Isaiah 32
1 The Lord says this: “Blessed is he who has a seed in Zion and kindred in Jerusalem. For behold, a righteous King shall reign, and rulers will govern with judgment.†
2 A Man will hide His words, and be hidden as from flowing water; and He will appear in Zion as a glorious river flowing in a thirsty land.†
3 And they will no longer trust in men, but their ears will incline to listen.
4 The heart of the sick will pay attention to listen, and the tongues that stammer will learn quickly to speak peace.”
5 Let them no longer tell a fool to rule, nor let Your servants say any longer, “Be silent.”
6 For the fool will speak foolishness, and his heart will think vain things: to practice lawlessness, to speak error against the Lord, to scatter hungry souls, and to make thirsty souls empty.
7 For the counsel of evil men plans lawlessness, to destroy the humble with unjust words, and to scatter the words of the humble with judgment.
8 But the godly plan wise things, and this counsel remains.
9 Rise up, you rich women, and hear my voice. You daughters with hope, listen to my words.
10 In pain, yet with hope, remember that for a full year the harvest will be consumed and cease. It shall by no means come again.
11 Be amazed, be grieved, you confident ones. Strip yourselves, and gird your loins with sackcloth.
12 Beat upon your breasts because of the desirable fields and the fruit of the vine.
13 On the land of my people, thorns and grass will come up, and gladness will be taken from every house. As for the rich city,
14 the houses are deserted, and they will leave behind the wealth of the city and desirable houses. The villages will become caves forever, and the gladness of wild donkeys and pastures of shepherds—
15 until the Spirit comes upon you from on high, and the desert becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is counted as a forest.†
16 Then judgment will take rest in the desert, and righteousness shall dwell in Carmel.
17 The works of righteousness will be peace, and righteousness shall ensure rest and confidence forever.
18 His people will dwell in a city of peace, and will dwell in confidence, and they will rest with riches.
19 Though hail should come down, it would not fall upon you, and those who dwell in the forests shall be as confident as those in the plain.
20 Blessed are those who sow beside all waters, where the ox and the donkey tread.†
Psalms 77
56 They tested and rebelled against the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies;
57 And they turned away and broke His covenant, just as their fathers did, And they changed into a crooked bow;
58 And they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
59 God heard and despised them, And He utterly disdained Israel;
60 And He rejected the tabernacle at Shiloh, His dwelling place, where He settled among men.
61 He gave their strength into captivity And their beauty into the hands of the enemy;
62 And He gave His people over to the sword And despised His inheritance.
63 Fire consumed their young men, And their virgins were not lamented;
64 Their priests fell by the sword, And their widows were not lamented.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, Like a strong man drunk from wine;
66 And He struck His enemies from behind; He gave them eternal reproach.
67 And He rejected the dwelling of Joseph And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
68 He chose the tribe of Judah, This Mount Zion that He loves;
69 And He built His sanctuary as the place of unicorns; He founded it forever on the earth.
70 He chose David for His servant And took him from the sheepfolds;
71 He took him from behind sheep that gave birth To shepherd Jacob His people And Israel His inheritance;
72 And he shepherded them in the integrity of his heart And guided them with the skillfulness of his hands.
Proverbs of Solomon 16
21 The heart of a wise man shall understand the things from his own mouth, And he shall carry knowledge upon his lips.†
22 Good words are a honeycomb, And their sweetness is a healing of the soul.
23 There are ways that seem right to a man; However, their ends look to the depths of Hades.
24 A man labors diligently for himself And expels destruction from himself; However, a perverse man carries destruction on his lips.
25 A man without discernment digs up evil things for himself And stores up fire on his own lips.
Ephesians 4
Be Children of God
25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.†
26 “Be angry, and do not sin” : do not let the sun go down on your wrath,†
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.†
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.†
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.†
Ephesians 5
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.†
Separate from Darkness
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.†
5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. †
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.†
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
Walk in Christ the Light
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light†
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
Expose Darkness
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. †
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”