Friday, March 24

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.

10Now Jacob went out from the Well of Oath and went toward Haran.

11So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. Then he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.

12Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

13So behold, the Lord stood above it and said, 'I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. Do not fear, the land on which you lie I will give to you and your seed.

14Also, your seed shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed.

15Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.'

16Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'The Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.'

17So he was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.'

27It will be when these days are over, on the eighth day, the priests shall offer your whole burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar, and I shall accept you,' says the Lord.'

1Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary that faces toward the east, but it was shut.

2So the Lord said to me, 'This gate shall be shut. It shall not be opened, and no man shall pass through it, because the Lord God of Israel will enter by it; therefore, it shall be shut.

3As for the prince, he will sit in it to eat bread before the Lord. He will go in by way of the gate chamber and go out the same way.'

4Then He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple, and I looked, and behold, the house of the Lord was full of glory; and I fell on my face.

1Wisdom built her house, And she supported it with seven pillars.

2She offered her sacrifices; She mixed her wine in a bowl And prepared her table.

3She sent her servants, Inviting people to the bowl with a lofty proclamation, saying,

4"He who is without discernment, Let him turn aside to me"; And to those in need of discernment, she says,

5"Come, eat my bread And drink the wine I mixed for you;

6Forsake lack of discernment, and you shall live; Seek discernment so you may live, And keep straight your understanding with knowledge."

7He who chastises evil men shall receive dishonor to himself, And he who reproves the ungodly man shall be blamed himself.

8Do not reprove evil men, so they may not hate you; Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

9Give the opportunity to a wise man, and he will be wiser; Instruct a righteous man, and he shall continue to receive it.

10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the counsel of saints is understanding; For to know the law is characteristic of a good mind.

11For in this manner you will live a long time, And the years of your life shall be increased.

1Now Moses was tending the sheep of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. Then he led them to the back of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

2Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he saw the bush burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

3So Moses said, 'I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not consumed.'

4When therefore the Lord saw him turn aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses! Moses!' Then he said, 'Here I am.'

5So He said, 'Do not come any closer. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.'

6Moreover He said, 'I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Moses then hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

7Then the Lord said, 'Indeed, I have seen the affliction of My people in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrow.

8So I came down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Gergesites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

22If I declare to you the things that happen daily, I will also remember to recount the things of old.

23The Lord created me in the beginning of His ways for His works; He established me in the beginning before time,

24Before He made the earth, and before He made the abysses, Before the going forth of the fountains of waters,

25Before the mountains were created; And He begot me before all hills.

26The Lord made the fields and the uninhabited places And the inhabited heights under heaven.

27When He prepared heaven, I was present with Him, And when He set apart His throne upon the winds.

28When He made strong the things above the clouds, And made sure the fountains under heaven,

29And made strong the foundations of the earth, I was working beside Him;

30I was He in whom He rejoiced; Daily and continually I was gladdened by His face.