JULY
25
PSALMS: 25,
55, 85, 115, 145
PROVERBS: 25
OLD TESTAMENT: JEREMIAH 23:28 - 25:38
NEW TESTAMENT: 2 THESSALONIANS 2:1 - 17
PSALMS: 25
Of
David.
1
To A you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
2
in you I trust, O my God.
Do
not let me be put to shame,
nor
let my enemies triumph over me.
3
No one whose hope is in you
will
ever be put to shame,
but
they will be put to shame
who
are treacherous without excuse.
4
Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach
me your paths;
5
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for
you are God my Savior,
and
my hope is in you all day long.
6
Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
for
they are from of old.
7
Remember not the sins of my youth
and
my rebellious ways;
according
to your love remember me,
for
you are good, O LORD.
8
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore
he instructs sinners in his ways.
9
He guides the humble in what is right
and
teaches them his way.
10
All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for
those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11
For the sake of your name, O LORD,
forgive
my iniquity, though it is great.
12
Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? [1]
He
will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
13
He will spend his days in prosperity,
and
his descendants will inherit the land.
14
The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he
makes his covenant known to them.
15
My eyes are ever on the LORD,
for
only he will release my feet from the snare.
16
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for
I am lonely and afflicted.
17
The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free
me from my anguish.
18
Look upon my affliction and my distress
and
take away all my sins.
19
See how my enemies have increased
and
how fiercely they hate me!
20
Guard my life and rescue me;
let
me not be put to shame,
for
I take refuge in you.
21
May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because
my hope is in you.
22
Redeem Israel, O God,
from
all their troubles! [2]
PSALMS: 55
For
the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil A
of David.
1
Listen to my prayer, O God,
do
not ignore my plea;
2
hear me and answer me.
My
thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3
at the voice of the enemy,
at
the stares of the wicked;
for
they bring down suffering upon me
and
revile me in their anger.
4
My heart is in anguish within me;
the
terrors of death assail me.
5
Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror
has overwhelmed me.
6
I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I
would fly away and be at rest--
7
I would flee far away
and
stay in the desert;
Selah
8
I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far
from the tempest and storm."
9
Confuse the wicked, O Lord, confound their speech,
for
I see violence and strife in the city.
10
Day and night they prowl about on its walls;
malice
and abuse are within it.
11
Destructive forces are at work in the city;
threats
and lies never leave its streets. [3]
12
If an enemy were insulting me,
I
could endure it;
if
a foe were raising himself against me,
I
could hide from him.
13
But it is you, a man like myself,
my
companion, my close friend,
14
with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
as
we walked with the throng at the house of God.
15
Let death take my enemies by surprise;
let
them go down alive to the grave, B
for
evil finds lodging among them.
16
But I call to God,
and
the LORD saves me.
17
Evening, morning and noon
I
cry out in distress,
and
he hears my voice.
18
He ransoms me unharmed
from
the battle waged against me,
even
though many oppose me.
19
God, who is enthroned forever,
will
hear them and afflict them--
Selah
men
who never change their ways
and
have no fear of God.
20
My companion attacks his friends;
he
violates his covenant.
21
His speech is smooth as butter,
yet
war is in his heart;
his
words are more soothing than oil, [4]
yet
they are drawn swords.
22
Cast your cares on the LORD
and
he will sustain you;
he
will never let the righteous fall.
23
But you, O God, will bring down the wicked
into
the pit of corruption;
bloodthirsty
and deceitful men
will
not live out half their days.
But
as for me, I trust in you. [5]
PSALMS: 85
For
the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1
You showed favor to your land, O LORD;
you
restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2
You forgave the iniquity of your people
and
covered all their sins.
Selah
3
You set aside all your wrath
and
turned from your fierce anger.
4
Restore us again, O God our Savior,
and
put away your displeasure toward us.
5
Will you be angry with us forever?
Will
you prolong your anger through all generations?
6
Will you not revive us again,
that
your people may rejoice in you?
7
Show us your unfailing love, O LORD,
and
grant us your salvation.
8
I will listen to what God the LORD will say;
he
promises peace to his people, his saints--
but
let them not return to folly.
9
Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that
his glory may dwell in our land.
10
Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness
and peace kiss each other.
11
Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
and
righteousness looks down from heaven.
12
The LORD will indeed give what is good,
and
our land will yield its harvest.
13
Righteousness goes before him [6]
and
prepares the way for his steps. [7]
PSALMS: 115
1
Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but
to your name be the glory,
because
of your love and faithfulness.
2
Why do the nations say,
"Where
is their God?"
3
Our God is in heaven;
he
does whatever pleases him.
4
But their idols are silver and gold,
made
by the hands of men.
5
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes,
but they cannot see;
6
they have ears, but cannot hear,
noses,
but they cannot smell;
7
they have hands, but cannot feel,
feet,
but they cannot walk;
nor
can they utter a sound with their throats.
8
Those who make them will be like them,
and
so will all who trust in them.
9
O house of Israel, trust in the LORD--
he
is their help and shield.
10
O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD--
he
is their help and shield.
11
You who fear him, trust in the LORD--
he
is their help and shield.
12
The LORD remembers us and will bless us:
He
will bless the house of Israel,
he
will bless the house of Aaron,
13
he will bless those who fear the LORD--
small
and great alike. [8]
14
May the LORD make you increase,
both
you and your children.
15
May you be blessed by the LORD,
the
Maker of heaven and earth.
16
The highest heavens belong to the LORD,
but
the earth he has given to man.
17
It is not the dead who praise the LORD,
those
who go down to silence;
18
it is we who extol the LORD,
both
now and forevermore.
Praise
the LORD. A [9]
PSALMS: 145
A
psalm of praise. Of David.
1
I A will exalt you, my God the King;
I
will praise your name for ever and ever.
2
Every day I will praise you
and
extol your name for ever and ever.
3
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his
greatness no one can fathom.
4
One generation will commend your works to another;
they
will tell of your mighty acts.
5
They will speak of the glorious splendor of your
majesty,
and
I will meditate on your wonderful works. B
6
They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and
I will proclaim your great deeds.
7
They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and
joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8
The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow
to anger and rich in love.
9
The LORD is good to all;
he
has compassion on all he has made.
10
All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your
saints will extol you.
11
They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and
speak of your might,
12
so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and
the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and
your dominion endures through all generations. [10]
The
LORD is faithful to all his promises
and
loving toward all he has made.C
14
The LORD upholds all those who fall
and
lifts up all who are bowed down.
15
The eyes of all look to you,
and
you give them their food at the proper time.
16
You open your hand
and
satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17
The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and
loving toward all he has made.
18
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to
all who call on him in truth.
19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he
hears their cry and saves them.
20
The LORD watches over all who love him,
but
all the wicked he will destroy.
21
My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let
every creature praise his holy name
for
ever and ever. [11]
PROVERBS: 25
25
1 These are more proverbs
of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:
2
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to
search out a matter is the glory of kings.
3
As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so
the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
4
Remove the dross from the silver,
and
out comes material for A the silversmith;
5
remove the wicked from the king's presence,
and
his throne will be established through righteousness.
6
Do not exalt yourself in the king's presence,
and
do not claim a place among great men;
7
it is better for him to say to you, "Come up
here,"
than
for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.
What
you have seen with your eyes
8
do not bring B hastily to court,
for
what will you do in the end
if
your neighbor puts you to shame?
9
If you argue your case with a neighbor,
do
not betray another man's confidence,
10
or he who hears it may shame you
and
you will never lose your bad reputation.
11
A word aptly spoken
is
like apples of gold in settings of silver.
12
Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is
a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear. [12]
13
Like the coolness of snow at harvest time
is
a trustworthy messenger to those who send him;
he
refreshes the spirit of his masters.
14
Like clouds and wind without rain
is
a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.
15
Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,
and
a gentle tongue can break a bone.
16
If you find honey, eat just enough--
too
much of it, and you will vomit.
17
Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house--
too
much of you, and he will hate you.
18
Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is
the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor.
19
Like a bad tooth or a lame foot
is
reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.
20
Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
or
like vinegar poured on soda,
is
one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if
he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his
head,
and
the LORD will reward you.
23
As a north wind brings rain,
so
a sly tongue brings angry looks. [13]
24
Better to live on a corner of the roof
than
share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
25
Like cold water to a weary soul
is
good news from a distant land.
26
Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
is
a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.
27
It is not good to eat too much honey,
nor
is it honorable to seek one's own honor.
28
Like a city whose walls are broken down
is
a man who lacks self-control. [14]
OLD TESTAMENT: JEREMIAH 23:28 - 25:38
28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who
has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?"
declares the LORD. 29 "Is not my word
like fire," declares the LORD, "and
like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
30 "Therefore," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who steal from one another words
supposedly from me. 31 Yes,"
declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who
wag their own tongues and yet declare, `The LORD declares.' 32 Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,"
declares the LORD. "They tell them and lead my
people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them.
They do not benefit these people in the least," declares the LORD.
33 "When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, `What
is the oracle D of the LORD?'
say to them, `What oracle? E I will forsake you, declares the LORD.' 34 If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, `This is
the oracle of the LORD,' I will punish that man and his household. 35 This is what each of you keeps on saying to his friend or
relative: `What is the LORD's answer?' or `What has the LORD spoken?' 36 But you must not mention `the oracle of the LORD' again,
because every man's own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of
the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God. 37 This is what you keep saying to a prophet: `What is the
LORD's answer to you?' or `What has the LORD spoken?' 38 Although you claim, `This is the oracle of the LORD,' this
is what the LORD says: You used the words, `This is the oracle of the LORD,'
even though I told you that you must not claim, `This is the oracle of the
LORD.' 39 Therefore, I will surely
forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you
and your fathers. 40 I will bring
upon you everlasting disgrace--everlasting shame that will not be forgotten."
24 1
After Jehoiachin A son of Jehoiakim king of
Judah and the officials, the craftsmen and the artisans of Judah were carried
into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the
LORD showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the LORD. 2
One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early; the other
basket had very poor figs, so bad they could not be eaten.
3 Then
the LORD asked me, "What do you see,
Jeremiah?"
"Figs," I
answered. "The good ones are very good, but the poor ones are so bad they
cannot be eaten."
4 Then
the word of the LORD came to me: 5 "This
is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `Like these good figs, I regard as
good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the
Babylonians. B 6 My eyes
will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I
will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot
them. 7 I will give them a heart to
know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God,
for they will return to me with all their heart.
8 "`But like the poor figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten,'
says the LORD, `so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials [15] and the survivors from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or
live in Egypt. 9 I will make
them abhorrent and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and
a byword, an object of ridicule and cursing, wherever I banish them. 10 I will send the sword, famine and plague against them until they are
destroyed from the land I gave to them and their fathers.'"
25 1
The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of
Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was
the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 2 So Jeremiah the
prophet said to all the people of Judah and to all those living in Jerusalem: 3
For twenty-three years--from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon
king of Judah until this very day--the word of the LORD has come to me and I
have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.
4 And
though the LORD has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again,
you have not listened or paid any attention. 5 They said, "Turn
now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay
in the land the LORD gave to you and your fathers for ever and ever. 6 Do
not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not provoke me to anger
with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you."
7 "But you did not listen to me," declares the
LORD, "and you have provoked me with what your
hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves."
8 Therefore
the LORD Almighty says this: "Because you have
not listened to my words, 9 I will
summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon," declares the LORD, "and I
will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the
surrounding nations. I will completely destroy A them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an
everlasting ruin. 10 I will banish
from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom,
the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and
these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
12 "But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the
king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, B for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever. 13 I will bring upon that land all the things I have spoken
against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah
against all the nations. 14 They
themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them
according to their deeds and the work of their hands." [16]
15 This
is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take
from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations
to whom I send you drink it.
16 When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword
I will send among them."
17 So
I took the cup from the LORD's hand and made all the nations to whom he sent me
drink it:
18 Jerusalem
and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin and an
object of horror and scorn and cursing, as they are today; 19 Pharaoh
king of Egypt, his attendants, his officials and all his people, 20 and
all the foreign people there; all the kings of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines
(those of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod); 21 Edom,
Moab and Ammon; 22 all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; the kings of the
coastlands across the sea; 23 Dedan, Tema, Buz and all who are in
distant places C; 24 all the kings of Arabia and all the
kings of the foreign people who live in the desert; 25 all the kings
of Zimri, Elam and Media; 26 and all the kings of the north, near
and far, one after the other--all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. And
after all of them, the king of Sheshach D will drink it too.
27 "Then tell them, `This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of
Israel, says: Drink, get drunk and vomit, and fall to rise no more because of
the sword I will send among you.' 28
But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, tell them, `This
is what the LORD Almighty says: You must drink it! 29 See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that
bears my Name, and will you indeed go unpunished? You will not go unpunished,
for I am calling down a sword upon all who live on the earth, declares the LORD
Almighty.'
30 "Now
prophesy all these words against them and say to them:
"`The
LORD will roar from on high;
he will
thunder from his holy dwelling
and roar
mightily against his land.
He will shout
like those who tread the grapes,
shout against
all who live on the earth.
31 The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the LORD
will bring charges against the nations;
he will bring
judgment on all mankind
and put the
wicked to the sword,'"
declares the LORD. [17]
32 This
is what the LORD Almighty says:
"Look! Disaster is spreading
from nation
to nation;
a mighty
storm is rising
from the ends
of the earth." 33 At that time those slain by the
LORD will be everywhere--from one end of the earth to the other. They will not
be mourned or gathered up or buried, but will be like refuse lying on the
ground.
34 Weep
and wail, you shepherds;
roll in the dust, you
leaders of the flock.
For your time to be
slaughtered has come;
you will fall and be
shattered like fine pottery.
35 The
shepherds will have nowhere to flee,
the leaders of the flock
no place to escape.
36 Hear
the cry of the shepherds,
the wailing of the
leaders of the flock,
for the LORD is
destroying their pasture.
37 The
peaceful meadows will be laid waste
because of the fierce
anger of the LORD.
38 Like
a lion he will leave his lair,
and their land will
become desolate
because of the sword E
of the oppressor
and because of the
LORD's fierce anger. [18]
NEW TESTAMENT: 2 THESSALONIANS 2:1 - 17
2 1
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our
being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily
unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from
us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let
anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion
occurs and the man of lawlessness A is revealed, the man doomed to
destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything
that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple,
proclaiming himself to be God.
5 Don't
you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And
now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper
time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but
the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of
the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord
Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor
of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance
with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs
and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who
are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be
saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that
they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who
have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
13 But
we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from
the beginning God chose you B to be saved through the sanctifying
work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you
to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings C
we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
16 May
our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace
gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your
hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. [19]
[1]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
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[2]
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[3]
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[4]
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[5]
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[6]
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[7]
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[8]
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[9]
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Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[10] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[11] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc.
All Rights Reserved
[12] Excerpted from Compton's
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[13] Excerpted from Compton's
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[14] Excerpted from Compton's
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[15] Excerpted from Compton's
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[16] Excerpted from Compton's
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[17] Excerpted from Compton's
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[18] Excerpted from Compton's
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[19] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
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