August 23 Reading through the Bible

  

JOB 8:1-11:20

1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-28

PSALM 38:1-22

PROVERBS 21:28-29

JOB 8:1-11:20

Then Bildad the Shuhite replied to Job: 2 " How long will you go on like this? Your words are a blustering wind. 3 Does God twist justice? Does the Almighty twist what is right? 4 Your children obviously sinned against him, so their punishment was well deserved. 5 But if you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, 6 if you are pure and live with complete integrity, he will rise up and restore your happy home. 7 And though you started with little, you will end with much. 8 " Just ask the former generation. Pay attention to the experience of our ancestors. 9 For we were born but yesterday and know so little. Our days on earth are as transient as a shadow. 10 But those who came before us will teach you. They will teach you from the wisdom of former generations. 11 " Can papyrus reeds grow where there is no marsh? Can bulrushes flourish where there is no water? 12 While they are still flowering, not ready to be cut, they begin to wither. 13 Such is the fate of all who forget God. The hope of the godless comes to nothing. 14 Everything they count on will collapse. They are leaning on a spiderweb. 15 They cling to their home for security, but it won't last. They try to hold it fast, but it will not endure. 16 The godless seem so strong, like a lush plant growing in the sunshine, its branches spreading across the garden. 17 Its roots grow down through a pile of rocks to hold it firm. 18 But when it is uprooted, it isn't even missed! 19 That is the end of its life, and others spring up from the earth to replace it. 20 " But look! God will not reject a person of integrity, nor will he make evildoers prosper. 21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. 22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be destroyed."9:1 THEN Job spoke again: 2 " Yes, I know this is all true in principle. But how can a person be declared innocent in the eyes of God? 3 If someone wanted to take God to court, would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times? 4 For God is so wise and so mighty. Who has ever challenged him successfully? 5 " Without warning, he moves the mountains, overturning them in his anger. 6 He shakes the earth from its place, and its foundations tremble. 7 If he commands it, the sun won't rise and the stars won't shine. 8 He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea. 9 He made all the stars--the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky. 10 His great works are too marvelous to understand. He performs miracles without number.11 "Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves on, I do not see him go. 12 If he sends death to snatch someone away, who can stop him? Who dares to ask him, ` What are you doing?' 13 And God does not restrain his anger. The mightiest forces against him are crushed beneath his feet. 14 " And who am I, that I should try to answer God or even reason with him? 15 Even if I were innocent, I would have no defense. I could only plead for mercy. 16 And even if I summoned him and he responded, he would never listen to me. 17 For he attacks me without reason, and he multiplies my wounds without cause. 18 He will not let me catch my breath, but fills me instead with bitter sorrows. 19 As for strength, he has it. As for justice, who can challenge him? 20 Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked. 21 " I am innocent, but it makes no difference to me--I despise my life. 22 Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to him. That is why I say, ` He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.' 23 He laughs when a plague suddenly kills the innocent. 24 The whole earth is in the hands of the wicked, and God blinds the eyes of the judges and lets them be unfair. If not he, then who?25 " My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away, filled with tragedy. 26 It disappears like a swift boat, like an eagle that swoops down on its prey. 27 If I decided to forget my complaints, if I decided to end my sadness and be cheerful, 28 I would dread all the pain he would send. For I know you will not hold me innocent, O God. 29 Whatever happens, I will be found guilty. So what's the use of trying? 30 Even if I were to wash myself with soap and cleanse my hands with lye to make them absolutely clean, 31 you would plunge me into a muddy ditch, and I would be so filthy my own clothing would hate me. 32 " God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial. 33 If only there were a mediator who could bring us together, but there is none. 34 The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment. 35 Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength. 10:1 " I AM disgusted with my life. Let me complain freely. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I will say to God, ` Don't simply condemn me--tell me the charge you are bringing against me. 3 What do you gain by oppressing me? Why do you reject me, the work of your own hands, while sending joy and prosperity to the wicked? 4 Are your eyes only those of a human? Do you see things as people see them? 5 Is your lifetime merely human? Is your life so short 6 that you are in a hurry to probe for my guilt, to search for my sin? 7 Although you know I am not guilty, no one can rescue me from your power. 8 " ` You formed me with your hands; you made me, and yet you completely destroy me. 9 Remember that I am made of dust--will you turn me back to dust so soon? 10 You guided my conception and formed me in the womb. 11 You clothed me with skin and flesh, and you knit my bones and sinews together. 12 You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love. My life was preserved by your care. 13 " ` Yet your real motive--I know this was your intent--14 was to watch me, and if I sinned, you would not forgive my iniquity. 15 If I am guilty, too bad for me. And even if I'm innocent, I am filled with shame and misery so that I can't hold my head high. 16 And if I hold my head high, you hunt me like a lion and display your awesome power against me. 17 Again and again you witness against me. You pour out an ever-increasing volume of anger upon me and bring fresh armies against me. 18 " ` Why, then, did you bring me out of my mother's womb? Why didn't you let me die at birth? 19 Then I would have been spared this miserable existence. I would have gone directly from the womb to the grave. 20 I have only a little time left, so leave me alone--that I may have a little moment of comfort 21 before I leave for the land of darkness and utter gloom, never to return. 22 It is a land as dark as midnight, a land of utter gloom where confusion reigns and the light is as dark as midnight.' "11:1 THEN Zophar the Naamathite replied to Job: 2 " Shouldn't someone answer this torrent of words? Is a person proved innocent just by talking a lot? 3 Should I remain silent while you babble on? When you mock God, shouldn't someone make you ashamed? 4 You claim, ` My teaching is pure,' and ` I am clean in the sight of God.' 5 If only God would speak; if only he would tell you what he thinks! 6 If only he would tell you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom is not a simple matter. Listen! God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve! 7 " Can you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything there is to know about the Almighty? 8 Such knowledge is higher than the heavens--but who are you? It is deeper than the underworld--what can you know in comparison to him? 9 It is broader than the earth and wider than the sea. 10 If God comes along and puts a person in prison, or if he calls the court to order, who is going to stop him? 11 For he knows those who are false, and he takes note of all their sins. 12 An empty-headed person won't become wise any more than a wild donkey can bear human offspring!13 " If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer! 14 Get rid of your sins and leave all iniquity behind you. 15 Then your face will brighten in innocence. You will be strong and free of fear. 16 You will forget your misery. It will all be gone like water under the bridge. 17 Your life will be brighter than the noonday. Any darkness will be as bright as morning. 18 You will have courage because you will have hope. You will be protected and will rest in safety. 19 You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help. 20 But the wicked will lose hope. They have no escape. Their hope becomes despair."

1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-28

Now let me [Paul] remind you, dear brothers and sisters,* of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message. 2 And it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it--unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. 3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me--that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. 6 After that, he was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, I saw him, too, long after the others, as though I had been born at the wrong time. 9 For I am the least of all the apostles, and I am not worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted the church of God. 10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me--and not without results. For I have worked harder than all the other apostles, yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. 11 So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach. The important thing is that you believed what we preached to you. 12 But tell me this--since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God, for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave, but that can't be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still under condemnation for your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ have perished! 19 And if we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world. 20 But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. 21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, Adam, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man, Christ. 22 Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, the first man. But all who are related to Christ, the other man, will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised first; then when Christ comes back, all his people will be raised. 24 After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having put down all enemies of every kind. 25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For the Scriptures say, " God has given him authority over all things." (Of course, when it says " authority over all things," it does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) 28 Then, when he has conquered all things, the Son will present himself to God, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.

PSALM 38:1-22

A psalm of David, to bring us to the LORD's remembrance.

1 O LORD, don't rebuke me in your anger!

Don't discipline me in your rage!

2 Your arrows have struck deep,

and your blows are crushing me.

3 Because of your anger, my whole body is sick;

my health is broken because of my sins.

4 My guilt overwhelms me--

it is a burden too heavy to bear.

5 My wounds fester and stink

because of my foolish sins.

6 I am bent over and racked with pain.

My days are filled with grief.

7 A raging fever burns within me,

and my health is broken.

8 I am exhausted and completely crushed.

My groans come from an anguished heart.

9 You know what I long for, Lord;

you hear my every sigh.

10 My heart beats wildly, my strength fails,

and I am going blind.

11 My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease.

Even my own family stands at a distance.

12 Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps for me;

they make plans to ruin me.

They think up treacherous deeds all day long.

13 But I am deaf to all their threats.

I am silent before them as one who cannot speak.

14 I choose to hear nothing,

and I make no reply.

15 For I am waiting for you, O LORD.

You must answer for me, O Lord my God.

16 I prayed, " Don't let my enemies gloat over me

or rejoice at my downfall."

17 I am on the verge of collapse,

facing constant pain.

18 But I confess my sins;

I am deeply sorry for what I have done.

19 My enemies are many;

they hate me though I have done nothing against them.

20 They repay me evil for good

and oppose me because I stand for the right.

21 Do not abandon me, LORD.

Do not stand at a distance, my God.

22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior.

PROVERBS 21:28-29

A false witness will be cut off, but an attentive witness will be allowed to speak. The wicked put up a bold front, but the upright proceed with care.

August 22 Reading through the Bible

JOB 4:1-7:21

1 CORINTHIANS 14:18-40

PSALM 37:30-40

PROVERBS 21:27

JOB 4:1-7:21

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied to Job: 2 " Will you be patient and let me say a word? For who could keep from speaking out? 3 " In the past you have encouraged many a troubled soul to trust in God; you have supported those who were weak. 4 Your words have strengthened the fallen; you steadied those who wavered. 5 But now when trouble strikes, you faint and are broken. 6 Does your reverence for God give you no confidence? Shouldn't you believe that God will care for those who are upright?7 " Stop and think! Does the innocent person perish? When has the upright person been destroyed? 8 My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same. 9 They perish by a breath from God. They vanish in a blast of his anger. 10 Though they are fierce young lions, they will all be broken and destroyed. 11 The fierce lion will starve, and the cubs of the lioness will be scattered. 12 " This truth was given me in secret, as though whispered in my ear. 13 It came in a vision at night as others slept. 14 Fear gripped me; I trembled and shook with terror. 15 A spirit swept past my face. Its wind sent shivers up my spine. 16 It stopped, but I couldn't see its shape. There was a form before my eyes, and a hushed voice said, 17 ` Can a mortal be just and upright before God? Can a person be pure before the Creator?' 18 " If God cannot trust his own angels and has charged some of them with folly, 19 how much less will he trust those made of clay! Their foundation is dust, and they are crushed as easily as moths. 20 They are alive in the morning, but by evening they are dead, gone forever without a trace. 21 Their tent collapses; they die in ignorance.5:1 " YOU may cry for help, but no one listens. You may turn to the angels, but they give you no help. 2 Surely resentment destroys the fool, and jealousy kills the simple. 3 From my experience, I know that fools who turn from God may be successful for the moment, but then comes sudden disaster. 4 Their children are abandoned far from help, with no one to defend them. 5 Their harvests are stolen, and their wealth satisfies the thirst of many others, not themselves! 6 But evil does not spring from the soil, and trouble does not sprout from the earth. 7 People are born for trouble as predictably as sparks fly upward from a fire. 8 " My advice to you is this: Go to God and present your case to him. 9 For he does great works too marvelous to understand. He performs miracles without number. 10 He gives rain for the earth. He sends water for the fields. 11 He gives prosperity to the poor and humble, and he takes sufferers to safety. 12 He frustrates the plans of the crafty, so their efforts will not succeed. 13 He catches those who think they are wise in their own cleverness, so that their cunning schemes are thwarted. 14 They grope in the daylight as though they were blind; they see no better in the daytime than at night. 15 He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong. He saves them from the clutches of the powerful. 16 And so at last the poor have hope, and the fangs of the wicked are broken. 17 " But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the chastening of the Almighty when you sin. 18 For though he wounds, he also bandages. He strikes, but his hands also heal. 19 He will rescue you again and again so that no evil can touch you. 20 He will save you from death in time of famine, from the power of the sword in time of war. 21 You will be safe from slander and will have no fear of destruction when it comes. 22 You will laugh at destruction and famine; wild animals will not terrify you. 23 You will be at peace with the stones of the field, and its wild animals will be at peace with you. 24 You will know that your home is kept safe. When you visit your pastures, nothing will be missing. 25 Your children will be many; your descendants will be as plentiful as grass! 26 You will live to a good old age. You will not be harvested until the proper time! 27 " We have found from experience that all this is true. Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself."6:1 THEN Job spoke again: 2 " If my sadness could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, 3 they would be heavier than all the sands of the sea. That is why I spoke so rashly. 4 For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows. He has sent his poisoned arrows deep within my spirit. All God's terrors are arrayed against me. 5 Don't I have a right to complain? Wild donkeys bray when they find no green grass, and oxen low when they have no food. 6 People complain when there is no salt in their food. And how tasteless is the uncooked white of an egg! 7 My appetite disappears when I look at it; I gag at the thought of eating it! 8 " Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant my hope. 9 I wish he would crush me. I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me. 10 At least I can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One. 11 But I do not have the strength to endure. I do not have a goal that encourages me to carry on. 12 Do I have strength as hard as stone? Is my body made of bronze? 13 No, I am utterly helpless, without any chance of success. 14 " One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you have accused me without the slightest fear of the Almighty. 15 My brother, you have proved as unreliable as a seasonal brook that overflows its banks in the spring 16 when it is swollen with ice and melting snow. 17 But when the hot weather arrives, the water disappears. The brook vanishes in the heat. 18 The caravans turn aside to be refreshed, but there is nothing there to drink, and so they perish in the desert. 19 With high hopes, the caravans from Tema and from Sheba stop for water, 20 but finding none, their hopes are dashed. 21 You, too, have proved to be of no help. You have seen my calamity, and you are afraid. 22 But why? Have I ever asked you for a gift? Have I begged you to use any of your wealth on my behalf? 23 Have I ever asked you to rescue me from my enemies? Have I asked you to save me from ruthless people? 24 " All I want is a reasonable answer--then I will keep quiet. Tell me, what have I done wrong? 25 Honest words are painful, but what do your criticisms amount to? 26 Do you think your words are convincing when you disregard my cry of desperation? 27 You would even send an orphan into slavery or sell a friend. 28 Look at me! Would I lie to your face? 29 Stop assuming my guilt, for I am righteous. Don't be so unjust. 30 Do you think I am lying? Don't I know the difference between right and wrong?7:1 " IS this not the struggle of all humanity? A person's life is long and hard, like that of a hired hand, 2 like a worker who longs for the day to end, like a servant waiting to be paid. 3 I, too, have been assigned months of futility, long and weary nights of misery. 4 When I go to bed, I think, ` When will it be morning?' But the night drags on, and I toss till dawn. 5 My skin is filled with worms and scabs. My flesh breaks open, full of pus. 6 " My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle flying back and forth. They end without hope. 7 O God, remember that my life is but a breath, and I will never again experience pleasure. 8 You see me now, but not for long. Your eyes will be on me, but I will be dead. 9 Just as a cloud dissipates and vanishes, those who die will not come back. 10 They are gone forever from their home--never to be seen again. 11 " I cannot keep from speaking. I must express my anguish. I must complain in my bitterness. 12 Am I a sea monster that you place a guard on me? 13 If I think, ` My bed will comfort me, and I will try to forget my misery with sleep,' 14 you shatter me with dreams. You terrify me with visions. 15 I would rather die of strangulation than go on and on like this. 16 I hate my life. I do not want to go on living. Oh, leave me alone for these few remaining days. 17 " What are mere mortals, that you should make so much of us? 18 For you examine us every morning and test us every moment. 19 Why won't you leave me alone--even for a moment? 20 Have I sinned? What have I done to you, O watcher of all humanity? Why have you made me your target? Am I a burden to you? 21 Why not just pardon my sin and take away my guilt? For soon I will lie down in the dust and die. When you look for me, I will be gone."

1 CORINTHIANS 14:18-40

I [Paul] thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in a church meeting I would much rather speak five understandable words that will help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language. 20 Dear brothers and sisters, don't be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature and wise in understanding matters of this kind. 21 It is written in the Scriptures, " I will speak to my own people

through unknown languages

and through the lips of foreigners.

But even then, they will not listen to me,"

says the Lord.

22 So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. 23 Even so, if unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting and hear everyone talking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. 24 But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don't understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin, and they will be condemned by what you say. 25 As they listen, their secret thoughts will be laid bare, and they will fall down on their knees and worship God, declaring, " God is really here among you." 26 Well, my brothers and sisters, let's summarize what I am saying. When you meet, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in an unknown language, while another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must be useful to all and build them up in the Lord. 27 No more than two or three should speak in an unknown language. They must speak one at a time, and someone must be ready to interpret what they are saying. 28 But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately.29 Let two or three prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said. 30 But if someone is prophesying and another person receives a revelation from the Lord, the one who is speaking must stop. 31 In this way, all who prophesy will have a turn to speak, one after the other, so that everyone will learn and be encouraged. 32 Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can wait their turn. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the other churches. 34 Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. 35 If they have any questions to ask, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings. 36 Do you think that the knowledge of God's word begins and ends with you Corinthians? Well, you are mistaken! 37 If you claim to be a prophet or think you are very spiritual, you should recognize that what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself. 38 But if you do not recognize this, you will not be recognized.39 So, dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don't forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.

PSALM 37:30-40

The godly offer good counsel;

they know what is right from wrong.

31 They fill their hearts with God's law,

so they will never slip from his path.

32 Those who are evil spy on the godly,

waiting for an excuse to kill them.

33 But the LORD will not let the wicked succeed

or let the godly be condemned when they are brought before the judge.

34 Don't be impatient for the LORD to act!

Travel steadily along his path.

He will honor you, giving you the land.

You will see the wicked destroyed.

35 I myself have seen it happen--

proud and evil people thriving like mighty trees.

36 But when I looked again, they were gone!

Though I searched for them, I could not find them!

37 Look at those who are honest and good,

for a wonderful future lies before those who love peace.

38 But the wicked will be destroyed;

they have no future.

39 The LORD saves the godly;

he is their fortress in times of trouble.

40 The LORD helps them,

rescuing them from the wicked.

He saves them,

and they find shelter in him.

PROVERBS 21:27

God loathes the sacrifice of an evil person, especially when it is brought with ulterior motives.  

August 21 Reading through the Bible

 

JOB 1:1-3:26

1 CORINTHIANS 14:1-17

PSALM 37:12-29

PROVERBS 21:25-26

JOB 1:1-3:26

There was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters. 3 He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and he employed many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area. 4 Every year when Job's sons had birthdays, they invited their brothers and sisters to join them for a celebration. On these occasions they would get together to eat and drink. 5 When these celebrations ended--and sometimes they lasted several days--Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, " Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular practice. 6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan the Accuser came with them. 7 " Where have you come from?" the LORD asked Satan. And Satan answered the LORD, " I have been going back and forth across the earth, watching everything that's going on." 8 Then the LORD asked Satan, " Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth--a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil." 9 Satan replied to the LORD, " Yes, Job fears God, but not without good reason! 10 You have always protected him and his home and his property from harm. You have made him prosperous in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!" 12 " All right, you may test him," the LORD said to Satan. " Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don't harm him physically." So Satan left the LORD's presence. 13 One day when Job's sons and daughters were dining at the oldest brother's house, 14 a messenger arrived at Job's home with this news: " Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 16 While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: " The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 17 While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: " Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 18 While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: " Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother's home. 19 Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the desert and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you." 20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground before God. 21 He said, " I came naked from my mother's womb,

and I will be stripped of everything when I die.

The LORD gave me everything I had,

and the LORD has taken it away.

Praise the name of the LORD!"

22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. 2:1 ONE day the angels came again to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan the Accuser came with them. 2 " Where have you come from?" the LORD asked Satan. And Satan answered the LORD, " I have been going back and forth across the earth, watching everything that's going on." 3 Then the LORD asked Satan, " Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth--a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you persuaded me to harm him without cause." 4 Satan replied to the LORD, " Skin for skin--he blesses you only because you bless him. A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 5 But take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!" 6 " All right, do with him as you please," the LORD said to Satan. " But spare his life." 7 So Satan left the LORD's presence, and he struck Job with a terrible case of boils from head to foot. 8 Then Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, " Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die." 10 But Job replied, " You talk like a godless woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" So in all this, Job said nothing wrong. 11 Three of Job's friends were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. When they heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. 12 When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to demonstrate their grief. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. And no one said a word, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.3:1 AT last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth. 2 He said: 3 " Cursed be the day of my birth, and cursed be the night when I was conceived. 4 Let that day be turned to darkness. Let it be lost even to God on high, and let it be shrouded in darkness. 5 Yes, let the darkness and utter gloom claim it for its own. Let a black cloud overshadow it, and let the darkness terrify it. 6 Let that night be blotted off the calendar, never again to be counted among the days of the year, never again to appear among the months. 7 Let that night be barren. Let it have no joy. 8 Let those who are experts at cursing--those who are ready to rouse the sea monster--curse that day. 9 Let its morning stars remain dark. Let it hope for light, but in vain; may it never see the morning light. 10 Curse it for its failure to shut my mother's womb, for letting me be born to all this trouble. 11 " Why didn't I die at birth as I came from the womb? 12 Why did my mother let me live? Why did she nurse me at her breasts? 13 For if I had died at birth, I would be at peace now, asleep and at rest. 14 I would rest with the world's kings and prime ministers, famous for their great construction projects. 15 I would rest with wealthy princes whose palaces were filled with gold and silver. 16 Why was I not buried like a stillborn child, like a baby who never lives to see the light? 17 For in death the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. 18 Even prisoners are at ease in death, with no guards to curse them. 19 Rich and poor are there alike, and the slave is free from his master. 20 " Oh, why should light be given to the weary, and life to those in misery? 21 They long for death, and it won't come. They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure. 22 It is a blessed relief when they finally die, when they find the grave. 23 Why is life given to those with no future, those destined by God to live in distress? 24 I cannot eat for sighing; my groans pour out like water. 25 What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come to be. 26 I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; instead, only trouble comes."

1 CORINTHIANS 14:1-17

Let love be your highest goal, but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the gift of prophecy. 2 For if your gift is the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking to God but not to people, since they won't be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. 3 But one who prophesies is helping others grow in the Lord, encouraging and comforting them. 4 A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally in the Lord, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church. 5 I wish you all had the gift of speaking in tongues, but even more I wish you were all able to prophesy. For prophecy is a greater and more useful gift than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church can get some good out of it. 6 Dear brothers and sisters,* if I should come to you talking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you some revelation or some special knowledge or some prophecy or some teaching--that is what will help you. 7 Even musical instruments like the flute or the harp, though they are lifeless, are examples of the need for speaking in plain language. For no one will recognize the melody unless the notes are played clearly. 8 And if the bugler doesn't sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle? 9 And it's the same for you. If you talk to people in a language they don't understand, how will they know what you mean? You might as well be talking to an empty room. 10 There are so many different languages in the world, and all are excellent for those who understand them, 11 but to me they mean nothing. I will not understand people who speak those languages, and they will not understand me. 12 Since you are so eager to have spiritual gifts, ask God for those that will be of real help to the whole church. 13 So anyone who has the gift of speaking in tongues should pray also for the gift of interpretation in order to tell people plainly what has been said. 14 For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don't understand what I am saying. 15 Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in the spirit, and I will pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will sing in words I understand. 16 For if you praise God only in the spirit, how can those who don't understand you praise God along with you? How can they join you in giving thanks when they don't understand what you are saying? 17 You will be giving thanks very nicely, no doubt, but it doesn't help the other people present.

PSALM 37:12-29

The wicked plot against the godly;

they snarl at them in defiance.

13 But the Lord just laughs,

for he sees their day of judgment coming.

14 The wicked draw their swords

and string their bows

to kill the poor and the oppressed,

to slaughter those who do right.

15 But they will be stabbed through the heart with their own swords,

and their bows will be broken.

16 It is better to be godly and have little

than to be evil and possess much.

17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,

but the LORD takes care of the godly.

18 Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent,

and they will receive a reward that lasts forever.

19 They will survive through hard times;

even in famine they will have more than enough.

20 But the wicked will perish.

The LORD's enemies are like flowers in a field--

they will disappear like smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and never repay,

but the godly are generous givers.

22 Those blessed by the LORD will inherit the land,

but those cursed by him will die.

23 The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD.

He delights in every detail of their lives.

24 Though they stumble, they will not fall,

for the LORD holds them by the hand.

25 Once I was young, and now I am old.

Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken,

nor seen their children begging for bread.

26 The godly always give generous loans to others,

and their children are a blessing.

27 Turn from evil and do good,

and you will live in the land forever.

28 For the LORD loves justice,

and he will never abandon the godly.

He will keep them safe forever,

but the children of the wicked will perish.

29 The godly will inherit the land

and will live there forever.

PROVERBS 21:25-26

The desires of lazy people will be their ruin, for their hands refuse to work. They are always greedy for more, while the godly love to give! 

August 20 Reading through the Bible

 

ESTHER 8:1-10:3

1 CORINTHIANS 12:27-13:13

PSALM 37:1-11

PROVERBS 21:23-24

ESTHER 8:1-10:3

On that same day King Xerxes gave the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Then Mordecai was brought before the king, for Esther had told the king how they were related. 2 The king took off his signet ring--which he had taken back from Haman--and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of Haman's property. 3 Now once more Esther came before the king, falling down at his feet and begging him with tears to stop Haman's evil plot against the Jews. 4 Again the king held out the gold scepter to Esther. So she rose and stood before him 5 and said, " If Your Majesty is pleased with me and if he thinks it is right, send out a decree reversing Haman's orders to destroy the Jews throughout all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I endure to see my people and my family slaughtered and destroyed?" 7 Then King Xerxes said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, " I have given Esther the estate of Haman, and he has been hanged on the gallows because he tried to destroy the Jews. 8 Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews in the king's name, telling them whatever you want, and seal it with the king's signet ring. But remember that whatever is written in the king's name and sealed with his ring can never be revoked." 9 So on June 25 the king's secretaries were summoned. As Mordecai dictated, they wrote a decree to the Jews and to the princes, governors, and local officials of all the 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. The decree was written in the scripts and languages of all the peoples of the empire, including the Jews. 10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed the message with the king's signet ring. He sent the letters by swift messengers, who rode horses especially bred for the king's service. 11 The king's decree gave the Jews in every city authority to unite to defend their lives. They were allowed to kill, slaughter, and annihilate anyone of any nationality or province who might attack them or their children and wives, and to take the property of their enemies. 12 The day chosen for this event throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes was March 7 of the next year. 13 A copy of this decree was to be recognized as law in every province and proclaimed to all the people. That way the Jews would be ready on that day to take revenge on their enemies. 14 So urged on by the king's command, the messengers rode out swiftly on horses bred for the king's service. The same decree was also issued at the fortress of Susa. 15 Then Mordecai put on the royal robe of blue and white and the great crown of gold, and he wore an outer cloak of fine linen and purple. And the people of Susa celebrated the new decree. 16 The Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere. 17 In every city and province, wherever the king's decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them.9:1 SO on March 7 the two decrees of the king were put into effect. On that day, the enemies of the Jews had hoped to destroy them, but quite the opposite happened. 2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the king's provinces to defend themselves against anyone who might try to harm them. But no one could make a stand against them, for everyone was afraid of them. 3 And all the commanders of the provinces, the princes, the governors, and the royal officials helped the Jews for fear of Mordecai. 4 For Mordecai had been promoted in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces as he became more and more powerful. 5 But the Jews went ahead on the appointed day and struck down their enemies with the sword. They killed and annihilated their enemies and did as they pleased with those who hated them. 6 They killed five hundred people in the fortress of Susa. 7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha--10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not take any plunder. 11 That evening, when the king was informed of the number of people killed in the fortress of Susa, 12 he called for Queen Esther and said, " The Jews have killed five hundred people in the fortress of Susa alone and also Haman's ten sons. If they have done that here, what has happened in the rest of the provinces? But now, what more do you want? It will be granted to you; tell me and I will do it." 13 And Esther said, " If it please Your Majesty, give the Jews in Susa permission to do again tomorrow as they have done today, and have the bodies of Haman's ten sons hung from the gallows." 14 So the king agreed, and the decree was announced in Susa. They also hung the bodies of Haman's ten sons from the gallows. 15 Then the Jews at Susa gathered together on March 8 and killed three hundred more people, though again they took no plunder. 16 Meanwhile, the other Jews throughout the king's provinces had gathered together to defend their lives. They gained relief from all their enemies, killing seventy-five thousand of those who hated them. But they did not take any plunder. 17 Throughout the provinces this was done on March 7. Then on the following day they rested, celebrating their victory with a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews at Susa continued killing their enemies on the second day also, and then rested on the third day, making that their day of feasting and gladness. 19 So to this day, rural Jews living in unwalled villages celebrate an annual festival and holiday in late winter, when they rejoice and send gifts to each other. 20 Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to the Jews near and far, throughout all the king's provinces, 21 encouraging them to celebrate an annual festival on these two days. 22 He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts to each other and to the poor. This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy. 23 So the Jews adopted Mordecai's suggestion and began this annual custom. 24 Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted to crush and destroy them on the day and month determined by casting lots (the lots were called purim). 25 But when Esther came before the king, he issued a decree causing Haman's evil plot to backfire, and Haman and his sons were hanged on the gallows. 26 (That is why this celebration is called Purim, because it is the ancient word for casting lots.) So because of Mordecai's letter and because of what they had experienced, 27 the Jews throughout the realm agreed to inaugurate this tradition and to pass it on to their descendants and to all who became Jews. They declared they would never fail to celebrate these two prescribed days at the appointed time each year. 28 These days would be remembered and kept from generation to generation and celebrated by every family throughout the provinces and cities of the empire. These days would never cease to be celebrated among the Jews, nor would the memory of what happened ever die out among their descendants.29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote another letter putting the queen's full authority behind Mordecai's letter to establish the Festival of Purim. 30 In addition, letters wishing peace and security were sent to the Jews throughout the 127 provinces of the empire of Xerxes. 31 These letters established the Festival of Purim--an annual celebration of these days at the appointed time, decreed by both Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther. (The people decided to observe this festival, just as they had decided for themselves and their descendants to establish the times of fasting and mourning.) 32 So the command of Esther confirmed the practices of Purim, and it was all written down in the records. 10:1 KING Xerxes imposed tribute throughout his empire, even to the distant coastlands. 2 His great achievements and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Media and Persia. 3 Mordecai the Jew became the prime minister, with authority next to that of King Xerxes himself. He was very great among the Jews, who held him in high esteem, because he worked for the good of his people and was a friend at the royal court for all of them.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:27-13:13

Now all of you [believers] together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. 28 Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who can get others to work together, those who speak in unknown languages. 29 Is everyone an apostle? Of course not. Is everyone a prophet? No. Are all teachers? Does everyone have the power to do miracles? 30 Does everyone have the gift of healing? Of course not. Does God give all of us the ability to speak in unknown languages? Can everyone interpret unknown languages? No! 31 And in any event, you should desire the most helpful gifts. First, however, let me tell you about something else that is better than any of them!13:1 IF I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn't love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn't love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever. 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. 6 It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8 Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear. 9 Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little! 10 But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear. 11 It's like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now. 13 There are three things that will endure--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love.

PSALM 37:1-11

A psalm of David.

1 Don't worry about the wicked.

Don't envy those who do wrong.

2 For like grass, they soon fade away.

Like springtime flowers, they soon wither.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good.

Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

4 Take delight in the LORD,

and he will give you your heart's desires.

5 Commit everything you do to the LORD.

Trust him, and he will help you.

6 He will make your innocence as clear as the dawn,

and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

7 Be still in the presence of the LORD,

and wait patiently for him to act.

Don't worry about evil people who prosper

or fret about their wicked schemes.

8 Stop your anger!

Turn from your rage!

Do not envy others--

it only leads to harm.

9 For the wicked will be destroyed,

but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.

10 In a little while, the wicked will disappear.

Though you look for them, they will be gone.

11 Those who are gentle and lowly will possess the land;

they will live in prosperous security.

PROVERBS 21:23-24

If you keep your mouth shut, you will stay out of trouble. Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance. 

August 19 Reading through the Bible

  

ESTHER 4:1-7:10

1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-26

PSALM 36:1-12

PROVERBS 21:21-22

ESTHER 4:1-7:10

When Mordecai learned what had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. 2 He stood outside the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed to enter while wearing clothes of mourning. 3 And as news of the king's decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in sackcloth and ashes. 4 When Queen Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was deeply distressed. She sent clothing to him to replace the sackcloth, but he refused it. 5 Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs who had been appointed as her attendant. She ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was troubling him and why he was in mourning. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the square in front of the palace gate. 7 Mordecai told him the whole story and told him how much money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree issued in Susa that called for the death of all Jews, and he asked Hathach to show it to Esther. He also asked Hathach to explain it to her and to urge her to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for her people. 9 So Hathach returned to Esther with Mordecai's message. 10 Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai: 11 " The whole world knows that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him in more than a month." 12 So Hathach gave Esther's message to Mordecai. 13 Mordecai sent back this reply to Esther: " Don't think for a moment that you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed. 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What's more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?" 15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 " Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I am willing to die." 17 So Mordecai went away and did as Esther told him.5:1 THREE days later, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, just across from the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her, holding out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched its tip. 3 Then the king asked her, " What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!" 4 And Esther replied, " If it please Your Majesty, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for the king." 5 The king turned to his attendants and said, " Tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet, as Esther has requested." So the king and Haman went to Esther's banquet. 6 And while they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, " Now tell me what you really want. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!" 7 Esther replied, " This is my request and deepest wish. 8 If Your Majesty is pleased with me and wants to grant my request, please come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for you. Then tomorrow I will explain what this is all about." 9 What a happy man Haman was as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, he was furious. 10 However, he restrained himself and went on home. Then he gathered together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children. He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all the other officials and leaders. 12 Then Haman added, " And that's not all! Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!" 13 Then he added, " But all this is meaningless as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate." 14 So Haman's wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, " Set up a gallows that stands seventy-five feet tall, and in the morning ask the king to hang Mordecai on it. When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king." This pleased Haman immensely, and he ordered the gallows set up.6:1 THAT night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the historical records of his kingdom so they could be read to him. 2 In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king's private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate the king. 3 " What reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this?" the king asked. His attendants replied, " Nothing has been done." 4 " Who is that in the outer court?" the king inquired. Now, as it happened, Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai from the gallows he had prepared. 5 So the attendants replied to the king, " Haman is out there." " Bring him in," the king ordered. 6 So Haman came in, and the king said, " What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?" Haman thought to himself, " Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?" 7 So he replied, " If the king wishes to honor someone, 8 he should bring out one of the king's own royal robes, as well as the king's own horse with a royal emblem on its head. 9 Instruct one of the king's most noble princes to dress the man in the king's robe and to lead him through the city square on the king's own horse. Have the prince shout as they go, ` This is what happens to those the king wishes to honor!' " 10 " Excellent!" the king said to Haman. " Hurry and get the robe and my horse, and do just as you have said for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the gate of the palace. Do not fail to carry out everything you have suggested." 11 So Haman took the robe and put it on Mordecai, placed him on the king's own horse, and led him through the city square, shouting, " This is what happens to those the king wishes to honor!" 12 Afterward Mordecai returned to the palace gate, but Haman hurried home dejected and completely humiliated. 13 When Haman told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends what had happened, they said, " Since Mordecai--this man who has humiliated you--is a Jew, you will never succeed in your plans against him. It will be fatal to continue to oppose him." 14 While they were still talking, the king's eunuchs arrived to take Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.7:1 SO the king and Haman went to Queen Esther's banquet. 2 And while they were drinking wine that day, the king again asked her, " Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!" 3 And so Queen Esther replied, " If Your Majesty is pleased with me and wants to grant my request, my petition is that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. 4 For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had only been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would have been a matter too trivial to warrant disturbing the king." 5 " Who would do such a thing?" King Xerxes demanded. " Who would dare touch you?"6 Esther replied, " This wicked Haman is our enemy." Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen. 7 Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden. But Haman stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that he was doomed. 8 In despair he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king returned from the palace garden. " Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?" the king roared. And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman's face, signaling his doom. 9 Then Harbona, one of the king's eunuchs, said, " Haman has set up a gallows that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to hang Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination." " Then hang Haman on it!" the king ordered. 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had set up for Mordecai, and the king's anger was pacified.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-26

And now, dear brothers and sisters,* I [Paul] will write about the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives to each of us, for I must correct your misunderstandings about them. 2 You know that when you were still pagans you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. 3 So I want you to know how to discern what is truly from God: No one speaking by the Spirit of God can curse Jesus, and no one is able to say, " Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. 6 There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another he gives the gift of special knowledge. 9 The Spirit gives special faith to another, and to someone else he gives the power to heal the sick. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and to another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, and another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit. 14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, " I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, " I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 Suppose the whole body were an eye--then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything? 18 But God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each part just where he wants it. 19 What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, " I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, " I don't need you." 22 In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, 24 while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

PSALM 36:1-12

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the LORD.

1 Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.

They have no fear of God to restrain them.

2 In their blind conceit,

they cannot see how wicked they really are.

3 Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.

They refuse to act wisely or do what is good.

4 They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.

Their course of action is never good.

They make no attempt to turn from evil.

5 Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,

your justice like the ocean depths.

You care for people and animals alike, O LORD.

7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God!

All humanity finds shelter

in the shadow of your wings.

8 You feed them from the abundance of your own house,

letting them drink from your rivers of delight.

9 For you are the fountain of life,

the light by which we see.

10 Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;

give justice to those with honest hearts.

11 Don't let the proud trample me;

don't let the wicked push me around.

12 Look! They have fallen!

They have been thrown down, never to rise again.

PROVERBS 21:21-22

Whoever pursues godliness and unfailing love will find life, godliness, and honor. The wise conquer the city of the strong and level the fortress in which they trust.

August 18 Reading through the Bible

  

ESTHER 1:1-3:15

1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-34

PSALM 35:17-28

PROVERBS 21:19-20

ESTHER 1:1-3:15

This happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. 2 At that time he ruled his empire from his throne at the fortress of Susa. 3 In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his princes and officials. He invited all the military officers of Media and Persia, as well as the noblemen and provincial officials. 4 The celebration lasted six months--a tremendous display of the opulent wealth and glory of his empire. 5 When it was all over, the king gave a special banquet for all the palace servants and officials--from the greatest to the least. It lasted for seven days and was held at Susa in the courtyard of the palace garden. 6 The courtyard was decorated with beautifully woven white and blue linen hangings, fastened by purple ribbons to silver rings embedded in marble pillars. Gold and silver couches stood on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones. 7 Drinks were served in gold goblets of many designs, and there was an abundance of royal wine, just as the king had commanded. 8 The only restriction on the drinking was that no one should be compelled to take more than he wanted. But those who wished could have as much as they pleased, for the king had instructed his staff to let everyone decide this matter for himself. 9 Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women of the palace at the same time.10 On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was half drunk with wine, he told Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who attended him, 11 to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted all the men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. 12 But when they conveyed the king's order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned with anger. 13 He immediately consulted with his advisers, who knew all the Persian laws and customs, for he always asked their advice. 14 The names of these men were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan--seven high officials of Persia and Media. They were his closest associates and held the highest positions in the empire. 15 " What must be done to Queen Vashti?" the king demanded. " What penalty does the law provide for a queen who refuses to obey the king's orders, properly sent through his eunuchs?" 16 Memucan answered the king and his princes, " Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also every official and citizen throughout your empire. 17 Women everywhere will begin to despise their husbands when they learn that Queen Vashti has refused to appear before the king. 18 Before this day is out, the wife of every one of us, your officials throughout the empire, will hear what the queen did and will start talking to their husbands the same way. There will be no end to the contempt and anger throughout your realm. 19 So if it please the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree, a law of the Persians and Medes that cannot be revoked. It should order that Queen Vashti be forever banished from your presence and that you choose another queen more worthy than she. 20 When this decree is published throughout your vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!" 21 The king and his princes thought this made good sense, so he followed Memucan's counsel. 22 He sent letters to all parts of the empire, to each province in its own script and language, proclaiming that every man should be the ruler of his home.2:1 BUT after Xerxes' anger had cooled, he began thinking about Vashti and what she had done and the decree he had made. 2 So his attendants suggested, " Let us search the empire to find beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king appoint agents in each province to bring these beautiful young women into the royal harem at Susa. Hegai, the eunuch in charge, will see that they are all given beauty treatments. 4 After that, the young woman who pleases you most will be made queen instead of Vashti." This advice was very appealing to the king, so he put the plan into effect immediately. 5 Now at the fortress of Susa there was a certain Jew named Mordecai son of Jair. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was a descendant of Kish and Shimei. 6 His family* had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar, along with King Jehoiachin of Judah and many others. 7 This man had a beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother had died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter. 8 As a result of the king's decree, Esther, along with many other young women, was brought to the king's harem at the fortress of Susa and placed in Hegai's care. 9 Hegai was very impressed with Esther and treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her and provided her with beauty treatments. He also assigned her seven maids specially chosen from the king's palace, and he moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem. 10 Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, for Mordecai had told her not to. 11 Every day Mordecai would take a walk near the courtyard of the harem to ask about Esther and to find out what was happening to her.12 Before each young woman was taken to the king's bed, she was given the prescribed twelve months of beauty treatments--six months with oil of myrrh, followed by six months with special perfumes and ointments. 13 When the time came for her to go in to the king, she was given her choice of whatever clothing or jewelry she wanted to enhance her beauty. 14 That evening she was taken to the king's private rooms, and the next morning she was brought to the second harem, where the king's wives lived. There she would be under the care of Shaashgaz, another of the king's eunuchs. She would live there for the rest of her life, never going to the king again unless he had especially enjoyed her and requested her by name. 15 When it was Esther's turn to go to the king, she accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem. She asked for nothing except what he suggested, and she was admired by everyone who saw her. 16 When Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter of the seventh year of his reign, 17 the king loved her more than any of the other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. 18 To celebrate the occasion, he gave a banquet in Esther's honor for all his princes and servants, giving generous gifts to everyone and declaring a public festival for the provinces. 19 Even after all the young women had been transferred to the second harem and Mordecai had become a palace official, 20 Esther continued to keep her nationality and family background a secret. She was still following Mordecai's orders, just as she did when she was living in his home. 21 One day as Mordecai was on duty at the palace, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthana and Teresh--who were guards at the door of the king's private quarters--became angry at King Xerxes and plotted to assassinate him. 22 But Mordecai heard about the plot and passed the information on to Queen Esther. She then told the king about it and gave Mordecai credit for the report. 23 When an investigation was made and Mordecai's story was found to be true, the two men were hanged on a gallows. This was all duly recorded in The Book of the History of King Xerxes' Reign. 3:1 SOME time later, King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite to prime minister, making him the most powerful official in the empire next to the king himself. 2 All the king's officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect. 3 Then the palace officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai, " Why are you disobeying the king's command?" 4 They spoke to him day after day, but still he refused to comply with the order. So they spoke to Haman about this to see if he would tolerate Mordecai's conduct, since Mordecai had told them he was a Jew.5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. 6 So he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Since he had learned that Mordecai was a Jew, he decided to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes. 7 So in the month of April, during the twelfth year of King Xerxes' reign, lots were cast (the lots were called purim) to determine the best day and month to take action. And the day selected was March 7, nearly a year later. 8 Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, " There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire. Their laws are different from those of any other nation, and they refuse to obey even the laws of the king. So it is not in the king's interest to let them live. 9 If it please Your Majesty, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 375 tons of silver to the government administrators so they can put it into the royal treasury." 10 The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite--the enemy of the Jews. 11 " Keep the money," the king told Haman, " but go ahead and do as you like with these people."12 On April 17 Haman called in the king's secretaries and dictated letters to the princes, the governors of the respective provinces, and the local officials of each province in their own scripts and languages. These letters were signed in the name of King Xerxes, sealed with his ring, 13 and sent by messengers into all the provinces of the empire. The letters decreed that all Jews--young and old, including women and children--must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen nearly a year later on March 7. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them. 14 A copy of this decree was to be issued in every province and made known to all the people, so that they would be ready to do their duty on the appointed day. 15 At the king's command, the decree went out by the swiftest messengers, and it was proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion.

1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-34

But now when I [Paul] mention this next issue, I cannot praise you [Corinthians]. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. 18 First of all, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. 19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that those of you who are right will be recognized! 20 It's not the Lord's Supper you are concerned about when you come together. 21 For I am told that some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22 What? Is this really true? Don't you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace the church of God and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say about these things? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly do not! 23 For this is what the Lord himself said, and I pass it on to you just as I received it. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, " This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, " This cup is the new covenant between God and you, sealed by the shedding of my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it." 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again. 27 So if anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily, that person is guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God's judgment upon yourself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. 31 But if we examine ourselves, we will not be examined by God and judged in this way. 32 But when we are judged and disciplined by the Lord, we will not be condemned with the world. 33 So, dear brothers and sisters,* when you gather for the Lord's Supper, wait for each other. 34 If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won't bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I'll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.

PSALM 35:17-28

How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing?

Rescue me from their fierce attacks.

Protect my life from these lions!

18 Then I will thank you in front of the entire congregation.

I will praise you before all the people.

19 Don't let my treacherous enemies

rejoice over my defeat.

Don't let those who hate me without cause

gloat over my sorrow.

20 They don't talk of peace;

they plot against innocent people

who are minding their own business.

21 They shout that they have seen me doing wrong.

" Aha," they say. " Aha!

With our own eyes we saw him do it!"

22 O LORD, you know all about this.

Do not stay silent.

Don't abandon me now, O Lord.

23 Wake up! Rise to my defense!

Take up my case, my God and my Lord.

24 Declare me " not guilty," O LORD my God, for you give justice.

Don't let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.

25 Don't let them say, " Look! We have what we wanted!

Now we will eat him alive!"

26 May those who rejoice at my troubles

be humiliated and disgraced.

May those who triumph over me

be covered with shame and dishonor.

27 But give great joy to those

who have stood with me in my defense.

Let them continually say, " Great is the LORD,

who enjoys helping his servant."

28 Then I will tell everyone of your justice and goodness,

and I will praise you all day long.

PROVERBS 21:19-20

It is better to live alone in the desert than with a crabby, complaining wife. The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.

August 17 Reading through the Bible

  

NEHEMIAH 12:27-13:31

1 CORINTHIANS 11:1-16

PSALM 35:1-16

PROVERBS 21:17-18

NEHEMIAH 12:27-13:31

During the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, lyres, and harps. 28 The singers were brought together from Jerusalem and its surrounding villages and from the villages of the Netophathites. 29 They also came from Beth-gilgal and the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built their own villages around Jerusalem. 30 The priests and Levites first dedicated themselves, then the people, the gates, and the wall. 31 I led the leaders of Judah to the top of the wall and organized two large choirs to give thanks. One of the choirs proceeded southward along the top of the wall to the Dung Gate. 32 Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, 33 along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35 and some priests who played trumpets. Then came Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, a descendant of Asaph. 36 And finally came Zechariah's colleagues Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They used the musical instruments prescribed by David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led this procession. 37 At the Fountain Gate they went straight up the steps on the ascent of the city wall toward the City of David. They passed the house of David and then proceeded to the Water Gate on the east. 38 The second choir went northward around the other way to meet them. I followed them, with the other half of the people, along the top of the wall past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, 39 then past the Ephraim Gate to the Old City Gate, past the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel, and went on to the Tower of the Hundred. Then we continued on to the Sheep Gate and stopped at the Guard Gate. 40 The two choirs that were giving thanks then proceeded to the Temple of God, where they took their places. So did I, together with the group of leaders who were with me. 41 We went together with the trumpet-playing priests--Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah--42 and the singers--Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. They played and sang loudly and clearly under the direction of Jezrahiah the choir director. 43 Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away. 44 On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the gifts, the first part of the harvest, and the tithes. They were responsible to collect these from the fields as required by the law for the priests and Levites, for all the people of Judah valued the priests and Levites and their work. 45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as required by the laws of David and his son Solomon, and so did the singers and the gatekeepers. 46 The custom of having choir directors to lead the choirs in hymns of praise and thanks to God began long ago in the days of David and Asaph. 47 So now, in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, the people brought a daily supply of food for the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Levites. The Levites, in turn, gave a portion of what they received to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.13:1 ON that same day, as the Book of Moses was being read, the people found a statement which said that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be permitted to enter the assembly of God. 2 For they had not been friendly to the Israelites when they left Egypt. Instead, they hired Balaam to curse them, though our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 When this law was read, all those of mixed ancestry were immediately expelled from the assembly. 4 Before this had happened, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of our God and who was also a relative of Tobiah, 5 had converted a large storage room and placed it at Tobiah's disposal. The room had previously been used for storing the grain offerings, frankincense, Temple utensils, and tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the special portion set aside for the priests. Moses had decreed that these offerings belonged to the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers. 6 I was not in Jerusalem at that time, for I had returned to the king in the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes of Babylon, though I later received his permission to return. 7 When I arrived back in Jerusalem and learned the extent of this evil deed of Eliashib--that he had provided Tobiah with a room in the courtyards of the Temple of God--8 I became very upset and threw all of Tobiah's belongings from the room. 9 Then I demanded that the rooms be purified, and I brought back the utensils for God's Temple, the grain offerings, and the frankincense. 10 I also discovered that the Levites had not been given what was due them, so they and the singers who were to conduct the worship services had all returned to work their fields. 11 I immediately confronted the leaders and demanded, " Why has the Temple of God been neglected?" Then I called all the Levites back again and restored them to their proper duties. 12 And once more all the people of Judah began bringing their tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the Temple storerooms. 13 I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites, in charge of the storerooms. And I appointed Hanan son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah as their assistant. These men had an excellent reputation, and it was their job to make honest distributions to their fellow Levites. 14 Remember this good deed, O my God, and do not forget all that I have faithfully done for the Temple of my God.15 One Sabbath day I saw some men of Judah treading their winepresses. They were also bringing in bundles of grain and loading them on their donkeys. And on that day they were bringing their wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell. So I rebuked them for selling their produce on the Sabbath. 16 There were also some men from Tyre bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah--and in Jerusalem at that! 17 So I confronted the leaders of Judah, " Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way? 18 Wasn't it enough that your ancestors did this sort of thing, so that our God brought the present troubles upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon the people of Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!" 19 So I commanded that from then on the gates of the city should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening, not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I also sent some of my own servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 The merchants and tradesmen with a variety of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I spoke sharply to them and said, " What are you doing out here, camping around the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you!" And that was the last time they came on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and to guard the gates in order to preserve the holiness of the Sabbath. Remember this good deed also, O my God! Have compassion on me according to your great and unfailing love.23 About the same time I realized that some of the men of Judah had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Even worse, half their children spoke in the language of Ashdod or some other people and could not speak the language of Judah at all. 25 So I confronted them and called down curses on them. I beat some of them and pulled out their hair. I made them swear before God that they would not let their children intermarry with the pagan people of the land. 26 " Wasn't this exactly what led King Solomon of Israel into sin?" I demanded. " There was no king from any nation who could compare to him, and God loved him and made him king over all Israel. But even he was led into sin by his foreign wives. 27 How could you even think of committing this sinful deed and acting unfaithfully toward God by marrying foreign women?" 28 One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest had married a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, so I banished him from my presence. 29 Remember them, O my God, for they have defiled the priesthood and the promises and vows of the priests and Levites.30 So I purged out everything foreign and assigned tasks to the priests and Levites, making certain that each knew his work. 31 I also made sure that the supply of wood for the altar was brought at the proper times and that the first part of the harvest was collected for the priests. Remember this in my favor, O my God.

1 CORINTHIANS 11:1-16

And you [Corinthians] should follow my [Paul's] example, just as I follow Christ's. 2 I am so glad, dear friends, that you always keep me in your thoughts and you are following the Christian teaching I passed on to you. 3 But there is one thing I want you to know: A man is responsible to Christ, a woman is responsible to her husband, and Christ is responsible to God. 4 A man dishonors Christ if he covers his head while praying or prophesying. 5 But a woman dishonors her husband if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head. 6 Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair. And since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, then she should wear a covering. 7 A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is God's glory, made in God's own image, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For the first man didn't come from woman, but the first woman came from man. 9 And man was not made for woman's benefit, but woman was made for man. 10 So a woman should wear a covering on her head as a sign of authority because the angels are watching. 11 But in relationships among the Lord's people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. 12 For although the first woman came from man, all men have been born from women ever since, and everything comes from God. 13 What do you think about this? Is it right for a woman to pray to God in public without covering her head? 14 Isn't it obvious that it's disgraceful for a man to have long hair? 15 And isn't it obvious that long hair is a woman's pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering. 16 But if anyone wants to argue about this, all I can say is that we have no other custom than this, and all the churches of God feel the same way about it.

PSALM 35:1-16

A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, oppose those who oppose me.

Declare war on those who are attacking me.

2 Put on your armor, and take up your shield.

Prepare for battle, and come to my aid.

3 Lift up your spear and javelin

and block the way of my enemies.

Let me hear you say,

" I am your salvation!"

4 Humiliate and disgrace those trying to kill me;

turn them back in confusion.

5 Blow them away like chaff in the wind--

a wind sent by the angel of the LORD.

6 Make their path dark and slippery,

with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

7 Although I did them no wrong,

they laid a trap for me.

Although I did them no wrong,

they dug a pit for me.

8 So let sudden ruin overtake them!

Let them be caught in the snare they set for me!

Let them fall to destruction in the pit they dug for me.

9 Then I will rejoice in the LORD.

I will be glad because he rescues me.

10 I will praise him from the bottom of my heart:

" LORD, who can compare with you?

Who else rescues the weak and helpless from the strong?

Who else protects the poor and needy from those who want to rob them?"

11 Malicious witnesses testify against me.

They accuse me of things I don't even know about.

12 They repay me with evil for the good I do.

I am sick with despair.

13 Yet when they were ill,

I grieved for them.

I even fasted and prayed for them,

but my prayers returned unanswered.

14 I was sad, as though they were my friends or family,

as if I were grieving for my own mother.

15 But they are glad now that I am in trouble;

they gleefully join together against me.

I am attacked by people I don't even know;

they hurl slander at me continually.

16 They mock me with the worst kind of profanity,

and they snarl at me.

PROVERBS 21:17-18

Those who love pleasure become poor; wine and luxury are not the way to riches. Sometimes the wicked are punished to save the godly, and the treacherous for the upright.

August 16 Reading through the Bible

 NEHEMIAH 11:1-12:26

1 CORINTHIANS 10:14-33

PSALM 34:11-22

PROVERBS 21:14-16

NEHEMIAH 11:1-12:26

Now the leaders of the people were living in Jerusalem, the holy city, at this time. A tenth of the people from the other towns of Judah and Benjamin were chosen by sacred lots to live there, too, while the rest stayed where they were. 2 And the people commended everyone who volunteered to resettle in Jerusalem. 3 Here is a list of the names of the provincial officials who came to Jerusalem. Most of the people, priests, Levites, Temple servants, and descendants of Solomon's servants continued to live in their own homes in the various towns of Judah, 4 but some of the people from Judah and Benjamin resettled in Jerusalem. From the tribe of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of the family of Perez; 5 and Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, of the family of Shelah. 6 There were also 468 descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem--all outstanding men. 7 From the tribe of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah; 8 and after him there were Gabbai and Sallai, and a total of 928 relatives. 9 Their chief officer was Joel son of Zicri, who was assisted by Judah son of Hassenuah, second-in-command over the city. 10 From the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib; Jakin; 11 and Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the supervisor of the Temple of God; 12 together with 822 of their associates, who worked at the Temple. Also, there was Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malkijah; 13 and 242 of his associates, who were heads of their families. There were also Amashsai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer; 14 and 128 of his outstanding associates. Their chief officer was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim. 15 From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni; 16 Shabbethai and Jozabad, who were in charge of the work outside the Temple of God; 17 Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, a descendant of Asaph, who opened the thanksgiving services with prayer; Bakbukiah, who was Mattaniah's assistant; and Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. 18 In all, there were 284 Levites in the holy city. 19 From the gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and 172 of their associates, who guarded the gates.20 The other priests, Levites, and the rest of the Israelites lived wherever their family inheritance was located in any of the towns of Judah. 21 However, the Temple servants, whose leaders were Ziha and Gishpa, all lived on the hill of Ophel. 22 The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, a descendant of Asaph, whose family served as singers at God's Temple. 23 They were under royal orders, which determined their daily activities. 24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah son of Judah, was the king's agent in all matters of public administration.25 Some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba with its villages, Dibon with its villages, and Jekabzeel with its villages. 26 They also lived in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth-pelet, 27 Hazar-shual, Beersheba with its villages, 28 Ziklag, and Meconah with its villages. 29 They were also in En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, 30 Zanoah, and Adullam with their villages. They were also in Lachish and its nearby fields and Azekah with its surrounding villages. So the people of Judah were living all the way from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom. 31 Some of the people of Benjamin lived at Geba, Micmash, Aija, and Bethel with its surrounding villages. 32 They were also in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, 33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, 34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, 35 Lod, Ono, and the Valley of Craftsmen. 36 Some of the Levites who lived in Judah were sent to live with the tribe of Benjamin.12:1 HERE is the list of the priests and Levites who had returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the high priest: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3 Shecaniah, Harim, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, 5 Miniamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua. 8 The Levites who had returned with them were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his associates was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. 9 Their associates, Bakbukiah and Unni, stood opposite them during the service. 10 Jeshua the high priest was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada. 11 Joiada was the father of Johanan. Johanan was the father of Jaddua. 12 Now when Joiakim was high priest, the family leaders of the priests were as follows: Meraiah was leader of the family of Seraiah. Hananiah was leader of the family of Jeremiah. 13 Meshullam was leader of the family of Ezra. Jehohanan was leader of the family of Amariah. 14 Jonathan was leader of the family of Malluch. Joseph was leader of the family of Shecaniah. 15 Adna was leader of the family of Harim. Helkai was leader of the family of Meremoth. 16 Zechariah was leader of the family of Iddo. Meshullam was leader of the family of Ginnethon. 17 Zicri was leader of the family of Abijah. There was also a leader of the family of Miniamin. Piltai was leader of the family of Moadiah. 18 Shammua was leader of the family of Bilgah. Jehonathan was leader of the family of Shemaiah. 19 Mattenai was leader of the family of Joiarib. Uzzi was leader of the family of Jedaiah. 20 Kallai was leader of the family of Sallu. Eber was leader of the family of Amok. 21 Hashabiah was leader of the family of Hilkiah. Nethanel was leader of the family of Jedaiah. 22 During the reign of Darius II of Persia, a list was compiled of the family leaders of the Levites and the priests in the days of the following high priests: Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua. 23 The heads of the Levite families were recorded in The Book of History down to the days of Johanan, the grandson of Eliashib. 24 These were the family leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, and other associates, who stood opposite them during the ceremonies of praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, just as commanded by David, the man of God. 25 This included Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the gatekeepers in charge of the storerooms at the gates. 26 These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jehozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

1 CORINTHIANS 10:14-33

So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. 15 You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am about to say is true. 16 When we bless the cup at the Lord's Table, aren't we sharing in the benefits of the blood of Christ? And when we break the loaf of bread, aren't we sharing in the benefits of the body of Christ? 17 And we all eat from one loaf, showing that we are one body. 18 And think about the nation of Israel; all who eat the sacrifices are united by that act. 19 What am I trying to say? Am I saying that the idols to whom the pagans bring sacrifices are real gods and that these sacrifices are of some value? 20 No, not at all. What I am saying is that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don't want any of you to be partners with demons. 21 You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord's Table and at the table of demons, too. 22 What? Do you dare to rouse the Lord's jealousy as Israel did? Do you think we are stronger than he is? 23 You say, " I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is helpful. You say, " I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is beneficial. 24 Don't think only of your own good. Think of other Christians and what is best for them. 25 Here's what you should do. You may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace. Don't ask whether or not it was offered to idols, and then your conscience won't be bothered. 26 For " the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." 27 If someone who isn't a Christian asks you home for dinner, go ahead; accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you and don't ask any questions about it. Your conscience should not be bothered by this. 28 But suppose someone warns you that this meat has been offered to an idol. Don't eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. 29 It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person. Now, why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? 30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it? 31 Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do all for the glory of God. 32 Don't give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. 33 That is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do. I don't just do what I like or what is best for me, but what is best for them so they may be saved.

PSALM 34:11-22

Come, my children, and listen to me,

and I will teach you to fear the LORD.

12 Do any of you want to live

a life that is long and good?

13 Then watch your tongue!

Keep your lips from telling lies!

14 Turn away from evil and do good.

Work hard at living in peace with others.

15 The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right;

his ears are open to their cries for help.

16 But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil;

he will erase their memory from the earth.

17 The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help.

He rescues them from all their troubles.

18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;

he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous face many troubles,

but the LORD rescues them from each and every one.

20 For the LORD protects them from harm--

not one of their bones* will be broken!

21 Calamity will surely overtake the wicked,

and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

22 But the LORD will redeem those who serve him.

Everyone who trusts in him will be freely pardoned.

PROVERBS 21:14-16

A secret gift calms anger; a secret bribe pacifies fury. Justice is a joy to the godly, but it causes dismay among evildoers. The person who strays from common sense will end up in the company of the dead.