Day 389 of 730

¹"Be careful that you do not do your acts of charity before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

²Therefore when you do merciful deeds, do not sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from people. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

³But when you do merciful deeds, do not let your left hand know what your right hand does,

⁴so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁵"And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward.

⁶But you, when you pray, enter into your inner chamber, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁷And in praying, do not use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

⁸Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.

⁹Pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

¹⁰Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

¹¹Give us today our daily bread.

¹²And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

¹³Let us not come into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.]'

¹⁴"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

¹⁵But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

¹⁶"Moreover when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

¹⁷But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;

¹⁸so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

¹⁹"Do not lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;

²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves do not break through and steal;

²¹for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²²"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.

²³But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

²⁴"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon.

²⁵Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

²⁶See the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of much more value than they?

²⁷"And which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?

²⁸And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not toil, neither do they spin,

²⁹yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.

³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

³¹"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?'

³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

³³But seek first his Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

³⁴Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

¹I will sing of the loving kindness of the Lord forever. With my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

²I indeed declare, "Love stands firm forever. You established the heavens. Your faithfulness is in them."

³"I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David, my servant,

⁴'I will establish your seed forever, and build up your throne to all generations.'" Selah.

⁵The heavens will praise your wonders, Lord; your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.

⁶For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the sons of the heavenly beings is like the Lord,

⁷a very awesome God in the council of the holy ones, to be feared above all those who are around him?

⁸Lord, God of Hosts, who is a mighty one, like you? Yah, your faithfulness is around you.

⁹You rule the pride of the sea. When its waves rise up, you calm them.

¹⁰You have broken Rahab in pieces, like one of the slain. You have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

¹¹The heavens are yours. The earth also is yours; the world and its fullness. You have founded them.

¹²The north and the south, you have created them. Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.

¹³You have a mighty arm. Your hand is strong, and your right hand is exalted.

¹⁴Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Loving kindness and truth go before your face.

¹⁵Blessed are the people who learn to acclaim you. They walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

¹⁶In your name they rejoice all day. In your righteousness, they are exalted.

¹⁷For you are the glory of their strength. In your favor, our horn will be exalted.

¹⁸For our shield belongs to the Lord; our king to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹Then you spoke in vision to your holy ones, and said, "I have bestowed strength on the warrior. I have exalted a young man from the people.

²⁰I have found David, my servant. I have anointed him with my holy oil,

²¹with whom my hand shall be established. My arm will also strengthen him.

²²No enemy will tax him. No wicked man will oppress him.

²³I will beat down his adversaries before him, and strike those who hate him.

²⁴But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. In my name, his horn will be exalted.

²⁵I will set his hand also on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers.

²⁶He will call to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation!'

²⁷I will also appoint him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

²⁸I will keep my loving kindness for him forevermore. My covenant will stand firm with him.

²⁹I will also make his seed endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

³⁰If his children forsake my Law, and do not walk in my ordinances;

³¹if they break my statutes, and do not keep my commandments;

³²then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

³³But I will not completely take my loving kindness from him, nor allow my faithfulness to fail.

³⁴I will not break my covenant, nor alter what my lips have uttered.

³⁵Once have I sworn by my holiness, I will not lie to David.

³⁶His seed will endure forever, his throne like the sun before me.

³⁷It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky." Selah.

³⁸But you have rejected and spurned. You have been angry with your anointed.

³⁹You have renounced the covenant of your servant. You have defiled his crown in the dust.

⁴⁰You have broken down all his hedges. You have brought his strongholds to ruin.

⁴¹All who pass by the way rob him. He has become a reproach to his neighbors.

⁴²You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries. You have made all of his enemies rejoice.

⁴³Yes, you turn back the edge of his sword, and haven't supported him in battle.

⁴⁴You have ended his splendor, and thrown his throne down to the ground.

⁴⁵You have shortened the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame. Selah.

⁴⁶How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? Will your wrath burn like fire?

⁴⁷Remember how short my time is! For what vanity have you created all the children of men!

⁴⁸What man is he who shall live and not see death, who shall deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah.

⁴⁹Lord, where are your former loving kindnesses, which you swore to David in your faithfulness?

⁵⁰Remember, Lord, the reproach of your servants, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the mighty peoples,

⁵¹With which your enemies have mocked, Lord, with which they have mocked the footsteps of your anointed one.

⁵²Blessed be the Lord forevermore. Amen, and Amen.

¹Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.

²A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers.

³The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts.

⁴An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

⁵Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.

⁶Children's children are the crown of old men; the glory of children are their parents.

⁷Arrogant speech isn't fitting for a fool, much less do lying lips fit a prince.

⁸A bribe is a precious stone in the eyes of him who gives it; wherever he turns, he prospers.

⁹He who covers an offense promotes love; but he who repeats a matter separates best friends.

¹⁰A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool.

¹¹An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

¹²Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

¹³Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

¹⁴The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out.

¹⁵He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

¹⁶Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, seeing he has no understanding?

¹⁷A friend loves at all times; and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes collateral in the presence of his neighbor.

¹⁹He who loves disobedience loves strife. One who builds a high gate seeks destruction.

²⁰One who has a perverse heart doesn't find prosperity, and one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.

²¹He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.

²²A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

²³A wicked man receives a bribe in secret, to pervert the ways of justice.

²⁴Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son brings grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁶Also to punish the righteous is not good, nor to flog officials for their integrity.

²⁷He who spares his words has knowledge. He who is even tempered is a man of understanding.

²⁸Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is counted wise. When he shuts his lips, he is thought to be discerning.