Isaiah 63
1 Who is this who comes from Edom with red garments from Bozrah, so beautiful in His apparel, with force of strength? “I speak of righteousness and saving judgment.”
2 Why are Your garments red and Your apparel as one who treads in a winepress?†
3 “I am full of the treading of grapes, and there is no man with Me among the nations. I trampled them in My anger, and crushed them like earth, and brought down their blood to the ground.
4 For the day of recompense has come upon them, and the year of redemption has arrived.
5 I looked, but there was no helper; and I observed, but there was no one to help; therefore, My arm delivered them, and My anger was suddenly present.
6 So I trampled them in My wrath and brought their blood down to the ground.”
7 I remembered the Lord’s mercy, the praises of the Lord in all things in which the Lord recompenses us. The Lord is a good judge to the house of Israel, and He deals with us according to His mercy, and according to the multitude of His righteousness.†
8 He said, “Surely My people, My children, have not rejected Me?” So He became their salvation.
9 Not an elder or an angel, but the Lord Himself saved them from all their tribulation, because He loved them and spared them. He redeemed and took them up, and lifted them up all the days of old.
10 Yet they disobeyed Him and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned against them with hostility and waged war on them.
11 Then He remembered the days of old, He who brought up the shepherd of His sheep from the land. Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in them?
12 Where is He who led Moses with His right hand, the arm of His glory? He overpowered the water by His presence to make for Himself an everlasting name.†
13 He brought them through the deep, like a horse through the desert, yet they did not grow weary.
14 Like cattle through the plain, the Spirit came down from the Lord and guided them. Thus You led Your people, to make Yourself a glorious name.
15 Return from heaven, and look from Your holy and glorious dwelling-place. Where are Your zeal and Your strength; where is the multitude of Your mercy and Your compassion, so as to be patient with us?†
16 You are our Father, although Abraham did not know us, and Israel did not acknowledge us; but You, O Lord, are our Father. You delivered us, and from the beginning Your name was upon us.
17 Why have you led us astray, O Lord, from Your path, and hardened our hearts so as not to fear You? Return for the sake of Your servants, for the sake of the tribes of Your inheritance,†
18 that we may inherit a small portion of Your holy mountain.
19 For our adversaries trampled down Your sanctuary, and we have become as we were from the beginning, when You did not rule us, neither did we call upon Your name.
20 If You open heaven, trembling shall take hold of the mountains before You, and they shall melt as wax melts before the fire.
Psalms 103
19 He made the moon for seasons; The sun knows its setting.
20 You established darkness, and it was night, Wherein all the wild animals of the forest will prowl about;
21 The young lions roar and snatch their prey, And seek their food from God.
22 The sun arises, and they are gathered together; And they shall be put to bed in their dens.
23 Man shall go out to his work And to his labor until evening.
24 O Lord, Your works shall be magnified greatly; You made all things in wisdom; The earth was filled with Your creation.
25 There is this great and spacious sea: The creeping things are there without number; The living things are there, both small and great;
26 There the ships pass through; There is this dragon You formed to play therein.
27 All things wait upon You, That You may give them food in due season.
28 When You give it to them, they shall gather it; When You open Your hand, all things shall be filled with Your goodness.
29 But when You turn Your face away, they shall be troubled; When You take away their breath, they shall die And return again to their dust.
30 You shall send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created, And You shall renew the face of the earth.
31 Let the glory of the Lord be forever; The Lord shall be glad in His works;
32 He looks upon the earth and makes it tremble; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I exist;
34 May my words be pleasing to Him, And I shall be glad in the Lord.
35 May sinners cease from the earth, And the lawless, so as to be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Proverbs of Solomon 22
11 Cast out a pestilent man from the assembly, And contention will go out with him; For whenever he sits in the assembly, he dishonors everyone.
12 The Lord loves holy hearts, And all the blameless are acceptable to Him;†
13 A king governs lips.
14 And the eyes of the Lord maintain perception, But the lawless man despises His words.
15 A slothful man makes excuses and says, “There is a lion in the way, and murderers in the streets.”
Titus 2
Sound Doctrine Produces Proper Behavior
1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:†
2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience;
3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—†
4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
6 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded,
7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,
8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.
9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back,
10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.
Proper Behavior Supports Sound Doctrine
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,†
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,†
14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.