Genesis 1:1 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
OCTOBER
31
PSALMS: 31, 61, 91, 121
PROVERBS: 31
OLD
TESTAMENT: GENESIS 41:17 - 42:17
NEW
TESTAMENT: MATTHEW 13:24 -
46
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: GENESIS 41:17 -
42:17
17
Then
Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile,
18 when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and
they grazed among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows came
up--scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the
land of Egypt. 20 The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that
came up first. 21 But even after they ate them, no one could tell
that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.
22
"In
my dreams I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single
stalk. 23 After them, seven other heads sprouted--withered and thin
and scorched by the east wind. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed
up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none could explain it
to me."
25
Then
Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one
and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 The
seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven
years; it is one and the same dream. 27
The seven lean, ugly cows that came up
afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain
scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
28
"It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what
he is about to do.
29 Seven
years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,
30 but
seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be
forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the
land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so
severe. 32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is
that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.
33
"And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and
put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34
Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over
the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of
abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that
are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in
the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be
used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the
country may not be ruined by the famine."
37
The
plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh
asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God
B?"
39
Then
Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no
one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my
palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the
throne will I be greater than you."
41
So
Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt."
42
Then
Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He
dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43
He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, C and
men shouted before him, "Make way D!" Thus he put him in charge of
the whole land of Egypt. [11]
44
Then
Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift
hand or foot in all Egypt." 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name
Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On,
E to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
46
Joseph
was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And
Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout Egypt.
47
During
the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. 48 Joseph
collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and
stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields
surrounding it. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like
the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it
was beyond measure.
50
Before
the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of
Potiphera, priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh
F and said, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and
all my father's household." 52 The second son he named Ephraim
G and said, "It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my
suffering."
53
The
seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven
years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the
other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55 When
all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then
Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells you."
56
When
the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and
sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. 57
And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the
famine was severe in all the world.
42
1
When
Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you
just keep looking at each other?" 2 He continued, "I have heard that
there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live
and not die."
3
Then
ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But
Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was
afraid that harm might come to him. 5 So Israel's sons were among
those who went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.
6
Now
Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people.
So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to
the ground. 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them,
but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come
from?" he asked.
"From
the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food."
8
Although
Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Then he
remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You [12]
are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected."
10
"No,
my lord," they answered. "Your servants have come to buy food. 11 We
are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies."
12
"No!"
he said to them. "You have come to see where our land is unprotected."
13
But
they replied, "Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who
lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no
more."
14
Joseph
said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies! 15 And this
is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this
place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of your
number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your
words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as
surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" 17 And he put them all in
custody for three days. [13]
NEW
TESTAMENT: MATTHEW 13:24 -
46
24
Jesus
told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is
like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone
was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went
away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds
also appeared.
27
"The owner's servants came to him and said, `Sir, didn't you
sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
28"`An enemy did this,' he replied.
"The
servants asked him, `Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
29"`No,' he answered, `because while you are pulling the weeds,
you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until
the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds
and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my
barn.' "
31
He
told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is
like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.
32 Though
it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of
garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in
its branches."
33
He
told them still another parable: "The kingdom of
heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount
B of flour until it worked all
through the dough."
34
Jesus
spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them
without using a parable. 35So was fulfilled what was spoken through
the prophet:
"I will open my mouth in parables,
I
will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."
C
36
Then
he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said,
"Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
37
He
answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son
of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the
sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who
sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters
are angels.
40
"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it
will be at the end of the age. 41
The Son of Man will send out his angels,
and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do
evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43
Then the righteous will shine like the
sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. [14]
44
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.
When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he
had and bought that field.
45
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for
fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold
everything he had and bought it. [15]
[1]
Excerpted from Compton
[2]
Excerpted from Compton
[3]
Excerpted from Compton
[4]
Excerpted from Compton
[5]
Excerpted from Compton
[6]
Excerpted from Compton
[7]
Excerpted from Compton
[8]
Excerpted from Compton
[9]
Excerpted from Compton
[10]
Excerpted from Compton
[11]
Excerpted from Compton
[12]
Excerpted from Compton
[13]
Excerpted from Compton
[14]
Excerpted from Compton
[15]
Excerpted from Compton
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
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