The Spiritual Life

Psalm 20

Trust in the Name of the Lord Our God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

20   May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!
    May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
  May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and give you support from Zion!
  May he remember all your offerings
    and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah
  May he grant you your heart's desire
    and fulfill all your plans!
  May we shout for joy over your salvation,
    and in the name of our God set up our banners!
  May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!
  Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with the saving might of his right hand.
  Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
  They collapse and fall,
    but we rise and stand upright.
  O LORD, save the king!
    May he answer us when we call.

(ESV)

Psalm 21:1-7

The King Rejoices in the Lord's Strength

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

21   O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices,
    and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
  You have given him his heart's desire
    and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
  For you meet him with rich blessings;
    you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
  He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
    length of days forever and ever.
  His glory is great through your salvation;
    splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
  For you make him most blessed forever;^{Or make him a source of blessing forever">1}
    you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
  For the king trusts in the LORD,
    and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

(ESV)

Psalm 21:8-13

  Your hand will find out all your enemies;
    your right hand will find out those who hate you.
  You will make them as a blazing oven
    when you appear.
  The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and fire will consume them.
  You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    and their offspring from among the children of man.
  Though they plan evil against you,
    though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
  For you will put them to flight;
    you will aim at their faces with your bows.
  Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!
    We will sing and praise your power.

(ESV)

Psalm 110:1-5

Sit at My Right Hand

A Psalm of David.

110   The LORD says to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand,
  until I make your enemies your footstool.”
  The LORD sends forth from Zion
    your mighty scepter.
    Rule in the midst of your enemies!
  Your people will offer themselves freely
    on the day of your power,^{Or on the day you lead your forces">1}
    in holy garments;^{Masoretic Text; some Hebrew manuscripts and Jerome on the holy mountains">2}
  from the womb of the morning,
    the dew of your youth will be yours.^{The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain">3}
  The LORD has sworn
    and will not change his mind,
  “You are a priest forever
    after the order of Melchizedek.”
  The Lord is at your right hand;
    he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.

(ESV)

Psalm 110:6-7

  He will execute judgment among the nations,
    filling them with corpses;
  he will shatter chiefs^{Or the head">1}
    over the wide earth.
  He will drink from the brook by the way;
    therefore he will lift up his head.

(ESV)

Psalm 116

I Love the Lord

116   I love the LORD, because he has heard
    my voice and my pleas for mercy.
  Because he inclined his ear to me,
    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
  The snares of death encompassed me;
    the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
    I suffered distress and anguish.
  Then I called on the name of the LORD:
    “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”
  Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
    our God is merciful.
  The LORD preserves the simple;
    when I was brought low, he saved me.
  Return, O my soul, to your rest;
    for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
  For you have delivered my soul from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling;
  I will walk before the LORD
    in the land of the living.
  I believed, even when^{Or believed, indeed; Septuagint believed, therefore">1} I spoke:
    “I am greatly afflicted”;
  I said in my alarm,
    “All mankind are liars.”
  What shall I render to the LORD
    for all his benefits to me?
  I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name of the LORD,
  I will pay my vows to the LORD
    in the presence of all his people.
  Precious in the sight of the LORD
    is the death of his saints.
  O LORD, I am your servant;
    I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
    You have loosed my bonds.
  I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
    and call on the name of the LORD.
  I will pay my vows to the LORD
    in the presence of all his people,
  in the courts of the house of the LORD,
    in your midst, O Jerusalem.
  Praise the LORD!

(ESV)

Psalm 117

The Lord's Faithfulness Endures Forever

117   Praise the LORD, all nations!
    Extol him, all peoples!
  For great is his steadfast love toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
  Praise the LORD!

(ESV)

Deuteronomy 1:1-8

The Command to Leave Horeb

1 These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him in commandment to them, after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law, saying, “The LORD our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.’ (ESV)

1 Timothy 6:6-21

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and^{Greek for; some manuscripts insert [it is] certain [that]">1} we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before^{Or in the time of">2} Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

Grace be with you.^{The Greek for you is plural">3}

Luke 14:12-24

The Parable of the Great Banquet

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers^{Or your brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoi may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters">1} or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant^{Greek bondservant; also verses 21, 22, 23">2} to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you,^{The Greek word for you here is plural">3} none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

Psalm 16

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

A Miktam^{Probably a musical or liturgical term">1} of David.

16   Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
  I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
    I have no good apart from you.”
  As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
    in whom is all my delight.^{Or To the saints in the land, the excellent in whom is all my delight, I say:">2}
  The sorrows of those who run after^{Or who acquire">3} another god shall multiply;
    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
    or take their names on my lips.
  The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
    you hold my lot.
  The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
  I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.^{Hebrew my kidneys instruct me">4}
  I have set the LORD always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
  Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being^{Hebrew my glory">5} rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.
  For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption.^{Or see the pit">6}
  You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

(ESV)

Psalm 17

In the Shadow of Your Wings

A Prayer of David.

17   Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry!
    Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
  From your presence let my vindication come!
    Let your eyes behold the right!
  You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,
    you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
    I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
  With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
    I have avoided the ways of the violent.
  My steps have held fast to your paths;
    my feet have not slipped.
  I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
    incline your ear to me; hear my words.
  Wondrously show^{Or Distinguish me by">1} your steadfast love,
    O Savior of those who seek refuge
    from their adversaries at your right hand.
  Keep me as the apple of your eye;
    hide me in the shadow of your wings,
  from the wicked who do me violence,
    my deadly enemies who surround me.
  They close their hearts to pity;
    with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
  They have now surrounded our steps;
    they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.
  He is like a lion eager to tear,
    as a young lion lurking in ambush.
  Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him!
    Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
  from men by your hand, O LORD,
    from men of the world whose portion is in this life.^{Or from men whose portion in life is of the world">2}
  You fill their womb with treasure;^{Or As for your treasured ones, you fill their womb">3}
    they are satisfied with children,
    and they leave their abundance to their infants.
  As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
    when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

(ESV)

Psalm 22

Why Have You Forsaken Me?

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

22   My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest.
  Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises^{Or dwelling in the praises">1} of Israel.
  In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
  To you they cried and were rescued;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
  But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
  All who see me mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
  “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
  Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
  On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from my mother's womb you have been my God.
  Be not far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is none to help.
  Many bulls encompass me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
  they open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.
  I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint;
  my heart is like wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
  my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.
  For dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers encircles me;
  they have pierced my hands and feet^{Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts like a lion [they are at] my hands and feet">2}—
  I can count all my bones—
  they stare and gloat over me;
  they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.
  But you, O LORD, do not be far off!
    O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
  Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dog!
    Save me from the mouth of the lion!
  You have rescued^{Hebrew answered">3} me from the horns of the wild oxen!
  I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
  You who fear the LORD, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
  For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of the afflicted,
  and he has not hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he cried to him.
  From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
  The afflicted^{Or The meek">4} shall eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the LORD!
    May your hearts live forever!
  All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the LORD,
  and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
  For kingship belongs to the LORD,
    and he rules over the nations.
  All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not keep himself alive.
  Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
  they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
    that he has done it.

(ESV)

Ruth 4:1-17

Boaz Redeems Ruth

4 Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you^{Hebrew he">1} will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth^{Masoretic Text you also buy it from Ruth">2} the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman.”

Ruth and Boaz Marry

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

1 Timothy 5:17-22

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. (ESV)

1 Timothy 5:23-25

(No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden. (ESV)

Luke 14:1-11

Healing of a Man on the Sabbath

14 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son^{Some manuscripts a donkey">1} or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” And they could not reply to these things.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Psalm 18:1-20

The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD rescued him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

18   I love you, O LORD, my strength.
  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
  I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.
  The cords of death encompassed me;
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;^{Or terrified me">1}
  the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.
  In my distress I called upon the LORD;
    to my God I cried for help.
  From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears.
  Then the earth reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
  Smoke went up from his nostrils,^{Or in his wrath">2}
    and devouring fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
  He bowed the heavens and came down;
    thick darkness was under his feet.
  He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
  He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
    thick clouds dark with water.
  Out of the brightness before him
    hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
  The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
  And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
  Then the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare
  at your rebuke, O LORD,
    at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
  He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.
  He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
  They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the LORD was my support.
  He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
  The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.

(ESV)

Psalm 18:21-50

  For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
  For all his rules^{Or just decrees">1} were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
  I was blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from my guilt.
  So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
  With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
  with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
  For you save a humble people,
    but the haughty eyes you bring down.
  For it is you who light my lamp;
    the LORD my God lightens my darkness.
  For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
  This God—his way is perfect;^{Or blameless">2}
    the word of the LORD proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
  For who is God, but the LORD?
    And who is a rock, except our God?—
  the God who equipped me with strength
    and made my way blameless.
  He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
  He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
  You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand supported me,
    and your gentleness made me great.
  You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
  I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
  I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
  For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
  You made my enemies turn their backs to me,^{Or You gave me my enemies' necks">3}
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
  They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
  I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like the mire of the streets.
  You delivered me from strife with the people;
    you made me the head of the nations;
    people whom I had not known served me.
  As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    foreigners came cringing to me.
  Foreigners lost heart
    and came trembling out of their fortresses.
  The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
  the God who gave me vengeance
    and subdued peoples under me,
  who delivered me from my enemies;
    yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you rescued me from the man of violence.
  For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations,
    and sing to your name.
  Great salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
    to David and his offspring forever.

(ESV)

Ruth 3

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor

3 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”

So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings^{Compare 2:12; the word for wings can also mean corners of a garment">1} over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” And he said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”

So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’” She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”

1 Timothy 4

Some Will Depart from the Faith

4 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

A Good Servant of Christ Jesus

If you put these things before the brothers,^{Or brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoi may refer either to men or to both men and women who are siblings (brothers and sisters) in God's family, the church">1} you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive,^{Some manuscripts and suffer reproach">2} because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,^{Greek be in them">3} so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Luke 13:31-35

Lament over Jerusalem

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (ESV)

Psalm 119:1-24

Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

Aleph

119   ^{This psalm is an acrostic poem of twenty-two stanzas, following the letters of the Hebrew alphabet; within a stanza, each verse begins with the same Hebrew letter">1} Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
    who walk in the law of the LORD!
  Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
    who seek him with their whole heart,
  who also do no wrong,
    but walk in his ways!
  You have commanded your precepts
    to be kept diligently.
  Oh that my ways may be steadfast
    in keeping your statutes!
  Then I shall not be put to shame,
    having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
  I will praise you with an upright heart,
    when I learn your righteous rules.^{Or your just and righteous decrees; also verses 62, 106, 160, 164">2}
  I will keep your statutes;
    do not utterly forsake me!

Beth

  How can a young man keep his way pure?
    By guarding it according to your word.
  With my whole heart I seek you;
    let me not wander from your commandments!
  I have stored up your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.
  Blessed are you, O LORD;
    teach me your statutes!
  With my lips I declare
    all the rules^{Or all the just decrees">3} of your mouth.
  In the way of your testimonies I delight
    as much as in all riches.
  I will meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
  I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.

Gimel

  Deal bountifully with your servant,
    that I may live and keep your word.
  Open my eyes, that I may behold
    wondrous things out of your law.
  I am a sojourner on the earth;
    hide not your commandments from me!
  My soul is consumed with longing
    for your rules^{Or your just decrees; also verses 30, 39, 43, 52, 75, 102, 108, 137, 156, 175">4} at all times.
  You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
    who wander from your commandments.
  Take away from me scorn and contempt,
    for I have kept your testimonies.
  Even though princes sit plotting against me,
    your servant will meditate on your statutes.
  Your testimonies are my delight;
    they are my counselors.

(ESV)

Psalm 12

The Faithful Have Vanished

To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith.^{Probably a musical or liturgical term">1} A Psalm of David.

12   Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone;
    for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
  Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
    with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
  May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
    the tongue that makes great boasts,
  those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,
    our lips are with us; who is master over us?”
  “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
    I will now arise,” says the LORD;
    “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
  The words of the LORD are pure words,
    like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
    purified seven times.
  You, O LORD, will keep them;
    you will guard us^{Or guard him">2} from this generation forever.
  On every side the wicked prowl,
    as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

(ESV)

Psalm 13

How Long, O Lord?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

13   How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
  How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
  How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
  Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
  lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
  But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
  I will sing to the LORD,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

(ESV)

Psalm 14

The Fool Says, There Is No God

To the choirmaster. Of David.

14   The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
    there is none who does good.
  The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man,
    to see if there are any who understand,^{Or that act wisely">1}
    who seek after God.
  They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
    there is none who does good,
    not even one.
  Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
    who eat up my people as they eat bread
    and do not call upon the LORD?
  There they are in great terror,
    for God is with the generation of the righteous.
  You would shame the plans of the poor,
    but^{Or for">2} the LORD is his refuge.
  Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people,
    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

(ESV)

Ruth 2:14-23

And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”

So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah^{An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters">1} of barley. And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’” And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

1 Timothy 3

Qualifications for Overseers

3 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer^{Or bishop; Greek episkopos; a similar term occurs in verse 1">1} must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,^{Or a man of one woman; also verse 12">2} sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Deacons

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,^{Or devious in speech">3} not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must^{Or Wives, likewise, must, or Women, likewise, must">4} be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Godliness

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

  He^{Greek Who; some manuscripts God; others Which">5} was manifested in the flesh,
    vindicated^{Or justified">6} by the Spirit,^{Or vindicated in spirit">7}
      seen by angels,
  proclaimed among the nations,
    believed on in the world,
      taken up in glory.

(ESV)

Luke 13:18-30

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

The Narrow Door

He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” (ESV)

Psalm 5

Lead Me in Your Righteousness

To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

5   Give ear to my words, O LORD;
    consider my groaning.
  Give attention to the sound of my cry,
    my King and my God,
    for to you do I pray.
  O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you^{Or I direct my prayer to you">1} and watch.
  For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
    evil may not dwell with you.
  The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
    you hate all evildoers.
  You destroy those who speak lies;
    the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
  But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
    will enter your house.
  I will bow down toward your holy temple
    in the fear of you.
  Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies;
    make your way straight before me.
  For there is no truth in their mouth;
    their inmost self is destruction;
  their throat is an open grave;
    they flatter with their tongue.
  Make them bear their guilt, O God;
    let them fall by their own counsels;
  because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
    for they have rebelled against you.
  But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
  and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may exult in you.
  For you bless the righteous, O LORD;
    you cover him with favor as with a shield.

(ESV)

Psalm 6

O Lord, Deliver My Life

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith.^{Probably a musical or liturgical term">1} A Psalm of David.

6   O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor discipline me in your wrath.
  Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing;
    heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.
  My soul also is greatly troubled.
    But you, O LORD—how long?
  Turn, O LORD, deliver my life;
    save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
  For in death there is no remembrance of you;
    in Sheol who will give you praise?
  I am weary with my moaning;
    every night I flood my bed with tears;
    I drench my couch with my weeping.
  My eye wastes away because of grief;
    it grows weak because of all my foes.
  Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
    for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
  The LORD has heard my plea;
    the LORD accepts my prayer.
  All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
    they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

(ESV)

Psalm 10

Why Do You Hide Yourself?

10   Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
    Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
  In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
    let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
  For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
    and the one greedy for gain curses^{Or and he blesses the one greedy for gain">1} and renounces the LORD.
  In the pride of his face^{Or of his anger">2} the wicked does not seek him;^{Or the wicked says, “He will not call to account”">3}
    all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
  His ways prosper at all times;
    your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
    as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
  He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
    throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
  His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
    under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
  He sits in ambush in the villages;
    in hiding places he murders the innocent.
  His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
    he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
  he lurks that he may seize the poor;
    he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
  The helpless are crushed, sink down,
    and fall by his might.
  He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
    he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
  Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand;
    forget not the afflicted.
  Why does the wicked renounce God
    and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
  But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,
    that you may take it into your hands;
  to you the helpless commits himself;
    you have been the helper of the fatherless.
  Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
    call his wickedness to account till you find none.
  The LORD is king forever and ever;
    the nations perish from his land.
  O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
    you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
  to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
    so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

(ESV)

Psalm 11

The Lord Is in His Holy Temple

To the choirmaster. Of David.

11   In the LORD I take refuge;
  how can you say to my soul,
    “Flee like a bird to your mountain,
  for behold, the wicked bend the bow;
    they have fitted their arrow to the string
    to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
  if the foundations are destroyed,
    what can the righteous do?”^{Or for the foundations will be destroyed; what has the righteous done?">1}
  The LORD is in his holy temple;
    the LORD's throne is in heaven;
    his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
  The LORD tests the righteous,
    but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
  Let him rain coals on the wicked;
    fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
  For the LORD is righteous;
  he loves righteous deeds;
    the upright shall behold his face.

(ESV)

Ruth 1:19-2:13

Naomi and Ruth Return

So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;^{Naomi means pleasant">1} call me Mara,^{Mara means bitter">2} for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

Ruth Meets Boaz

2 Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they answered, “The LORD bless you.” Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”^{Compare Septuagint, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain">3}

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.” Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”

1 Timothy 1:18-2:8

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Pray for All People

2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man^{men and man render the same Greek word that is translated people in verses 1 and 4">1} Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;

Luke 13:10-17

A Woman with a Disabling Spirit

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him. (ESV)