Today's Reading

¹Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.

²He said to them, "I am one hundred twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: and the Lord has said to me, 'You shall not go over this Jordan.'

³The Lord your God, he will go over before you; he will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua shall go over before you, as the Lord has spoken.

⁴The Lord will do to them as he did to Sihon and to Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land; whom he destroyed.

⁵The Lord will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you.

⁶Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, nor be scared of them: for the Lord your God, he it is who does go with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you."

⁷Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous: for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it.

⁸The Lord, he it is who does go before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you, neither forsake you: do not be afraid, neither be dismayed."

⁹Moses wrote this law, and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.

¹⁰Moses commanded them, saying, "At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of tents,

¹¹when all Israel has come to appear before the Lord your God in the place which he shall choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

¹²Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and your foreigner who is within your gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law;

¹³and that their children, who have not known, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land where you go over the Jordan to possess it."

¹⁴The Lord said to Moses, "Behold, your days approach that you must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that I may commission him." Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.

¹⁵The Lord appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud: and the pillar of cloud stood over the door of the Tent.

¹⁶The Lord said to Moses, "Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers; and this people will rise up, and play the prostitute after the strange gods of the land, where they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.

¹⁷Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come on them; so that they will say in that day, 'Haven't these evils come on us because our God is not among us?'

¹⁸I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evil which they shall have worked, in that they are turned to other gods.

¹⁹"Now therefore write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.

²⁰For when I shall have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat; then will they turn to other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.

²¹It shall happen, when many evils and troubles have come on them, that this song shall testify before them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they frame this day, before I have brought them into the land which I swore."

²²So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.

²³He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, "Be strong and courageous; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore to them: and I will be with you."

²⁴It happened, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,

²⁵that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying,

²⁶"Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you.

²⁷For I know your rebellion, and your stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death?

²⁸Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them.

²⁹For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will happen to you in the latter days; because you will do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands."

³⁰Moses spoke in the ears of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were finished.

¹Give ear, you heavens, and I will speak. Let the earth hear the words of my mouth.

²My doctrine shall drop as the rain. My speech shall condense as the dew, as the small rain on the tender grass, as the showers on the herb.

³For I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Ascribe greatness to our God!

⁴The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice: a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is he.

⁵They have dealt corruptly with him. They are not his children, because of their defect. They are a perverse and crooked generation.

⁶Do you thus requite the Lord, foolish people and unwise? Isn't he your father who has bought you? He has made you, and established you.

⁷Remember the days of old. Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; your elders, and they will tell you.

⁸When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the children of men, he set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.

⁹For the Lord's portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

¹⁰He found him in a desert land, in the waste howling wilderness. He surrounded him. He cared for him. He kept him as the apple of his eye.

¹¹As an eagle that stirs up her nest, that flutters over her young, he spread abroad his wings, he took them, he bore them on his feathers.

¹²The Lord alone led him. There was no foreign god with him.

¹³He made him ride on the high places of the earth. He ate the increase of the field. He caused him to suck honey out of the rock, oil out of the flinty rock;

¹⁴Butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, with fat of lambs, rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the finest of the wheat. Of the blood of the grape you drank wine.

¹⁵But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked. You have grown fat. You have grown thick. You have become sleek. Then he forsook God who made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

¹⁶They moved him to jealousy with strange gods. They provoked him to anger with abominations.

¹⁷They sacrificed to demons, not God, to gods that they did not know, to new gods that came up recently, which your fathers did not dread.

¹⁸Of the Rock who became your father, you are unmindful, and have forgotten God who gave you birth.

¹⁹The Lord saw and abhorred, because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters.

²⁰He said, "I will hide my face from them. I will see what their end shall be; for they are a very perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.

²¹They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God. They have provoked me to anger with their vanities. I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people. I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

²²For a fire is kindled in my anger, Burns to the lowest Sheol, Devours the earth with its increase, and sets the foundations of the mountains on fire.

²³"I will heap evils on them. I will spend my arrows on them.

²⁴They shall be wasted with hunger, and devoured with burning heat and bitter destruction. I will send the teeth of animals on them, With the poison of crawling things of the dust.

²⁵Outside the sword shall bereave, and in the rooms, terror; on both young man and virgin, The nursing infant with the gray-haired man.

²⁶I said, I would scatter them afar. I would make their memory to cease from among men;

²⁷were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, lest their adversaries should judge wrongly, lest they should say, 'Our hand is exalted, the Lord has not done all this.'"

²⁸For they are a nation void of counsel. There is no understanding in them.

²⁹Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

³⁰How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had delivered them up?

³¹For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

³²For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, of the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of gall, Their clusters are bitter.

³³Their wine is the poison of serpents, The cruel venom of asps.

³⁴"Isn't this laid up in store with me, sealed up among my treasures?

³⁵Vengeance is mine, and I will repay, at the time when their foot slides; for the day of their calamity is at hand. The things that are to come on them shall make haste."

³⁶For the Lord will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone, There is none remaining, shut up or left at large.

³⁷He will say, "Where are their gods, The rock in which they took refuge;

³⁸Which ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you! Let them be your protection.

³⁹"See now that I, even I, am he, There is no god with me. I kill, and I make alive. I wound, and I heal. There is no one who can deliver out of my hand.

⁴⁰For I lift up my hand to heaven, And say, As I live forever,

⁴¹if I whet my glittering sword, My hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to my adversaries, and will recompense those who hate me.

⁴²I will make my arrows drunk with blood. My sword shall devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the head of the leaders of the enemy."

⁴³Rejoice, O heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship him. Rejoice, O nations, with his people, and let all the angels of God strengthen themselves in him. For he will avenge the blood of his sons, and render vengeance to his enemies, and will recompense them that hate him, and will cleanse the land for his people.

⁴⁴Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun.

⁴⁵Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel;

⁴⁶He said to them, "Set your heart to all the words which I testify to you this day, which you shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.

⁴⁷For it is no vain thing for you; because it is your life, and through this thing you shall prolong your days in the land, where you go over the Jordan to possess it."

⁴⁸The Lord spoke to Moses that same day, saying,

⁴⁹"Go up into this mountain of Abarim, to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and see the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel for a possession;

⁵⁰and die on the mountain where you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor, and was gathered to his people:

⁵¹because you trespassed against me in the midst of the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because you did not sanctify me in the midst of the children of Israel.

⁵²For you shall see the land before you; but you shall not go there into the land which I give the children of Israel."

¹This is the blessing, with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.

²He said, "The Lord came from Sinai, And rose from Seir to them. He shone forth from Mount Paran. He came from the ten thousands of holy ones. At his right hand was a fiery law for them.

³Yes, he loves the people. All his saints are in your hand. They sat down at your feet; each receives your words.

⁴Moses commanded us a law, An inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.

⁵He was king in Jeshurun, When the heads of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.

⁶"Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few."

⁷This is for Judah. He said, "Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah. Bring him in to his people. With his hands he contended for himself. You shall be a help against his adversaries."

⁸Of Levi he said, "Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one, whom you proved at Massah, with whom you strove at the waters of Meribah;

⁹who said of his father, and of his mother, 'I have not seen him;' Neither did he acknowledge his brothers, Nor did he know his own children: For they have observed your word, and keep your covenant.

¹⁰They shall teach Jacob your ordinances, and Israel your law. They shall put incense before you, and whole burnt offering on your altar.

¹¹The Lord, bless his substance. Accept the work of his hands. Strike through the hips of those who rise up against him, of those who hate him, that they not rise again."

¹²Of Benjamin he said, "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him. He covers him all the day long. He dwells between his shoulders."

¹³Of Joseph he said, "His land is blessed by the Lord, for the precious things of the heavens, for the dew, for the deep that couches beneath,

¹⁴for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, for the precious things of the growth of the moons,

¹⁵for the chief things of the ancient mountains, for the precious things of the everlasting hills,

¹⁶for the precious things of the earth and its fullness, the good will of him who lived in the bush. Let this come on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

¹⁷The firstborn of his herd, majesty is his. His horns are the horns of the wild ox. With them he shall push all of the peoples, to the ends of the earth: They are the ten thousands of Ephraim. They are the thousands of Manasseh."

¹⁸Of Zebulun he said, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out; and Issachar, in your tents.

¹⁹They shall call the peoples to the mountain. There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they shall draw out the abundance of the seas, the hidden treasures of the sand."

²⁰Of Gad he said, "He who enlarges Gad is blessed. He dwells as a lioness, and tears the arm, yes, the crown of the head.

²¹He provided the first part for himself, for there was the lawgiver's portion reserved. He came with the heads of the people. He executed the righteousness of the Lord, His ordinances with Israel."

²²Of Dan he said, "Dan is a lion's cub that leaps out of Bashan."

²³Of Naphtali he said, "Naphtali, satisfied with favor, full of the blessing of the Lord, Possess the west and the south."

²⁴Of Asher he said, "Asher is blessed with children. Let him be acceptable to his brothers. Let him dip his foot in oil.

²⁵Your bars shall be iron and brass. As your days, so your strength will be.

²⁶"There is none like God, Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens for your help, In his majesty through the skies.

²⁷The eternal God is your dwelling place. Underneath are the everlasting arms. He thrust out the enemy from before you, and said, 'Destroy!'

²⁸Israel dwells in safety; the fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine. Yes, his heavens drop down dew.

²⁹You are happy, Israel. Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, the sword of your excellency! Your enemies shall submit themselves to you. You shall tread on their high places."

¹He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up,

²saying, "There was a judge in a certain city who did not fear God, and did not respect man.

³A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, 'Defend me from my adversary!'

⁴He would not for a while, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God, nor respect man,

⁵yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.'"

⁶The Lord said, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge says.

⁷Won't God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them?

⁸I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

⁹He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others.

¹⁰"Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.

¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

¹²I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.'

¹³But the tax collector, standing far away, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'

¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

¹⁵Now they were also bringing their babies to him, that he might touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

¹⁶Jesus summoned them, saying, "Allow the little children to come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

¹⁷Truly, I tell you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child, he will in no way enter into it."

¹⁸A certain ruler asked him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

¹⁹Jesus asked him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one-God.

²⁰You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not give false testimony,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"

²¹He said, "I have observed all these things from my youth up."

²²When Jesus heard it, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me."

²³But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich.

²⁴Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the Kingdom of God!

²⁵For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God."

²⁶Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?"

²⁷But he said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

²⁸Peter said, "Look, we have left our homes and followed you."

²⁹He said to them, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for the Kingdom of God's sake,

³⁰who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the world to come, eternal life."

³¹He took the twelve aside, and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be completed.

³²For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit on.

³³They will scourge and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again."

³⁴They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not understand the things that were said.

³⁵It happened, as he came near Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the road, begging.

³⁶Hearing a multitude going by, he asked what this meant.

³⁷They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

³⁸He called out, "Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!"

³⁹Those who led the way rebuked him, that he should be quiet; but he shouted all the more, "You son of David, have mercy on me!"

⁴⁰Standing still, Jesus commanded him to be brought to him. When he had come near, he asked him,

⁴¹"What do you want me to do?" He said, "Lord, that I may see again."

⁴²Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you."

⁴³And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, praised God.

¹ My soul rests in God alone. My salvation is from him.

²He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress- I will never be greatly shaken.

³How long will you assault a man, would all of you throw him down, Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?

⁴They fully intend to throw him down from his lofty place. They delight in lies. They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

⁵My soul, wait in silence for God alone, for my expectation is from him.

⁶He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I will not be shaken.

⁷With God is my salvation and my honor. The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

⁸Trust in him at all times, O people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Selah.

⁹Surely men of low degree are just a breath, and men of high degree are a lie. In the balances they will go up. They are together lighter than a breath.

¹⁰Do not trust in oppression. Do not become vain in robbery. If riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

¹¹God has spoken once; twice I have heard this, that power belongs to God.

¹²Also to you, Lord, belongs loving kindness, for you reward every man according to his work.

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!