MAY 23
PSALMS: 23, 53, 83, 113, 143
PROVERBS: 23
OLD TESTAMENT: NEHEMIAH 3:15 - 4:13
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 CORINTHIANS 7:25 - 40
PSALMS: 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd:
I shall lack nothing.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You have anointed my head with oil.
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the LORD's house forever.
PSALMS: 53
1 The fool has said in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity.
There is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven on the children of men,
To see if there are any who understood, Who seek after God.
3 Every one of them has gone back.
They have become filthy together.
There is no one who does good, no, not one.
4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And don't call on God?
5 There they were in great fear, where no fear was,
For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you.
You have put them to shame,
Because God has rejected them.
6 Oh that the yeshu`ah of Yisra'el would come out of Tziyon!
When God brings back the captivity of his people,
Then shall Ya`akov rejoice.
Yisra'el shall be glad.
2 For, behold, your enemies are stirred up.
Those who hate you have lifted up their heads.
3 They conspire with cunning against your people.
They plot against your cherished ones.
4 "Come," they say, "and let us destroy them as a nation,
That the name of Yisra'el may be remembered no more."
5 For they have conspired together with one mind.
They form an alliance against you.
6 The tents of Edom and the Yishme`elim;
Mo'av, and the Hagrim;
7 Geval, `Ammon, and `Amalek;
Peleshet with the inhabitants of Tzor;
8 Ashshur also is joined with them.
They have helped the children of Lot.
Selah.
9 Do to them as you did to Midyan,
As to Sisera, as to Yavin, at the river Kishon;
10 Who perished at `En-Dor,
Who became as dung for the eretz.
11 Make their nobles like `Orev and Ze'ev;
Yes, all their princes like Zevach and Tzalmunnah;
12 Who said, "Let us take possession
Of God's pasturelands."
13 My God, make them like tumbleweed;
Like chaff before the wind.
14 As the fire that burns the forest,
As the flame that sets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them with your tempest,
Terrify them with your storm.
16 Fill their faces with confusion,
That they may seek your name, LORD.
17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever.
Yes, let them be confounded and perish;
18 That they may know that you alone, whose name is the LORD,
Are Ha`Elyon over all the eretz.
2 Blessed be the name of the LORD,
From this time forth and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same,
The LORD's name is to be praised.
4 The LORD is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like the LORD, our God,
Who has his seat on high,
6 Who stoops down to see in heaven and in the eretz?
7 He raises up the poor out of the dust.
Lifts up the needy from the ash heap;
8 That he may set him with princes,
Even with the princes of his people.
9 He settles the barren woman in her home,
As a joyful mother of children.
Praise the LORD!
PSALMS: 143
Listen to my petitions.
In your faithfulness and righteousness, relieve me.
2 Don't enter into judgment with your servant,
For in your sight no man living is righteous.
3 For the enemy pursues my soul.
He has struck my life down to the ground.
He has made me live in dark places,
as those who have been long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me.
My heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old.
I meditate on all your doings.
I contemplate the work of your hands.
6 I spread forth my hands to you.
My soul thirsts for you, like a parched land.
Selah.
7 Hurry to answer me, LORD.
My spirit fails.
Don't hide your face from me,
So that I don't become like those who go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning,
For I trust in you.
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to you.
9 Deliver me, LORD, from my enemies.
I flee to you to hide me.
10 Teach me to do your will,
For you are my God.
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.
11 Revive me, LORD, for your name's sake.
In your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble.
12 In your loving kindness, cut off my enemies,
And destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For I am your servant.
2 Put a knife to your throat,
If you are a man given to appetite.
3 Don't be desirous of his dainties,
Seeing they are deceitful food.
4 Don't weary yourself to be rich.
In your wisdom, show restraint
5 Why do you set your eyes on that which is not?
For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
6 Don't eat the food of him who has a stingy eye,
And don't crave his delicacies:
7 For as he thinks about the cost, so he is.
"Eat and drink!" he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.
8 The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up,
And lose your good words.
9 Don't speak in the ears of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Don't move the ancient boundary stone.
Don't encroach on the fields of the fatherless:
11 For their Defender is strong.
He will plead their case against you.
12 Apply your heart to instruction,
And your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Don't withhold correction from a child.
If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
14 Punish him with the rod,
And save his soul from She'ol
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
Then my heart will be glad, even mine:
16 Yes, my heart will rejoice,
When your lips speak what is right.
17 Don't let your heart envy sinners;
But rather fear the LORD all the day long.
18 Indeed surely there is a future hope,
And your hope will not be cut off.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise,
And keep your heart on the right path
20 Don't be among ones drinking too much wine,
Or those who gorge themselves on meat:
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor;
And drowsiness clothes them in rags
22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
And don't despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and don't sell it:
Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous has great joy.
Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad!
Let her who bore you rejoice!
26 My son, give me your heart;
And let your eyes keep in my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit;
And a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Yes, she lies in wait like a robber,
And increases the unfaithful among men.
29 Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has strife?
Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises?
Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Those who stay long at the wine;
Those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Don't look at the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it goes down smoothly:
32 At the last it bites like a snake,
And poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
And your mind will imagine confusing things.
34 Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea,
Or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
35 "They hit me, and I was not hurt;
They beat me, and I don't feel it!
When will I wake up?
I can do it again.
I can find another."
OLD TESTAMENT: NEHEMIAH 3:15 - 4:13
3:15 The spring gate repaired Shallun the son of Kolchozeh, the ruler of the district of Mitzpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of it, and the bars of it, and the wall of the pool of Shelach by the king's garden, even to the stairs that go down from the city of David. 16 After him repaired Nechemyah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the district of Beit-Tzur, to the place over against the tombs of David, and to the pool that was made, and to the house of the mighty men. 17 After him repaired the Levites, Rechum the son of Bani. Next to him repaired Hashavyah, the ruler of half the district of Ke`ilah, for his district. 18 After him repaired their brothers, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Ke`ilah. 19 Next to him repaired Etzer the son of Yeshua, the ruler of Mitzpah, another portion, over against the ascent to the armory at the turning [of the wall]. 20 After him Barukh the son of Zakkai earnestly repaired another portion, from the turning [of the wall] to the door of the house of Elyashiv the Kohen Gadol. 21 After him repaired Meremot the son of Uriyah the son of Hakkotz another portion, from the door of the house of Elyashiv even to the end of the house of Elyashiv. 22 After him repaired the Kohanim, the men of the Plain. 23 After them repaired Binyamin and Hashshuv over against their house. After them repaired `Azaryah the son of Ma`aseyah the son of `Ananyah beside his own house. 24 After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another portion, from the house of `Azaryah to the turning [of the wall], and to the corner. 25 Palal the son of Uzai [repaired] over against the turning [of the wall], and the tower that stands out from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedayahu the son of Par`osh [repaired]. 26 (Now the temple servants lived in `Ofel, to the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that stands out.) 27 After him the Tekoites repaired another portion, over against the great tower that stands out, and to the wall of `Ofel. 28 Above the horse gate repaired the Kohanim, everyone over against his own house. 29 After them repaired Tzadok the son of Immer over against his own house. After him repaired Shemayah the son of Shekhanyahu, the keeper of the east gate. 30 After him repaired Hananyah the son of Shelemyahu, and Hanun the sixth son of Tzalaf, another portion. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berekhyah over against his chamber. 31 After him repaired Malkiyah one of the goldsmiths to the house of the temple servants, and of the merchants, over against the gate of Hammifkad, and to the ascent of the corner. 32 Between the ascent of the corner and the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
4:1 But it happened that when Sanvallat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Yehudim. 2 He spoke before his brothers and the army of Shomron, and said, What are these feeble Yehudim doing? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned? 3 Now Toviyah the `Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall. 4 Hear, our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach on their own head, and give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity; 5 and don't cover their iniquity, and don't let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have provoked [you] to anger before the builders. 6 So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half [the height] of it: for the people had a mind to work. 7 But it happened that when Sanvallat, Toviyah, the `Aravi'im, the `Ammonim, and the Ashdodi heard that the repairing of the walls of Yerushalayim went forward, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very angry; 8and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Yerushalayim, and to cause confusion therein. 9 But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. 10 Yehudah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. 11 Our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, until we come into the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease. 12 It happened that when the Yehudim who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, You must return to us. 13 Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set [there] the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 CORINTHIANS 7:25 - 40
7:25 Now concerning virgins, I have no mitzvah from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.
26 I think that it is good therefore, because of the distress that is on us, that it is good for a man to be as he is.
27 Are you bound to a wife? Don't seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don't seek a wife.
28 But if you marry, you have not sinned. If a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have oppression in the flesh, and I want to spare you.
29 But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none;
30 and those who weep, as though they didn't weep; and those who rejoice, as though they didn't rejoice; and those who buy, as though they didn't possess;
31 and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away.
32 But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
33 but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife.
34 There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world -- how she may please her husband.
35 This I say for your own profit; not that I may throw a snare on you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction.
36 But if any man thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He doesn't sin. Let them marry.
37 But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own heart, to keep his own virgin, will do well.
38 So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who doesn't give her in marriage will do better.
39 A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whoever she desires, only in the Lord.
40 But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God's Spirit.
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