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.
Ezra 4
[1]
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned
exiles were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel, [2] they
approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them,
“Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have
been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of
Assyria who brought us here.” [3] But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest
of the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel said to them, “You have
nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will
build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia
has commanded us.”
[4]
Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made
them afraid to build [5] and bribed counselors against them to frustrate
their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the
reign of Darius king of Persia.
[6]
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they
wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
[7]
In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the
rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter
was written in Aramaic and translated. [8] Rehum the commander and
Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the
king as follows: [9] Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the
rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the
Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is,
the Elamites, [10] and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble
Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest
of the province Beyond the River. [11] (This is a copy of the letter
that they sent.) “To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the
province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now [12] be it known to
the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to
Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are
finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. [13] Now be it known
to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they
will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be
impaired. [14] Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not
fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, therefore we send and
inform the king, [15] in order that search may be made in the book of
the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records
and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and
provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was
why this city was laid waste. [16] We make known to the king that if
this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no
possession in the province Beyond the River.”
[17]
The king sent an answer: “To Rehum the commander and Shimshai the
scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the
rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now [18] the letter
that you sent to us has been plainly read before me. [19] And I made a
decree, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city
from of old has risen against kings, and that rebellion and sedition
have been made in it. [20] And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem,
who ruled over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute,
custom, and toll were paid. [21] Therefore make a decree that these men
be made to cease, and that this city be not rebuilt, until a decree is
made by me. [22] And take care not to be slack in this matter. Why
should damage grow to the hurt of the king?”
[23]
Then, when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum
and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to the
Jews at Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease. [24] Then the
work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased
until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Ezra 5
[1]
Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to
the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of
Israel who was over them. [2] Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and
Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God
that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting
them.
[3]
At the same time Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River
and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them
thus: “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this
structure?” [4] They also asked them this: “What are the names of the
men who are building this building?” [5] But the eye of their God was on
the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report
should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning
it.
[6]
This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province
Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the governors
who were in the province Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. [7]
They sent him a report, in which was written as follows: “To Darius the
king, all peace. [8] Be it known to the king that we went to the
province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with
huge stones, and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on
diligently and prospers in their hands. [9] Then we asked those elders
and spoke to them thus: ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and
to finish this structure?’ [10] We also asked them their names, for your
information, that we might write down the names of their leaders. [11]
And this was their reply to us: ‘We are the servants of the God of
heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many
years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. [12] But
because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the
hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed
this house and carried away the people to Babylonia. [13] However, in
the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree
that this house of God should be rebuilt. [14] And the gold and silver
vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the
temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon,
these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were
delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;
[15] and he said to him, “Take these vessels, go and put them in the
temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its
site.” [16] Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the
house of God that is in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has
been in building, and it is not yet finished.’ [17] Therefore, if it
seems good to the king, let search be made in the royal archives there
in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the
rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us
his pleasure in this matter.”
