Today's Reading

¹The word of the Lord came again to me, saying,

²"Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas'; yet you are man, and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of God-

³behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that is hidden from you;

⁴by your wisdom and by your understanding you have gotten yourself riches, and have gotten gold and silver into your treasures;

⁵by your great wisdom and by your traffic you have increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches"-

⁶therefore thus says the Lord God: "Because you have set your heart as the heart of God,

⁷therefore, behold, I will bring strangers on you, the terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and they shall defile your brightness.

⁸They shall bring you down to the pit; and you shall die the death of those who are slain, in the heart of the seas.

⁹Will you yet say before him who kills you, 'I am God?' But you are man, and not God, in the hand of him who wounds you.

¹⁰You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it," says the Lord God.'"

¹¹Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

¹²"Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and tell him, 'Thus says the Lord God: "You seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

¹³You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl. Gold work of tambourines and of pipes was in you. In the day that you were created they were prepared.

¹⁴You were the anointed cherub who covers: and I set you, so that you were on the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

¹⁵You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.

¹⁶By the abundance of your traffic they filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore I have cast you as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed you, covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

¹⁷Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I have cast you to the ground; I have laid you before kings, that they may see you.

¹⁸By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your traffic, you have profaned your sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from the midst of you; it has devoured you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all those who see you.

¹⁹All those who know you among the peoples shall be astonished at you: you have become a terror, and you shall nevermore have any being."'"

²⁰The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

²¹"Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, and prophesy against it,

²²and say, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I am against you, Sidon; and I will be glorified in the midst of you;" and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her.

²³For I will send pestilence into her, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall fall in the midst of her, with the sword on her on every side; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

²⁴"'There shall be no more a pricking brier to the house of Israel, nor a hurting thorn of any that are around them, that scorned them; and they shall know that I am the Lord God.'

²⁵"Thus says the Lord God: 'When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their own land which I gave to my servant Jacob.

²⁶They shall dwell securely therein; yes, they shall build houses, and plant vineyards, and shall dwell securely, when I have executed judgments on all those who do them despite all around them; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.'"

¹In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

²"Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.

³Speak and say, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers, that has said, 'My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.'

⁴I will put hooks in your jaws, and I will make the fish of your rivers stick to your scales; and I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, with all the fish of your rivers which stick to your scales.

⁵I'll cast you forth into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers. You'll fall on the open field. You won't be brought together, nor gathered. I have given you for food to the animals of the earth and to the birds of the sky.

⁶All the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the Lord, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

⁷When they took hold of you by your hand, you broke, and tore all their shoulders; and when they leaned on you, you broke, and paralyzed all of their thighs."

⁸"'Therefore thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I will bring a sword on you, and will cut off man and animal from you.

⁹The land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste; and they shall know that I am the Lord. Because he has said, 'The river is mine, and I have made it;'

¹⁰therefore, behold, I am against you, and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even to the border of Ethiopia.

¹¹No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of animal shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.

¹²I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be a desolation forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries."

¹³"'For thus says the Lord God: "At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the peoples where they were scattered;

¹⁴and I will bring back the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their birth; and they shall be there a base kingdom.

¹⁵It shall be the base of the kingdoms; neither shall it any more lift itself up above the nations: and I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.

¹⁶It shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing iniquity to memory, when they turn to look after them: and they shall know that I am the Lord God."'"

¹⁷It came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

¹⁸"Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet had he no wages, nor his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it.

¹⁹Therefore thus says the Lord God: 'Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.

²⁰I have given him the land of Egypt as his recompense for which he served, because they worked for me,' says the Lord God.

²¹'In that day will I cause a horn to bud forth to the house of Israel, and I will give you the opening of the mouth in their midst; and they shall know that I am the Lord.'"

¹The word of the Lord came again to me, saying,

²"Son of man, prophesy, and say, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Wail, 'Alas for the day!'

³For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near; it shall be a day of clouds, a time of the nations.

⁴A sword shall come on Egypt, and anguish shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt; and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down.

⁵Ethiopia, and Put, and Lud, and all the mixed people, and Cub, and the children of the land that is allied with them, shall fall with them by the sword."'

⁶"Thus says the Lord: 'They also who uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Seveneh shall they fall in it by the sword,' says the Lord God.

⁷'They shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted.

⁸They shall know that I am the Lord, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and all her helpers are destroyed.

⁹In that day shall messengers go forth from before me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid; and there shall be anguish on them, as in the day of Egypt; for, behold, it comes.'

¹⁰"Thus says the Lord God: 'I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease, by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

¹¹He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought in to destroy the land; and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.

¹²I will make the rivers dry, and will sell the land into the hand of evil men; and I will make the land desolate, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I, the Lord, have spoken it.'

¹³"Thus says the Lord God: 'I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause the images to cease from Memphis; and there shall be no more a prince from the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.

¹⁴I will make Pathros desolate, and will set a fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments on No.

¹⁵I will pour my wrath on Sin, the stronghold of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No.

¹⁶I will set a fire in Egypt: Sin shall be in great anguish, and No shall be broken up; and Memphis shall have adversaries in the daytime.

¹⁷The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword; and these cities shall go into captivity.

¹⁸At Tehaphnehes also the day shall withdraw itself, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt, and the pride of her power shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.

¹⁹Thus will I execute judgments on Egypt; and they shall know that I am the Lord.'"

²⁰It happened in the eleventh year, in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

²¹"Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and behold, it has not been bound up, to apply healing medicines, to put a bandage to bind it, that it be strong to hold the sword.

²²Therefore thus says the Lord God: 'Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong arm, and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.

²³I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.

²⁴I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand: but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man.

²⁵I will hold up the arms of the king of Babylon; and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out on the land of Egypt.

²⁶I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them through the countries; and they shall know that I am the Lord.'"

¹Let brotherly love continue.

²Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.

³Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body.

⁴Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

⁵Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."

⁶So that with good courage we say, "The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

⁷Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.

⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

⁹Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by food, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

¹⁰We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat.

¹¹For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp.

¹²Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate.

¹³Let us therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach.

¹⁴For we do not have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come.

¹⁵Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.

¹⁶But do not forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

¹⁷Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.

¹⁸Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things.

¹⁹I strongly urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you sooner.

²⁰Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus,

²¹make you complete in every good thing to do his will, working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.

²²But I exhort you, brothers, endure the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words.

²³Know that our brother Timothy has been freed, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you.

²⁴Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings.

²⁵Grace be with you all.

¹The words of king Lemuel; the oracle which his mother taught him.

²"Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!

³Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

⁴It is not for kings, Lemuel; it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes to say, 'Where is strong drink?'

⁵lest they drink, and forget the decree, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.

⁶Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish; and wine to the bitter in soul:

⁷Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

⁸Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.

⁹Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy."

¹⁰Who can find a worthy woman? For her price is far above rubies.

¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.

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

¹³She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar.

¹⁵She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.

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

¹⁷She girds her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.

¹⁸She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn't go out by night.

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

²⁰She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy.

²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

²²She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

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

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

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

²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom. Faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn't eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:

²⁹"Many women do noble things, but you excel them all."

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

³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!