Isaiah 15
1 The word against the land of Moab: In the night the land of Moab shall be destroyed, for the wall of the land of Moab shall be destroyed in the night.†
2 Lament for yourselves, for even Dibon, where your altar is, shall be destroyed. Go there to weep over Nebo in the land of Moab. Wail, for baldness shall be on every head, and all arms shall be mutilated.
3 In her streets, dress yourselves with sackcloth and strike yourselves on her housetops. All of you cry out with bitter wailing in her streets.
4 Heshbon and Elealeh cry out until their voice is heard as far as Jahaz; therefore, the loins of the land of Moab cry aloud, for its soul shall know this.
5 The heart of the land of Moab cries aloud in itself as far as Zoar, like a three-year-old heifer. On the ascent of Luhith, they shall go up to you with weeping by way of Horonaim. She cries, “Destruction and earthquake!”
6 The water of Nemerim shall be a desert, and its grass shall fail, for there will be no green grass.
7 “Even so, will Moab be saved? For I will bring the Arabs upon the valley, and they shall take it.
8 For the cry reaches the border of the land of Moab, even of Eglaim, and its wailing as far as the well of Elim.
9 For the water of Dimon shall be full of blood, for I will bring Arabs upon Dimon. I shall take away the seed of Moab, Ariel and the remnant of Adama.
Isaiah 16
1 “I shall send them like reptiles upon the land, for is not Mount Zion a deserted rock?†
2 O Daughter of Moab, you shall be like a young bird taken away from a bird that has flown. Then, O Arnon,
3 take more counsel and make for her a shelter of mourning continually. In the middle of the day they flee in darkness; they are amazed; do not be led away.
4 The outcasts of Moab will sojourn with you. They will shelter you from the face of the pursuer, for your alliance has been taken away, and the ruler who trampled the land underfoot has perished from the earth.†
5 A throne will be established with mercy, and in the tabernacle of David, one will sit upon it in truth, judging, seeking justice, and hastening righteousness.”
6 We heard of the insolence of Moab, exceedingly insolent. You drove away his arrogance. Your divination is not in this way,
7 no not in this way. Moab shall wail, for everyone shall wail in the land of Moab. For you will think about those who dwell in Deseth, and not be ashamed.
8 The plains of Heshbon and the vine of Sibmah swallow the nations and shall mourn. Trample down her vines. Do not reach to Jazer. Wander in the desert. Those sent were left behind, for they passed through the desert.
9 Therefore I will weep for the vine of Sibmah with the weeping of Jazer. O Heshbon and Elealeh, he struck down your trees, for I shall trample on your harvest and vintage, and both shall fall.
10 Gladness is taken away, so too the joy from your vineyards, for in the vineyards there shall be no rejoicing; and no treaders will tread out wine in the wine vats, for the wine has ceased.
11 Therefore my belly will resound like a harp for Moab, and my inward parts like a wall you renewed.
12 Then it shall come to pass, when you are shamed (for Moab grows weary at his altars), that he will go in to pray to the things made with hands, but they will be unable to deliver him.
13 This is the word the Lord spoke against Moab when He spoke.
14 “So now I say to you, within three years, as in the years of a hired man, the glory of Moab, with its great wealth, shall be dishonored, and he will be left few in number and not honored.”
Psalms 70
1 By David; of the sons of Jonadab and the first ones taken captive. †O God, in You I hope; may I never be put to shame.
2 Deliver me in Your righteousness, and set me free; Incline Your ear to me and save me.
3 Be to me a God for protection And a strong place for salvation, For You are my foundation and my refuge.
4 O my God, deliver me from the hand of the sinner, From the hand of those who transgress the law and act unjustly;
5 For You are my patience, O Lord; The Lord is my hope from my youth.
6 By You I have been supported from birth; From my mother’s womb You have been my protector; My song shall be always of You.
7 I am become as a wonder to many, And You are my strong helper.
8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise, That I may sing of Your glory And of Your magnificence all the day long.
9 Do not abandon me in the time of old age; When my strength fails, do not forsake me.
10 For my enemies speak against me, And those who watch for my soul plot together,
11 Saying, “God forsook him; Pursue and lay hold of him, For there is no deliverer.”
12 O God, do not stand far off from me; O my God, give heed to help me.
13 Let those who falsely accuse my soul be shamed and forsaken; Let those who seek evils for me be covered with shame and reproach.
Proverbs of Solomon 14
21 He who dishonors the poor sins, But he who has mercy on the poor is very blessed.
22 Deceivers devise evil things, But good men devise mercy and truth.†
23 Devisers of evil things do not understand mercy and faithfulness, But mercies and faithfulness are with devisers of good things.
24 To everyone who is careful there is an abundance, But he who is pleasure-taking and slothful shall be in want.
25 The crown of the wise is astuteness, But the pastime of the undiscerning is evil.†
2 Corinthians 11
Paul Preaches the True Gospel
1 Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me.†
2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!†
5 For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles.
6 Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.
Serving out of Love
7 Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?†
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you.
9 And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!
12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.†
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.