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 safe2
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's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
2
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
3
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
4
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
5
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
6
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
7
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
8
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
9
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
10
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
11
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
12
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
13
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
14
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
15
Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights
Reserved
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
