Day 58 of 365

¹I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

²with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love;

³being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

⁴There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling;

⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.

⁷But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

⁸Therefore he says, "When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men."

⁹Now this, "He ascended," what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?

¹⁰He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

¹¹He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;

¹²for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ;

¹³until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

¹⁴that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

¹⁵but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ;

¹⁶from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

¹⁷This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,

¹⁸being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts;

¹⁹who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

²⁰But you did not learn Christ that way;

²¹if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:

²²that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit;

²³and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

²⁴and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

²⁵Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.

²⁶"Be angry, and do not sin." Do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

²⁷neither give place to the devil.

²⁸Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.

²⁹Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.

³⁰Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

³¹Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.

³²And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.

¹Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.

²Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

³But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints;

⁴nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate; but rather giving of thanks.

⁵Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.

⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.

⁷Therefore do not be partakers with them.

⁸For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

⁹for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth,

¹⁰proving what is well pleasing to the Lord.

¹¹Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them.

¹²For the things which are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of.

¹³But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light.

¹⁴Therefore he says, "Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

¹⁵Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise;

¹⁶redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

¹⁸Do not be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

¹⁹speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing, and singing praises in your heart to the Lord;

²⁰giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father;

²¹subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.

²²Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

²³For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the savior of the body.

²⁴But as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;

²⁶that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,

²⁷that he might present the church to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

²⁸Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.

²⁹For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ also does the church;

³⁰because we are members of his body.

³¹"For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh."

³²This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the church.

³³Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

²"Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with a promise:

³"that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth."

⁴You fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

⁵Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ;

⁶not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

⁷with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men;

⁸knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free.

⁹You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.

¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹²For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world's rulers of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

¹³Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.

¹⁴Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

¹⁵and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace;

¹⁶above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.

¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the spoken word of God;

¹⁸with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:

¹⁹on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News,

²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

²¹But that you also may know my affairs, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you all things;

²²whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts.

²³Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.

¹Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?

²No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.

³The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

⁴Their poison is like the poison of a snake; like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,

⁵which doesn't listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be.

⁶Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, Lord.

⁷Let them vanish as water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.

⁸Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun.

⁹Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns, he will sweep away the green and the burning alike.

¹⁰The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked;

¹¹so that men shall say, "Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth."

¹Do not boast about tomorrow; for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

²Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

³A stone is heavy, and sand is a burden; but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.

⁴Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is able to stand before jealousy?

⁵Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

⁶Faithful are the wounds of a friend; although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

⁷A full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.

⁸As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his home.

⁹Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man's friend.

¹⁰Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend. Do not go to your brother's house in the day of your disaster: better is a neighbor who is near than a distant brother.

¹¹Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, then I can answer my tormentor.

¹²A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

¹³Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!

¹⁴He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse by him.

¹⁵A continual dropping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike:

¹⁶restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil in his right hand.

¹⁷Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend's countenance.

¹⁸Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored.

¹⁹As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man.

²⁰Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man's eyes are never satisfied.

²¹The crucible is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but man is refined by his praise.

²²Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.

²³Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds:

²⁴for riches are not forever, nor does even the crown endure to all generations.

²⁵The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in.

²⁶The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.

²⁷There will be plenty of goats' milk for your food, for your family's food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.