MAY
31
PSALMS: 31,
61, 91, 121
PROVERBS: 31
OLD TESTAMENT: ESTHER 8:1 - 10:3
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27 - 13:13
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: ESTHER 8:1 - 10:3
8 1
That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate
of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the
king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. 2 The king took
off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to
Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman's estate.
3 Esther
again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to
put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against
the Jews. 4 Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and
she arose and stood before him.
5 "If
it pleases the king," she said, "and if he regards me with favor and
thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be
written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite,
devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces. 6 For
how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the
destruction of my family?"
7 King
Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Because Haman
attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have hanged him
on the gallows. 8 Now write another decree in the king's name in
behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king's signet
ring--for no document written in the king's name and sealed with his ring can
be revoked."
9 At
once the royal secretaries were summoned--on the twenty-third day of the third
month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai's orders to the Jews,
and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from
India to Cush. A These orders were written in the script of each
province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own
script and language. 10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes,
sealed the dispatches with the king's signet ring, and sent them by mounted
couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.
11 The
king's edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect
themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of any nationality
or province that might attack them and their women and children; and to plunder
the property of their enemies. 12 The day appointed for the Jews to
do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the
twelfth month, the month of Adar. 13 A copy of the text of the edict
was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every
nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on
their enemies.
14 The
couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred on by the king's command.
And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa.
15 Mordecai
left the king's presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large
crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a
joyous celebration. 16 For the Jews it was a time of happiness and
joy, gladness and honor.
17 In every province and in every
city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was joy and gladness among the
Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other [11]
nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.
9 1
On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month
of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the
enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned
and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. 2 The
Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack
those seeking their destruction. No one could stand against them, because the
people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. 3 And all
the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king's
administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. 4
Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout
the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.
5 The
Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them,
and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In the
citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.
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
lay their hands on the plunder.
11 The
number of those slain in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same
day. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed
and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of
Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is your
petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be
granted."
13 "If
it pleases the king," Esther answered, "give the Jews in Susa
permission to carry out this day's edict tomorrow also, and let Haman's ten
sons be hanged on gallows."
14 So
the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they
hanged the ten sons of Haman. 15 The Jews in Susa came together on
the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three
hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
16 Meanwhile,
the remainder of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also assembled to
protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five
thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17 This
happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they
rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
18 The
Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then
on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. [12]
19 That
is why rural Jews--those living in villages--observe the fourteenth of the
month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each
other.
20 Mordecai
recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the
provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 21 to have them celebrate
annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 22 as
the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when
their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration.
He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving
presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
23 So
the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai
had written to them. 24 For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite,
the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had
cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. 25 But
when the plot came to the king's attention, A he issued written
orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back
onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
26 (Therefore
these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything
written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened
to them, 27 the Jews took it upon themselves to establish the custom
that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail
observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time
appointed. 28 These days should be remembered and observed in every
generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these
days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the
memory of them die out among their descendants.
29 So
Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full
authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. 30 And
Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of
Xerxes--words of goodwill and assurance—31 to establish these days
of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed
for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in
regard to their times of fasting and lamentation.
32 Esther's
decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the
records. [13]
10 1
King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to
its distant shores. 2 And all his acts of power and might, together
with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king had raised
him, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and
Persia? 3 Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes,
preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews,
because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of
all the Jews. [14]
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27 - 13:13
27 Now
you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And
in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third
teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those
able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in
different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets?
Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of
healing? Do all speak in tongues D? Do all interpret? 31 But
eagerly desire E the greater gifts.
And now I will show you
the most excellent way.
13 1
If I speak in the tongues A of men and of
angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I
am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my
body to the flames, B but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love
is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but
rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always
hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love
never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are
tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when
perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I
talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I
became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a
poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in
part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And
now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is
love. [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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