Friday, March 19

1For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, takes away from Judah and from Jerusalem the strong man and the strong woman; the strength of bread and the strength of water;

2the mighty man and the man of war; the judge, the prophet, the diviner, and the elder;

3the captain of fifty, the wonderful counselor, the skillful artisan, and the prudent disciple.

4'I will give children to be their princes, and mockers shall rule over them.

5The people will collapse, every one on another and every one on his neighbor. The child will be arrogant toward the elder and vulgar toward the honorable.'

6When a man takes hold of his brother or his father's servant, saying, 'You have clothing; you be our ruler and let my food be under your roof.'

7In that day, he will protest, saying, 'I will not be your ruler, for in my house there is neither food nor clothing. I will not be the ruler of this people.'

8For Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen, because their tongues are lawless and they are disobedient to the Lord. Now their glory is humbled.

9The shame on their face witnesses against them. They declare and exhibit their sin as Sodom. Woe to their soul, for they planned evil upon themselves,

10saying, 'Let us hand over the righteous man, for he is burdensome to us.' They shall eat the fruit of their doings.

11Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

12'O My people, your punishers gather you, and those who make demands of you rule over you. O My people, those who bless you lead you astray and trouble the path of your feet.'

13The Lord stands up to plead and stands to judge His people.

14The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders of His people and His princes: 'For you set fire to My vineyard and the plunder of the poor is in your houses.

20So Adam gave names to all the cattle, to all the birds of heaven, and to all the wild animals of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.

21Thus God brought a trance upon Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and filled up the flesh in its place.

22Then the Lord God built the rib He took from Adam into a woman, and brought her to him.

23So Adam said, 'This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.'

25Now the two were naked, both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.

1Now the serpent was more cunning than all the wild animals the Lord God made on the earth. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat from every tree of the garden'?'

2And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat the fruit from the trees of the garden;

3but from the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, 'You shall not eat from it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' '

4Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You shall not die by death.

5For God knows in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.'

6So when the woman saw the tree was good for food, was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree beautiful to contemplate, she took its fruit and ate. She also gave it to her husband with her, and he ate.

7Then the eyes of the two were opened, and they knew they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

8Then they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden that afternoon, and Adam and his wife hid themselves within the tree in the middle of the garden from the presence of the Lord God.

9So the Lord God called Adam and said to him, 'Adam, where are you?'

10He replied, 'I heard Your voice as You were walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.'

11Thus He said, 'Who said you were naked? Have you eaten from the one tree from which I commanded you not to eat?'

12Then Adam said, 'The woman You gave me, gave me of the tree, and I ate.'

13So the Lord God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?' The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate.'

14Thus the Lord God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than all the wild animals of the earth. On your breast and belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.

15I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall be on guard for His heel.'

16To the woman He said, 'I will greatly multiply your pain and your groaning, and in pain you shall bring forth children. Your recourse will be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.'

17Then to Adam He said, 'Because you heeded the voice of your wife, and ate from the one tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it,' cursed is the ground in your labors. In toil you shall eat from it all the days of your life.

18Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.

19In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground from which you were taken. Earth you are, and to earth you shall return.'

20So Adam called his wife's name Life, because she was the mother of all living.

19Her ways are good ways, And all her paths are in peace.

20She is a tree of life for all who cleave to her, And she is security for those who lean upon her as upon the Lord.

21God by wisdom founded the earth And prepared the heavens with discernment.

22With perception the depths were broken up, And the clouds flowed with dew.

23My son, do not be careless, But keep my counsel and thinking,

24That your soul may live, And grace may be around your neck.

25And there will be healing for your flesh And care for your bones,

26That you may walk confidently in peace in all your ways, And your foot may not stumble.

27For if you sit down, you will be without fear, And if you lie down, your sleep will be pleasant.

28And do not be afraid of intimidation when it comes upon you, Nor of the attack of the ungodly when it comes at you;

29For the Lord will be over all your ways, And He will plant your feet firmly, that you may not be shaken.

30Do not withhold doing good to the needy, When you may give a helping hand;

31Do not say, when you are able to do good, "Come back tomorrow, and I will give you something"; For you do not know what the next day will bring forth.

32Do not devise evil things against your friend Who dwells beside you and trusts in you.

33Do not be ready to quarrel with a man in vain, Lest he do you some harm.

34Do not incur the reproach of evil men, Neither seek their ways;