Today's Readings: July 18

A Maskil of Asaph.

[1] Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
[2] I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
[3] things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
[4] We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.


[5] He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
[6] that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
[7] so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;
[8] and that they should not be like their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.


[9] The Ephraimites, armed with the bow,
turned back on the day of battle.
[10] They did not keep God’s covenant,
but refused to walk according to his law.
[11] They forgot his works
and the wonders that he had shown them.
[12] In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders
in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
[13] He divided the sea and let them pass through it,
and made the waters stand like a heap.
[14] In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
and all the night with a fiery light.
[15] He split rocks in the wilderness
and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.
[16] He made streams come out of the rock
and caused waters to flow down like rivers.


[17] Yet they sinned still more against him,
rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
[18] They tested God in their heart
by demanding the food they craved.
[19] They spoke against God, saying,
“Can God spread a table in the wilderness?
[20] He struck the rock so that water gushed out
and streams overflowed.
Can he also give bread
or provide meat for his people?”


[21] Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath;
a fire was kindled against Jacob;
his anger rose against Israel,
[22] because they did not believe in God
and did not trust his saving power.
[23] Yet he commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven,
[24] and he rained down on them manna to eat
and gave them the grain of heaven.
[25] Man ate of the bread of the angels;
he sent them food in abundance.
[26] He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
and by his power he led out the south wind;
[27] he rained meat on them like dust,
winged birds like the sand of the seas;
[28] he let them fall in the midst of their camp,
all around their dwellings.
[29] And they ate and were well filled,
for he gave them what they craved.
[30] But before they had satisfied their craving,
while the food was still in their mouths,
[31] the anger of God rose against them,
and he killed the strongest of them
and laid low the young men of Israel.


[32] In spite of all this, they still sinned;
despite his wonders, they did not believe.
[33] So he made their days vanish like a breath,
and their years in terror.
[34] When he killed them, they sought him;
they repented and sought God earnestly.
[35] They remembered that God was their rock,
the Most High God their redeemer.
[36] But they flattered him with their mouths;
they lied to him with their tongues.
[37] Their heart was not steadfast toward him;
they were not faithful to his covenant.
[38] Yet he, being compassionate,
atoned for their iniquity
and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
and did not stir up all his wrath.
[39] He remembered that they were but flesh,
a wind that passes and comes not again.

[1] Then I looked, and behold, on the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim there appeared above them something like a sapphire, in appearance like a throne. [2] And he said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the whirling wheels underneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.”

And he went in before my eyes. [3] Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the house, when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. [4] And the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD. [5] And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.

[6] And when he commanded the man clothed in linen, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” he went in and stood beside a wheel. [7] And a cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. [8] The cherubim appeared to have the form of a human hand under their wings.

[9] And I looked, and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one beside each cherub, and the appearance of the wheels was like sparkling beryl. [10] And as for their appearance, the four had the same likeness, as if a wheel were within a wheel. [11] When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went, but in whatever direction the front wheel faced, the others followed without turning as they went. [12] And their whole body, their rims, and their spokes, their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around—the wheels that the four of them had. [13] As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing “the whirling wheels.” [14] And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was a human face, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

[15] And the cherubim mounted up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the Chebar canal. [16] And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them. And when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels did not turn from beside them. [17] When they stood still, these stood still, and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them.

[18] Then the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. [19] And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they went out, with the wheels beside them. And they stood at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the LORD, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.

[20] These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel by the Chebar canal; and I knew that they were cherubim. [21] Each had four faces, and each four wings, and underneath their wings the likeness of human hands. [22] And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the Chebar canal. Each one of them went straight forward.

[1] The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of the LORD, which faces east. And behold, at the entrance of the gateway there were twenty-five men. And I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. [2] And he said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city; [3] who say, ‘The time is not near to build houses. This city is the cauldron, and we are the meat.’ [4] Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O son of man.”

[5] And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus says the LORD: So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind. [6] You have multiplied your slain in this city and have filled its streets with the slain. [7] Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of it, they are the meat, and this city is the cauldron, but you shall be brought out of the midst of it. [8] You have feared the sword, and I will bring the sword upon you, declares the Lord GOD. [9] And I will bring you out of the midst of it, and give you into the hands of foreigners, and execute judgments upon you. [10] You shall fall by the sword. I will judge you at the border of Israel, and you shall know that I am the LORD. [11] This city shall not be your cauldron, nor shall you be the meat in the midst of it. I will judge you at the border of Israel, [12] and you shall know that I am the LORD. For you have not walked in my statutes, nor obeyed my rules, but have acted according to the rules of the nations that are around you.”

[13] And it came to pass, while I was prophesying, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?”

[14] And the word of the LORD came to me: [15] “Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, your kinsmen, the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far from the LORD; to us this land is given for a possession.’ [16] Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.’ [17] Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ [18] And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. [19] And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, [20] that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. [21] But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”

[22] Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. [23] And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city. [24] And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen went up from me. [25] And I told the exiles all the things that the LORD had shown me.

[1] A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,
but a just weight is his delight.
[2] When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with the humble is wisdom.
[3] The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
[4] Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.
[5] The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight,
but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
[6] The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.
[7] When the wicked dies, his hope will perish,
and the expectation of wealth perishes too.
[8] The righteous is delivered from trouble,
and the wicked walks into it instead.
[9] With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
[10] When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
[11] By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.
[12] Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense,
but a man of understanding remains silent.
[13] Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets,
but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
[14] Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
[15] Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm,
but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
[16] A gracious woman gets honor,
and violent men get riches.
[17] A man who is kind benefits himself,
but a cruel man hurts himself.
[18] The wicked earns deceptive wages,
but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.
[19] Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live,
but he who pursues evil will die.
[20] Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD,
but those of blameless ways are his delight.
[21] Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished,
but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.
[22] Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman without discretion.
[23] The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
[24] One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
[25] Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.
[26] The people curse him who holds back grain,
but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.
[27] Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,
but evil comes to him who searches for it.
[28] Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
[29] Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
[30] The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and whoever captures souls is wise.
[31] If the righteous is repaid on earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner!

[1] As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. [2] One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. [3] Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. [4] Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

[5] One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. [6] The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. [7] For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. [8] For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. [9] For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

[10] Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; [11] for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”


[12] So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

[13] Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. [14] I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. [15] For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. [16] So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. [17] For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. [18] Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. [19] So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

[20] Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. [21] It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. [22] The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. [23] But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.