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Proverbs 31 (ESV)

The Words of King Lemuel

31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb?
What are you doing, son of my vows?

Do not give your strength to women,
your ways to those who destroy kings.

It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings to drink wine,
or for rulers to take strong drink,

lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress;

let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.

Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.

Open your mouth, judge righteously,
defend the rights of the poor and needy.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10  An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.

11  The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.

12  She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.

13  She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.

14  She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.

15  She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.

16  She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

17  She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.

18  She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.

19  She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.

20  She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.

21  She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.

22  She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23  Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.

24  She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.

25  Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.

26  She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

27  She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28  Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

29  “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”

30  Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

31  Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

Psalm 119:113–120 (ESV)

SAMEKH

113  I hate the double-minded,
but I love your law.

114  You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word.

115  Depart from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commandments of my God.

116  Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
and let me not be put to shame in my hope!

117  Hold me up, that I may be safe
and have regard for your statutes continually!

118  You spurn all who go astray from your statutes,
for their cunning is in vain.

119  All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,
therefore I love your testimonies.

120  My flesh trembles for fear of you,
and I am afraid of your judgments.

2 Peter 2:10–22 (ESV)

10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.

Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

In his Rationis Latomianae Confutatio, written in June during his stay at Wartburg Castle and published in September, Luther declares: “I would rather drink from the fountain than from the brook—will you forbid this? A twofold fact moves me to do this. First, that I would have the Holy Scripture pure in its own power, untainted by any touch, even that of saintly men, and unmixed with any earthly spice.” (21)

–Johann Michael Reu, Luther on the Scriptures

This daily Bible reading guide, Reading the Word of God, was conceived and prepared as a result of the ongoing discussions between representatives of three church bodies: Lutheran Church—Canada (LCC), The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). The following individuals have represented their church bodies and approved this introduction and the reading guide: LCC: President Robert Bugbee; NALC: Bishop John Bradosky, Revs. Mark Chavez, James Nestingen, and David Wendel; LCMS: Revs. Albert Collver, Joel Lehenbauer, John Pless, and Larry Vogel.

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