MARCH
19
PSALMS: 19,
49, 79, 109, 139
PROVERBS: 19
OLD
TESTAMENT: 1 KINGS 3:3 - 4:24
NEW
TESTAMENT: ACTS 6:1 - 15
PSALMS: 19
For
the director of music. A psalm of David.
1
The
heavens declare the glory of God;
the
skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2
Day
after day they pour forth speech;
night
after night they display knowledge.
3
There
is no speech or language
where
their voice is not heard. A
4
Their
voice B goes out into all the earth,
their
words to the ends of the world.
In
the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5
which
is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like
a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6
It
rises at one end of the heavens
and
makes its circuit to the other;
nothing
is hidden from its heat.
7
The
law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving
the soul.
The
statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making
wise the simple.
8
The
precepts of the LORD are right,
giving
joy to the heart.
The
commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving
light to the eyes.
9
The
fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring
forever.
The
ordinances of the LORD are sure
and
altogether righteous. [1]
10
They
are more precious than gold,
than
much pure gold;
they
are sweeter than honey,
than
honey from the comb.
11
By
them is your servant warned;
in
keeping them there is great reward.
12
Who
can discern his errors?
Forgive
my hidden faults.
13
Keep
your servant also from willful sins;
may
they not rule over me.
Then
will I be blameless,
innocent
of great transgression.
14
May
the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be
pleasing in your sight,
O
LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. [2]
PSALMS: 49
For
the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1
Hear
this, all you peoples;
listen,
all who live in this world,
2
both
low and high,
rich
and poor alike:
3
My
mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the
utterance from my heart will give understanding.
4
I
will turn my ear to a proverb;
with
the harp I will expound my riddle:
5
Why
should I fear when evil days come,
when
wicked deceivers surround me--
6
those
who trust in their wealth
and
boast of their great riches?
7
No
man can redeem the life of another
or
give to God a ransom for him--
8
the
ransom for a life is costly,
no
payment is ever enough--
9
that
he should live on forever
and
not see decay.
10
For
all can see that wise men die;
the
foolish and the senseless alike perish
and
leave their wealth to others.
11
Their
tombs will remain their houses A forever,
their
dwellings for endless generations,
though
they had B named lands after themselves. [3]
12
But
man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he
is C like the beasts that perish.
13
This
is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and
of their followers, who approve their sayings.
Selah
14
Like
sheep they are destined for the grave, D
and
death will feed on them.
The
upright will rule over them in the morning;
their
forms will decay in the grave, E
far
from their princely mansions.
15
But
God will redeem my lifeF from the grave;
he
will surely take me to himself.
Selah
16
Do
not be overawed when a man grows rich,
when
the splendor of his house increases;
17
for
he will take nothing with him when he dies,
his
splendor will not descend with him.
18
Though
while he lived he counted himself blessed--
and
men praise you when you prosper--
19
he
will join the generation of his fathers,
who
will never see the light of life.
20
A
man who has riches without understanding
is
like the beasts that perish. [4]
PSALMS: 79
A
psalm of Asaph.
1
O
God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;
they
have defiled your holy temple,
they
have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.
2
They
have given the dead bodies of your servants
as
food to the birds of the air,
the
flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.
3
They
have poured out blood like water
all
around Jerusalem,
and
there is no one to bury the dead.
4
We
are objects of reproach to our neighbors,
of
scorn and derision to those around us.
5
How
long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever?
How
long will your jealousy burn like fire?
6
Pour
out your wrath on the nations
that
do not acknowledge you,
on
the kingdoms
that
do not call on your name;
7
for
they have devoured Jacob
and
destroyed his homeland.
8
Do
not hold against us the sins of the fathers;
may
your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for
we are in desperate need.
9
Help
us, O God our Savior,
for
the glory of your name;
deliver
us and forgive our sins
for
your name's sake.
10
Why
should the nations say,
"Where
is their God?" [5]
Before
our eyes, make known among the nations
that
you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.
11
May
the groans of the prisoners come before you;
by
the strength of your arm
preserve
those condemned to die.
12
Pay
back into the laps of our neighbors seven times
the
reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord.
13
Then
we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will
praise you forever;
from
generation to generation
we
will recount your praise. [6]
PSALMS: 109
For
the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1
O
God, whom I praise,
do
not remain silent,
2
for
wicked and deceitful men
have
opened their mouths against me;
they
have spoken against me with lying tongues.
3
With
words of hatred they surround me;
they
attack me without cause.
4
In
return for my friendship they accuse me,
but
I am a man of prayer.
5
They
repay me evil for good,
and
hatred for my friendship.
6
Appoint
A an evil man B to oppose him;
let
an accuser C stand at his right hand.
7
When
he is tried, let him be found guilty,
and
may his prayers condemn him.
8
May
his days be few;
may
another take his place of leadership.
9
May
his children be fatherless
and
his wife a widow.
10
May
his children be wandering beggars;
may
they be driven D from their ruined homes.
11
May
a creditor seize all he has;
may
strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
12
May
no one extend kindness to him
or
take pity on his fatherless children.
13
May
his descendants be cut off, [7]
their
names blotted out from the next generation.
14
May
the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD;
may
the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15
May
their sins always remain before the LORD,
that
he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
16
For
he never thought of doing a kindness,
but
hounded to death the poor
and
the needy and the brokenhearted.
17
He
loved to pronounce a curse--
may
it E come on him;
he
found no pleasure in blessing--
may
it be F far from him.
18
He
wore cursing as his garment;
it
entered into his body like water,
into
his bones like oil.
19
May
it be like a cloak wrapped about him,
like
a belt tied forever around him.
20
May
this be the LORD's payment to my accusers,
to
those who speak evil of me.
21
But
you, O Sovereign LORD,
deal
well with me for your name's sake;
out
of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
22
For
I am poor and needy,
and
my heart is wounded within me.
23
I
fade away like an evening shadow;
I
am shaken off like a locust.
24
My
knees give way from fasting;
my
body is thin and gaunt.
25
I
am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when
they see me, they shake their heads. [8]
26
Help
me, O LORD my God;
save
me in accordance with your love.
27
Let
them know that it is your hand,
that
you, O LORD, have done it.
28
They
may curse, but you will bless;
when
they attack they will be put to shame,
but
your servant will rejoice.
29
My
accusers will be clothed with disgrace
and
wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
30
With
my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD;
in
the great throng I will praise him.
31
For
he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
to
save his life from those who condemn him. [9]
PSALMS: 139
For
the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1
O
LORD, you have searched me
and
you know me.
2
You
know when I sit and when I rise;
you
perceive my thoughts from afar.
3
You
discern my going out and my lying down;
you
are familiar with all my ways.
4
Before
a word is on my tongue
you
know it completely, O LORD.
5
You
hem me in--behind and before;
you
have laid your hand upon me.
6
Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too
lofty for me to attain.
7
Where
can I go from your Spirit?
Where
can I flee from your presence?
8
If
I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if
I make my bed in the depths, A you are there.
9
If
I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if
I settle on the far side of the sea,
10
even
there your hand will guide me,
your
right hand will hold me fast.
1
If
I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and
the light become night around me,"
12
even
the darkness will not be dark to you;
the
night will shine like the day,
for
darkness is as light to you. [10]
13
For
you created my inmost being;
you
knit me together in my mother's womb.
14
I
praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your
works are wonderful,
I
know that full well.
15
My
frame was not hidden from you
when
I was made in the secret place.
When
I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16
your
eyes saw my unformed body.
All
the days ordained for me
were
written in your book
before
one of them came to be.
17
How
precious to B me are your thoughts, O God!
How
vast is the sum of them!
18
Were
I to count them,
they
would outnumber the grains of sand.
When
I awake,
I
am still with you.
19
If
only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away
from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20
They
speak of you with evil intent;
your
adversaries misuse your name.
21
Do
I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and
abhor those who rise up against you?
22
I
have nothing but hatred for them;
I
count them my enemies.
23
Search
me, O God, and know my heart;
test
me and know my anxious thoughts.
24
See
if there is any offensive way in me,
and
lead me in the way everlasting. [11]
PROVERBS: 19
19
1
Better a poor man whose walk is blameless
than
a fool whose lips are perverse.
2
It
is not good to have zeal without knowledge,
nor
to be hasty and miss the way.
3
A
man's own folly ruins his life,
yet
his heart rages against the LORD.
4
Wealth
brings many friends,
but
a poor man's friend deserts him.
5
A
false witness will not go unpunished,
and
he who pours out lies will not go free.
6
Many
curry favor with a ruler,
and
everyone is the friend of a man who gives gifts.
7
A
poor man is shunned by all his relatives--
how
much more do his friends avoid him!
Though
he pursues them with pleading,
they
are nowhere to be found. A
8
He
who gets wisdom loves his own soul;
he
who cherishes understanding prospers.
9
A
false witness will not go unpunished,
and
he who pours out lies will perish.
10
It
is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury--
how
much worse for a slave to rule over princes!
11
A
man's wisdom gives him patience;
it
is to his glory to overlook an offense. [12]
12
A
king's rage is like the roar of a lion,
but
his favor is like dew on the grass.
13
A
foolish son is his father's ruin,
and
a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.
14
Houses
and wealth are inherited from parents,
but
a prudent wife is from the LORD.
15
Laziness
brings on deep sleep,
and
the shiftless man goes hungry.
16
He
who obeys instructions guards his life,
but
he who is contemptuous of his ways will die.
17
He
who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD,
and
he will reward him for what he has done.
18
Discipline
your son, for in that there is hope;
do
not be a willing party to his death.
19
A
hot-tempered man must pay the penalty;
if
you rescue him, you will have to do it again.
20
Listen
to advice and accept instruction,
and
in the end you will be wise.
21
Many
are the plans in a man's heart,
but
it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
22
What
a man desires is unfailing love B;
better
to be poor than a liar. [13]
23
The
fear of the LORD leads to life:
Then
one rests content, untouched by trouble.
24
The
sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he
will not even bring it back to his mouth!
25
Flog
a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
rebuke
a discerning man, and he will gain knowledge.
26
He
who robs his father and drives out his mother
is
a son who brings shame and disgrace.
27
Stop
listening to instruction, my son,
and
you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28
A
corrupt witness mocks at justice,
and
the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
29
Penalties
are prepared for mockers,
and
beatings for the backs of fools. [14]
OLD
TESTAMENT: 1 KINGS 3:3 - 4:34
3
3
Solomon
showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the statutes of his father
David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
4
The
king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high
place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and
God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give
you."
6
Solomon
answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David,
because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have
continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his
throne this very day.
7
"Now,
O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But
I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8
Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too
numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning
heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who
is able [15]
to govern this great people of yours?"
10
The
Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to
him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long
life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but
for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and
discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will
there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will
give you what you have not asked for--both riches and honor--so that in your
lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and
commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life." 15
Then Solomon awoke--and he realized it had been a dream.
He
returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant and
sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. A Then he gave a
feast for all his court.
16
Now
two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them
said, "My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she
was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born, this
woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two
of us.
19
"During
the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got
up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant
was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21
The next morning, I got up to nurse my son--and he was dead! But when I
looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had
borne." [16]
22 The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one
is yours."
But
the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." And
so they argued before the king.
23The
king said, "This one says, `My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that
one says, `No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.'"
24
Then
the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. 25
He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one
and half to the other."
26
The
woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the
king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!"
But
the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!"
27
Then
the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill
him; she is his mother."
28
When
all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe,
because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice. [17]
4
1
So
King Solomon ruled over all Israel. 2 And these were his chief
officials:
Azariah
son of Zadok--the priest;
3
Elihoreph
and Ahijah, sons of Shisha--secretaries;
Jehoshaphat
son of Ahilud--recorder;
4
Benaiah
son of Jehoiada--commander in chief;
Zadok
and Abiathar--priests;
5
Azariah
son of Nathan--in charge of the district officers;
Zabud
son of Nathan--a priest and personal adviser to the king;
6
Ahishar--in
charge of the palace;
Adoniram
son of Abda--in charge of forced labor.
7
Solomon
also had twelve district governors over all Israel, who supplied provisions for
the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month
in the year. 8 These are their names:
Ben-Hur--in
the hill country of Ephraim;
9
Ben-Deker--in
Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan;
10
Ben-Hesed--in
Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher were his);
11
Ben-Abinadab--in
Naphoth DorA (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);
12
Baana
son of Ahilud--in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan
below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel [18]
Meholah across to Jokmeam;
13
Ben-Geber--in
Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as
well as the district of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities with
bronze gate bars);
14
Ahinadab
son of Iddo--in Mahanaim;
15
Ahimaaz--in
Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);
16
Baana
son of Hushai--in Asher and in Aloth;
17
Jehoshaphat
son of Paruah--in Issachar;
18
Shimei
son of Ela--in Benjamin;
19
Geber
son of Uri--in Gilead (the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and the country
of Og king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district.
20
The
people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they
ate, they drank and they were happy. 21 And Solomon ruled over all
the kingdoms from the River B to the land of the Philistines, as far
as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon's
subjects all his life.
22
Solomon's
daily provisions were thirty cors C of fine flour and sixty cors
D of meal,
23
ten
head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and
goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl. 24 For he
ruled over all the kingdoms west of the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had
peace on all sides. [19]
25
During
Solomon's lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety,
each man under his own vine and fig tree.
26
Solomon
had four E thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand
horses. F
27
The
district officers, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and
all who came to the king's table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking.
28 They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and
straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.
29
God
gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as
measureless as the sand on the seashore.
30
Solomon's
wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than
all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than any other man,
including Ethan the Ezrahite--wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of
Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He
spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.
33 He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop
that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and
fish. 34 Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent
by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. [20]
NEW
TESTAMENT: ACTS 6:1 - 15
6
1
In
those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among
them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being
overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve
gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to
neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3
Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the
Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4
and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
5
This
proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of
the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas
from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the
apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7
So
the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly,
and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
8
Now
Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous
signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of
the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)--Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria
as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with
Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the
Spirit by whom he spoke.
11
Then
they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have [21]
heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God."
12
So
they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They
seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
13
They
produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking
against this holy place and against the law.
14
For
we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and
change the customs Moses handed down to us."
15
All
who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that
his face was like the face of an angel. [22]
[1]
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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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[10]
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[11]
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[12]
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[13]
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[14]
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[15]
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[16]
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[17]
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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
[20]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
[21]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
[22]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
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