Sunday, 19 May

1.   These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite Suph, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. 2.   It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. 3.   Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him as commandments to them, 4.   after he had killed Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei. 5.   On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying, 6.   "The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. 7.   ‘Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates. 8.   ‘See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers––to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob––to give to them and their descendants after them.’ 9.   "And I spoke to you at that time, saying: ‘I alone am not able to bear you. 10.   ‘The LORD your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude. 11.   ‘May the LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you! 12.   ‘How can I alone bear your problems and your burdens and your complaints? 13.   ‘Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.’ 14.   "And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have told us to do is good.’ 15.   "So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes. 16.   "Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him. 17.   ‘You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’ 18.   "And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do. 19.   "So we departed from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the mountains of the Amorites, as the LORD our God had commanded us. Then we came to Kadesh Barnea. 20.   "And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. 21.   ‘Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it , as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’ 22.   "And everyone of you came near to me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.’ 23.   "The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe. 24.   "And they departed and went up into the mountains, and came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. 25.   "They also took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought back word to us, saying, ‘ It is a good land which the LORD our God is giving us.’ 26.   "Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God; 27.   "and you complained in your tents, and said, ‘Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28.   ‘Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, "The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there."’ 29.   "Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. 30.   ‘The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31.   ‘and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 32.   "Yet, for all that, you did not believe the LORD your God, 33.   "who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.

1.   When you sit down to eat with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you; 2.   And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite. 3.   Do not desire his delicacies, For they are deceptive food. 4.   Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! 5.   Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven. 6.   Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies; 7.   For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, But his heart is not with you. 8.   The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, And waste your pleasant words. 9.   Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words. 10.   Do not remove the ancient landmark, Nor enter the fields of the fatherless; 11.   For their Redeemer is mighty; He will plead their cause against you. 12.   Apply your heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge. 13.   Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. 14.   You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell. 15.   My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice––indeed, I myself; 16.   Yes, my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak right things. 17.   Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day; 18.   For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off. 19.   Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way. 20.   Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21.   For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags. 22.   Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old. 23.   Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding. 24.   The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him. 25.   Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice. 26.   My son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my ways. 27.   For a harlot is a deep pit, And a seductress is a narrow well. 28.   She also lies in wait as for a victim, And increases the unfaithful among men. 29.   Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30.   Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. 31.   Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; 32.   At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. 33.   Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things. 34.   Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying : 35.   "They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it . When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink ?"

1.   We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2.   For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3.   We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. 4.   But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5.   in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6.   by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7.   by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8.   by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9.   as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; 10.   as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. 11.   O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. 12.   You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. 13.   Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open. 14.   Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15.   And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16.   And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them . I will be their God, And they shall be My people." 17.   Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." 18.   "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty."