Thursday, 01 August

1.   <> Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. 2.   I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. 3.   He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth. 4.   My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men Who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. 5.   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth. 6.   They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me; Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah 7.   My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. 8.   Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. 9.   I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. 10.   For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds. 11.   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.

1.   <> Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men? 2.   No, in heart you work wickedness; You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth. 3.   The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. 4.   Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, 5.   Which will not heed the voice of charmers, Charming ever so skillfully. 6.   Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD! 7.   Let them flow away as waters which run continually; When he bends his bow , Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces. 8.   Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes, Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun. 9.   Before your pots can feel the burning thorns, He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, As in His living and burning wrath. 10.   The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, 11.   So that men will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely He is God who judges in the earth."

1.   <> Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Defend me from those who rise up against me. 2.   Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from bloodthirsty men. 3.   For look, they lie in wait for my life; The mighty gather against me, Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD. 4.   They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine . Awake to help me, and behold! 5.   You therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah 6.   At evening they return, They growl like a dog, And go all around the city. 7.   Indeed, they belch with their mouth; Swords are in their lips; For they say , "Who hears?" 8.   But You, O LORD, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision. 9.   I will wait for You, O You his Strength; For God is my defense; 10.   My God of mercy shall come to meet me; God shall let me see my desire on my enemies. 11.   Do not slay them, lest my people forget; Scatter them by Your power, And bring them down, O Lord our shield. 12.   For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for the cursing and lying which they speak. 13.   Consume them in wrath, consume them , That they may not be ; And let them know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Selah 14.   And at evening they return, They growl like a dog, And go all around the city. 15.   They wander up and down for food, And howl if they are not satisfied. 16.   But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble. 17.   To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy.

1.   Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. 2.   And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. 3.   If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4.   he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5.   useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. 6.   Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7.   For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8.   And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9.   But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10.   For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11.   But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12.   Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13.   I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14.   that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, 15.   which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16.   who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. 17.   Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18.   Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19.   storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 20.   O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge–– 21.   by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.