JANUARY
21
PSALMS: 21, 31, 51, 81, 111, 141
PROVERBS: 21
OLD TESTAMENT: JOSHUA 5:1 - 7:15
NEW TESTAMENT: LUKE 15:1 - 32
PSALMS: 21
For
the director of music. A psalm of David.
1
O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength.
How
great is his joy in the victories you give!
2
You have granted him the desire of his heart
and
have not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah
3
You welcomed him with rich blessings
and
placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
4
He asked you for life, and you gave it to him--
length
of days, for ever and ever.
5
Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
you
have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
6
Surely you have granted him eternal blessings
and
made him glad with the joy of your presence.
7
For the king trusts in the LORD;
through
the unfailing love of the Most High
he
will not be shaken.
8
Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;
your
right hand will seize your foes.
9
At the time of your appearing
you
will make them like a fiery furnace.
In
his wrath the LORD will swallow them up,
and
his fire will consume them.
10
You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
their
posterity from mankind.
11
Though they plot evil against you
and
devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed;
12
for you will make them turn their backs
when
you aim at them with drawn bow. [1]
13
Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength;
we
will sing and praise your might. [2]
PSALMS: 51
For
the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him
after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1
Have mercy on me, O God,
according
to your unfailing love;
according
to your great compassion
blot
out my transgressions.
2
Wash away all my iniquity
and
cleanse me from my sin.
3
For I know my transgressions,
and
my sin is always before me.
4
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and
done what is evil in your sight,
so
that you are proved right when you speak
and
justified when you judge.
5
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful
from the time my mother conceived me.
6
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts A;
you
teach B me wisdom in the inmost place.
7
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash
me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let
the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9
Hide your face from my sins
and
blot out all my iniquity. [3]
10
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and
renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11
Do not cast me from your presence
or
take your Holy Spirit from me.
12
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and
grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and
sinners will turn back to you.
14
Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the
God who saves me,
and
my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15
O Lord, open my lips,
and
my mouth will declare your praise.
16
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you
do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17
The sacrifices of God are C a broken
spirit;
a
broken and contrite heart,
O
God, you will not despise.
18
In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build
up the walls of Jerusalem.
19
Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole
burnt offerings to delight you;
then
bulls will be offered on your altar. [4]
PSALMS: 81
For
the director of music. According to gittith. A Of Asaph.
1
Sing for joy to God our strength;
shout
aloud to the God of Jacob!
2
Begin the music, strike the tambourine,
play
the melodious harp and lyre.
3
Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon,
and
when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast;
4
this is a decree for Israel,
an
ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5
He established it as a statute for Joseph
when
he went out against Egypt,
where
we heard a language we did not understand. B
6
He says, "I removed
the burden from their shoulders;
their hands were set free from the basket.
7 In your distress you called and I
rescued you,
I answered you out of a thundercloud;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Selah
8
"Hear, O my people,
and I will warn you--
if you would but listen to me, O Israel!
9 You shall
have no foreign god among you;
you shall not bow down to an alien god.
10 I am the
LORD your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. [5]
11
"But my people would
not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave
them over to their stubborn hearts
to follow their own devices.
13
"If my people would
but listen to me,
if Israel would follow my ways,
14 how
quickly would I subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes!
15 Those who
hate the LORD would cringe before him,
and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you
would be fed with the finest of wheat;
with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."
[6]
PSALMS: 111
1 Praise A the
LORD. B
I
will extol the LORD with all my heart
in
the council of the upright and in the assembly.
2
Great are the works of the LORD;
they
are pondered by all who delight in them.
3
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and
his righteousness endures forever.
4
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the
LORD is gracious and compassionate.
5
He provides food for those who fear him;
he
remembers his covenant forever.
6
He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving
them the lands of other nations.
7
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all
his precepts are trustworthy.
8
They are steadfast for ever and ever,
done
in faithfulness and uprightness.
9
He provided redemption for his people;
he
ordained his covenant forever--
holy
and awesome is his name.
10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all
who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To
him belongs eternal praise. [7]
PSALMS: 141
A
psalm of David.
1
O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me.
Hear
my voice when I call to you.
2
May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may
the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
3
Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD;
keep
watch over the door of my lips.
4
Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to
take part in wicked deeds
with
men who are evildoers;
let
me not eat of their delicacies.
5
Let a righteous man A strike me--it is a
kindness;
let
him rebuke me--it is oil on my head.
My
head will not refuse it.
Yet
my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;
6
their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,
and
the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
7
They will say, "As one plows and breaks up the
earth,
so
our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave. B"
8
But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD;
in
you I take refuge--do not give me over to death.
9
Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,
from
the traps set by evildoers.
10
Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while
I pass by in safety. [8]
PROVERBS: 21
21
1 The king's heart is in
the hand of the LORD;
he
directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
2
All a man's ways seem right to him,
but
the LORD weighs the heart.
3
To do what is right and just
is
more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
4
Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the
lamp of the wicked, are sin!
5
The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as
surely as haste leads to poverty.
6
A fortune made by a lying tongue
is
a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. A
7
The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
for
they refuse to do what is right.
8
The way of the guilty is devious,
but
the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9
Better to live on a corner of the roof
than
share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
10
The wicked man craves evil;
his
neighbor gets no mercy from him. [9]
11
When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
when
a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.
12
The Righteous One B takes note of the house
of the wicked
and
brings the wicked to ruin.
13
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,
he
too will cry out and not be answered.
14
A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and
a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.
15
When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but
terror to evildoers.
16
A man who strays from the path of understanding
comes
to rest in the company of the dead.
17
He who loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever
loves wine and oil will never be rich.
18
The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
and
the unfaithful for the upright.
19
Better to live in a desert
than
with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.
20
In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and
oil,
but
a foolish man devours all he has.
21
He who pursues righteousness and love
finds
life, prosperity C and honor. [10]
22
A wise man attacks the city of the mighty
and
pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.
23
He who guards his mouth and his tongue
keeps
himself from calamity.
24
The proud and arrogant man--"Mocker" is his
name;
he
behaves with overweening pride.
25
The sluggard's craving will be the death of him,
because
his hands refuse to work.
26
All day long he craves for more,
but
the righteous give without sparing.
27
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable--
how
much more so when brought with evil intent!
28
A false witness will perish,
and
whoever listens to him will be destroyed forever. D
29
A wicked man puts up a bold front,
but
an upright man gives thought to his ways.
30
There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
that
can succeed against the LORD.
31
The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but
victory rests with the LORD. [11]
OLD TESTAMENT: JOSHUA 5:1 - 7:15
5 1
Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and
all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the
Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and
they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.
2 At
that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint
knives and circumcise the Israelites again." 3 So Joshua
made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth. A
4 Now
this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt--all the men of military
age--died in the desert on the way after leaving Egypt. 5 All the
people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the
desert during the journey from Egypt had not. 6 The Israelites had
moved about in the desert forty years until all the men who were of military
age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the
LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land that he had solemnly
promised their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So
he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua
circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been
circumcised on the way. 8 And after the whole nation had been
circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.
9 Then
the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled
away the reproach of Egypt from you." So the place has been called
Gilgal B to this day. [12]
10 On
the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the
plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. 11 The
day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the
land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the
day after C they ate this food from the land; there was no longer
any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan.
13 Now
when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of
him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are
you for us or for our enemies?"
14 "Neither,"
he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now
come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked
him, "What message does my Lord D have for his servant?"
15 The
commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the
place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
6 1
Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the
Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2 Then
the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho
into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this
for six days. 4 Have seven priests
carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march
around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long [13]blast
on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the
city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."
6 So
Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of
the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of
it." 7 And he ordered the people, "Advance! March around
the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD."
8 When
Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets
before the LORD went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the LORD's
covenant followed them. 9 The armed guard marched ahead of the
priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this
time the trumpets were sounding. 10 But Joshua had commanded the
people, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a
word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!" 11 So he
had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the
people returned to camp and spent the night there.
12 Joshua
got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
13 The
seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark
of the LORD and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the
rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets kept sounding. 14
So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to
the camp. They did this for six days.
15 On
the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven
times in the same manner, except that on that [14]
day they circled the city seven times. 16 The seventh time around, when
the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people,
"Shout! For the LORD has given you the city!
17 The
city and all that is in it are to be devoted A to the LORD. Only
Rahab the prostitute B and all who are with her in her house shall be
spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 18 But keep away from the
devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking
any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction
and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles
of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury."
20 When
the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when
the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight
in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the LORD and
destroyed with the sword every living thing in it--men and women, young and
old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
22 Joshua
said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's
house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath
to her." 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in
and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to
her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the
camp of Israel.
24 Then
they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and
gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD's house.
25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all
who belonged to her, because she [15]
hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho--and she lives among the
Israelites to this day.
26 At
that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: "Cursed before the LORD is
the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:
"At the cost of his
firstborn son
will he lay its
foundations;
at the cost of his
youngest
will he set up its
gates."
27 So
the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
7 1
But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the
devoted things A; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, B
the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the LORD's anger
burned against Israel.
2 Now
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of
Bethel, and told them, "Go up and spy out the region." So the men
went up and spied out Ai.
3 When
they returned to Joshua, they said, "Not all the people will have to go up
against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary all the
people, for only a few men are there." 4 So about three
thousand men went up; but they were routed [16]
NEW TESTAMENT: LUKE 15:1 - 32
15 1
Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were
all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the
teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with
them."
3 Then
Jesus told them this parable: 4 "Suppose
one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the
ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and
says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not
need to repent.
8 "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coinsA and loses
one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she
finds it? 9 And when she
finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with
me; I have found my lost coin.' 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner who repents."
11 Jesus
continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, `Father, give me my
share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had,
set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild [17] living. 14 After he had
spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began
to be in need. 15 So he went
and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields
to feed pigs. 16 He longed to
fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him
anything.
17 "When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father's
hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have
sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your
hired men.' 20 So he got up
and went to his father.
"But
while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with
compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 "The son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. B'
22 "But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe
and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.
24 For this son
of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began
to celebrate.
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the
house, he heard music and dancing.
26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
27 `Your brother has come,' he replied, `and your father has killed the
fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
[18]
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his
father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, `Look! All these years I've been slaving
for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young
goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with
prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31 "`My
son,' the father said, `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
32 But we had
to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive
again; he was lost and is found.'" [19]
[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
[16] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[17] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[18] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[19] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
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