Luke 18:31-43
[31]
And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to
Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the
prophets will be accomplished. [32] For he will be delivered over to the
Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. [33]
And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will
rise.” [34] But they understood none of these things. This saying was
hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
[35]
As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside
begging. [36] And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant.
[37] They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” [38] And he
cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” [39] And those who
were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out
all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” [40] And Jesus stopped
and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked
him, [41] “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me
recover my sight.” [42] And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your
faith has made you well.” [43] And immediately he recovered his sight
and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it,
gave praise to God.
Titus 1:1-9
[1]
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of
the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords
with godliness, [2] in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies,
promised before the ages began [3] and at the proper time manifested in
his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the
command of God our Savior;
[4] To Titus, my true child in a common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
[5]
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained
into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—[6] if
anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are
believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
[7] For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must
not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for
gain, [8] but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright,
holy, and disciplined. [9] He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as
taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and
also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Proverbs 14:1-18
[1] The wisest of women builds her house,
but folly with her own hands tears it down.
[2]
Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD,
but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
[3]
By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,
but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
[4]
Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
[5]
A faithful witness does not lie,
but a false witness breathes out lies.
[6]
A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.
[7]
Leave the presence of a fool,
for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
[8]
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
but the folly of fools is deceiving.
[9]
Fools mock at the guilt offering,
but the upright enjoy acceptance.
[10]
The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger shares its joy.
[11]
The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
[12]
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
[13]
Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and the end of joy may be grief.
[14]
The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
[15]
The simple believes everything,
but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
[16]
One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and careless.
[17]
A man of quick temper acts foolishly,
and a man of evil devices is hated.
[18]
The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
Nehemiah 12
[1]
These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the
son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, [2] Amariah,
Malluch, Hattush, [3] Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, [4] Iddo, Ginnethoi,
Abijah, [5] Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, [6] Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
[7] Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests
and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.
[8]
And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and
Mattaniah, who with his brothers was in charge of the songs of
thanksgiving. [9] And Bakbukiah and Unni and their brothers stood
opposite them in the service. [10] And Jeshua was the father of Joiakim,
Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada, [11]
Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.
[12]
And in the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers’ houses: of
Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; [13] of Ezra, Meshullam; of
Amariah, Jehohanan; [14] of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
[15] of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; [16] of Iddo, Zechariah; of
Ginnethon, Meshullam; [17] of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah,
Piltai; [18] of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; [19] of
Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; [20] of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok,
Eber; [21] of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
[22]
In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were
recorded as heads of fathers’ houses; so too were the priests in the
reign of Darius the Persian. [23] As for the sons of Levi, their heads
of fathers’ houses were written in the Book of the Chronicles until the
days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. [24] And the chiefs of the Levites:
Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their
brothers who stood opposite them, to praise and to give thanks,
according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch by watch.
[25] Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were
gatekeepers standing guard at the storehouses of the gates. [26] These
were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the
days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra, the priest and scribe.
[27]
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites
in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the
dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with
cymbals, harps, and lyres. [28] And the sons of the singers gathered
together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages
of the Netophathites; [29] also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of
Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages
around Jerusalem. [30] And the priests and the Levites purified
themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.
[31]
Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two
great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the
Dung Gate. [32] And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of
Judah, [33] and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, [34] Judah, Benjamin,
Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, [35] and certain of the priests’ sons with
trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of
Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; [36] and his
relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah,
and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And
Ezra the scribe went before them. [37] At the Fountain Gate they went up
straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent
of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.
[38]
The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I
followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of
the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, [39] and above the Gate of Ephraim, and by
the Gate of Yeshanah, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and
the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at
the Gate of the Guard. [40] So both choirs of those who gave thanks
stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me; [41]
and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai,
Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; [42] and Maaseiah, Shemaiah,
Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers
sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. [43] And they offered great
sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with
great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of
Jerusalem was heard far away.
[44]
On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions,
the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions
required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the
fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the
Levites who ministered. [45] And they performed the service of their God
and the service of purification, as did the singers and the
gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon. [46]
For long ago in the days of David and Asaph there were directors of the
singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. [47]
And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah
gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they
set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that
which was for the sons of Aaron.
