JULY
31
PSALMS: 31,
61, 91, 121
PROVERBS: 31
OLD TESTAMENT: JEREMIAH 35:1 - 36:32
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 TIMOTHY 5:1 - 25
PSALMS: 31
For
the director of music. A psalm of David.
1
In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let
me never be put to shame;
deliver
me in your righteousness.
2
Turn your ear to me,
come
quickly to my rescue;
be
my rock of refuge,
a
strong fortress to save me.
3
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for
the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4
Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for
you are my refuge.
5
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem
me, O LORD, the God of truth.
6
I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I
trust in the LORD.
7
I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for
you saw my affliction
and
knew the anguish of my soul.
8
You have not handed me over to the enemy
but
have set my feet in a spacious place.
9
Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my
eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my
soul and my body with grief.
10
My life is consumed by anguish
and
my years by groaning;
my
strength fails because of my affliction, A
and
my bones grow weak. [1]
11
Because of all my enemies,
I
am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I
am a dread to my friends--
those
who see me on the street flee from me.
12
I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I
have become like broken pottery.
13
For I hear the slander of many;
there
is terror on every side;
they
conspire against me
and
plot to take my life.
14
But I trust in you, O LORD;
I
say, "You are my God."
15
My times are in your hands;
deliver
me from my enemies
and
from those who pursue me.
16
Let your face shine on your servant;
save
me in your unfailing love.
17
Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,
for
I have cried out to you;
but
let the wicked be put to shame
and
lie silent in the grave. B
18
Let their lying lips be silenced,
for
with pride and contempt
they
speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19
How great is your goodness,
which
you have stored up for those who fear you,
which
you bestow in the sight of men
on
those who take refuge in you.
20
In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from
the intrigues of men;
in
your dwelling you keep them safe[2]
from
accusing tongues.
21
Praise be to the LORD,
for
he showed his wonderful love to me
when
I was in a besieged city.
22
In my alarm I said,
"I
am cut off from your sight!"
Yet
you heard my cry for mercy
when
I called to you for help.
23
Love the LORD, all his saints!
The
LORD preserves the faithful,
but
the proud he pays back in full.
24
Be strong and take heart,
all
you who hope in the LORD. [3]
PSALMS: 61
For
the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
1
Hear my cry, O God;
listen
to my prayer.
2
From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I
call as my heart grows faint;
lead
me to the rock that is higher than I.
3
For you have been my refuge,
a
strong tower against the foe.
4
I long to dwell in your tent forever
and
take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Selah
5
For you have heard my vows, O God;
you
have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6
Increase the days of the king's life,
his
years for many generations.
7
May he be enthroned in God's presence forever;
appoint
your love and faithfulness to protect him.
8
Then will I ever sing praise to your name
and
fulfill my vows day after day. [4]
PSALMS: 91
1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will
rest in the shadow of the Almighty. A
2
I will say B of the LORD, "He is my
refuge and my fortress,
my
God, in whom I trust."
3
Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and
from the deadly pestilence.
4
He will cover you with his feathers,
and
under his wings you will find refuge;
his
faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5
You will not fear the terror of night,
nor
the arrow that flies by day,
6
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor
the plague that destroys at midday.
7
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten
thousand at your right hand,
but
it will not come near you.
8
You will only observe with your eyes
and
see the punishment of the wicked.
9
If you make the Most High your dwelling--
even
the LORD, who is my refuge--
10then
no harm will befall you,
no
disaster will come near your tent.
11
For he will command his angels concerning you
to
guard you in all your ways;
12
they will lift you up in their hands,
so
that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you
will trample the great lion and the serpent. [5]
14
"Because he loves me,"
says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will
call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long
life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation." [6]
PSALMS: 121
A
song of ascents.
1
I lift up my eyes to the hills--
where
does my help come from?
2
My help comes from the LORD,
the
Maker of heaven and earth.
3
He will not let your foot slip--
he
who watches over you will not slumber;
4
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will
neither slumber nor sleep.
5
The LORD watches over you--
the
LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor
the moon by night.
7
The LORD will keep you from all harm--
he
will watch over your life;
8
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both
now and forevermore. [7]
PROVERBS: 31
31
1 The sayings of King
Lemuel--an oracle A his mother taught him:
2
"O my son, O son of my womb,
O
son of my vows, B
3
do not spend your strength on women,
your
vigor on those who ruin kings.
4
"It is not for kings, O Lemuel--
not
for kings to drink wine,
not
for rulers to crave beer,
5
lest they drink and forget what the law decrees,
and
deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
6
Give beer to those who are perishing,
wine
to those who are in anguish;
7
let them drink and forget their poverty
and
remember their misery no more.
8
"Speak up for those
who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
9 Speak up
and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy." [8]
10
C A wife of noble character who can find?
She
is worth far more than rubies.
11
Her husband has full confidence in her
and
lacks nothing of value.
12
She brings him good, not harm,
all
the days of her life.
13
She selects wool and flax
and
works with eager hands.
14
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing
her food from afar.
15
She gets up while it is still dark;
she
provides food for her family
and
portions for her servant girls.
16
She considers a field and buys it;
out
of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17
She sets about her work vigorously;
her
arms are strong for her tasks.
18
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and
her lamp does not go out at night.
19
In her hand she holds the distaff
and
grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20
She opens her arms to the poor
and
extends her hands to the needy.
21
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for
all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22
She makes coverings for her bed;
she
is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23
Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where
he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and
supplies the merchants with sashes.
25
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she
can laugh at the days to come.
26
She speaks with wisdom, [9]
and
faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27
She watches over the affairs of her household
and
does not eat the bread of idleness.
28
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her
husband also, and he praises her:
29
"Many women do noble things,
but
you surpass them all."
30
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but
a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31
Give her the reward she has earned,
and
let her works bring her praise at the city gate. [10]
OLD TESTAMENT: JEREMIAH 35:1 - 36:32
35 1
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD
during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: 2 "Go to the Recabite family and invite them to come to one of
the side rooms of the house of the LORD and give them wine to drink."
3 So
I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his
brothers and all his sons--the whole family of the Recabites. 4 I
brought them into the house of the LORD, into the room of the sons of Hanan son
of Igdaliah the man of God. It was next to the room of the officials, which was
over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper. 5 Then I set
bowls full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite family and said
to them, "Drink some wine."
6 But
they replied, "We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of
Recab gave us this command: `Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink
wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant
vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in
tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.' 8
We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded
us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine 9
or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. 10 We
have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab
commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded
this land, we said, `Come, we must go to Jerusalem to escape the Babylonian A
and Aramean armies.' So we have remained in Jerusalem."
12 Then
the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying: 13 "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go
and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, `Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?'
declares the LORD.
14 `Jonadab son of Recab ordered his sons not to drink wine and
this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they
obey their forefather's command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet
you have not obeyed me.
15 Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said,
"Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do
not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have
given to you and your fathers." But you have not paid attention or
listened to me. 16 The
descendants of Jonadab son of Recab have carried out the command their
forefather gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.'
17 "Therefore,
this is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: `Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living
in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but
they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.'"
18 Then
Jeremiah said to the family of the Recabites, "This
is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: `You have obeyed the
command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have
done everything he ordered.' 19 Therefore,
this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: `Jonadab son of Recab
will never fail to have a man to serve me.'" [11]
36 1
In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of
Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 "Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to
you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began
speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. 3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster
I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I
will forgive their wickedness and their sin."
4 So
Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words
the LORD had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. 5 Then
Jeremiah told Baruch, "I am restricted; I cannot go to the LORD's temple. 6
So you go to the house of the LORD on a day of fasting and read to the
people from the scroll the words of the LORD that you wrote as I dictated. Read
them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns. 7 Perhaps
they will bring their petition before the LORD, and each will turn from his
wicked ways, for the anger and wrath pronounced against this people by the LORD
are great."
8 Baruch
son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the LORD's
temple he read the words of the LORD from the scroll. 9 In the ninth
month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of
fasting before the LORD was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and
those who had come from the towns of Judah. 10 From the room of
Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper courtyard at the
entrance of the New Gate of the temple, Baruch read to all the people at the
LORD's temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll.
11 When
Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD
from the scroll, 12 he went down to the secretary's room in the
royal palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the secretary,
Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan,
Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. 13 After
Micaiah told them everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the
scroll, 14 all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son
of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, "Bring the scroll from
which you have read to the people and come." So Baruch son of Neriah went
to them with the scroll in his hand.
15 They
said to him, "Sit down, please, and read it to us."
So Baruch read it to
them. 16 When they heard all these words, they looked at each other
in fear and said to Baruch, "We must report all these words to the
king." 17 Then they asked Baruch, "Tell us, how did you
come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?"
18 "Yes,"
Baruch replied, "he dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them in
ink on the scroll."
19 Then
the officials said to Baruch, "You and Jeremiah, go and hide. Don't let
anyone know where you are."
20 After
they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the
king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. 21 The king
sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama
the secretary and read it to the king and all the officials standing beside
him. 22 It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the
winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. [12]
23 Whenever
Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with
a scribe's knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was
burned in the fire. 24 The king and all his attendants who heard all
these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. 25 Even
though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he
would not listen to them.
26 Instead,
the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and
Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet.
But the LORD had hidden them.
27 After
the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at
Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 28 "Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were
on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. 29 Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, `This is what the LORD
says: You burned that scroll and said, "Why did you write on it that the
king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and cut off both men
and animals from it?"
30 Therefore,
this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body
will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night. 31 I will punish him and his children and his attendants for
their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the
people of Judah every disaster I pronounced against them, because they have not
listened.'"
32 So
Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah,
and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that
Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were
added to them. [13]
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 TIMOTHY 5:1 - 25
5 1
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as
if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women
as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
3 Give
proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4 But if
a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put
their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying
their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 5 The
widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and
continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. 6 But the
widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7 Give
the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. 8
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his
immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 No
widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been
faithful to her husband, A
10 and
is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing
hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and
devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
11 As
for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual
desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. 12 Thus
they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge.
13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about
from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and
busybodies, saying things they ought not to. 14 So I counsel younger
widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy
no opportunity for slander. 15Some have in fact already turned away
to follow Satan.
16 If
any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and
not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those
widows who are really in need.
17 The
elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor,
especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For the
Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it
is treading out the grain," B and "The worker deserves his wages." C 19
Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by
two or three witnesses. 20 Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly,
so that the others may take warning.
21 I
charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep
these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.
22 Do
not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others.
Keep yourself pure.
23 Stop
drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your
frequent illnesses. [14]
24 The
sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the
sins of others trail behind them. 25 In the same way, good deeds are
obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden. [15]
[1]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[2]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[3]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[4]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[5]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[6]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[7]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[8]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[9]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
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
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[13] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[14] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[15] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
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