Genesis 1:1 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
JULY
31
PSALMS: 31, 61, 91, 121
PROVERBS: 31
OLD
TESTAMENT: JEREMIAH 35:1 - 36:32
NEW
TESTAMENT: 1 TIMOTHY 5:1 -
25
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--
10 then 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: JEREMIAH 35:1 - 36:32
35
1
This
is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD during the reign of Jehoiakim
son of Josiah king of Judah: 2 "Go to the
Recabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of
the LORD and give them wine to drink."
3
So
I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his
brothers and all his sons--the whole family of the Recabites. 4 I
brought them into the house of the LORD, into the room of the sons of Hanan son
of Igdaliah the man of God. It was next to the room of the officials, which was
over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper. 5 Then I set
bowls full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite family and said
to them, "Drink some wine."
6
But
they replied, "We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab
gave us this command: `Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.
7 Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you
must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you
will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.' 8 We have
obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us. Neither we
nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine 9or
built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. 10 We have
lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab commanded
us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded this land, we
said, `Come, we must go to Jerusalem to escape the Babylonian A and
Aramean armies.' So we have remained in Jerusalem."
12
Then
the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying: 13 "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go
and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, `Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?'
declares the LORD.
14
`Jonadab son of Recab ordered his sons not to drink wine and
this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they
obey their forefather's command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet
you have not obeyed me.
15
Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, "Each of
you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other
gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your
fathers." But you have not paid attention or listened to me. 16
The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab have carried out the command their
forefather gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.'
17
"Therefore,
this is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: `Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living
in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they
did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.'"
18
Then
Jeremiah said to the family of the Recabites, "This is
what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: `You have obeyed the command of
your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done
everything he ordered.' 19
Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: `Jonadab son
of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me.'" [11]
36
1
In
the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to
Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 "Take a scroll
and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and
all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of
Josiah till now. 3 Perhaps when the
people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of
them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and
their sin."
4
So
Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words
the LORD had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. 5 Then
Jeremiah told Baruch, "I am restricted; I cannot go to the LORD's temple. 6
So you go to the house of the LORD on a day of fasting and read to the
people from the scroll the words of the LORD that you wrote as I dictated. Read
them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns. 7
Perhaps they will bring their petition before the LORD, and each will turn
from his wicked ways, for the anger and wrath pronounced against this people by
the LORD are great."
8
Baruch
son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the LORD's
temple he read the words of the LORD from the scroll. 9 In the ninth
month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of
fasting before the LORD was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those
who had come from the towns of Judah. 10 From the room of Gemariah
son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance
of the New Gate of the temple, Baruch read to all the people at the LORD's
temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll.
11
When
Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD
from the scroll, 12 he went down to the secretary's room in the royal
palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah
son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of
Hananiah, and all the other officials. 13 After Micaiah told them
everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll, 14
all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the
son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, "Bring the scroll from which you have read to
the people and come." So Baruch son of Neriah went to them with the scroll in
his hand.
15
They
said to him, "Sit down, please, and read it to us."
So
Baruch read it to them. 16 When they heard all these words, they
looked at each other in fear and said to Baruch, "We must report all these words
to the king." 17 Then they asked Baruch, "Tell us, how did you come
to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?"
18
"Yes,"
Baruch replied, "he dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on
the scroll."
19
Then
the officials said to Baruch, "You and Jeremiah, go and hide. Don't let anyone
know where you are."
20
After
they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king
in the courtyard and reported everything to him. 21 The king sent
Jehudi to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the
secretary and read it to the king and all the officials standing beside him.
22 It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter
apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. [12]
23
Whenever
Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with
a scribe's knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was
burned in the fire. 24 The king and all his attendants who heard all
these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. 25 Even
though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he
would not listen to them. 26 Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a
son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest
Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them.
27
After
the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at
Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 28
"Take another scroll and write on it all the
words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up.
29 Also tell Jehoiakim king of
Judah, `This is what the LORD says: You burned that scroll and said, "Why did
you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this
land and cut off both men and animals from it?"
30
Therefore,
this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body
will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night.
31 I will punish him and his
children and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those
living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster I pronounced against
them, because they have not listened.'"
32
So
Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and
as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that
Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were
added to them. [13]
NEW
TESTAMENT: 1 TIMOTHY 5:1 -
25
5
1
Do
not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat
younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women
as sisters, with absolute purity.
3
Give
proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4 But if a
widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put
their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying
their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 5 The
widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and
continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. 6 But the
widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7 Give the
people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. 8
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his
immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9
No
widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been
faithful to her husband, A 10 and is well known for her
good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet
of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of
good deeds.
11
As
for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual
desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. 12
Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their
first pledge. 13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and
going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also
gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. 14 So I
counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to
give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15 Some have in fact
already turned away to follow Satan.
16
If
any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and
not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those
widows who are really in need.
17
The
elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor,
especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For the
Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is
treading out the grain," B and "The worker deserves his wages." C
19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is
brought by two or three witnesses. 20 Those who sin are to be rebuked
publicly, so that the others may take warning.
21
I
charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep
these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.
22
Do
not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others.
Keep yourself pure.
23
Stop
drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your
frequent illnesses. [14]
24
The
sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the
sins of others trail behind them. 25 In the same way, good deeds are
obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden. [15]
[1]
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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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John 3:16-21 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, F that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.G 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." H
