MARCH
25
PSALMS: 25, 55, 85, 115,
145
PROVERBS: 25
OLD
TESTAMENT: 1 KINGS 12:20 - 13:34
NEW
TESTAMENT: ACTS 9:26 - 43
PSALMS: 25
Of
David.
1
To
A you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
2
in
you I trust, O my God.
Do
not let me be put to shame,
nor
let my enemies triumph over me.
3
No
one whose hope is in you
will
ever be put to shame,
but
they will be put to shame
who
are treacherous without excuse.
4
Show
me your ways, O LORD,
teach
me your paths;
5
guide
me in your truth and teach me,
for
you are God my Savior,
and
my hope is in you all day long.
6
Remember,
O LORD, your great mercy and love,
for
they are from of old.
7
Remember
not the sins of my youth
and
my rebellious ways;
according
to your love remember me,
for
you are good, O LORD.
8
Good
and upright is the LORD;
therefore
he instructs sinners in his ways.
9
He
guides the humble in what is right
and
teaches them his way.
10
All
the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for
those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11
For
the sake of your name, O LORD,
forgive
my iniquity, though it is great.
12
Who,
then, is the man that fears the LORD? [1]
He
will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
13
He
will spend his days in prosperity,
and
his descendants will inherit the land.
14
The
LORD confides in those who fear him;
he
makes his covenant known to them.
15
My
eyes are ever on the LORD,
for
only he will release my feet from the snare.
16
Turn
to me and be gracious to me,
for
I am lonely and afflicted.
17
The
troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free
me from my anguish.
18
Look
upon my affliction and my distress
and
take away all my sins.
19
See
how my enemies have increased
and
how fiercely they hate me!
20
Guard
my life and rescue me;
let
me not be put to shame,
for
I take refuge in you.
21
May
integrity and uprightness protect me,
because
my hope is in you.
22
Redeem
Israel, O God,
from
all their troubles! [2]
PSALMS: 55
For
the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil A
of David.
1
Listen
to my prayer, O God,
do
not ignore my plea;
2
hear
me and answer me.
My
thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3
at
the voice of the enemy,
at
the stares of the wicked;
for
they bring down suffering upon me
and
revile me in their anger.
4
My
heart is in anguish within me;
the
terrors of death assail me.
5
Fear
and trembling have beset me;
horror
has overwhelmed me.
6
I
said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I
would fly away and be at rest--
7
I
would flee far away
and
stay in the desert;
Selah
8
I
would hurry to my place of shelter,
far
from the tempest and storm."
9
Confuse
the wicked, O Lord, confound their speech,
for
I see violence and strife in the city.
10
Day
and night they prowl about on its walls;
malice
and abuse are within it.
11
Destructive
forces are at work in the city;
threats
and lies never leave its streets. [3]
12
If
an enemy were insulting me,
I
could endure it;
if
a foe were raising himself against me,
I
could hide from him.
13
But
it is you, a man like myself,
my
companion, my close friend,
14
with
whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
as
we walked with the throng at the house of God.
15
Let
death take my enemies by surprise;
let
them go down alive to the grave, B
for
evil finds lodging among them.
16
But
I call to God,
and
the LORD saves me.
17
Evening,
morning and noon
I
cry out in distress,
and
he hears my voice.
18
He
ransoms me unharmed
from
the battle waged against me,
even
though many oppose me.
19
God,
who is enthroned forever,
will
hear them and afflict them--
Selah
men
who never change their ways
and
have no fear of God.
20
My
companion attacks his friends;
he
violates his covenant.
21
His
speech is smooth as butter,
yet
war is in his heart;
his
words are more soothing than oil, [4]
yet
they are drawn swords.
22
Cast
your cares on the LORD
and
he will sustain you;
he
will never let the righteous fall.
23
But
you, O God, will bring down the wicked
into
the pit of corruption;
bloodthirsty
and deceitful men
will
not live out half their days.
But
as for me, I trust in you. [5]
PSALMS: 85
For
the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1
You
showed favor to your land, O LORD;
you
restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2
You
forgave the iniquity of your people
and
covered all their sins.
Selah
3
You
set aside all your wrath
and
turned from your fierce anger.
4
Restore
us again, O God our Savior,
and
put away your displeasure toward us.
5
Will
you be angry with us forever?
Will
you prolong your anger through all generations?
6
Will
you not revive us again,
that
your people may rejoice in you?
7
Show
us your unfailing love, O LORD,
and
grant us your salvation.
8
I
will listen to what God the LORD will say;
he
promises peace to his people, his saints--
but
let them not return to folly.
9
Surely
his salvation is near those who fear him,
that
his glory may dwell in our land.
10
Love
and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness
and peace kiss each other.
11
Faithfulness
springs forth from the earth,
and
righteousness looks down from heaven.
12
The
LORD will indeed give what is good,
and
our land will yield its harvest.
13
Righteousness
goes before him [6]
and
prepares the way for his steps. [7]
PSALMS: 115
1
Not
to us, O LORD, not to us
but
to your name be the glory,
because
of your love and faithfulness.
2
Why
do the nations say,
"Where
is their God?"
3
Our
God is in heaven;
he
does whatever pleases him.
4
But
their idols are silver and gold,
made
by the hands of men.
5
They
have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes,
but they cannot see;
6
they
have ears, but cannot hear,
noses,
but they cannot smell;
7
they
have hands, but cannot feel,
feet,
but they cannot walk;
nor
can they utter a sound with their throats.
8
Those
who make them will be like them,
and
so will all who trust in them.
9
O
house of Israel, trust in the LORD--
he
is their help and shield.
10
O
house of Aaron, trust in the LORD--
he
is their help and shield.
11
You
who fear him, trust in the LORD--
he
is their help and shield.
12
The
LORD remembers us and will bless us:
He
will bless the house of Israel,
he
will bless the house of Aaron,
13
he
will bless those who fear the LORD--
small
and great alike. [8]
14
May
the LORD make you increase,
both
you and your children.
15
May
you be blessed by the LORD,
the
Maker of heaven and earth.
16
The
highest heavens belong to the LORD,
but
the earth he has given to man.
17
It
is not the dead who praise the LORD,
those
who go down to silence;
18
it
is we who extol the LORD,
both
now and forevermore.
Praise
the LORD. A [9]
PSALMS: 145
A
psalm of praise. Of David.
1
I
A will exalt you, my God the King;
I
will praise your name for ever and ever.
2
Every
day I will praise you
and
extol your name for ever and ever.
3
Great
is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his
greatness no one can fathom.
4
One
generation will commend your works to another;
they
will tell of your mighty acts.
5
They
will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and
I will meditate on your wonderful works. B
6
They
will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and
I will proclaim your great deeds.
7
They
will celebrate your abundant goodness
and
joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8
The
LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow
to anger and rich in love.
9
The
LORD is good to all;
he
has compassion on all he has made.
10
All
you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your
saints will extol you.
11
They
will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and
speak of your might,
12
so
that all men may know of your mighty acts
and
the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13
Your
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and
your dominion endures through all generations. [10]
The
LORD is faithful to all his promises
and
loving toward all he has made.C
14
The
LORD upholds all those who fall
and
lifts up all who are bowed down.
15
The
eyes of all look to you,
and
you give them their food at the proper time.
16
You
open your hand
and
satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17
The
LORD is righteous in all his ways
and
loving toward all he has made.
18
The
LORD is near to all who call on him,
to
all who call on him in truth.
19
He
fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he
hears their cry and saves them.
20
The
LORD watches over all who love him,
but
all the wicked he will destroy.
21
My
mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let
every creature praise his holy name
for
ever and ever. [11]
PROVERBS: 25
25
1
These
are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of
Judah:
2
It
is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to
search out a matter is the glory of kings.
3
As
the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so
the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
4
Remove
the dross from the silver,
and
out comes material for A the silversmith;
5
remove
the wicked from the king's presence,
and
his throne will be established through righteousness.
6
Do
not exalt yourself in the king's presence,
and
do not claim a place among great men;
7
it
is better for him to say to you, "Come up here,"
than
for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.
What
you have seen with your eyes
8
do not bring B hastily to court,
for
what will you do in the end
if
your neighbor puts you to shame?
9
If
you argue your case with a neighbor,
do
not betray another man's confidence,
10
or
he who hears it may shame you
and
you will never lose your bad reputation.
11
A
word aptly spoken
is
like apples of gold in settings of silver.
12
Like
an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is
a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear. [12]
13
Like
the coolness of snow at harvest time
is
a trustworthy messenger to those who send him;
he
refreshes the spirit of his masters.
14
Like
clouds and wind without rain
is
a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.
15
Through
patience a ruler can be persuaded,
and
a gentle tongue can break a bone.
16
If
you find honey, eat just enough--
too
much of it, and you will vomit.
17
Seldom
set foot in your neighbor's house--
too
much of you, and he will hate you.
18
Like
a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is
the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor.
19
Like
a bad tooth or a lame foot
is
reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.
20
Like
one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
or
like vinegar poured on soda,
is
one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21
If
your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if
he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22
In
doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and
the LORD will reward you.
23
As
a north wind brings rain,
so
a sly tongue brings angry looks. [13]
24
Better
to live on a corner of the roof
than
share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
25
Like
cold water to a weary soul
is
good news from a distant land.
26
Like
a muddied spring or a polluted well
is
a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.
27
It
is not good to eat too much honey,
nor
is it honorable to seek one's own honor.
28
Like
a city whose walls are broken down
is
a man who lacks self-control. [14]
OLD
TESTAMENT: 1 KINGS 12:20 - 13:34
20
When
all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to
the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained
loyal to the house of David.
21
When
Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered the whole house of Judah and the
tribe of Benjamin--a hundred and eighty thousand fighting men--to make war
against the house of Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of
Solomon.
22
But
this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: 23 "Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to the whole
house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24
`This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to
fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this
is my doing.'" So they obeyed the word of the LORD and went home again,
as the LORD had ordered.
25
Then
Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From
there he went out and built up Peniel. C
26
Jeroboam
thought to himself, "The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.
27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the
LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam
king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam."
28
After
seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is
too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who
brought you up out of Egypt." 29 One he set up in Bethel, and the
other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; the people went even as
far as Dan to worship the [15]
one there.
31
Jeroboam
built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people,
even though they were not Levites. 32 He instituted a festival on the
fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered
sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had
made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made.
33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own
choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he
instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make
offerings.
13
1
By
the word of the LORD a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was
standing by the altar to make an offering. 2 He cried out against the
altar by the word of the LORD: "O altar, altar! This
is what the LORD says: `A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David.
On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings
here, and human bones will be burned on you.'" 3 That same day
the man of God gave a sign: "This is the sign the LORD
has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured
out."
4
When
King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel,
he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, "Seize him!" But the hand he
stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back.
5 Also, the altar was [16]
split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of
God by the word of the LORD.
6
Then
the king said to the man of God, "Intercede with the LORD your God and pray for
me that my hand may be restored." So the man of God interceded with the LORD,
and the king's hand was restored and became as it was before.
7
The
king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and have something to eat, and I
will give you a gift."
8
But
the man of God answered the king, "Even if you were to
give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or
drink water here. 9 For I was
commanded by the word of the LORD: `You must not eat bread or drink water or
return by the way you came.' " 10 So he took another road and
did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.
11
Now
there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel, whose sons came and told him
all that the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father
what he had said to the king. 12 Their father asked them, "Which way
did he go?" And his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had
taken. 13 So he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." And
when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it 14 and rode
after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, "Are you
the man of God who came from Judah?"
"I am," he replied. [17]
15 So the prophet said to him, "Come home
with me and eat."
16
The
man of God said, "I cannot turn back and go with you,
nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place.
17 I have been told by the word of
the LORD: `You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you
came.' "
18
The
old prophet answered, "I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me
by the word of the LORD: `Bring him back with you
to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.'" (But he was
lying to him.) 19 So the man of God returned with him and ate and
drank in his house.
20
While
they were sitting at the table, the word of the LORD came to the old prophet who
had brought him back. 21 He cried out to the man of God who had come
from Judah, "This is what the LORD says: `You have
defied the word of the LORD and have not kept the command the LORD your God gave
you. 22 You came back and ate bread
and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore
your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.'"
23
When
the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him
back saddled his donkey for him. 24 As he went on his way, a lion met
him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with
both the donkey and the lion standing beside it. 25 Some people who
passed by saw the body thrown down there, with the lion standing beside the
body, and they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived. [18]
26 When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard
of it, he said, "It is the man of God who defied
the word of the LORD. The LORD has given him over to the lion, which has mauled
him and killed him, as the word of the LORD had warned him."
27
The
prophet said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me," and they did so. 28
Then he went out and found the body thrown down on the road, with the
donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had neither eaten the body nor
mauled the donkey. 29 So the prophet picked up the body of the man of
God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own city to mourn for him
and bury him. 30 Then he laid the body in his own tomb, and they
mourned over him and said, "Oh, my brother!"
31
After
burying him, he said to his sons, "When I die, bury me in the grave where the
man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 32 For the
message he declared by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and
against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria will
certainly come true."
33
Even
after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed
priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to
become a priest he consecrated for the high places. 34 This was the
sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction
from the face of the earth. [19]
NEW
TESTAMENT: ACTS 9:26 - 43
26
When
he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid
of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.
27
But
Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his
journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in
Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul
stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the
name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but
they tried to kill him.
30
When
the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to
Tarsus.
31
Then
the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was
strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in
the fear of the Lord.
32
As
Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. 33
There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for
eight years.
34
"Aeneas,"
Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat."
Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon
saw him and turned to the Lord.
36
In
Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas
B), who was always doing good and helping the poor.
37
About
that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an
upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard
that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at
once!"
39
Peter
went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the
widows stood around him, crying and [20]
showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was
still with them.
40
Peter
sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning
toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and
seeing Peter she sat up. 41He took her by the hand and helped her to
her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them
alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed
in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner
named Simon. [21]
[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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Reserved
[6]
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Reserved
[7]
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[8]
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Reserved
[9]
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Reserved
[10]
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Reserved
[11]
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Reserved
[12]
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Reserved
[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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[18]
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[19]
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[20]
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[21]
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