Day 562 of 730

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

²to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

³We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

⁴having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have toward all the saints,

⁵because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News,

⁶which has come to you; even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

⁷even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

⁸who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

⁹For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, do not cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

¹⁰that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

¹¹strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;

¹²giving thanks to the Father, who made you fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;

¹³who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;

¹⁴in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins;

¹⁵who is the image of the invisible God, existing before all creation.

¹⁶For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.

¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.

¹⁸He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

¹⁹For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him;

²⁰and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

²¹You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,

²²yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and blameless before him,

²³if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

²⁴Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church;

²⁵of which I was made a servant, according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you, to fulfill the word of God,

²⁶the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,

²⁷to them God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory;

²⁸whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

²⁹for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

¹Praise Yah! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in his commandments.

²His seed will be mighty in the land. The generation of the upright will be blessed.

³Wealth and riches are in his house. His righteousness endures forever.

⁴Light dawns in the darkness for the upright, gracious, merciful, and righteous.

⁵It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends. He will maintain his cause in judgment.

⁶For he will never be shaken. The righteous will be remembered forever.

⁷He will not be afraid of evil news. His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

⁸His heart is established, he will not be afraid until he gaze upon his adversaries.

⁹He has dispersed, he has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. His horn will be exalted with honor.

¹⁰The wicked will see it, and be grieved. He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away. The desire of the wicked will perish.

¹Listen, sons, to a father's instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

²for I give you sound learning. Do not forsake my law.

³For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.

⁴He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

⁵Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth.

⁶Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

⁸Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.

⁹She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you."

¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

¹¹I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

¹²When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

¹⁴Do not enter into the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, and do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

¹⁶For they do not sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what they stumble over.

²⁰My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

²¹Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.

²³Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

²⁴Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

²⁶Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

²⁷Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.