Genesis 1:1 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
FEBRUARY
12
PSALMS: 12, 42, 72, 102,
132
PROVERBS: 12
OLD
TESTAMENT: JUDGES 19:1 - 20:48
NEW
TESTAMENT: JOHN 3:22 - 4:3
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]
11
The
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: JUDGES 19:1 - 20:48
19
1
In
those days Israel had no king.
Now
a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a
concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 But she was unfaithful to him.
She left him and went back to her father's house in Bethlehem, Judah. After she
had been there four months, 3 her husband went to her to persuade her
to return. He had with him his servant and two donkeys. She took him into her
father's house, and when her father saw him, he gladly welcomed him. 4
His father-in-law, the girl's father, prevailed upon him to stay; so he
remained with him three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there.
5
On
the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the girl's father
said to his son-in-law, "Refresh yourself with something to eat; then you can
go." 6 So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together.
Afterward the girl's father said, "Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself."
7 And when the man got up to go, his father-in-law persuaded him, so
he stayed there that night. 8 On the morning of the fifth day, when
he rose to go, the girl's father said, "Refresh yourself. Wait till afternoon!"
So the two of them ate together.
9
Then
when the man, with his concubine and his servant, got up to leave, his
father-in-law, the girl's father, said, "Now look, it's almost evening. Spend
the night here; the day is nearly over. Stay and enjoy yourself. Early tomorrow
morning you can get up and be on your way home." 10 But, unwilling to
stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem),
with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine. [14]
11
When
they were near Jebus and the day was almost gone, the servant said to his
master, "Come, let's stop at this city of the Jebusites and spend the night."
12
His
master replied, "No. We won't go into an alien city, whose people are not
Israelites. We will go on to Gibeah." 13 He added, "Come, let's try
to reach Gibeah or Ramah and spend the night in one of those places." 14
So they went on, and the sun set as they neared Gibeah in Benjamin.
15 There they stopped to spend the night. They went and sat in the
city square, but no one took them into his home for the night.
16
That
evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah
(the men of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields.
17 When he looked and saw the traveler in the city square, the old
man asked, "Where are you going? Where did you come from?"
18
He
answered, "We are on our way from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote area in the
hill country of Ephraim where I live. I have been to Bethlehem in Judah and now
I am going to the house of the LORD. No one has taken me into his house. 19
We have both straw and fodder for our donkeys and bread and wine for
ourselves your servants--me, your maidservant, and the young man with us. We
don't need anything."
20
"You
are welcome at my house," the old man said. "Let me supply whatever you need.
Only don't spend the night in the square." 21 So he took him into his
house and fed his donkeys. After they had [15]washed
their feet, they had something to eat and drink.
22
While
they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the
house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house,
"Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."
23
The
owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so
vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing. 24
Look, here is my virgin daughter, and his concubine. I will bring them out
to you now, and you can use them and do to them whatever you wish. But to this
man, don't do such a disgraceful thing."
25
But
the men would not listen to him. So the man took his concubine and sent her
outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at
dawn they let her go. 26 At daybreak the woman went back to the house
where her master was staying, fell down at the door and lay there until
daylight.
27
When
her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped
out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of
the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, "Get
up; let's go." But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and
set out for home.
29
When
he reached home, he took a knife and cut up his concubine, limb by limb, into
twelve parts and sent them into all the areas of Israel. 30 Everyone
who saw it said, "Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day
the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Think about it! Consider it! Tell us what
to do!" [16]
20
1
Then
all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out as
one man and assembled before the LORD in Mizpah. 2 The leaders of all
the people of the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of the
people of God, four hundred thousand soldiers armed with swords. 3
(The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the
Israelites said, "Tell us how this awful thing happened."
4
So
the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, "I and my concubine came to
Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. 5 During the night the men of
Gibeah came after me and surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They raped
my concubine, and she died. 6 I took my concubine, cut her into
pieces and sent one piece to each region of Israel's inheritance, because they
committed this lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.
7
Now,
all you Israelites, speak up and give your verdict."
8
All
the people rose as one man, saying, "None of us will go home. No, not one of us
will return to his house. 9 But now this is what we'll do to Gibeah:
We'll go up against it as the lot directs. 10 We'll take ten men out
of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred from a thousand,
and a thousand from ten thousand, to get provisions for the army. Then, when the
army arrives at Gibeah A in Benjamin, it can give them what they
deserve for all this vileness done in Israel." 11 So all the men of
Israel got together and united as one man against the city.
12
The
tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What about
this awful crime that was committed among you? 13 Now surrender those
wicked men of Gibeah so that we may [17]
put them to death and purge the evil from Israel."
But
the Benjamites would not listen to their fellow Israelites. 14 From
their towns they came together at Gibeah to fight against the Israelites.
15 At once the Benjamites mobilized twenty-six thousand swordsmen
from their towns, in addition to seven hundred chosen men from those living in
Gibeah. 16 Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred chosen
men who were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not
miss.
17
Israel,
apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand swordsmen, all of them
fighting men.
18
The
Israelites went up to Bethel B and inquired of God. They said, "Who
of us shall go first to fight against the Benjamites?"
The
LORD replied, "Judah shall go first."
19
The
next morning the Israelites got up and pitched camp near Gibeah. 20
The men of Israel went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle
positions against them at Gibeah. 21 The Benjamites came out of
Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites on the battlefield that day.
22 But the men of Israel encouraged one another and again took up
their positions where they had stationed themselves the first day.
23
The
Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and they inquired of
the LORD. They said, "Shall we go up again to battle against the Benjamites, our
brothers?"
The
LORD answered, "Go up against them."
24
Then
the Israelites drew near to Benjamin the second day. 25 This time,
when the Benjamites came out from Gibeah to oppose [18]
them, they cut down another eighteen thousand Israelites, all of them armed with
swords.
26
Then
the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping
before the LORD. They fasted that day until evening and presented burnt
offerings and fellowship offerings C to the LORD. 27 And
the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of
God was there, 28 with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron,
ministering before it.) They asked, "Shall we go up again to battle with
Benjamin our brother, or not?"
The
LORD responded, "Go, for tomorrow I will give them
into your hands."
29
Then
Israel set an ambush around Gibeah. 30 They went up against the
Benjamites on the third day and took up positions against Gibeah as they had
done before. 31 The Benjamites came out to meet them and were drawn
away from the city. They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as
before, so that about thirty men fell in the open field and on the roads--the
one leading to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.
32
While
the Benjamites were saying, "We are defeating them as before," the Israelites
were saying, "Let's retreat and draw them away from the city to the roads."
33
All
the men of Israel moved from their places and took up positions at Baal Tamar,
and the Israelite ambush charged out of its place on the west D of
Gibeah. E 34 Then ten thousand of Israel's finest men made
a frontal attack on Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that the Benjamites did
not realize how near disaster was. 35 The LORD [19]
defeated Benjamin before Israel, and on that day the Israelites struck down
25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. 36 Then the Benjamites saw
that they were beaten.
Now
the men of Israel had given way before Benjamin, because they relied on the
ambush they had set near Gibeah. 37 The men who had been in ambush
made a sudden dash into Gibeah, spread out and put the whole city to the sword.
38 The men of Israel had arranged with the ambush that they should
send up a great cloud of smoke from the city, 39 and then the men of
Israel would turn in the battle.
The
Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the men of Israel (about thirty),
and they said, "We are defeating them as in the first battle." 40 But
when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and
saw the smoke of the whole city going up into the sky. 41 Then the
men of Israel turned on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified, because
they realized that disaster had come upon them.
42
So
they fled before the Israelites in the direction of the desert, but they could
not escape the battle. And the men of Israel who came out of the towns cut them
down there. 43 They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them and easily
F overran them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east. 44
Eighteen thousand Benjamites fell, all of them valiant fighters. 45
As they turned and fled toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon, the
Israelites cut down five thousand men along the roads. They kept pressing after
the Benjamites as far as Gidom and struck down two thousand more. [20]
46 On that day twenty-five thousand Benjamite swordsmen fell, all of
them valiant fighters. 47 But six hundred men turned and fled into
the desert to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. 48
The men of Israel went back to Benjamin and put all the towns to the
sword, including the animals and everything else they found. All the towns they
came across they set on fire. [21]
NEW
TESTAMENT: JOHN 3:22 - 4:3
22
After
this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he
spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was
baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people
were constantly coming to be baptized. 24 (This was before John was
put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John's
disciples and a certain Jew I over the matter of ceremonial washing.
26 They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with
you on the other side of the Jordan--the one you testified about--well, he is
baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
27
To
this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
28 You yourselves can testify that I said, `I am not the Christ
J but am sent ahead of him.'
29
The
bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and
listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That
joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I
must become less.
31
"The
one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to
the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is
above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one
accepts his testimony.
33
The
man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For
the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God K gives
the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed
everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal
life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on
him." L [22]
4
1
The
Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John,
2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.
3 When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once
more to Galilee. [23]
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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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