Rabu, 25 September

1.   Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, because he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always loved David. 2.   Then Solomon sent to Hiram, saying: 3.   You know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the wars which were fought against him on every side, until the LORD put his foes under the soles of his feet. 4.   But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence. 5.   And behold, I propose to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spoke to my father David, saying, "Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for My name." 6.   Now therefore, command that they cut down cedars for me from Lebanon; and my servants will be with your servants, and I will pay you wages for your servants according to whatever you say. For you know there is none among us who has skill to cut timber like the Sidonians. 7.   So it was, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly and said, Blessed be the LORD this day, for He has given David a wise son over this great people! 8.   Then Hiram sent to Solomon, saying: I have considered the message which you sent me, and I will do all you desire concerning the cedar and cypress logs. 9.   My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; I will float them in rafts by sea to the place you indicate to me, and will have them broken apart there; then you can take them away. And you shall fulfill my desire by giving food for my household. 10.   Then Hiram gave Solomon cedar and cypress logs according to all his desire. 11.   And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty kors of pressed oil. Thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year. 12.   So the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty together. 13.   Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel; and the labor force was thirty thousand men. 14.   And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts: they were one month in Lebanon and two months at home; Adoniram was in charge of the labor force. 15.   Solomon had seventy thousand who carried burdens, and eighty thousand who quarried stone in the mountains, 16.   besides three thousand three hundred from the chiefs of Solomon’s deputies, who supervised the people who labored in the work. 17.   And the king commanded them to quarry large stones, costly stones, and hewn stones, to lay the foundation of the temple. 18.   So Solomon’s builders, Hiram’s builders, and the Gebalites quarried them ; and they prepared timber and stones to build the temple.

34.   To crush under one’s feet All the prisoners of the earth, 35.   To turn aside the justice due a man Before the face of the Most High, 36.   Or subvert a man in his cause––The Lord does not approve. 37.   Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it ? 38.   Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well–being proceed? 39.   Why should a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins? 40.   Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD; 41.   Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven. 42.   We have transgressed and rebelled; You have not pardoned. 43.   You have covered Yourself with anger And pursued us; You have slain and not pitied. 44.   You have covered Yourself with a cloud, That prayer should not pass through. 45.   You have made us an offscouring and refuse In the midst of the peoples. 46.   All our enemies Have opened their mouths against us. 47.   Fear and a snare have come upon us, Desolation and destruction. 48.   My eyes overflow with rivers of water For the destruction of the daughter of my people. 49.   My eyes flow and do not cease, Without interruption, 50.   Till the LORD from heaven Looks down and sees. 51.   My eyes bring suffering to my soul Because of all the daughters of my city. 52.   My enemies without cause Hunted me down like a bird. 53.   They silenced my life in the pit And threw stones at me. 54.   The waters flowed over my head; I said, "I am cut off!" 55.   I called on Your name, O LORD, From the lowest pit. 56.   You have heard my voice: "Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help." 57.   You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, "Do not fear!" 58.   O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life. 59.   O LORD, You have seen how I am wronged; Judge my case. 60.   You have seen all their vengeance, All their schemes against me. 61.   You have heard their reproach, O LORD, All their schemes against me, 62.   The lips of my enemies And their whispering against me all the day. 63.   Look at their sitting down and their rising up; I am their taunting song. 64.   Repay them, O LORD, According to the work of their hands. 65.   Give them a veiled heart; Your curse be upon them! 66.   In Your anger, Pursue and destroy them From under the heavens of the LORD.

1.   Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2.   in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3.   but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior; 4.   To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. 5.   For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you–– 6.   if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. 7.   For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self–willed, not quick–tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8.   but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober–minded, just, holy, self–controlled, 9.   holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. 10.   For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11.   whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. 12.   One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." 13.   This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14.   not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. 15.   To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. 16.   They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.