Wisdom of Sirach 42
1 Do not be ashamed of the following things, And do not let partiality lead you to sin:†
2 Of the Law and covenant of the Most High, And of a judgment to acquit an ungodly man;
3 Of keeping accounts with a partner or a traveling companion, And of dividing an inheritance among friends;
4 Of accurate scales and balances, And the acquisition of much or little;
5 Of profit from business with merchants, And of much discipline of children, And of making the sides of an evil servant bleed.†
6 Where there is an evil wife, a seal is good; And where there are many hands, lock things up.
7 Whatever you deliver, do it by number or weight; And put in writing everything you give or receive.
8 Do not be ashamed of the instructing of the unwise and foolish, Or of the extremely old man who passes judgment on the young; Then you will be truly instructed And approved before all men.†
Fathers and Daughters
9 A daughter keeps her father secretly wakeful, For worry over her takes away his sleep; Lest in her youth she passes the time to marry, And lest in her marriage she be hated;†
10 In her virginity lest she be defiled Or become pregnant in her father’s house; Having a husband, lest she be unfaithful, Or though married, lest she be childless.
11 Keep a strict watch over a headstrong daughter, Lest she make you a laughingstock to your enemies, A source of gossip in the city And notorious among the people, And a disgrace to you before the great multitude.
12 Do not look upon anyone for beauty And do not sit in the midst of women.
13 For a moth comes out of garments, And the evil of a woman comes from a woman.†
14 The evil of a man is better Than a woman who does what is good, Yet brings shame and disgrace.†
God’s Glorious Works
15 I shall now remember the works of the Lord, And by the words of the Lord I shall describe His works that I see.†
16 The sun gives light and looks down on everything, And its work is full of the Lord’s glory.†
17 The Lord did not enable His saints To describe all His wonders, Which the Lord Almighty established That the universe might be established in His glory.†
18 He traced out the abyss and the human heart And understands their craftiness; For the Most High possesses all knowledge And sees into the signs of an age.†
19 He proclaims what has been and what shall be And reveals the footstep of hidden things.
20 No thought escapes Him; Not even one word is hidden from Him.†
21 He has adorned the mighty works of His wisdom, For He is from everlasting to everlasting; Nothing can be added or taken away, And He needs no one to be His counselor.
22 How precious are all His works, And how sparkling to behold.
23 All these things live and endure forever, for every need, And all are obedient.
24 All things are in pairs, one opposite the other, And He made nothing incomplete.
25 One thing strengthens the good of another, And who can have enough of beholding His glory?
Psalms 43
1 For the End; a psalm for the sons of Korah; for understanding. †
2 O God, we heard with our ears; Our fathers proclaimed it to us, The work You performed in their days, in days of old.
3 Your hand utterly destroyed the nations, and You planted them; You afflicted and cast out peoples.
4 For they did not inherit the land with their sword, And their arm did not save them; But it was Your right hand and Your arm, And the light of Your countenance, Because You took pleasure in them.
5 You Yourself are my King and God, Who commands salvation for Jacob;
6 In You we shall push back our enemies, And in Your name we shall scorn those who rise up against us.
7 For I will not hope in my bow, And my sword will not save me;
8 For You saved us from those who afflict us, And You disgraced those who hate us.
9 We shall praise God all day long, And we shall give thanks to Your name forever. (Pause)
Proverbs of Solomon 8
32 Now therefore, my son, hear me: Blessed is the man who shall hearken to me And the man who shall guard my ways;†
33 Who watches daily at my doors, Who keeps watch at the doors of my entryways;
34 For my issues are the issues of life, And grace is prepared from the Lord.†
35 But those who sin against me act ungodly toward their own souls, And those who hate me love death.Ӡ
Romans 15
Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome
22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you.
23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you,
24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while.
25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.
26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.
27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.†
28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain.
29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,
31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,
32 that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.
33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.