Day 403 of 730

¹"For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

²When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

³He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

⁴To them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went their way.

⁵Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

⁶About the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing. He said to them, 'Why do you stand here all day idle?'

⁷"They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' "He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.'

⁸When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.'

⁹"When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.

¹⁰When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.

¹¹When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,

¹²saying, 'These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!'

¹³"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

¹⁴Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.

¹⁵Is not it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?'

¹⁶So the last will be first, and the first last."

¹⁷As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve aside, and on the way he said to them,

¹⁸"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,

¹⁹and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day he will be raised up."

²⁰Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.

²¹He said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom."

²²But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able."

²³He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

²⁴When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.

²⁵But Jesus summoned them, and said, "You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

²⁶It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you must be your servant.

²⁷Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,

²⁸even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

²⁹As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

³⁰Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, shouted, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"

³¹The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they shouted even more, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"

³²Jesus stood still, and called them, and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

³³They told him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."

³⁴Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received their sight, and they followed him.

¹Praise the Lord, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name!

²Praise the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all his benefits;

³who forgives all your sins; who heals all your diseases;

⁴who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies;

⁵who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

⁶The Lord executes righteous acts, and justice for all who are oppressed.

⁷He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the children of Israel.

⁸The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.

⁹He will not always accuse; neither will he stay angry forever.

¹⁰He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities.

¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him.

¹²As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

¹³Like a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

¹⁴For he knows how we are made. He remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass. As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

¹⁶For the wind passes over it, and it is gone. Its place remembers it no more.

¹⁷But the Lord's loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him, his righteousness to children's children;

¹⁸to those who keep his covenant, to those who remember to obey his precepts.

¹⁹The Lord has established his throne in the heavens. His kingdom rules over all.

²⁰Praise the Lord, you angels of his, who are mighty in strength, who fulfill his word, obeying the voice of his word.

²¹Praise the Lord, all you armies of his, you servants of his, who do his pleasure.

²²Praise the Lord, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul!

¹The words of king Lemuel; the oracle which his mother taught him.

²"Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!

³Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

⁴It is not for kings, Lemuel; it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes to say, 'Where is strong drink?'

⁵lest they drink, and forget the decree, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.

⁶Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish; and wine to the bitter in soul:

⁷Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

⁸Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.

⁹Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy."

¹⁰Who can find a worthy woman? For her price is far above rubies.

¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.

¹²She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

¹³She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar.

¹⁵She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.

¹⁶She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷She girds her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.

¹⁸She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn't go out by night.

¹⁹She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

²⁰She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy.

²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

²²She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

²³Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.

²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them, and delivers sashes to the merchant.

²⁵Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come.

²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom. Faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn't eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:

²⁹"Many women do noble things, but you excel them all."

³⁰Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!