Friday, April 9

13So the Lord said, 'These people draw near to Me and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and they worship Me in vain, teaching the commandments and doctrines of men.

14Therefore behold, I will proceed to remove this people, and I shall remove them. I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and hide the understanding of the intelligent.'

15Woe to those who deepen their counsel, but not through the Lord! Woe to those who take counsel in secret and whose works are in darkness! They say, 'Who sees us?' and, 'Who knows us or what we do?'

16Shall you not be considered as the clay of the potter? Shall what is molded of clay say to him who molded it, 'You did not create me'? Or shall the work say to him who made it, 'You did not make me wisely'?

17Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be changed like Mount Carmel, and Mount Carmel be considered a forest?

18In that day, the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of those in darkness and in a fog shall see.

19The poor also shall rejoice exceedingly in gladness because of the Lord, and the hopeless among men shall be filled with gladness.

20The lawless man has come to an end, and the arrogant man has perished. Those who act lawlessly in malice are utterly destroyed,

21as well as those who cause men to sin in word. They shall make all who condemn at the gates an offense, because they turned aside the righteous man with wrongdoing.

22Therefore the Lord says this concerning the house of Jacob, whom He set apart out of Abraham: 'Now Jacob shall not be ashamed, nor shall Israel now change his countenance.

23But when their children see My works, they shall sanctify My name for My sake, and will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and fear the God of Israel.

1Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Get out of your country, from your kindred and from your father's house, to a land I will show you.

2I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.

3I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you; and in you all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed.'

4Then Abram departed as the Lord said to him, and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

5So Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son and all their possessions and every soul they acquired in Haran, and they departed for the land of Canaan. Thus they came to the land of Canaan.

6Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.

7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, 'To your seed I will give this land.' And there Abram built an altar to the Lord, who appeared to him.

15A simple man believes in every word, But an astute man comes to repentance.

16A wise man fears and turns away from evil, But a man without discernment persuades himself to mingle with a lawless man.

17A quick-tempered man acts with recklessness, But a man with discernment bears many things.

18Men without discernment will share in evil, But the astute will take hold of perception.

19Evil men will slip and fall in the presence of good men, And the ungodly shall serve at the gate of the righteous.

20Friends will hate poor friends, But the friends of the rich are many.

21He who dishonors the poor sins, But he who has mercy on the poor is very blessed.

22Deceivers devise evil things, But good men devise mercy and truth.

23Devisers of evil things do not understand mercy and faithfulness, But mercies and faithfulness are with devisers of good things.

24To every one who is careful there is an abundance, But he who is pleasure-taking and slothful shall be in want.

25The crown of the wise is astuteness, But the pastime of the undiscerning is evil.

26A faithful witness will rescue a soul from evil men, But a deceitful man kindles lies.