Today's Readings: August 7

[1] The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, [2] “Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead. [3] You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.” [4] And the people of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the LORD said to Moses, so the people of Israel did.

[5] And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, [6] “Speak to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the LORD, and that person realizes his guilt, [7] he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong. [8] But if the man has no next of kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the LORD for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for him. [9] And every contribution, all the holy donations of the people of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be his. [10] Each one shall keep his holy donations: whatever anyone gives to the priest shall be his.”

[11] And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, [12] “Speak to the people of Israel, If any man’s wife goes astray and breaks faith with him, [13] if a man lies with her sexually, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she is undetected though she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her, since she was not taken in the act, [14] and if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife who has defiled herself, or if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife, though she has not defiled herself, [15] then the man shall bring his wife to the priest and bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to remembrance.

[16] “And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the LORD. [17] And the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. [18] And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD and unbind the hair of the woman’s head and place in her hands the grain offering of remembrance, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And in his hand the priest shall have the water of bitterness that brings the curse. [19] Then the priest shall make her take an oath, saying, ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while you were under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse. [20] But if you have gone astray, though you are under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself, and some man other than your husband has lain with you, [21] then’ (let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman) ‘the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh fall away and your body swell. [22] May this water that brings the curse pass into your bowels and make your womb swell and your thigh fall away.’ And the woman shall say, ‘Amen, Amen.’

[23] “Then the priest shall write these curses in a book and wash them off into the water of bitterness. [24] And he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain. [25] And the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand and shall wave the grain offering before the LORD and bring it to the altar. [26] And the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. [27] And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall become a curse among her people. [28] But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children.

[29] “This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, though under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself, [30] or when the spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. Then he shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall carry out for her all this law. [31] The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.”

[1] The word of the LORD came to me: [2] “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord GOD:

“Because your heart is proud,
and you have said, ‘I am a god,
I sit in the seat of the gods,
in the heart of the seas,’
yet you are but a man, and no god,
though you make your heart like the heart of a god—
[3] you are indeed wiser than Daniel;
no secret is hidden from you;
[4] by your wisdom and your understanding
you have made wealth for yourself,
and have gathered gold and silver
into your treasuries;
[5] by your great wisdom in your trade
you have increased your wealth,
and your heart has become proud in your wealth—
[6] therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
Because you make your heart
like the heart of a god,
[7] therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you,
the most ruthless of the nations;
and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom
and defile your splendor.
[8] They shall thrust you down into the pit,
and you shall die the death of the slain
in the heart of the seas.
[9] Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’
in the presence of those who kill you,
though you are but a man, and no god,
in the hands of those who slay you?
[10] You shall die the death of the uncircumcised
by the hand of foreigners;
for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD.”


[11] Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me: [12] “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD:

“You were the signet of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
[13] You were in Eden, the garden of God;
every precious stone was your covering,
sardius, topaz, and diamond,
beryl, onyx, and jasper,
sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;
and crafted in gold were your settings
and your engravings.
On the day that you were created
they were prepared.
[14] You were an anointed guardian cherub.
I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;
in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.
[15] You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created,
till unrighteousness was found in you.
[16] In the abundance of your trade
you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;
so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,
and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub,
from the midst of the stones of fire.
[17] Your heart was proud because of your beauty;
you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
I cast you to the ground;
I exposed you before kings,
to feast their eyes on you.
[18] By the multitude of your iniquities,
in the unrighteousness of your trade
you profaned your sanctuaries;
so I brought fire out from your midst;
it consumed you,
and I turned you to ashes on the earth
in the sight of all who saw you.
[19] All who know you among the peoples
are appalled at you;
you have come to a dreadful end
and shall be no more forever.”


[20] The word of the LORD came to me: [21] “Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against her [22] and say, Thus says the Lord GOD:

“Behold, I am against you, O Sidon,
and I will manifest my glory in your midst.
And they shall know that I am the LORD
when I execute judgments in her
and manifest my holiness in her;
[23] for I will send pestilence into her,
and blood into her streets;
and the slain shall fall in her midst,
by the sword that is against her on every side.
Then they will know that I am the LORD.


[24] “And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.

[25] “Thus says the Lord GOD: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. [26] And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.”

[1] These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.

[2] It is the glory of God to conceal things,
but the glory of kings is to search things out.
[3] As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,
so the heart of kings is unsearchable.
[4] Take away the dross from the silver,
and the smith has material for a vessel;
[5] take away the wicked from the presence of the king,
and his throne will be established in righteousness.
[6] Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence
or stand in the place of the great,
[7] for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.


What your eyes have seen
[8] do not hastily bring into court,
for what will you do in the end,
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
[9] Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
and do not reveal another’s secret,
[10] lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
and your ill repute have no end.


[11] A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
[12] Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold
is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
[13] Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
is a faithful messenger to those who send him;
he refreshes the soul of his masters.
[14] Like clouds and wind without rain
is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.


[15] With patience a ruler may be persuaded,
and a soft tongue will break a bone.
[16] If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,
lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
[17] Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house,
lest he have his fill of you and hate you.
[18] A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.
[19] Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble
is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.
[20] Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart
is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,
and like vinegar on soda.
[21] If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
[22] for you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you.
[23] The north wind brings forth rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.
[24] It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
[25] Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country.
[26] Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
[27] It is not good to eat much honey,
nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.
[28] A man without self-control
is like a city broken into and left without walls.

[1] Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. [2] You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. [3] Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

[4] Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; [5] and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; [6] and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. [7] To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. [8] For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, [10] to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. [11] All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

[12] For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. [13] For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

[14] For the body does not consist of one member but of many. [15] If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. [16] And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. [17] If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? [18] But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. [19] If all were a single member, where would the body be? [20] As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

[21] The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” [22] On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23] and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, [24] which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, [25] that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. [26] If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

[27] Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. [28] And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. [29] Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? [30] Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? [31] But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.