Luke 16:19-31
[19]
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who
feasted sumptuously every day. [20] And at his gate was laid a poor man
named Lazarus, covered with sores, [21] who desired to be fed with what
fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked
his sores. [22] The poor man died and was carried by the angels to
Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, [23] and in
Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side. [24] And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have
mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and
cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ [25] But Abraham
said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good
things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted
here, and you are in anguish. [26] And besides all this, between us and
you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass
from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
[27] And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s
house—[28] for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they
also come into this place of torment.’ [29] But Abraham said, ‘They have
Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ [30] And he said, ‘No,
father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will
repent.’ [31] He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the
Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the
dead.’”
2 Timothy 1:1-7
[1] Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,
[2] To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
[3]
I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience,
as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. [4] As I
remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.
[5] I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in
your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells
in you as well. [6] For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the
gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, [7] for
God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Proverbs 10:17-32
[17] Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,
but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.
[18] The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
and whoever utters slander is a fool.
[19] When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
[20] The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
the heart of the wicked is of little worth.
[21] The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of sense.
[22] The blessing of the LORD makes rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.
[23] Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool,
but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
[24] What the wicked dreads will come upon him,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
[25] When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more,
but the righteous is established forever.
[26] Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
so is the sluggard to those who send him.
[27] The fear of the LORD prolongs life,
but the years of the wicked will be short.
[28] The hope of the righteous brings joy,
but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
[29] The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the blameless,
but destruction to evildoers.
[30] The righteous will never be removed,
but the wicked will not dwell in the land.
[31] The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
[32] The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.
Nehemiah 4
[1]
Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry
and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. [2] And he said in the
presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these
feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they
sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out
of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” [3] Tobiah the
Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a
fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” [4] Hear, O our
God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and
give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. [5] Do
not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your
sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the
builders.
[6] So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
[7]
But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the
Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going
forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were
very angry. [8] And they all plotted together to come and fight against
Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. [9] And we prayed to our God and
set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
[10]
In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is
failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to
rebuild the wall.” [11] And our enemies said, “They will not know or see
till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” [12] At that
time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to
us ten times, “You must return to us.” [13] So in the lowest parts of
the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by
their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. [14] And I
looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the
rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who
is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your
daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
[15]
When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had
frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work.
[16] From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and
half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders
stood behind the whole house of Judah, [17] who were building on the
wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each
labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.
[18] And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while
he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. [19] And I said
to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The
work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far
from one another. [20] In the place where you hear the sound of the
trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
[21]
So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the
break of dawn until the stars came out. [22] I also said to the people
at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within
Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by
day.” [23] So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of
the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept
his weapon at his right hand.
Nehemiah 5
[1]
Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against
their Jewish brothers. [2] For there were those who said, “With our
sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may
eat and keep alive.” [3] There were also those who said, “We are
mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain
because of the famine.” [4] And there were those who said, “We have
borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. [5]
Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their
children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves,
and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in
our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”
[6]
I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. [7] I took
counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the
officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his
brother.” And I held a great assembly against them [8] and said to them,
“We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who
have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they
may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say.
[9] So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not
to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our
enemies? [10] Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending
them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. [11]
Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive
orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine,
and oil that you have been exacting from them.” [12] Then they said, “We
will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you
say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had
promised. [13] I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may
God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not
keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the
assembly said “Amen” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they
had promised.
[14]
Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in
the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of
Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the
food allowance of the governor. [15] The former governors who were
before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their
daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over
the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. [16] I
also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and
all my servants were gathered there for the work. [17] Moreover, there
were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to
us from the nations that were around us. [18] Now what was prepared at
my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and
every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did
not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was
too heavy on this people. [19] Remember for my good, O my God, all that I
have done for this people.
