NOVEMBER 12
PSALMS: 12, 42, 72,
102, 132
PROVERBS: 12
OLD TESTAMENT: EXODUS 13:17 -
15:18
NEW TESTAMENT: MATTHEW 21:23 -
46
PSALMS: 12
For the director of music. According to sheminith. A A psalm of David.
1 Help, LORD, for the godly are no more;
the faithful have vanished from among men.
2 Everyone lies to his neighbor;
their flattering lips speak with deception.
3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue
4 that says, "We will triumph with our tongues;
we own our lips B--who is our master?"
5 "Because of the oppression of
the weak
and the groaning of the needy,
I will now arise," says the LORD.
"I will protect them from those
who malign them."
6 And the words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver refined in a furnace of clay,
purified seven times.
7 O LORD, you will keep us safe
and protect us from such people forever.
8 The wicked freely strut about
when what is vile is honored among men. [1]
PSALMS: 42
For A the director of music. A maskil B of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
My C soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon--from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me--
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. [2]
PSALMS: 72
Of Solomon.
1 Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
2 He will A judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
3 The mountains will bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
4 He will defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
he will crush the oppressor.
5 He will endure B as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
6 He will be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
7 In his days the righteous will flourish;
prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.
8 He will rule from sea to sea
and from the River C to the ends of the earth.
D
9 The desert tribes will bow before him
and his enemies will lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
will bring tribute to him;
the kings of Sheba and Seba
will present him gifts.
11 All kings will bow down to him
and all nations will serve him. [3]
Of Solomon.
12
For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted
who have no one to help.
13
He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the
needy from death.
14
He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious
is their blood in his sight.
15
Long may he live!
May gold from
Sheba be given him.
May people
ever pray for him
and bless him
all day long.
16
Let grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of
the hills may it sway.
Let its fruit
flourish like Lebanon;
let it thrive
like the grass of the field.
17
May his name endure forever;
may it
continue as long as the sun.
All nations
will be blessed through him,
and they will
call him blessed. [4]
18
Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does
marvelous deeds.
19
Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole
earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and
Amen.
20
This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse. [5]
PSALMS: 102
A prayer of an afflicted man. When he is faint and pours out his
lament before the LORD.
1 Hear my prayer, O LORD;
let my cry for help come to you.
2 Do not hide your face from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.
3 For my days vanish like smoke;
my bones burn like glowing embers.
4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;
I forget to eat my food.
5 Because of my loud groaning
I am reduced to skin and bones.
6 I am like a desert owl,
like an owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake; I have become
like a bird alone on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me;
those who rail against me use my name as a curse.
9 For I eat ashes as my food
and mingle my drink with tears
10 because of your great wrath,
for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like the evening shadow;
I wither away like grass. [6]
12 But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever;
your renown endures through all generations.
13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show favor to her;
the appointed time has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
her very dust moves them to pity.
15 The nations will fear the name of the LORD,
all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.
16 For the LORD will rebuild Zion
and appear in his glory.
17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute;
he will not despise their plea.
18 Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created may praise the LORD:
19 "The LORD looked down from his
sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners
and release those condemned to death."
21 So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
assemble to worship the LORD.
23 In the course of my life A he broke my
strength;
he cut short my days.
24 So I said:
"Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days;
your years go on through all generations.
25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.[7]
26 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.
28 The children of your servants will live in your presence;
their descendants will be established before you." [8]
PSALMS: 132
A song of ascents.
1 O LORD, remember David
and all the hardships he endured.
2 He swore an oath to the LORD
and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 "I will not enter my house
or go to my bed--
4 I will allow no sleep to my eyes,
no slumber to my eyelids,
5 till I find a place for the LORD,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."
6 We heard it in Ephrathah,
we came upon it in the fields of Jaar A:B
7 "Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool--
8 arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
9 May your priests be clothed with righteousness;
may your saints sing for joy."
10 For the sake of David your servant,
do not reject your anointed one. [9]
11The LORD swore an oath to David,
a sure oath that he will not revoke:
"One of your own
descendants
I will place on your throne--
12 if your sons keep my covenant
and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
on your throne for ever and ever."
13 For the LORD has chosen Zion,
he has desired it for his dwelling:
14 "This is my resting place for
ever and ever;
here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it--
15 I will bless her with abundant provisions;
her poor will I satisfy with food.
16 I will clothe her priests with salvation,
and her saints will ever sing for joy.
17 "Here I will make a horn
C grow for
David
and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but the crown on his head will be resplendent." [10]
PROVERBS: 12
12 1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates correction is stupid.
2 A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
but the LORD condemns a crafty man.
3 A man cannot be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.
4 A wife of noble character is her husband's crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.
5 The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.
7 Wicked men are overthrown and are no more,
but the house of the righteous stands firm.
8 A man is praised according to his wisdom,
but men with warped minds are despised.
9 Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food.
10 A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
11 He who works his land will have abundant food,
but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. [11]
12 The wicked desire the plunder of evil men,
but the root of the righteous flourishes.
13 An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk,
but a righteous man escapes trouble.
14 From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things
as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.
15 The way of a fool seems right to him,
but a wise man listens to advice.
16 A fool shows his annoyance at once,
but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
17 A truthful witness gives honest testimony,
but a false witness tells lies.
18 Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
20 There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but joy for those who promote peace.
21 No harm befalls the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble. [12]
22 The LORD detests lying lips,
but he delights in men who are truthful.
23 A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself,
but the heart of fools blurts out folly.
24 Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in slave labor.
25 An anxious heart weighs a man down,
but a kind word cheers him up.
26 A righteous man is cautious in friendship, A
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 The lazy man does not roast B his game,
but the diligent man prizes his possessions.
28 In the way of righteousness there is life;
along that path is immortality. [13]
OLD TESTAMENT: EXODUS 13:17 -
15:18
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road
through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their
minds and return to Egypt." 18 So God led the
people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. A The
Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the
sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, "God will surely come to your aid,
and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place." B
20 After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.
21 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud
to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light,
so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the
pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front
of the people.
14 1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near
Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly
opposite Baal Zephon. 3 Pharaoh will think, `The Israelites are wandering around the land in
confusion, hemmed in by the desert.' 4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will
pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army,
and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." So the Israelites did
this.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and
his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We
have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" 6
So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the
other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8
The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued
the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The
Egyptians--all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen A
and troops--pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea
near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the
Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.
11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no
graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to
us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in
Egypt, `Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better
for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will
see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today
you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you;
you need only to be still." [14]
15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.
16 Raise your
staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the
Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the
hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain
glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.
18 The
Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his
chariots and his horsemen."
19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's
army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in
front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies
of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one
side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night
the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.
The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went
through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their
left.
23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and
horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last
watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the
Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He made the
wheels of their chariots come off B so that they had
difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites!
The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt."
26 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back
over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." 27
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went
back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward C it,
and the LORD swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed
back and covered the chariots and horsemen--the entire army of Pharaoh that had
followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.
29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of
water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the
LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians
lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw
the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the
LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
15 1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: [15]
"I will sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea.
2 The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will exalt him.
3 The LORD is a warrior;
the LORD is his name.
4 Pharaoh's chariots and his army
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh's officers
are drowned in the Red Sea. A
5 The deep waters have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.
6 "Your right hand, O LORD,
was majestic in power.
Your right hand, O LORD,
shattered the enemy.
7 In the greatness of your majesty
you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;
it consumed them like stubble.
8 By the blast of your nostrils [16]
the waters piled up.
The surging waters stood firm like a wall;
the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 "The enemy boasted,
`I will pursue, I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;
I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand will destroy them.'
10 But you blew with your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.
11 "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD?
Who is like you--
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
12 You stretched out your right hand
and the earth swallowed them.
13 "In your unfailing love you will lead
the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them [17]
to your holy dwelling.
14 The nations will hear and tremble;
anguish will grip the people of Philistia.
15 The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,
the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,
the people B of Canaan will melt away;
16 terror and dread will fall upon them.
By the power of your arm
they will be as still as a stone--
until your people pass by, O LORD,
until the people you bought C pass by.
17 You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of your inheritance--
the place, O LORD, you made for your dwelling,
the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established.
18 The LORD will reign
NEW TESTAMENT: MATTHEW 21:23 -
46
23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the
chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are
you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"
24 Jesus replied, "I will also ask
you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing
these things. 25 John's baptism--where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from
men?"
They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, `From
heaven,' he will ask, `Then why didn't you believe him?' 26
But if we say, `From men'--we are afraid of the people, for they all hold
that John was a prophet."
27 So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."
Then he said, "Neither will I
tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
28 "What do you think? There was a
man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, `Son, go and work today in
the vineyard.'
29 "`I will not,' he answered, but
later he changed his mind and went.
30 "Then the father went to the
other son and said the same thing. He answered, `I will, sir,' but he did not
go.
31 "Which of the two did what his
father wanted?"
"The first," they answered.
Jesus said to them, "I tell you
the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of
God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you
did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even
after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
33 "Listen to another parable:
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a
winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some
farmers and went away on a journey. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his
servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
35 "The tenants seized his
servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and
the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. `They will respect my son,' he
said.
38 "But when the tenants saw the
son, they said to each other, `This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take
his inheritance.' 39
So they took him and threw him
out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 "Therefore, when the owner of
the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"
41 "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and
he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the
crop at harvest time."
42 Jesus said to them, "Have you
never read in the Scriptures: [19]
"`The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone H;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes' I?
43 "Therefore I tell you that the
kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will
produce its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom
it falls will be crushed." J
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they
knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way
to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he
was a prophet. [20]
