejected the people of Israel because they have made alliances with foreigners from the East who practice magic and divination, just like the Philistines. 7 Israel has vast treasures of silver and gold and many horses and chariots. 8 The land is filled with idols. The people bow down and worship these things they have made. 9 So now everyone will be humbled and brought low. The LORD cannot simply ignore their sins! 10 Crawl into caves in the rocks. Hide from the terror of the LORD and the glory of his majesty. 11 The day is coming when your pride will be brought low and the LORD alone will be exalted. 12 In that day the LORD Almighty will punish the proud, bringing them down to the dust. 13 He will cut down the tall cedars of Lebanon and the mighty oaks of Bashan. 14 He will level the high mountains and hills. 15 He will break down every high tower and wall. 16 He will destroy the great trading ships and all the small boats in the harbor. 17 The arrogance of all people will be brought low. Their pride will lie in the dust. The LORD alone will be exalted! 18 Idols will be utterly abolished and destroyed. 19 When the LORD rises to shake the earth, his enemies will crawl with fear into holes in the ground. They will hide in caves in the rocks from the terror of the LORD and the glory of his majesty. 20 They will abandon their gold and silver idols to the moles and bats. 21 They will crawl into caverns and hide among the jagged rocks at the tops of cliffs. In this way, they will try to escape the terror of the LORD and the glory of his majesty as he rises to shake the earth. 22 Stop putting your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. How can they be of help to anyone?


Now I, Paul, plead with you. I plead with the gentleness and kindness that Christ himself would use, even though some of you say I am bold in my letters but timid in person. 2 I hope it won't be necessary, but when I come I may have to be very bold with those who think we act from purely human motives. 3 We are human, but we don't wage war with human plans and methods. 4 We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. 5 With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. 6 And we will punish those who remained disobedient after the rest of you became loyal and obedient. 7 The trouble with you is that you make your decisions on the basis of appearance. You must recognize that we belong to Christ just as much as those who proudly declare that they belong to Christ. 8 I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But this authority is to build you up, not to tear you down. And I will not be put to shame by having my work among you destroyed. 9 Now this is not just an attempt to frighten you by my letters. 10 For some say," Don't worry about Paul. His letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are really bad! "11 The ones who say this must realize that we will be just as demanding and forceful in person as we are in our letters. 12 Oh, don't worry; I wouldn't dare say that I am as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, and measuring themselves by themselves. What foolishness! 13 But we will not boast of authority we do not have. Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God's plan for us, and this plan includes our working there with you. 14 We are not going too far when we claim authority over you, for we were the first to travel all the way to you with the Good News of Christ. 15 Nor do we claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow and that our work among you will be greatly enlarged. 16 Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places that are far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question about being in someone else's territory. 17 As the Scriptures say," The person who wishes to boast
should boast only of what the Lord has done. "
18 When people boast about themselves, it doesn't count for much. But when the Lord commends someone, that's different!


For the choir director:A psalm of David, regarding the time Doeg the Edomite told Saul that Ahimelech had given refuge to David.
1 You call yourself a hero, do you?
Why boast about this crime of yours,
you who have disgraced God's people?
2 All day long you plot destruction.
Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor;
you're an expert at telling lies.
3 You love evil more than good
and lies more than truth.
Interlude4 You love to say things that harm others,
you liar!
5 But God will strike you down once and for all.
He will pull you from your home
and drag you from the land of the living.
Interlude6 The righteous will see it and be amazed.
They will laugh and say,
7" Look what happens to mighty warriors
who do not trust in God.
They trust their wealth instead
and grow more and more bold in their wickedness. "
8 But I am like an olive tree,
thriving in the house of God.
I trust in God's unfailing love
forever and ever.
9 I will praise you forever, O God,
for what you have done.
I will wait for your mercies
in the presence of your people.


Do not co- sign another person's note or put up a guarantee for someone else's loan. If you can't pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you

Reading through the Word.....Day 248

SONG OF SONGS 5:1- 8:14
2 CORINTHIANS 9:1- 15
PSALM 51:1- 19
PROVERBS 22:24- 25


Young Man:" I am here in my garden, my treasure, my bride! I gather my myrrh with my spices and eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink my wine with my milk. "Young Women of Jerusalem:" Oh, lover and beloved, eat and drink! Yes, drink deeply of this love! "Young Woman:2" One night as I was sleeping, my heart awakened in a dream. I heard the voice of my lover. He was knocking at my bedroom door. `Open to me, my darling, my treasure, my lovely dove, 'he said, `for I have been out in the night. My head is soaked with dew, my hair with the wetness of the night.' 3 "But I said, `I have taken off my robe. Should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them soiled? '4" My lover tried to unlatch the door, and my heart thrilled within me. 5 I jumped up to open it. My hands dripped with perfume, my fingers with lovely myrrh, as I pulled back the bolt. 6 I opened to my lover, but he was gone. I yearned for even his voice! I searched for him, but I couldn't find him anywhere. I called to him, but there was no reply. 7 The watchmen found me as they were making their rounds; they struck and wounded me. The watchman on the wall tore off my veil. 8 "Make this promise to me, O women of Jerusalem! If you find my beloved one, tell him that I am sick with love." Young Women of Jerusalem:9 "O woman of rare beauty, what is it about your loved one that brings you to tell us this?" Young Woman:10 "My lover is dark and dazzling, better than ten thousand others! 11 His head is the finest gold, and his hair is wavy and black. 12 His eyes are like doves beside brooks of water; they are set like jewels. 13 His cheeks are like sweetly scented beds of spices. His lips are like perfumed lilies. His breath is like myrrh. 14 His arms are like round bars of gold, set with chrysolite. His body is like bright ivory, aglow with sapphires. 15 His legs are like pillars of marble set in sockets of the finest gold, strong as the cedars of Lebanon. None can rival him. 16 His mouth is altogether sweet; he is lovely in every way. Such, O women of Jerusalem, is my lover, my friend." 6:1 YOUNG Women of Jerusalem:"O rarest of beautiful women, where has your lover gone? We will help you find him." Young Woman:2 "He has gone down to his garden, to his spice beds, to graze and to gather the lilies. 3 I am my lover's, and my lover is mine. He grazes among the lilies!" Young Man:4 "O my beloved, you are as beautiful as the lovely town of Tirzah. Yes, as beautiful as Jerusalem! You are as majestic as an army with banners! 5 Look away, for your eyes overcome me! Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats frisking down the slopes of Gilead. 6 Your teeth are as white as newly washed sheep. They are perfectly matched; not one is missing. 7 Your cheeks behind your veil are like pomegranate halves-- lovely and delicious. 8 There may be sixty wives, all queens, and eighty concubines and unnumbered virgins available to me. 9 But I would still choose my dove, my perfect one, the only beloved daughter of her mother! The young women are delighted when they see her; even queens and concubines sing her praises! 10 `Who is this,' they ask, `arising like the dawn, as fair as the moon, as bright as the sun, as majestic as an army with banners? '11" I went down into the grove of nut trees and out to the valley to see the new growth brought on by spring. I wanted to see whether the grapevines were budding yet, or whether the pomegranates were blossoming. 12 Before I realized it, I found myself in my princely bed with my beloved one. "Young Women of Jerusalem:13" Return, return to us, O maid of Shulam. Come back, come back, that we may see you once again. "Young Man:" Why do you gaze so intently at this young woman of Shulam, as she moves so gracefully between two lines of dancers? "7:1 YOUNG Man:" How beautiful are your sandaled feet, O queenly maiden. Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of a skilled craftsman. 2 Your navel is as delicious as a goblet filled with wine. Your belly is lovely, like a heap of wheat set about with lilies. 3 Your breasts are like twin fawns of a gazelle. 4 Your neck is as stately as an ivory tower. Your eyes are like the sparkling pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath- rabbim. Your nose is as fine as the tower of Lebanon overlooking Damascus. 5 Your head is as majestic as Mount Carmel, and the sheen of your hair radiates royalty. A king is held captive in your queenly tresses. 6 "Oh, how delightful you are, my beloved; how pleasant for utter delight! 7 You are tall and slim like a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters of dates. 8 I said, `I will climb up into the palm tree and take hold of its branches.' Now may your breasts be like grape clusters, and the scent of your breath like apples. 9 May your kisses be as exciting as the best wine, smooth and sweet, flowing gently over lips and teeth." Young Woman:10 "I am my lover's, the one he desires. 11 Come, my love, let us go out into the fields and spend the night among the wildflowers. 12 Let us get up early and go out to the vineyards. Let us see whether the vines have budded, whether the blossoms have opened, and whether the pomegranates are in flower. And there I will give you my love. 13 There the mandrakes give forth their fragrance, and the rarest fruits are at our doors, the new as well as old, for I have stored them up for you, my lover." 8:1 YOUNG Woman:"Oh, if only you were my brother, who nursed at my mother's breast. Then I could kiss you no matter who was watching, and no one would criticize me. 2 I would bring you to my childhood home, and there you would teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, my sweet pomegranate wine. 3 Your left hand would be under my head and your right hand would embrace me. 4" I want you to promise, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right. "Young Women of Jerusalem:5" Who is this coming up from the desert, leaning on her lover? "Young Woman:" I aroused you under the apple tree, where your mother gave you birth, where in great pain she delivered you. 6 Place me like a seal over your heart, or like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, and its jealousy is as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. 7 Many waters cannot quench love; neither can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with everything he owned, his offer would be utterly despised. "The Young Woman's Brothers:8" We have a little sister too young for breasts. What will we do if someone asks to marry her? 9 If she is chaste, we will strengthen and encourage her. But if she is promiscuous, we will shut her off from men. "Young Woman:10" I am chaste, and I am now full breasted. And my lover is content with me. 11 "Solomon has a vineyard at Baal- hamon, which he rents to some farmers there. Each of them pays one thousand pieces of silver for its use. 12 But as for my own vineyard, O Solomon, you can take my thousand pieces of silver. And I will give two hundred pieces of silver to those who care for its vines." Young Man:13 "O my beloved, lingering in the gardens, how wonderful that your companions can listen to your voice. Let me hear it, too!" Young Woman:14 "Come quickly, my love! Move like a swift gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices."


I [Paul] really don't need to write to you [Corinthians] about this gift for the Christians in Jerusalem. 2 For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to our friends in Macedonia that you Christians in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of them to begin helping. 3 But I am sending these brothers just to be sure that you really are ready, as I told them you would be, with your money all collected. I don't want it to turn out that I was wrong in my boasting about you. 4 I would be humiliated-- and so would you-- if some Macedonian Christians came with me, only to find that you still weren't ready after all I had told them! 5 So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given under pressure. 6 Remember this-- a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully. 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, "Godly people give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will never be forgotten."
10 For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11 Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God. 12 So two good things will happen-- the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanksgiving to God. 13 You will be glorifying God through your generous gifts. For your generosity to them will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. 14 And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the wonderful grace of God shown through you. 15 Thank God for his Son-- a gift too wonderful for words!


For the choir director:A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
2 Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my shameful deeds--
they haunt me day and night.
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
5 For I was born a sinner--
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6 But you desire honesty from the heart,
so you can teach me to be wise in my inmost being.
7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me--
now let me rejoice.
9 Don't keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a right spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence,
and don't take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me again the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
13 Then I will teach your ways to sinners,
and they will return to you.
14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
15 Unseal my lips, O Lord,
that I may praise you.
16 You would not be pleased with sacrifices,
or I would bring them.
If I brought you a burnt offering,
you would not accept it.
17 The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit.
A broken and repentant heart, O God,
you will not despise.
18 Look with favor on Zion and help her;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will be pleased with worthy sacrifices
and with our whole burnt offerings;
and bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.


Keep away from angry, short- tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul

Reading through the Word.....Day 247

SONG OF SONGS 1:1- 4:16
2 CORINTHIANS 8:16- 24
PSALM 50:1- 23
PROVERBS 22:22- 23


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."


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.


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."


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

Reading through the Word.....Day 246

ECCLESIASTES 10:1- 12:14
2 CORINTHIANS 8:1- 15
PSALM 49:1- 20
PROVERBS 22:20- 21


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.


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."


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.


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

Reading through the Word.....Day 245

ECCLESIASTES 7:1- 9:18
2 CORINTHIANS 7:8- 16
PSALM 48:1- 14
PROVERBS 22:17- 19


A good reputation is more valuable than the most expensive perfume. In the same way, the day you die is better than the day you are born. 2 It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you are going to die, and you should think about it while there is still time. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. 4 A wise person thinks much about death, while the fool thinks only about having a good time now. 5 It is better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool! 6 Indeed, a fool's laughter is quickly gone, like thorns crackling in a fire. This also is meaningless. 7 Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart. 8 Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. 9 Don't be quick- tempered, for anger is the friend of fools. 10 Don't long for "the good old days," for you don't know whether they were any better than today. 11 Being wise is as good as being rich; in fact, it is better. 12 Wisdom or money can get you almost anything, but it's important to know that only wisdom can save your life. 13 Notice the way God does things; then fall into line. Don't fight the ways of God, for who can straighten out what he has made crooked? 14 Enjoy prosperity while you can. But when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. That way you will realize that nothing is certain in this life. 15 In this meaningless life, I have seen everything, including the fact that some good people die young and some wicked people live on and on. 16 So don't be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? 17 On the other hand, don't be too wicked either-- don't be a fool! Why should you die before your time? 18 So try to walk a middle course-- but those who fear God will succeed either way. 19 A wise person is stronger than the ten leading citizens of a town! 20 There is not a single person in all the earth who is always good and never sins. 21 Don't eavesdrop on others-- you may hear your servant laughing at you. 22 For you know how often you yourself have laughed at others. 23 All along I have tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, "I am determined to be wise." But it didn't really work. 24 Wisdom is always distant and very difficult to find. 25 I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness. 26 I discovered that a seductive woman is more bitter than death. Her passion is a trap, and her soft hands will bind you. Those who please God will escape from her, but sinners will be caught in her snare. 27 "This is my conclusion," says the Teacher. "I came to this result after looking into the matter from every possible angle. 28 Just one out of every thousand men I interviewed can be said to be upright, but not one woman! 29 I discovered that God created people to be upright, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path." 8:1 HOW wonderful to be wise, to be able to analyze and interpret things. Wisdom lights up a person's face, softening its hardness. 2 Obey the king because you have vowed before God to do this. 3 Don't try to avoid doing your duty, and don't take a stand with those who plot evil. For the king will punish those who disobey him. 4 The king's command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it. 5 Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right. 6 Yes, there is a time and a way for everything, even as people's troubles lie heavily upon them. 7 Indeed, how can people avoid what they don't know is going to happen? 8 None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue those who practice it. 9 I have thought deeply about all that goes on here in the world, where people have the power to hurt each other. 10 I have seen wicked people buried with honor. How strange that they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are praised in the very city where they committed their crimes! 11 When a crime is not punished, people feel it is safe to do wrong. 12 But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. 13 The wicked will never live long, good lives, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows. 14 And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless! 15 So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people to do in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them. 16 In my search for wisdom, I tried to observe everything that goes on all across the earth. I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night. 17 This reminded me that no one can discover everything God has created in our world, no matter how hard they work at it. Not even the wisest people know everything, even if they say they do. 9:1 THIS, too, I carefully explored:Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God's hands, no one knows whether or not God will show them favor in this life. 2 The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether they are righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who take oaths are treated like people who don't. 3 It seems so tragic that one fate comes to all. That is why people are not more careful to be good. Instead, they choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. 4 There is hope only for the living. For as they say, "It is better to be a live dog than a dead lion!" 5 The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. 6 Whatever they did in their lifetime-- loving, hating, envying-- is all long gone. They no longer have a part in anything here on earth. 7 So go ahead. Eat your food and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! 8 Wear fine clothes, with a dash of cologne! 9 Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you in this world. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. 10 Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. 11 I have observed something else in this world of ours. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise are often poor, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being at the right place at the right time. 12 People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a snare, people are often caught by sudden tragedy. 13 Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. 14 There was a small town with only a few people living in it, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. 15 There was a poor, wise man living there who knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought any more about him. 16 Then I realized that though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long. 17 But even so, the quiet words of a wise person are better than the shouts of a foolish king. 18 A wise person can overcome weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.


I [Paul] am no longer sorry that I sent that letter to you [Corinthians], though I was sorry for a time, for I know that it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to have remorse and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will never regret that kind of sorrow. But sorrow without repentance is the kind that results in death. 11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish the wrongdoer. You showed that you have done everything you could to make things right. 12 My purpose was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could show how much you really do care for us. 13 We have been encouraged by this. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was at the way you welcomed him and set his mind at ease. 14 I had told him how proud I was of you-- and you didn't disappoint me. I have always told you the truth, and now my boasting to Titus has also proved true! 15 Now he cares for you more than ever when he remembers the way you listened to him and welcomed him with such respect and deep concern. 16 I am very happy now because I have complete confidence in you.


A psalm of the descendants of Korah. A song.
1 How great is the LORD,
and how much we should praise him
in the city of our God,
which is on his holy mountain!
2 It is magnificent in elevation--
the whole earth rejoices to see it!
Mount Zion, the holy mountain,
is the city of the great King!
3 God himself is in Jerusalem's towers.
He reveals himself as her defender.
4 The kings of the earth joined forces
and advanced against the city.
5 But when they saw it, they were stunned;
they were terrified and ran away.
6 They were gripped with terror,
like a woman writhing in the pain of childbirth
7 or like the mighty ships of Tarshish
being shattered by a powerful east wind.
8 We had heard of the city's glory,
but now we have seen it ourselves--
the city of the LORD Almighty.
It is the city of our God;
he will make it safe forever.
Interlude9 O God, we meditate on your unfailing love
as we worship in your Temple.
10 As your name deserves, O God,
you will be praised to the ends of the earth.
Your strong right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice.
Let the towns of Judah be glad,
for your judgments are just.
12 Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem.
Walk around and count the many towers.
13 Take note of the fortified walls,
and tour all the citadels,
that you may describe them
to future generations.
14 For that is what God is like.
He is our God forever and ever,
and he will be our guide until we die.


Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction. For it is good to keep these sayings deep within yourself, always ready on your lips. I am teaching you today-- yes, you-- so you will trust in the LORD

Reading through the Word.....Day 244

ECCLESIASTES 4:1- 6:12
2 CORINTHIANS 6:14- 7:7
PSALM 47:1- 9
PROVERBS 22:16


Again I [the Teacher] observed all the oppression that takes place in our world. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and the victims are helpless. 2 So I concluded that the dead are better off than the living. 3 And most fortunate of all are those who were never born. For they have never seen all the evil that is done in our world. 4 Then I observed that most people are motivated to success by their envy of their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless, like chasing the wind. 5 Foolish people refuse to work and almost starve. 6 They feel it is better to be lazy and barely survive than to work hard, especially when in the long run everything is so futile. 7 I observed yet another example of meaninglessness in our world. 8 This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, "Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?" It is all so meaningless and depressing. 9 Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble. 11 And on a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back- to- back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple- braided cord is not easily broken. 13 It is better to be a poor but wise youth than to be an old and foolish king who refuses all advice. 14 Such a youth could come from prison and succeed. He might even become king, though he was born in poverty. 15 Everyone is eager to help such a youth, even to help him take the throne. 16 He might become the leader of millions and be very popular. But then the next generation grows up and rejects him! So again, it is all meaningless, like chasing the wind. 5:1 AS you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut! Don't be a fool who doesn't realize that mindless offerings to God are evil. 2 And don't make rash promises to God, for he is in heaven, and you are only here on earth. So let your words be few. 3 Just as being too busy gives you nightmares, being a fool makes you a blabbermouth. 4 So when you make a promise to God, don't delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. 5 It is better to say nothing than to promise something that you don't follow through on. 6 In such cases, your mouth is making you sin. And don't defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved. 7 Dreaming all the time instead of working is foolishness. And there is ruin in a flood of empty words. Fear God instead. 8 If you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and justice being miscarried throughout the land, don't be surprised! For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice only get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. 9 Even the king milks the land for his own profit! 10 Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth-- except perhaps to watch it run through your fingers! 12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich are always worrying and seldom get a good night's sleep. 13 There is another serious problem I have seen in the world. Riches are sometimes hoarded to the harm of the saver, 14 or they are put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one's children. 15 People who live only for wealth come to the end of their lives as naked and empty- handed as on the day they were born. 16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. As people come into this world, so they depart. All their hard work is for nothing. They have been working for the wind, and everything will be swept away. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud-- frustrated, discouraged, and angry. 18 Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat well, drink a good glass of wine, and enjoy their work-- whatever they do under the sun-- for however long God lets them live. 19 And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life-- that is indeed a gift from God. 20 People who do this rarely look with sorrow on the past, for God has given them reasons for joy. 6:1 THERE is another serious tragedy I have seen in our world. 2 God gives great wealth and honor to some people and gives them everything they could ever want, but then he doesn't give them the health to enjoy it. They die, and others get it all! This is meaningless-- a sickening tragedy. 3 A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and in the end does not even get a decent burial, I say he would have been better off born dead. 4 I realize that his birth would have been meaningless and ended in darkness. He wouldn't even have had a name, 5 and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than he has in growing up to be an unhappy man. 6 He might live a thousand years twice over but not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else-- well, what's the use? 7 All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough. 8 Considering this, do wise people really have any advantage over fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others? 9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless; it is like chasing the wind. 10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny. 11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So why overdo it? 12 In the few days of our empty lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? And who can tell what will happen in the future after we are gone?


Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the Devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:"I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
17 Therefore, come out from them
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don't touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.
18 And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty."
7:1 BECAUSE we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete purity because we fear God. 2 Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone. We have not led anyone astray. We have not taken advantage of anyone. 3 I'm not saying this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts forever. We live or die together with you. 4 I have the highest confidence in you, and my pride in you is great. You have greatly encouraged me; you have made me happy despite all our troubles. 5 When we arrived in Macedonia there was no rest for us. Outside there was conflict from every direction, and inside there was fear. 6 But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. 7 His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. When he told me how much you were looking forward to my visit, and how sorry you were about what had happened, and how loyal your love is for me, I was filled with joy!


For the choir director:A psalm of the descendants of Korah.
1 Come, everyone, and clap your hands for joy!
Shout to God with joyful praise!
2 For the LORD Most High is awesome.
He is the great King of all the earth.
3 He subdues the nations before us,
putting our enemies beneath our feet.
4 He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance,
the proud possession of Jacob's descendants, whom he loves.
Interlude5 God has ascended with a mighty shout.
The LORD has ascended with trumpets blaring.
6 Sing praise to God, sing praises;
sing praise to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King over all the earth.
Praise him with a psalm!
8 God reigns above the nations,
sitting on his holy throne.
9 The rulers of the world have gathered together.
They join us in praising the God of Abraham.
For all the kings of the earth belong to God.
He is highly honored everywhere.


A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty