Day 327 reading

Wisdom·Proverbs 20:1–10

¹Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise. ²The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him forfeits his own life. ³It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool will quarrel. ⁴The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there. ⁵The intentions of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. ⁶Many a man proclaims his loving devotion, but who can find a trustworthy man? ⁷The righteous man walks with integrity; blessed are his children after him. ⁸A king who sits on a throne to judge sifts out all evil with his eyes. ⁹Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin”? ¹⁰Differing weights and unequal measures — both are detestable to the LORD.

New Testament·Hebrews 13:13–25

¹³Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore. ¹⁴For here we do not have a permanent city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. ¹⁵Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name. ¹⁶And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. ¹⁷Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account. To this end, allow them to lead with joy and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you. ¹⁸Pray for us; we are convinced that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. ¹⁹And I especially urge you to pray that I may be restored to you soon. ²⁰Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, ²¹equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. ²²I urge you, brothers, to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have only written to you briefly. ²³Be aware that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. ²⁴Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. ²⁵Grace be with all of you.

Old Testament·Ezekiel 23:26–24:27

²⁶They will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry. ²⁷So I will put an end to your indecency and prostitution, which began in the land of Egypt, and you will not lift your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.’ ²⁸For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Surely I will deliver you into the hands of those you hate, from whom you turned away in disgust. ²⁹They will treat you with hatred, take all for which you have worked, and leave you naked and bare, so that the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your indecency and promiscuity ³⁰have brought these things upon you, because you have prostituted yourself with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. ³¹Because you have followed the path of your sister, I will put her cup into your hand.’ ³²This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You will drink your sister’s cup, a cup deep and wide. It will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much. ³³You will be filled with drunkenness and grief, with a cup of devastation and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. ³⁴You will drink it and drain it; you will dash it to pieces, and tear your breasts. For I have spoken,’ declares the Lord GOD. ³⁵Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have forgotten Me and have cast Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and prostitution.’” ³⁶Then the LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you pass judgment against Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations. ³⁷For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food for their idols. ³⁸They have also done this to Me: On that very same day, they defiled My sanctuary and profaned My Sabbaths. ³⁹On the very day they slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary to profane it. Yes, they did this inside My house. ⁴⁰Furthermore, you sisters sent messengers for men who came from afar; and behold, when they arrived, you bathed for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with jewelry. ⁴¹You sat on a couch of luxury with a table spread before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil, ⁴²accompanied by the sound of a carefree crowd. Drunkards were brought in from the desert along with men from the rabble, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your head. ⁴³Then I said of her who had grown old in adulteries: ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is!’ ⁴⁴And they slept with her as with a prostitute; they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, those lewd women. ⁴⁵But righteous men will sentence them to the punishment of those who commit adultery and bloodshed, because they are adulteresses with blood on their hands. ⁴⁶This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Bring a mob against them and consign them to terror and plunder. ⁴⁷The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords. They will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses. ⁴⁸So I will put an end to indecency in the land, and all the women will be admonished not to imitate your behavior. ⁴⁹They will repay you for your indecency, and you will bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’”

24In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ²“Son of man, write down today’s date, for on this very day the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem. ³Now speak a parable to this rebellious house and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Put the pot on the fire; put it on and pour in the water. ⁴Put in the pieces of meat, every good piece— thigh and shoulder— fill it with choice bones. ⁵Take the choicest of the flock and pile the fuel beneath it. Bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.’ ⁶Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now rusted, whose rust will not come off! Empty it piece by piece; cast no lots for its contents. ⁷For the blood she shed is still within her; she poured it out on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust. ⁸In order to stir up wrath and take vengeance, I have placed her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.’ ⁹Yes, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the kindling high. ¹⁰Pile on the logs and kindle the fire; cook the meat well and mix in the spices; let the bones be burned. ¹¹Set the empty pot on its coals until it becomes hot and its copper glows. Then its impurity will melt within; its rust will be consumed. ¹²It has frustrated every effort; its thick rust has not been removed, even by the fire. ¹³Because of the indecency of your uncleanness I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be purified from your filthiness. You will not be pure again until My wrath against you has subsided. ¹⁴I, the LORD, have spoken; the time is coming, and I will act. I will not refrain or show pity, nor will I relent. I will judge you according to your ways and deeds,’ declares the Lord GOD.” ¹⁵Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ¹⁶“Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow. ¹⁷Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Put on your turban and strap your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners.” ¹⁸So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And the next morning I did as I had been commanded. ¹⁹Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things you are doing mean to us?” ²⁰So I answered them, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying: ²¹Tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the delight of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.’ ²²Then you will do as I have done: You will not cover your lips or eat the bread of mourners. ²³Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan among yourselves. ²⁴‘Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’ ²⁵And you, son of man, know that on the day I take away their stronghold, their pride and joy—the desire of their eyes which uplifted their souls—and their sons and daughters as well, ²⁶on that day a fugitive will come and tell you the news. ²⁷On that day your mouth will be opened to him who has escaped; you will speak and no longer be mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.”