September 19: Proverbs 27–28; Psalm 74; John 16

Proverbs 27–28 (Listen)

27Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.
2Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
a stranger, and not your own lips.
3A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
4Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?
5Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
7One who is full loathes honey,
but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.
8Like a bird that strays from its nest
is a man who strays from his home.
9Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.^{Or and so does the sweetness of a friend that comes from his earnest counsel“>1}
10Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend,
and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity.
Better is a neighbor who is near
than a brother who is far away.
11Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
that I may answer him who reproaches me.
12The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
13Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.^{Hebrew a foreign woman; a slight emendation yields (compare Vulgate; see also 20:16) foreigners“>2}
14Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
rising early in the morning,
will be counted as cursing.
15A continual dripping on a rainy day
and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
16to restrain her is to restrain the wind
or to grasp^{Hebrew to meet with“>3} oil in one’s right hand.
17Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.^{Hebrew sharpens the face of another“>4}
18Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and he who guards his master will be honored.
19As in water face reflects face,
so the heart of man reflects the man.
20Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
and never satisfied are the eyes of man.
21The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
and a man is tested by his praise.
22Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
along with crushed grain,
yet his folly will not depart from him.


23Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,
24for riches do not last forever;
and does a crown endure to all generations?
25When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
26the lambs will provide your clothing,
and the goats the price of a field.
27There will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
for the food of your household
and maintenance for your girls.
28The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.
2When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,
but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
its stability will long continue.
3A poor man who oppresses the poor
is a beating rain that leaves no food.
4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them.
5Evil men do not understand justice,
but those who seek the LORD understand it completely.
6Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.
7The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
but a companion of gluttons shames his father.
8Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit^{That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor“>5}
gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.
9If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
even his prayer is an abomination.
10Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way
will fall into his own pit,
but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.
11A rich man is wise in his own eyes,
but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.
12When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.
13Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
14Blessed is the one who fears the LORD^{Hebrew lacks the Lord“>6} always,
but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
15Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
17If one is burdened with the blood of another,
he will be a fugitive until death;^{Hebrew until the pit“>7}
let no one help him.
18Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered,
but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.
19Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
20A faithful man will abound with blessings,
but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
21To show partiality is not good,
but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
22A stingy man^{Hebrew A man whose eye is evil“>8} hastens after wealth
and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
23Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than he who flatters with his tongue.
24Whoever robs his father or his mother
and says, “That is no transgression,”
is a companion to a man who destroys.
25A greedy man stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.
26Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
27Whoever gives to the poor will not want,
but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
28When the wicked rise, people hide themselves,
but when they perish, the righteous increase.

(ESV)

Psalm 74 (Listen)

Arise, O God, Defend Your Cause

A Maskil^{Probably a musical or liturgical term“>1} of Asaph.

74O God, why do you cast us off forever?
Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
2Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old,
which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage!
Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.
3Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins;
the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!


4Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place;
they set up their own signs for signs.
5They were like those who swing axes
in a forest of trees.^{The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain“>2}
6And all its carved wood
they broke down with hatchets and hammers.
7They set your sanctuary on fire;
they profaned the dwelling place of your name,
bringing it down to the ground.
8They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”;
they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.


9We do not see our signs;
there is no longer any prophet,
and there is none among us who knows how long.
10How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?
Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
11Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take it from the fold of your garment^{Hebrew from your bosom“>3} and destroy them!


12Yet God my King is from of old,
working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13You divided the sea by your might;
you broke the heads of the sea monsters^{Or the great sea creatures“>4} on the waters.
14You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15You split open springs and brooks;
you dried up ever-flowing streams.
16Yours is the day, yours also the night;
you have established the heavenly lights and the sun.
17You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth;
you have made summer and winter.


18Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs,
and a foolish people reviles your name.
19Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts;
do not forget the life of your poor forever.


20Have regard for the covenant,
for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
21Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame;
let the poor and needy praise your name.


22Arise, O God, defend your cause;
remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!
23Do not forget the clamor of your foes,
the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!

(ESV)

John 16 (Listen)

16“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy

16“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

I Have Overcome the World

25“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.^{Some manuscripts from the Father“>1} 28I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

29His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

(ESV)