JANUARY
31
PSALMS: 31, 61, 91, 121
PROVERBS: 31
OLD TESTAMENT: JOSHUA 24:1 - 33
NEW TESTAMENT: LUKE 21:1 - 28
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: JOSHUA 24:1 - 33
24 1
Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at
Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and
they presented themselves before God.
2 Joshua
said to all the people, "This is what the LORD,
the God of Israel, says: `Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father
of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River A and worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the
River and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him
Isaac, 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob
and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his sons
went down to Egypt.
5 "`Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by
what I did there, and I brought you out. 6 When I brought your
fathers out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with
chariots and horsemen B as far as
the Red Sea. C 7 But they
cried to the LORD for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians;
he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what
I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the desert for a long time.
8 "`I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the
Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed
them from before you, and you took possession of their land. 9 When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against
Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. 10 But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and [11] again, and I delivered you out of his hand.
11 "`Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens
of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites,
Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into
your hands. 12 I sent the
hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you--also the two Amorite
kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. 13 So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not
build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you
did not plant.'
14 "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw
away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and
serve the LORD. 15 But if
serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day
whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River,
or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my
household, we will serve the LORD."
16 Then the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD
to serve other gods! 17 It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out
of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our
eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through
which we traveled.
18 And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the
Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the [12] LORD, because he is our God."
19 Joshua
said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God;
he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If
you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on
you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you."
21 But
the people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the LORD."
22 Then
Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to
serve the LORD."
"Yes, we are
witnesses," they replied.
23 "Now
then," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods that are among you
and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel."
24 And
the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the LORD our God and obey
him."
25 On
that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he drew up
for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in
the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there
under the oak near the holy place of the LORD.
27 "See!"
he said to all the people. "This stone will be a witness against us. It
has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against
you if you are untrue to your God."
28 Then
Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance. [13]
29 After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD,
died at the age of a hundred and ten. 30 And they buried him in the
land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah D in the hill country of
Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
31 Israel
served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who
outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel.
32 And
Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at
Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver E
from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of
Joseph's descendants.
33 And
Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah, which had been allotted to
his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim. [14]
NEW TESTAMENT: LUKE 21:1 - 28
21 1
As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their
gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in
two very small copper coins. A 3 "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but
she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned
with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone
will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down."
7 "Teacher,"
they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that
they are about to take place?"
8 He
replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived.
For many will come in my name, claiming, `I am he,' and, `The time is near.' Do
not follow them. 9 When you hear of
wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but
the end will not come right away."
10 Then
he said to them: "Nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in
various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute
you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought
before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 This will result in your being witnesses to them. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend [15] yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries
will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends,
and they will put some of you to death. 17 All men will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By standing firm you will gain life. 20 "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know
that its desolation is near.
21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in
the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been
written. 23 How dreadful
it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be
great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the
nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the
Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth,
nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the
sea. 26 Men will
faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the
heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. 28 When these
things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your
redemption is drawing near." [16]
[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
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