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NEHEMIAH 1

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Report from Jerusalem
  1:1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.
    
Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel,
2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” Nehemiah’s Prayer
4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
    
Now I was cupbearer to the king.



PSALM 18

« Psalm 17 | Psalm 18 | Psalm 19 »

The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:
18:1
I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3
I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.

4
The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
5
the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.

6
In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.

7
Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
8
Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9
He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
10
He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
11
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
thick clouds dark with water.
12
Out of the brightness before him
hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

13
The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14
And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
15
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

16
He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.
17
He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
18
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
19
He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

20
The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21
For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22
For all his rules were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23
I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
24
So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25
With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26
with the purified you show yourself pure;
and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27
For you save a humble people,
but the haughty eyes you bring down.
28
For it is you who light my lamp;
the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
29
For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.
30
This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

31
For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?—
32
the God who equipped me with strength
and made my way blameless.
33
He made my feet like the feet of a deer
and set me secure on the heights.
34
He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35
You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand supported me,
and your gentleness made me great.
36
You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37
I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38
I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
39
For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40
You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
and those who hated me I destroyed.
41
They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42
I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

43
You delivered me from strife with the people;
you made me the head of the nations;
people whom I had not known served me.
44
As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
foreigners came cringing to me.
45
Foreigners lost heart
and came trembling out of their fortresses.

46
The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47
the God who gave me vengeance
and subdued peoples under me,
48
who rescued me from my enemies;
yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
you delivered me from the man of violence.

49
For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and sing to your name.
50
Great salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever.



PSALM 19

« Psalm 18 | Psalm 19 | Psalm 20 »

The Law of the Lord Is Perfect
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7
The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8
the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9
the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

12
Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.



PROVERBS 18

« Proverbs 17 | Proverbs 18 | Proverbs 19 »

18:1
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
he breaks out against all sound judgment.
2
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
but only in expressing his opinion.
3
When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,
and with dishonor comes disgrace.
4
The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
5
It is not good to be partial to the wicked
or to deprive the righteous of justice.
6
A fool’s lips walk into a fight,
and his mouth invites a beating.
7
A fool’s mouth is his ruin,
and his lips are a snare to his soul.
8
The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.
9
Whoever is slack in his work
is a brother to him who destroys.
10
The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
11
A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
and like a high wall in his imagination.
12
Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.
13
If one gives an answer before he hears,
it is his folly and shame.
14
A man’s spirit will endure sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?
15
An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16
A man’s gift makes room for him
and brings him before the great.
17
The one who states his case first seems right,
until the other comes and examines him.
18
The lot puts an end to quarrels
and decides between powerful contenders.
19
A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,
and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
20
From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.
22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the Lord.
23
The poor use entreaties,
but the rich answer roughly.
24
A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

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