Genesis 1:1 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
JANUARY
31
PSALMS:
31, 61, 91, 121
PROVERBS:
31
OLD
TESTAMENT:
JOSHUA 24:1 - 33
NEW
TESTAMENT:
LUKE 21:1 - 28
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.
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:
JOSHUA 24:1 - 33
24
1
Then
Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the
elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented
themselves before God.
2
Joshua
said to all the people, "This
is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `Long ago your
forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived
beyond the River A
and worshiped other gods. 3
But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the River and led
him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him
Isaac,
4
and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of
Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.
5
"`Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by
what I did there, and I brought you out.
6
When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and
the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen B
as far as the Red Sea. C
7
But they cried to the LORD for help, and he put darkness between you
and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You
saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in
the desert for a long time.
8
"`I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of
the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands.
I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their
land. 9
When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against
Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. 10
But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and 11
again, and I delivered you out of his hand.
11
"`Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens
of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites,
Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave
them into your hands. 12
I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you--also
the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow.
13
So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not
build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves
that you did not plant.'
14
"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw
away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in
Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for
yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your
forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in
whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will
serve the LORD."
16
Then the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD
to serve other gods!
17
It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out
of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs
before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all
the nations through which we traveled.
18
And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the
Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the 12
LORD, because he is our God."
19
Joshua
said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a
holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and
your sins. 20
If
you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring
disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to
you."
21
But
the people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the LORD."
22
Then
Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have
chosen to serve the LORD."
"Yes,
we are witnesses," they replied.
23
"Now
then," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods that are
among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel."
24
And
the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the LORD our God and
obey him."
25
On
that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem
he drew up for them decrees and laws. 26
And
Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he
took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy
place of the LORD.
27
"See!"
he said to all the people. "This stone will be a witness against
us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a
witness against you if you are untrue to your God."
28
Then
Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance. 13
29
After
these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the
age of a hundred and ten. 30
And
they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah D
in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
31
Israel
served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders
who outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done
for Israel.
32
And
Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were
buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a
hundred pieces of silver E
from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the
inheritance of Joseph's descendants.
33
And
Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah, which had been
allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim. 14
NEW
TESTAMENT:
LUKE 21:1 - 28
21
1
As
he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple
treasury. 2
He
also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. A
3
"I
tell you the truth,"
he said, "this
poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4
All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of
her poverty put in all she had to live on."
5
Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned
with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus
said, 6
"As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone
will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down."
7
"Teacher,"
they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the
sign that they are about to take place?"
8
He
replied: "Watch
out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name,
claiming, `I am he,' and, `The time is near.' Do not follow them. 9
When
you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things
must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
10
Then
he said to them: "Nation
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11
There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various
places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12
"But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute
you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be
brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13
This will result in your being witnesses to them. 14
But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend 15
yourselves. 15
For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries
will be able to resist or contradict. 16
You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and
friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17
All men will hate you because of me. 18
But not a hair of your head will perish. 19
By standing firm you will gain life. 20
"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will
know that its desolation is near.
21
Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in
the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22
For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has
been written. 23
How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing
mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against
this people.
24
They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the
nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the
times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25
"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth,
nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing
of the sea. 26
Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the
world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
27
At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with
power and great glory. 28
When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your
heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
16
1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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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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16
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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