September 20: Proverbs 29–31; Psalm 75; John 17
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Old Testament: Proverbs 29–31 Proverbs 29–31 (Listen) 29 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.3 He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.4 By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts1 tears it down.5 A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.6 An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices.7 A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.8 Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.9 If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.10 Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless and seek the life of the upright.211 A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.12 If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the LORD gives light to the eyes of both.14 If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever.15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.16 When the wicked increase, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall.17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,3 but blessed is he who keeps the law.19 By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond.20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.21 Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will in the end find him his heir.422 A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.23 One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.24 The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.26 Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice.27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked. The Words of Agur 30 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.5 The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out.62 Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know! 5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. 7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die:8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. 10 Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty. 11 There are those7 who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.12 There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.13 There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!14 There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind. 15 The leech has two daughters: Give and Give.8 Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”:16 Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.” 17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures. 18 Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand:19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin. 20 This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.” 21 Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:22 a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food;23 an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress. 24 Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise:25 the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;26 the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs;27 the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;28 the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces. 29 Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride:30 the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any;31 the strutting rooster,9 the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him.10 32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.33 For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife. The Words of King Lemuel 31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: 2 What are you doing, my son?11 What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows?3 Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink,5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;127 let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.8 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.139 Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. The Woman Who Fears the Lord 10 14 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.14 She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.15 She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.16 She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.17 She dresses herself15 with strength and makes her arms strong.18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.1622 She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.27 She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. Footnotes [1] 29:4 Or who taxes heavily [2] 29:10 Or but the upright seek his soul [3] 29:18 Or the people are discouraged [4] 29:21 The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered his heir is uncertain [5] 30:1 Or Jakeh, the man of Massa [6] 30:1 Revocalization; Hebrew The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal [7] 30:11 Hebrew There is a generation; also verses 12, 13, 14 [8] 30:15 Or “Give, give,” they cry [9] 30:31 Or the magpie, or the greyhound; Hebrew girt-of-loins [10] 30:31 Or against whom there is no rising up [11] 31:2 Hebrew What, my son? [12] 31:6 Hebrew those bitter in soul [13] 31:8 Hebrew are sons of passing away [14] 31:10 Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [15] 31:17 Hebrew She girds her loins [16] 31:21 Or in double thickness (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 75 Psalm 75 (Listen) God Will Judge with Equity To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. 75 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We1 recount your wondrous deeds. 2 “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’” 6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. 9 But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up. Footnotes [1] 75:1 Hebrew They (ESV) New Testament: John 17 John 17 (Listen) The High Priestly Prayer 17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.1 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them2 in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself,3 that they also may be sanctified4 in truth. 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” Footnotes [1] 17:15 Or from evil [2] 17:17 Greek Set them apart (for holy service to God) [3] 17:19 Or I sanctify myself; or I set myself apart (for holy service to God) [4] 17:19 Greek may be set apart (for holy service to God) (ESV)
