December 4

John 15:1-8

I Am the True Vine

[1] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. [2] Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. [3] Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. [4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. [5] I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. [7] If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. [8] By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Revelation 2:18-29

To the Church in Thyatira

[18] “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

[19] “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. [20] But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. [21] I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. [22] Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, [23] and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. [24] But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. [25] Only hold fast what you have until I come. [26] The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, [27] and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. [28] And I will give him the morning star. [29] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Job 27

Job Continues: I Will Maintain My Integrity

[1] And Job again took up his discourse, and said:

    [2] “As God lives, who has taken away my right,

        and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter, 

    [3] as long as my breath is in me,

        and the spirit of God is in my nostrils, 

    [4] my lips will not speak falsehood,

        and my tongue will not utter deceit. 

    [5] Far be it from me to say that you are right;

        till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. 

    [6] I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go;

        my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

    [7] “Let my enemy be as the wicked,

        and let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous. 

    [8] For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off,

        when God takes away his life? 

    [9] Will God hear his cry

        when distress comes upon him? 

    [10] Will he take delight in the Almighty?

        Will he call upon God at all times? 

    [11] I will teach you concerning the hand of God;

        what is with the Almighty I will not conceal. 

    [12] Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves;

        why then have you become altogether vain?

    [13] “This is the portion of a wicked man with God,

        and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty: 

    [14] If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword,

        and his descendants have not enough bread. 

    [15] Those who survive him the pestilence buries,

        and his widows do not weep. 

    [16] Though he heap up silver like dust,

        and pile up clothing like clay, 

    [17] he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it,

        and the innocent will divide the silver. 

    [18] He builds his house like a moth’s,

        like a booth that a watchman makes. 

    [19] He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more;

        he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone. 

    [20] Terrors overtake him like a flood;

        in the night a whirlwind carries him off. 

    [21] The east wind lifts him up and he is gone;

        it sweeps him out of his place. 

    [22] It hurls at him without pity;

        he flees from its power in headlong flight. 

    [23] It claps its hands at him

        and hisses at him from its place.

Hosea 9

The LORD Will Punish Israel

    [1] Rejoice not, O Israel!

        Exult not like the peoples;

    for you have played the whore, forsaking your God.

        You have loved a prostitute’s wages

        on all threshing floors. 

    [2] Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them,

        and the new wine shall fail them. 

    [3] They shall not remain in the land of the LORD,

        but Ephraim shall return to Egypt,

        and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.

    [4] They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the LORD,

        and their sacrifices shall not please him.

    It shall be like mourners’ bread to them;

        all who eat of it shall be defiled;

    for their bread shall be for their hunger only;

        it shall not come to the house of the LORD.

    [5] What will you do on the day of the appointed festival,

        and on the day of the feast of the LORD? 

    [6] For behold, they are going away from destruction;

        but Egypt shall gather them;

        Memphis shall bury them.

    Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver;

        thorns shall be in their tents.

    [7] The days of punishment have come;

        the days of recompense have come;

        Israel shall know it.

    The prophet is a fool;

        the man of the spirit is mad,

    because of your great iniquity

        and great hatred. 

    [8] The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God;

    yet a fowler’s snare is on all his ways,

        and hatred in the house of his God. 

    [9] They have deeply corrupted themselves

        as in the days of Gibeah:

    he will remember their iniquity;

        he will punish their sins.

    [10] Like grapes in the wilderness,

        I found Israel.

    Like the first fruit on the fig tree

        in its first season,

        I saw your fathers.

    But they came to Baal-peor

        and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame,

        and became detestable like the thing they loved. 

    [11] Ephraim’s glory shall fly away like a bird—

        no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! 

    [12] Even if they bring up children,

        I will bereave them till none is left.

    Woe to them

        when I depart from them! 

    [13] Ephraim, as I have seen, was like a young palm planted in a meadow;

        but Ephraim must lead his children out to slaughter. 

    [14] Give them, O LORD—

        what will you give?

    Give them a miscarrying womb

        and dry breasts.

    [15] Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal;

        there I began to hate them.

    Because of the wickedness of their deeds

        I will drive them out of my house.

    I will love them no more;

        all their princes are rebels.

    [16] Ephraim is stricken;

        their root is dried up;

        they shall bear no fruit.

    Even though they give birth,

        I will put their beloved children to death. 

    [17] My God will reject them

        because they have not listened to him;

        they shall be wanderers among the nations.

Hosea 10

    [1] Israel is a luxuriant vine

        that yields its fruit.

    The more his fruit increased,

        the more altars he built;

    as his country improved,

        he improved his pillars. 

    [2] 

    Their heart is false;

        now they must bear their guilt.

    The LORD will break down their altars

        and destroy their pillars.

    [3] 

    For now they will say:

        “We have no king,

    for we do not fear the LORD;

        and a king—what could he do for us?” 

    [4] 

    They utter mere words;

        with empty oaths they make covenants;

    so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds

        in the furrows of the field. 

    [5] 

    The inhabitants of Samaria tremble

        for the calf of Beth-aven.

    Its people mourn for it, and so do its idolatrous priests—

        those who rejoiced over it and over its glory—

        for it has departed from them. 

    [6] 

    The thing itself shall be carried to Assyria

        as tribute to the great king.

    Ephraim shall be put to shame,

        and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol.

    [7] 

    Samaria’s king shall perish

        like a twig on the face of the waters. 

    [8] 

    The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,

        shall be destroyed.

    Thorn and thistle shall grow up

        on their altars,

    and they shall say to the mountains, “Cover us,”

        and to the hills, “Fall on us.”

    [9] 

    From the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel;

        there they have continued.

        Shall not the war against the unjust overtake them in Gibeah? 

    [10] 

    When I please, I will discipline them,

        and nations shall be gathered against them

        when they are bound up for their double iniquity.

    [11] 

    Ephraim was a trained calf

        that loved to thresh,

        and I spared her fair neck;

    but I will put Ephraim to the yoke;

        Judah must plow;

        Jacob must harrow for himself. 

    [12] 

    Sow for yourselves righteousness;

        reap steadfast love;

        break up your fallow ground,

    for it is the time to seek the LORD,

        that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

    [13] 

    You have plowed iniquity;

        you have reaped injustice;

        you have eaten the fruit of lies.

    Because you have trusted in your own way

        and in the multitude of your warriors, 

    [14] 

    therefore the tumult of war shall arise among your people,

        and all your fortresses shall be destroyed,

    as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle;

        mothers were dashed in pieces with their children. 

    [15] 

    Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel,

        because of your great evil.

    At dawn the king of Israel

        shall be utterly cut off.

Hosea 11

The LORD’s Love for Israel

    [1] When Israel was a child, I loved him,

        and out of Egypt I called my son. 

    [2] The more they were called,

        the more they went away;

    they kept sacrificing to the Baals

        and burning offerings to idols.

    [3] Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;

        I took them up by their arms,

        but they did not know that I healed them. 

    [4] I led them with cords of kindness,

        with the bands of love,

    and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws,

        and I bent down to them and fed them.

    [5] They shall not return to the land of Egypt,

        but Assyria shall be their king,

        because they have refused to return to me. 

    [6] The sword shall rage against their cities,

        consume the bars of their gates,

        and devour them because of their own counsels. 

    [7] My people are bent on turning away from me,

        and though they call out to the Most High,

        he shall not raise them up at all.

    [8] How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

        How can I hand you over, O Israel?

    How can I make you like Admah?

        How can I treat you like Zeboiim?

    My heart recoils within me;

        my compassion grows warm and tender. 

    [9] I will not execute my burning anger;

        I will not again destroy Ephraim;

    for I am God and not a man,

        the Holy One in your midst,

        and I will not come in wrath.

    [10] They shall go after the LORD;

        he will roar like a lion;

    when he roars,

        his children shall come trembling from the west; 

    [11] they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt,

        and like doves from the land of Assyria,

        and I will return them to their homes, declares the LORD. 

    [12]  Ephraim has surrounded me with lies,

        and the house of Israel with deceit,

    but Judah still walks with God

        and is faithful to the Holy One.

Hosea 12

    [1] Ephraim feeds on the wind

        and pursues the east wind all day long;

    they multiply falsehood and violence;

        they make a covenant with Assyria,

        and oil is carried to Egypt.

The LORD’s Indictment of Israel and Judah

    [2] The LORD has an indictment against Judah

        and will punish Jacob according to his ways;

        he will repay him according to his deeds. 

    [3] In the womb he took his brother by the heel,

        and in his manhood he strove with God. 

    [4] He strove with the angel and prevailed;

        he wept and sought his favor.

    He met God at Bethel,

        and there God spoke with us—

    [5] the LORD, the God of hosts,

        the LORD is his memorial name: 

    [6] “So you, by the help of your God, return,

        hold fast to love and justice,

        and wait continually for your God.”

    [7] A merchant, in whose hands are false balances,

        he loves to oppress. 

    [8] Ephraim has said, “Ah, but I am rich;

        I have found wealth for myself;

    in all my labors they cannot find in me iniquity or sin.” 

    [9] I am the LORD your God

        from the land of Egypt;

    I will again make you dwell in tents,

        as in the days of the appointed feast.

    [10] I spoke to the prophets;

        it was I who multiplied visions,

        and through the prophets gave parables. 

    [11] If there is iniquity in Gilead,

        they shall surely come to nothing:

    in Gilgal they sacrifice bulls;

        their altars also are like stone heaps

        on the furrows of the field. 

    [12] Jacob fled to the land of Aram;

        there Israel served for a wife,

        and for a wife he guarded sheep. 

    [13] By a prophet the LORD brought Israel up from Egypt,

        and by a prophet he was guarded. 

    [14] Ephraim has given bitter provocation;

        so his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him

        and will repay him for his disgraceful deeds.