Saturday, 18 May

1.   Now the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the chief fathers of the children of Israel. 2.   And they said: "The LORD commanded my lord Moses to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. 3.   "Now if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and it will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; so it will be taken from the lot of our inheritance. 4.   "And when the Jubilee of the children of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; so their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers." 5.   Then Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying: "What the tribe of the sons of Joseph speaks is right. 6.   "This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry whom they think best, but they may marry only within the family of their father’s tribe.’ 7.   "So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8.   "And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be the wife of one of the family of her father’s tribe, so that the children of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9.   "Thus no inheritance shall change hands from one tribe to another, but every tribe of the children of Israel shall keep its own inheritance." 10.   Just as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad; 11.   for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to the sons of their father’s brothers. 12.   They were married into the families of the children of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family. 13.   These are the commandments and the judgments which the LORD commanded the children of Israel by the hand of Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.

1.   The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. 2.   Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts. 3.   To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. 4.   A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing of the wicked are sin. 5.   The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. 6.   Getting treasures by a lying tongue Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death. 7.   The violence of the wicked will destroy them, Because they refuse to do justice. 8.   The way of a guilty man is perverse; But as for the pure, his work is right. 9.   Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. 10.   The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. 11.   When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise; But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge. 12.   The righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked, Overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness. 13.   Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be heard. 14.   A gift in secret pacifies anger, And a bribe behind the back, strong wrath. 15.   It is a joy for the just to do justice, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. 16.   A man who wanders from the way of understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead. 17.   He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be rich. 18.   The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, And the unfaithful for the upright. 19.   Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman. 20.   There is desirable treasure, And oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man squanders it. 21.   He who follows righteousness and mercy Finds life, righteousness, and honor. 22.   A wise man scales the city of the mighty, And brings down the trusted stronghold. 23.   Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles. 24.   A proud and haughty man ––"Scoffer" is his name; He acts with arrogant pride. 25.   The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor. 26.   He covets greedily all day long, But the righteous gives and does not spare. 27.   The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; How much more when he brings it with wicked intent! 28.   A false witness shall perish, But the man who hears him will speak endlessly. 29.   A wicked man hardens his face, But as for the upright, he establishes his way. 30.   There is no wisdom or understanding Or counsel against the LORD. 31.   The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of the LORD.

1.   A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. 2.   The rich and the poor have this in common, The LORD is the maker of them all. 3.   A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished. 4.   By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life. 5.   Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them. 6.   Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. 7.   The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. 8.   He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail. 9.   He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor. 10.   Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease. 11.   He who loves purity of heart And has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend. 12.   The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the faithless. 13.   The lazy man says, " There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!" 14.   The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit; He who is abhorred by the LORD will fall there. 15.   Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him. 16.   He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty. 17.   Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge; 18.   For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips, 19.   So that your trust may be in the LORD; I have instructed you today, even you. 20.   Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, 21.   That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may answer words of truth To those who send to you? 22.   Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; 23.   For the LORD will plead their cause, And plunder the soul of those who plunder them. 24.   Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go, 25.   Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul. 26.   Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge, One of those who is surety for debts; 27.   If you have nothing with which to pay, Why should he take away your bed from under you? 28.   Do not remove the ancient landmark Which your fathers have set. 29.   Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men .

1.   For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2.   For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3.   if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4.   For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5.   Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6.   So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7.   For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8.   We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 9.   Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10.   For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11.   Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. 12.   For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13.   For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14.   For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15.   and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16.   Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17.   Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18.   Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19.   that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20.   Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21.   For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.