December 3

John 14:22-31

[22] Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” [23] Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. [24] Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

[25] “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. [26] But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. [27] Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [28] You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. [29] And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. [30] I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, [31] but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

Revelation 2:1-17

[1] “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

[2] “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. [3] I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. [4] But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. [5] Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. [6] Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. [7] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

[8] “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

[9] “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. [10] Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. [11] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

[12] “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

[13] “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. [14] But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. [15] So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. [16] Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. [17] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

Job 25

[1] Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

    [2] “Dominion and fear are with God;

        he makes peace in his high heaven. 

    [3] Is there any number to his armies?

        Upon whom does his light not arise? 

    [4] How then can man be in the right before God?

        How can he who is born of woman be pure? 

    [5] Behold, even the moon is not bright,

        and the stars are not pure in his eyes; 

    [6] how much less man, who is a maggot,

        and the son of man, who is a worm!”

Job 26

[1] Then Job answered and said:

    [2] “How you have helped him who has no power!

        How you have saved the arm that has no strength! 

    [3] How you have counseled him who has no wisdom,

        and plentifully declared sound knowledge! 

    [4] With whose help have you uttered words,

        and whose breath has come out from you? 

    [5] The dead tremble

        under the waters and their inhabitants. 

    [6] Sheol is naked before God,

        and Abaddon has no covering. 

    [7] He stretches out the north over the void

        and hangs the earth on nothing. 

    [8] He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,

        and the cloud is not split open under them. 

    [9] He covers the face of the full moon

        and spreads over it his cloud. 

    [10] He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters

        at the boundary between light and darkness. 

    [11] The pillars of heaven tremble

        and are astounded at his rebuke. 

    [12] By his power he stilled the sea;

        by his understanding he shattered Rahab. 

    [13] By his wind the heavens were made fair;

        his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. 

    [14] Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,

        and how small a whisper do we hear of him!

        But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Hosea 7

    [1] when I would heal Israel,

        the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed,

        and the evil deeds of Samaria,

    for they deal falsely;

        the thief breaks in,

        and the bandits raid outside. 

    [2] 

    But they do not consider

        that I remember all their evil.

    Now their deeds surround them;

        they are before my face. 

    [3] 

    By their evil they make the king glad,

        and the princes by their treachery. 

    [4] 

    They are all adulterers;

        they are like a heated oven

    whose baker ceases to stir the fire,

        from the kneading of the dough

        until it is leavened. 

    [5] 

    On the day of our king, the princes

        became sick with the heat of wine;

        he stretched out his hand with mockers. 

    [6] 

    For with hearts like an oven they approach their intrigue;

        all night their anger smolders;

        in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. 

    [7] 

    All of them are hot as an oven,

        and they devour their rulers.

    All their kings have fallen,

        and none of them calls upon me.

    [8] 

    Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples;

        Ephraim is a cake not turned. 

    [9] 

    Strangers devour his strength,

        and he knows it not;

    gray hairs are sprinkled upon him,

        and he knows it not. 

    [10] 

    The pride of Israel testifies to his face;

        yet they do not return to the LORD their God,

        nor seek him, for all this.

    [11] 

    Ephraim is like a dove,

        silly and without sense,

        calling to Egypt, going to Assyria. 

    [12] 

    As they go, I will spread over them my net;

        I will bring them down like birds of the heavens;

        I will discipline them according to the report made to their congregation. 

    [13] 

    Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!

        Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me!

    I would redeem them,

        but they speak lies against me.

    [14] 

    They do not cry to me from the heart,

        but they wail upon their beds;

    for grain and wine they gash themselves;

        they rebel against me. 

    [15] 

    Although I trained and strengthened their arms,

        yet they devise evil against me. 

    [16] 

    They return, but not upward;

        they are like a treacherous bow;

    their princes shall fall by the sword

        because of the insolence of their tongue.

    This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

Hosea 8

    [1] Set the trumpet to your lips!

        One like a vulture is over the house of the LORD,

    because they have transgressed my covenant

        and rebelled against my law. 

    [2] To me they cry,

        “My God, we—Israel—know you.” 

    [3] Israel has spurned the good;

        the enemy shall pursue him.

    [4] They made kings, but not through me.

        They set up princes, but I knew it not.

    With their silver and gold they made idols

        for their own destruction. 

    [5] I have spurned your calf, O Samaria.

        My anger burns against them.

    How long will they be incapable of innocence? 

    [6] For it is from Israel;

    a craftsman made it;

        it is not God.

    The calf of Samaria

        shall be broken to pieces.

    [7] For they sow the wind,

        and they shall reap the whirlwind.

    The standing grain has no heads;

        it shall yield no flour;

    if it were to yield,

        strangers would devour it. 

    [8] Israel is swallowed up;

        already they are among the nations

        as a useless vessel. 

    [9] For they have gone up to Assyria,

        a wild donkey wandering alone;

        Ephraim has hired lovers. 

    [10] Though they hire allies among the nations,

        I will soon gather them up.

    And the king and princes shall soon writhe

        because of the tribute.

    [11] Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning,

        they have become to him altars for sinning. 

    [12] Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands,

        they would be regarded as a strange thing. 

    [13] As for my sacrificial offerings,

        they sacrifice meat and eat it,

        but the LORD does not accept them.

    Now he will remember their iniquity

        and punish their sins;

        they shall return to Egypt. 

    [14] For Israel has forgotten his Maker

        and built palaces,

    and Judah has multiplied fortified cities;

        so I will send a fire upon his cities,

        and it shall devour her strongholds.