Day 68 of 365

¹But say the things which fit sound doctrine,

²that older men should be temperate, sensible, sober minded, sound in faith, in love, and in patience:

³and that older women likewise be reverent in behavior, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good;

⁴that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

⁵to be sober minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that God's word may not be blasphemed.

⁶Likewise, exhort the younger men to be sober minded;

⁷in all things showing yourself an example of good works. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness,

⁸and a sound message that cannot be condemned; that he who opposes you may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us.

⁹Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters, and to be well-pleasing in all things; not contradicting;

¹⁰not stealing, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things.

¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

¹²instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world;

¹³looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ;

¹⁴who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.

¹⁵Say these things and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no man despise you.

¹Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,

²to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility toward all men.

³For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

⁴But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared,

⁵not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of rebirth and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

⁶whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior;

⁷that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

⁸This saying is faithful, and concerning these things I desire that you affirm confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men;

⁹but shun foolish questionings, genealogies, strife, and disputes about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

¹⁰Avoid a factious man after a first and second warning;

¹¹knowing that such a one is perverted, and sins, being self-condemned.

¹²When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me to Nicopolis, for I have determined to winter there.

¹³Send Zenas, the Law scholar, and Apollos on their journey speedily, that nothing may be lacking for them.

¹⁴Let our people also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they may not be unfruitful.

¹⁵All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in faith. Grace be with you all.

¹Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker,

²and to Apphia our sister, to Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

³Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,

⁵hearing of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints;

⁶that the fellowship of your faith may become effective, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in Christ.

⁷For I have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

⁸Therefore, though I have all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate,

⁹yet for love's sake I rather beg, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

¹⁰I beg you for my child, whom I have become the father of in my chains, Onesimus,

¹¹who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me.

¹²I am sending back to you, him who is my very heart,

¹³whom I desired to keep with me, that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the Good News.

¹⁴But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will.

¹⁵For perhaps he was therefore separated from you for a while, that you would have him forever,

¹⁶no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much rather to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

¹⁷If then you count me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.

¹⁸But if he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, put that to my account.

¹⁹I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self besides).

²⁰Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

²¹Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even beyond what I say.

²²Also, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

²³Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

²⁴as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

²⁵The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

¹Let God arise! Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee before him.

²As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

³But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.

⁴Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name! Rejoice before him!

⁵A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

⁶God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.

⁷God, when you went forth before your people, when you marched through the wilderness... Selah.

⁸The earth trembled. The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai- at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

⁹You, God, sent a plentiful rain. You confirmed your inheritance, when it was weary.

¹⁰Your congregation lived therein. You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.

¹¹The Lord announced the word. The ones who proclaim it are a great company.

¹²"Kings of armies flee! They flee!" She who waits at home divides the spoil,

¹³while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of a dove sheathed with silver, her feathers with shining gold.

¹⁴When the Almighty scattered kings in her, it snowed on Zalmon.

¹⁵The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains. The mountains of Bashan are rugged.

¹⁶Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign? Yes, the Lord will dwell there forever.

¹⁷The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.

¹⁸You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among men, yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah, God, might dwell there.

¹⁹Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. Selah.

²⁰God is to us a God of deliverance. To the Lord, the Lord, belongs escape from death.

²¹But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.

²²The Lord said, "I will bring you again from Bashan, I will bring you again from the depths of the sea;

²³That you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies."

²⁴They have seen your processions, God, even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

²⁵The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, in the midst of the ladies playing with tambourines,

²⁶"Bless God in the congregations, even the Lord in the assembly of Israel!"

²⁷There is little Benjamin, their ruler, the princes of Judah, their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

²⁸Your God has commanded your strength. Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.

²⁹Because of your temple at Jerusalem, kings shall bring presents to you.

³⁰Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples. Being humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations that delight in war.

³¹Princes shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.

³²Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord! Selah.

³³To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.

³⁴Ascribe strength to God! His excellency is over Israel, his strength is in the skies.

³⁵You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God!

¹My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger;

²You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth.

³Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, seeing you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.

⁴Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

⁵Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

⁷which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

⁸provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

⁹How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

¹⁰A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

¹¹so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

¹²A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth;

¹³who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;

¹⁴in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

¹⁵Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

¹⁶There are six things which the Lord hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;

¹⁸a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

¹⁹a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

²⁰My son, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

²¹Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

²²When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

²³For the commandment is a lamp, and the Law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

²⁴to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife's tongue.

²⁵Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

²⁶For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

²⁷Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

²⁹So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

³⁰Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:

³¹but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.

³²He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

³³He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

³⁴For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won't spare in the day of vengeance.

³⁵He won't regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.