Sunday, April 30, 2023

Proverbs 10:1–17

¹The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.

²Ill-gotten treasures are of no value, but righteousness delivers from death.

³The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

⁴Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

⁵He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

⁶Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

⁷The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.

⁸The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

⁹The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

¹⁰He who winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

¹¹The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

¹²Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

¹³Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.

¹⁴Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

¹⁵The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

¹⁶The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.

¹⁷He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

 

 

Psalm 109

¹For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, ²for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. ³With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. ⁴In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. ⁵They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship. ⁶Appoint an evil man to oppose him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. ⁷When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. ⁸May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. ⁹May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. ¹⁰May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes. ¹¹May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. ¹²May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children. ¹³May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation. ¹⁴May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out. ¹⁵May their sins always remain before the LORD, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. ¹⁶For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. ¹⁷He loved to pronounce a curse-- may it come on him; he found no pleasure in blessing-- may it be far from him. ¹⁸He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil. ¹⁹May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him. ²⁰May this be the LORD's payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me. ²¹But you, O Sovereign LORD, deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. ²²For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. ²³I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. ²⁴My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt. ²⁵I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads. ²⁶Help me, O LORD my God; save me in accordance with your love. ²⁷Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O LORD, have done it. ²⁸They may curse, but you will bless; when they attack they will be put to shame, but your servant will rejoice. ²⁹My accusers will be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak. ³⁰With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng I will praise him. ³¹For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him.

 

 

Hebrews 11:29–40

²⁹By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

³⁰By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

³¹By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

³²And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, ³³who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. ³⁵Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. ³⁶Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. ³⁷They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- ³⁸the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. ⁴⁰God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.